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Welcome to the July/August 1993 Issue of GEnie's... __ / ) _ _ _ _ / / (_) ( \ / ) (_) / / _ _ _ ____\ \ /\ / / _ ___ ____ / / / )( \_/ ) / __ )\ \/ \/ / / ) / __)/ __ ) / (__ / / \ / / ___/ \ / / / / / / ___/ (______)(_/ \_/ (____) \_/\_/ (_/ (_/ (____) _____ _ _ _ / _ ) / ) (_) / ) / / ) / _____ / / _ _____ ____ / / / / / / / _ ) / / / ) / _ ) / __ ) (_/ / (_/ / / / ) / / / / / / / ) / / ___/ _ (_____/ (_/ (_/ (_/ (_/ (_/ (_/ (____) (_) \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// Editor .............................................. Peggy Herrington Associate Editor ......................................... Donn King Online Editor ........................................ John Peters Contributing Editor ............................ Holly Jahangiri Contributing Editor .......................... Kevin J. McCann Publisher ...................................... Neil Harris ///////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ In This Issue! """""""""""""" o New GEnie-Wide Pricing in Effect! Games, downloads, conferences -- all just $3 an hour! o Our Fourth annual Hot Summer Nights! Great prizes and special events throughout August! o CALC's Summer Learning Schedule! o Cool Comparison Shopping with PC Catalog! o Beat the Summer Blues with Multiplayer Games! o New Canadian Art Gallery! o Learn all about the Internet! o Up-to-the-Minute Sports News! \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// >>> GEnie Information Network's LiveWire Online! <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ July/August 1993 ~ FROM THE EDITOR ......... [FRM] GEnie ONLINE ............ [GEN] Three Bucks, Three Bucks, GEnie's New Pricing Goes Three Bucks... Into Effect! HOT SUMMER NIGHTS ....... [HOT] LEARNING ONLINE ......... [LEA] Fourth Annual Hot Summer Learning in CALC. Summer Nights. [o]Education RoundTable News. ONLINE OPTIONS .......... [OPT] BUSINESS FRONT .......... [BUS] Shop the PC Catalog Way! ARTIST For Hire. Internet RT Comes to GEnie. Open a File, Open a Gallery. THE GEnie GAMER ......... [GAM] Up-to-the-Minute Sports News. Beating the Summer Blues. [o]RSCARDS Backgammon Winners. GEnie SPECIAL EVENTS .... [CAL] Heads Up, Sports Fans! July/August Calendar of Events. FOCUS ON ................ [IBM] FOCUS ON ................ [WIN] IBM PC RoundTable. Windows RoundTable. FOCUS ON ................ [MAC] FOCUS ON ................ [*S*] Macintosh RoundTable. *StarShip* Amiga RoundTable. FOCUS ON ................ [AST] FOCUS ON ................ [APP] Atari ST RoundTable. Apple II RoundTable. [o] = A LiveWire Online Exclusive! [IDX] """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" READING LiveWire! LiveWire has incorporated a unique indexing system """"""""""""""""" to help make reading the magazine easier. To utilize this system, load LiveWire into any ASCII word processor or text editor. In the index you will find the following example: LEARNING ONLINE ......... [LEA] Summer Learning in CALC. To read this article, set your find or search command to [LEA]. If you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" [EOA] [FRM]////////////////////////////// FROM THE EDITOR / ///////////////////////////////// Three Bucks, Three Bucks, Three Bucks... """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ____ / _ ) / __ / / _ ) (____/eating the summer blues has never been easier now that you can download all those great programs and graphics you've been wanting for half the cost. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Details on the hottest prices in modem-land start on page 6, where you can read all about GEnie's new rates. And not "just" downloading, either. 2400 baud access to all the multi-player games, live conferencing, personalized product support for YOUR computing endeavors -- that and MUCH more is available at prices even Scrooge couldn't complain about! Nobody's financial fool, he'd the first to see the advantage of getting up to four hours online for only $8.95 a month. Direct Internet mail, full access to the computing RoundTables, multi-player games, Chat Lines, all for only three bucks an hour! Even our fine line-up of surcharged services such as Charles Schwab Brokerage, Dun & Bradstreet Database and the ARTIST Gateways cost less now because GEnie itself costs less! You won't find it mentioned elsewhere in this issue but ALL surcharges are waived when you upload to GEnie's Libraries at up to 9600 baud during non-prime time. That's right: Uploads are STILL free on evenings, weekends and designated holidays. Never before has anything like the variety and quality of products on GEnie been more affordable. I still can't believe it: Three bucks! A great way to beat the blues all year round! Seeya online! Peggy Herrington Editor P.S. This is the last printed issue of LiveWire magazine you will be receiving. For LiveWire developments and news of other special plans in the works, type *LIVEWIRE at any numbered GEnie page prompt. [EOA] [GEN]////////////////////////////// GEnie ONLINE / ///////////////////////////////// GEnie's new pricing goes into effect Hundreds of services now $3 an hour! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ______ (__ __) / / / / (_/hat's right! Games are $3 an hour... downloading is $3 an hour... computing Bulletin Boards are $3 an hour... Real-Time Conferences are, well, you get the picture. A $3 standard connect rate ($4 Canadian) is one of the more dramatic results of GEnie's new price structuring, which went into effect July 1st. It's the lowest connect rate in the online business -- 50 cents lower than the nearest competitor's -- and it applies to the vast majority of GEnie's services. All services that used to be in GEnie Value and in GEnie*Basic are now available for the same $3/hour rate. The other big change? A monthly subscription fee of $8.95 ($10.95 Canadian) that includes a credit for up to four hours of standard connect time every month. (Complete pricing chart follows at the end of the article.) Best Value in the Online Community "We set out to make our new pricing """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the best in the business," confirms John Barber, General Manager of GEnie. "In fact, we even held off making our announcement until we could be certain that our value was the best among the major services." It has been a busy spring for the major online services. All announced price changes, dispensing with the flat fee for certain services, and going to hourly rates. Prodigy announced two plans with different fees, exclusions and regulations, which helped GEnie determine the structure of its own plan. "We certainly wanted to avoid that kind of confusion," says Barber. "This is a very simple, straightforward plan. And that makes it even easier for our members to make the most of their time on GEnie." The Work that goes into a Simple Plan For a "simple straightforward" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" plan, the new pricing took a lot of effort and time to develop. "We knew months ago that we had to make a major change," explains Barber. "Under the flat fee pricing system, a small number of customers were making heavy demands on the system. And the demand began to outpace our infrastructure and capacity. While other online companies were eliminating or reducing their flat-rate access, we were hanging on to ours." So GEnie management began to explore alternatives -- and ultimately determined that a higher subscription fee, combined with a lower hourly connect rate would provide the best solution for the majority of GEnie members. More Improvements in the Future With the new pricing, GEnie can continue """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" to stay highly competitive in the marketplace, and can continue to improve service to its customers. And a number of improvements are in the works: technical changes to enhance performance and speed, new products and services, and front-end software packages for Windows and Macintosh. But some things at GEnie are going to stay the same as always. "GEnie has always been the best service for people who really enjoy being online, and who expect great products and the best value for the time they spend with us," says Barber. "That's one thing we'll never change." GEnie's new pricing chart -- which follows -- underscores that commitment. GEnie Pricing (Effective July 1, 1993) +-----------------+----------------------+ GEnie Services | U.S. (U.S.$) [5]| CANADA (CAN. $) | +-----------------------------+-----------------+----------------------| |Monthly Subscription Fee | $8.95/month | $10.95/month | +-----------------------------+-----------------+----------------------+ |Hours Credited Per Month [1] | Up to 4 hours | Up to 4 hours | +-----------------------------+-----------------+----------------------+ |Hourly Connect Charge | $3.00/hour | $4.00/hour | +-----------------------------+-----------------+----------------------+ |GEnie Premium Services |Prices vary per individual service. | | |These include: Charles Schwab Brokerage | | |Services (not available in Canada), Dow | | |Jones News/Retrieval (R), The Official | | |Airline Guides Electronic Edition (R) | | |Travel Service, QuikNews clipping | | |service, Telebase Investment | | |ANALY$T (SM), ARTIST (R) Gateway. | +-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+ Additional Charges (where applicable) [4] +-----------------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Prime Time Surcharge [2] | $9.50/hour | $12.00/hour | +-----------------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |9600 Baud Surcharge | $6.00/hour | $8.00/hour | +-----------------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ |Communications Surcharge: | | | | 800 Service [3] | $6.00/hour | -- | | Extended Network | $2.00/hour | -- | | SprintNet | $2.00/hour | -- | | Datapac | -- | $6.00/hour | +-----------------------------+----------------+-----------------------+ | [1] Credit for up to 4 hours of standard $3.00 U.S. ($4.00 CAN$) | | connect time. Hours credited apply to current month only. | | [2] Prime-time: 8 AM - 6 PM local time on weekdays only. The | | prime-time surcharge is in addition to $3/hour charge. Prime- | | time surcharge is waived for selected holidays. Residents of | | Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Arizona and Puerto Rico, please verify | | hours with GEnie Client Services. | | [3] "800" Service surcharge waived at 9600 baud. | | [4] State taxes will apply in some areas. | | [5] International PDN subscribers billed in U.S.$ at U.S. rates. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Additional notes: 1. There will no longer be additional charges or registration fees for Internet mail gateway use. 2. Club pricing options will be eliminated effective July 1. [EOA] [HOT]////////////////////////////// HOT SUMMER NIGHTS / ///////////////////////////////// Fourth Annual Hot Summer Nights! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" By Holly Jahangiri ______ (__ __) / / / / (_/he month August means Hot Summer Nights on GEnie! We've got plenty of cool deals and special events to put as much sizzle in our Fourth Annual Hot Summer Nights activities as August weather puts into your hot summer days! These are just some of the activities which will occur in August. August is Guest Month in the Writers' Ink RoundTable. Meet one of today's hottest writers, Tom Clancy, in an exciting Real-Time Conference and order your own autographed copy of his newest book, Without Remorse, due out that month. Ever wonder about the folks who write and edit every student's friend, Cliff's Notes? You'll get your chance to meet them in a special August Real-Time Conference. Watch Writers' Ink Notes on a Matchbook Cover for details and a roster of Hot Summer Nights special guest speakers! If you'd rather let your computer work while you enjoy the summer sunshine, then The Great American Productivity Contest is for you! The Home Office/Small Business RoundTable is awarding prizes for the best productivity files, templates, tips or hints uploaded to its Software Library. Prizes include Claris Corporations' FileMaker Pro and Campbell Services' On-Time programs, a copy of the Home Office and Small Business Answer Book, and more -- things to boost your productivity all year long! Great American Productivity Contest entries will be available for downloading so that anyone looking for time-saving tips, templates or productivity programs can find them quickly and get on with the business of hot summer fun. The new INTERNET RoundTable is hosting a series of Tuesday night Tutorials throughout Hot Summer Nights to help you take full advantage of GEnie's Internet gateway. Lessons start at 10:00PM Eastern time and last for 60 to 90 minutes: August 3: "All about Internet MAIL" looks at the various ways of sending electronic mail through the Internet and covers encryption and privacy issues. August 10: "All about Internet FTP/Files" teaches you how to find, get, and download Internat files. This tutorial includes using the Internet RoundTable's file request service. August 17: "All about Internet TELNET" covers the ways to obtain access to remote computers, and the various services available on the Internet. August 24: "All about Internet USENET NEWS" will familiarize you with the kinds of news articles available, how to get there from GEnie inexpensively, and packages available for each computing platform. August 31: "Internet PARTY! Open Questions & Answers" gives you a chance to ask questions you may have about the Internet or the Internet RoundTable. GemStone III continues their Hot Summer Nights tradition with month-long Grand Kelfour's Summer Festival. Events include the ever-popular Gladiatorial Games, Auction, Merchant Caravans, Torkaan Skinning, GM Dunking Booth, Lock Picking and Bard Contests, Open Houses, Drag Racing, and Kelfour's own version of the wet and wild summer favorite, the Water Tunnel Races! For up-to-the-minute news and schedules, enter GemStone and type NEWS or HSN. Each Tuesday in August is New Player's Night, so don't miss the fun when you can learn from the experts -- the players themselves! Test your knowledge of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies in CALC's new Learning Arcade. You need not be registered member of CALC to pit your brain cells against these fun educational quizzes. The Learning Arcade also features a bookshelf of classic stories you can read online! Register now for CALC's four-week Summer Term courses. A stimulating course schedule, featuring many brand new courses, offers CALC students the unique opportunity to learn from experienced instructors without ever having to leave the convenient comfort of home. Hurry, though--classes start the last week of July! Oktoberfest is still a ways off, but you're invited to join the party as the Deutschland (Germany) RoundTable celebrates its annual Birthday Bash in the Real-Time Conference on Sunday, August 1, at 2:00PM Eastern time! Great Host Summer Nights prizes from Germany are provided courtesy of Great German Gifts from the GEnie Mall. Mary Long, GeoWorks' Product Marketing Manager, discusses GeoWorks' great new release, GeoWorks Ensemble 2.0. Join this special GeoWorks Real-Time Conference on August 11 at 8:00PM Esatern time and you could win a free copy of the GeoWorks upgrade! The GE-MUG PowerBook Real-Time Conference will feature knowledgeable and entertaining Richard Wolfson, author of The PowerBook Companion, in August. Summer is heating up in NTN Trivia. During Hot Summer Nights, you'll find lots of special theme games and fun give-aways like key chains, T-shirts, caps, sweatshirts and free connect time on GEnie. NTN Trivia's live chat feature is perfect for making new friends, and the competition is top notch. Just type TRIVIA and stumble in. Be sure to download the gorgeous front end graphics program before you play. This is summer fun at its best! Match wits with your friends in The Genealogy & History RoundTable throughout the month of August with Friday night Trivia (August 6), Hangman (August 13), Jumble (August 20), and Charades (August 27) in the Real-Time Conference area. Highest scores from all games combined will win genealogy-related prizes, GEnie mechandise, and maybe even some free time online! During August Hot Summer Nights, the Pet-Net and the disAbilities RoundTables will host several special conferences featuring Guide Dogs and a Marine Mammal Count Simulcast. Don't miss these intriguing special Conferences. Every Monday night is Poker Night in RSCARDS! The first Monday of the month is Amiga night, with the second Monday being IBM PC-compatible night, the third Monday is Mac night and the fourth is for Atari ST owners. High-scoring Monday winners using the computer platform of the night wins a free hour online, and the highest-scoring player using any other computer platform also receives a free hour. RSCARDS' Chess Tournament begins on August 13. Sign up to compete against the hottest Chess players around! Backgammon whizzes won't want to miss RSCARD's quarterly Backgammon tournament beginning July 21. Registration opens on July 1, so sign up now! All entry fees for Chess and Backgammon tournaments are awarded to the winning players! Last year Destination Florida ran Disney Trivia Games the entire month and awarded a grand prize of five days and four nights at the Walt Disney World Buena Vista Palace Hotel! This year Destination Florida has teamed up with the Travel RT to put some real sizzle into Hot Summer Nights! They're hosting exciting Real-Time Conference Trivia Games weekly for twice the fun and twice the prizes! Visit Destination Florida and the Travel RT for details and a list of all the great prizes. Whatever your plans this year, spend YOUR Hot Summer Nights on GEnie! Lots of poeple will enjoy these special events and win exciting prizes such as free software and free time online. One of them could very wel be you! So the next time you're online, type HSN at any numbered GEnie page prompt for MORE exciting ways to make new friends and win prizes! [*][*][*] Type HSN at any numbered GEnie Page Prompt or visit these participating RoundTables during August! -------------------------------------------------- Computer Assisted Learning Center CALC 175 Deutschland RoundTable GERMANY 725 disABILITIES RoundTable ABLE 970 Destination Florida RoundTable FLORIDA 195 GemStone III GEMSTONEIII 930 GE MUG (Macintosh) RoundTable MAC 605 Genealogy & History RoundTable GENEALOGY 540 GeoWorks GEOWORKS 1050 Great German Gifts (GEnie Mall) GENIEMALL 700 Home Office/Small Business HOSB 720 Internet INTERNET 1405 NTN Trivia TRIVIA 1031 Pet-Net PET 295 RSCARDS RSCARDS 875 Travel TRAVELRT 560 Writers' INK WRITERS 440 [EOA] [LEA]////////////////////////////// LEARNING ONLINE / ///////////////////////////////// o Summer Learning in CALC [*]Education RoundTable News >>> SUMMER LEARNING IN CALC <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Margaret Morabito, Director of CALC ~ ____ / ___) / / / (__ (_____)ALC's Online Campus is open this summer and you're invited to join the fun! Take a stroll through our new Learning Arcade or sign up for one of our short 4-week Summer Term courses designed especially for quick learning. Learning Arcade In CALC's Learning Arcade, you'll always find something """"""""""""""" new. It's open to anyone, anytime -- you don't even need to register. Stop in when you have some time and challenge yourself in our Quiz-A-Thon area which holds dozens of educational trivia-type quizzes on all kinds of topics. These 10-question quizzes take only a few minutes to complete. You'll find that you're learning while having fun. Quiz-A-Thon provides a good review for students getting ready to go back to school. Another feature of the Learning Arcade is StoryTime where you'll find full-text versions of classic stories and fables you can read online. And, to expand your awareness of what you're reading, you have the option of reading the stories with questions for thought and discussion along the way. It's our way of helping improve your reading and comprehension skills. Summer Courses For more learning fun, take a look at the CALC Course """""""""""""" Center where we offer new 4-week short courses this summer. Courses are held for one-hour each week and study materials are available online for you to download. Students must be registered members of CALC (family membership is $35 a year) and must register for each course ($25 or $35). Summer Term Course Registration opens on July 1, and classes start on July 31. Read about your courses in the Summer Term Course Catalog on Page 174. Apply for admission and register on GEnie Page 179. Year-round Access CALC is open all year. Study everything from triva to """"""""""""""""" philosophy, and earn credit toward a college degree -- from the convenience of home. See you around campus this summer! Simply type CALC to get there. --------------------------- CALC Summer Term Course List Section Number/Course Title --------------------------- CSE101 Word Processing Workshop CSE102 dBASE IV Workshop CSE103 PC Communications I CSE104 PC Communications II CSE105 LOTUS 1-2-3 Workshop CSE107 Aladdin Script Writing Workshop EN106 Express Yourself EN111 Poetry For Poetry Haters EN112 Summer Reading At The Beach EN115 Youth Biography Series I WCK103 Kitchen Chemistry SH107 Beginners' Photography Workshop SH108 Summer Star Gazing MTH102 Consumer Math Topics MTH103 Math Review I MTH104 Math Review II BU102 Personal Investing BU104 Total Quality Management SST102 Philosophy SST100 Current Events Workshop >>> EDUCATION RoundTable NEWS <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Roberta Pournelle ~ _ _ / )/ ) / // / / ~_/ / /\ \ (_/ \_)ids wanna match wits with adults? By the time you read this something new will have been added to the Educational RoundTable. GAMES! Kids, parents and teachers will try to out-do each other playing EduTrivia live. They will win either free time and/or educational software. You play for one hour against other users. You have 50 seconds to answer each question. At the end of the hour the scores are added up. Call yourself a GEnius? Now is your chance to prove it and WIN. Sharpen Your Skills The ERT is the place where you not only sharpen your """"""""""""""""""" own skills but you can pick the brains of other parents, teachers, sharp students, administrators and policy setters. Our current discussions include Choice and Vouchers, year-round schools, standardized testing, standards for teachers and out-come based education. Did you know that the major ivy-league schools are recruiting homeschooled students? Apparently the ERT has the Nation's largest number of HomeSchoolers online. One of our kids was accepted at five top schools and he shared how he handled all the paperwork and scheduling. With some schools becoming unsafe many parents are considering teaching their own kids. How to start? What laws effect you? Anne Wasserman, our hard-working ERT assistant keeps tabs on it all. She makes it easier to navigate the muddy waters. Stay Informed Want to know about School Choice, Vouchers, and Charter """"""""""""" Schools around the country? Type MOVE 405 and get the latest. The Daily Report Card on the Nation's schooling is available. It's easier to inform yourself in the ERT on all the issues than any other place this side of McNeil/Lehrer Hour. We in the ERT are devoted to solutions so instead of sitting around wringing our hands over all the awful things that are happening in schools, we get our fingers busy on the keyboard to seek out those solutions. The exchange between students, classrooms, schools, county and states. Carol Hyatt covers telecommunications and special schools for us. One high-school English classroom is exchanging papers with a middle-school. A teacher's college class mentors an elementary classroom. Students and teachers alike are having a blast and learning at the same time. Don't tell us people don't care! We have a growing number of new teachers who sign on to talk about their first 100 days whether in the Fall or the Spring. Suffering burn-out? Find out what helped others. We admit to being a large group of InfoJunkies. We never know what we may need and there is someone in the ERT willing to share valuable data or experiences. Individualized Assistance Parents are you having trouble getting Johnny """"""""""""""""""""""""" to do his schoolwork? Just dial 405 and get some ideas which have worked for others. Got a bright kid who is not working up to potential? Have a son or daughter who is losing interest in math and science? Have a child with a disability? We've been there. Want to help your local school without running for the Schoolboard? Want to write a letter to the Editor? Start with the facts in the ERT. We cover conferences from all over the world and look at educational software. We are here for you and we think you'll like what you see at the ERT. Besides you can WIN big in every way! Just type ERT at any numbered GEnie page prompt to join us! [EOA] [OPT]////////////////////////////// ONLINE OPTIONS / ///////////////////////////////// o Shop the PC Catalog Way! o Internet RoundTable Comes to GEnie o Open a File, Open a Gallery o Up-to-the-Minute Sports News >>> SHOP THE PC CATALOG WAY! <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Marie Bernard ~ ____ / ___) ( (__ \__ \ ___) ) (____/hopping for computer products by mail is a great way to save money. But it sure can be a hassle searching through half a dozen phone-book-sized computer magazines every time you want a new peripheral or a piece of software! It's bad enough if you're just looking for the lowest price, but if you're also considering such factors as return policy, service, and support, magazine ads rarely provide enough information to make informed buying decisions. The Online Option Now there's a better way. Let your modem do the """"""""""""""""" walking through PC Catalog, on GEnie! PC Catalog is an online comparison-shopping guide to over 3,200 IBM PC-compatible and Macintosh products from 130 participating mail-order vendors! Listings are updated weekly, so you'll always be sure of getting the most current prices! And all PC Catalog listings are backed by complete vendor info, including toll-free telephone numbers, return and service policies, and other vital statistics. Comparison shopping was never easier! Clear Categorization The designers of PC Catalog know that your time is """""""""""""""""""" valuable, so the service has been set up for fast, easy access. To get to PC Catalog, enter the keyword PC CATALOG or type Move 1230 at any numbered GEnie page prompt. Then select option 3, View PC Catalog, from the menu. Products are organized by category, so it's easy to zero in on what you're looking for without struggling with oddly-spelled product names, version numbers, and other details. In moments, you'll be viewing the main display, arranged by product name and containing vendor IDs and current prices. Most popular products are listed by several vendors, so it's easy to find the best buy. Once you've found a price you can live with, just enter the line number of the item for full contact and other vendor information. Six Minutes or Less According to PC Catalog, most people find what """"""""""""""""""" they're looking for in six minutes or less! Categorical listings let you compare the features of familiar products with comparable ones that may offer better value. And unusual bargains can often be found. And participating vendors frequently offer special deals that might never be mentioned in conventional mail-order advertisements, or even over the phone. For example, a quick search for IBM desktop publishing software turned up a variety of good prices for standard DTP packages -- all in the $400-$600 range. But one vendor has posted a special "educator's price" of only $259 for PageMaker 4.0; a manufacterer's special offer that might save a qualified buyer as much as several hundred dollars! So do yourself a favor and discover how PC Catalog can save you rtime and money on your next IBM PC-compatible or Macintosh product purchase! >>> INTERNET RoundTable COMES TO GEnie <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Andrew Finkenstadt ~ ____ (_ _) / / / / _/ / (____)n response to member requests, the Internet RoundTable is proud to present a full array of services dealing with the Internet, all available at low GEnie Value rates. From tutorials about the Internet, to electronic mail and news, to a unique file request service and the latest Freqently-Asked-Questions (FAQs), THIS is the place to visit and enjoy! Tutorials The Internet RoundTable holds weekly Real-Time Conference """"""""" tutorials designed to teach both beginning and advanced users about Internet's every aspect -- getting connected, electronic mail, Usenet news, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and more. Transcripts of these tutorials are available in Library #2. Other particularly informative Library files include #351 FYI4, new Internet user questions, #353 FYI7, experienced Internet user questions, #355 FYI10, how to search Internet for info, and #350 FYI3, how to connect. These are all text files readable on any system. Internet Mail The Internet RoundTable is your one-stop shopping place """"""""""""" for any and all information about accessing the Internet. GEnie's electronic mail gateway to the Internet (Page 207, keyword INTERNET) is supported by the Internet Round Table, with explanations about how to use it in CATtegory #3 of the Internet RoundTable Bulletin Board. Usenet Files and News GEnie members now have fast access to over 4 """"""""""""""""""""" MILLION megabytes of files for all computing platforms stored on the Internet. By using the FTP-Request service of the Internet RoundTable, you can get any of these files at standard GEnie Value pricing. Visit CATegory 6 in the Internet RoundTable Bulletin Board for instructions. In addition, any of Usenet's 4000 newsgroups or public mailing lists will be made available in the Internet RoundTable Library in compressed format for quick downloading and perusal. Stop by CATegory 5 in the Internet Bulletin Board for complete instructions. The latest Internet news and events are posted and uploaded on a daily basis to the RoundTable. FAQs about subjects from 3D Graphics to Zymurgy (homebrewing of beer) are kept and updated direct from the Internet. The Internet RoundTable is waiting for you. Located GEnie Page 1405, by typing the keyword INTERNET-RT at any numbered GEnie page prompt, you will discover a valuable resource of information, news, and one more enjoyable stop on your travels through the land of GEnie. Learn all about the Internet! Take the opportunity to attend the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" tutorials offered during Hot Summer Nights in August, every Tuesday at 10:00 PM Eastern Time in the Internet Conference area. Type HSN online for details. >>> OPEN A FILE, OPEN A GALLERY <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Donn King ~ ____ (_ _) / / / / _/ / (____)f someone asked you the location of the local art gallery, could you give him directions? Maybe you should point to the computer on your desk. The Canada RoundTable (page 1225, keyword CANADA) has set aside a section of its Software Library to feature the work of Canadian artists. The gallery in Library 9 kicked off with the black and white photography of Iva Zimova. History of an Idea "It was a few weeks before the Christmas holidays """""""""""""""""" when Stephen Holtzman (one of the Canada sysops) called me at work with a hot idea for Canada RoundTable," Bob Perez, another Canada sysop explained. "He said, 'Bob, let's open an online Canadian Art Gallery.' I thought it was a great idea, as did our third sysop, Robert Marcy. The thought of being able to promote Canadian artists electronically was both exciting and challenging." They settled on the JPEG compression format for the graphics files to produce the most compact file format that could be "read" by the most computer platforms. Zimova was a former student at the Dawson Institute of Photography where Perez and Marcy teach, and where Holtzman is the imaging technician in the college's Macintosh lab. They all knew her work quite well, and Holtzman approached her about being their first featured artist. Iva provided over 120 slides of her work, consisting of black and white photography. "We were originally going to edit the collection and scan only a portion of these images," Perez said, "but they were all so good we finally decided to scan them all!" Gallery Gains Critical Acclaim After they uploaded the images, the """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" sysops sent press releases to major art, photography, and computer magazines. Several ran articles and features, and ensuing weeks have seen interest in the files grow. The press release included information on joining GEnie. Member Martin Coles wrote an article about the gallery in the "Montreal Gazette" and told his readers about the "documentary photos taken between 1989 and 1992 in Guatemala, Peru and Romania." In his article, Coles said, "The quality of the images I've down-loaded from GEnie is surprisingly good. I've printed several on a 600 dot-per-inch laser printer with very satisfactory results." Perez said he hoped they were setting a standard for other GEnie RoundTables. "Artists could use the support," he said. "The cultural value would be a great benefit to GEnie and its members." The Canada sysops plan to feature other Canadian artists, including sculptor, painter, and photographer Brian McNeil and painter Andres Manniste. Perez said the images will not be removed as they feature new artists; instead, they will become a permanent online collection. They plan to feature artists from all across Canada, and on a regular basis. In the future artists' work will be limited to between 12 and 20 images. Gallery This Way... Move to the Canada RoundTable Software Library and """"""""""""""""""" look into Library 9, Canadian Art Gallery, to check out the art work of Zimova and others. File #299, IVA.TXT, is a text file about Iva Zimova, and file #298, IVATHUMB.JPG is a JPEG file with thumbnail sketches of Zimova's collection, to help you decide which full-sized graphics files to download. [EOA] [BUS]////////////////////////////// BUSINESS FRONT / ///////////////////////////////// ARTIST for Hire """"""""""""""" By Donn King _____ / ____) / /___ / /( ) / (__) / (______/Enie's ARTIST system delivers high quality information quickly and easily right to your computer. "Inexpensive" is an applicable term and "bargain p price" is even better. During the month of August, as part of the Hot Summer Nights promotion, members can search the Educator's Center or the Consumer Medicine Database for only half price. That means you can get valuable information even more economically than usual. Half-price Education For example, you might wonder about the effects of """""""""""""""""""" summer vacation on your son or daughter's education. You might want some ideas for making sure they don't lose ground. Go to the Educator's Center (page 1286, keyword EDUCATORS) which covers education research, psychology, child abuse studies, and even directories like Ulrich's Periodicals and A-V Media. Educator's Center accesses databases from the Access Innovations Inc., R.R. Bowker Company, The University of Leeds (UK), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, ERIC Processing and Reference Facility, The Council for Exceptional Children, Bowker-Saur Ltd., The Philosophy Documentation Center at Bowling Green State University, and the American Psychological Association, and is made available by Dialog Information Services, Inc. It is a GEnie$Professional service, so be sure to check out the rates before proceeding. When the system prompts you for your search term, tell it SUMMER VACATION. You can also limit your search to a range of years. A search of all available years yields 37 articles in a matter of seconds, including such titles as: "Challenging the Assumption of Generalized Academic Losses Over Summer"; "Can Summer Vacation Be Detrimental to Learning?"; "Factors Affecting Reading Achievement Retention Over Summer Vacation"; "Teaching Speech to My Hearing-impaired Child Over Summer Vacation"; and "The Effects of Summer Vacation on Reading Retention." If a couple of the titles catch your attention, you can pull up the entire record. Getting full records for two of them will bring the total cost of this search to $11.50 (which doesn't include the cost of regular GEnie connect time). Considering such a search in the library would take hours and hours, plus the trouble and expense of getting there, the search is already a bargain. But during August, this search should only cost $5.75. Half-price Medicine You'll find similar bargains in Consumer Medicine. """"""""""""""""""" More than 3 million articles have been summarized there on all aspects of human medicine (from the U.S. National Library of Medicine databases on Dialog). Simply enter your topic, whether it is a specific ailment, drug, or medical procedure, to see the latest medical research information. For instance, if you search for articles on HEAT STROKE you'll find 64 articles! One of them is entitled "Heat Stroke-Induced Multiple Organ Failure." If you retrieve its full record, the total cost of your search and retrieval would normally be only $6.00. In August, it will only cost $3.00! Summertime, When the Searching is Easy Hot Summer Nights is just the """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" time to check out the ARTist system capabilities, or to catch up with those items you've been meaning to check out. Happy searching! [EOA] [CAL]////////////////////////////// GEnie SPECIAL EVENTS / ///////////////////////////////// July through August 1993 """""""""""""""""""""""" ____ / ___) / (_ / ___) / (_ (____)nter the keyword (shown in capital letters, for example, GENIEUS) at any numbered GEnie page prompt to reach the RoundTable hosting these Special Events. Topics are subject to change without notice. Eastern Time Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday -------------------------------------------------------------------- 8:00PM SFRT1 MAC Help MAC Help MAC Help MAC Help MAC Help BORLAND Chat Ch3 Chat Ch3 Chat Ch3 Chat Ch3 Chat Ch3 SCORPIA PK:Poker AMIGA:News Sierra Hints Night 6PM-3AM 8:30PM GEOWORKS ENABLE 9:00PM RADIO SHOWBIZ AMIGA MILITARY PCALADDIN AMIGA ASTROLOGY PF:Current Live Chat Help FAMILY Automate Help GENIEUS Events GENEALOGY FAMILY Teens INVEST GEnieJAM! SPACE Beginners Mothers AMIGA Q&As AMIGA MAC:Fights ROMANCE Help WRITERS Help AMIGA:Help Research DBMS ROMANCE SFRT FAMILY AMIGA:Help ROMANCE AMIGA Force ST: Help GERMANY Writers Help MAC Help 9:30PM IBMPC A2 IBMPC IBMPC SCORPIA A2 AMIGA:- General New Users Comms OpSystems Open House Telecom News A2 AUTO A2:Guest A2:Hypermedia A2:TBC Forum AMIGA 3PM-3AM II Speak CarTC SFRT1 AMIALADDIN STALADDIN News A2 SFRT3 WINDOWS Writers SCORPIA WP:WordPerfect 6PM- SmallBiz FW-Pern Help ERT Ask Sysops MPGRT 3AM RADIO WRITERS MAC HomeSchool ERT Air Warrior MPGRT Listening All Types MacTalk UNIX MPGRT WINDOWS BattleTech AMIGA:News SCUBA Coffee&Code Ask Sysops MAC: Telecom WINDOWS 3PM-3AM DTP WRITERS SFRT1 Help LAPTOPS Non-Fiction Alt History SFRT3 WINDOWS:Help WINDOWS:Help Queen's Own MAC:Hypercard MAC:Games GERMANY SFRT3 Travel Star Wars 10:00PM AMIGA FLORIDA AMIGA HOME AMIGA ASTROLOGY AMIGA Graphics Orlando Music Moose Manor Video Beginners Party FORTH AMIGA WRITERS AMIGA GERMANY SFRT1 MOTOr- SFRT3:SCA DTP Poetry AmiGames AVIATION General cycles FOOD ST: Atari CBM ST: Atari MPGRT GENEALOGY CBM CooksChat Portfolio HOME Open House GemStone HOME FOOD MOTOrcyclesSFRT2 Open House GERMANY CANADA Q-Hut Beer ST: DTP Star Trek MOTOr- CBM SFRT2 CBM Tasting HOSB MPGRT cycles PRO/AM(iga) Quantum Leap HOME HOME DragGate GEOWORKS FOOD BITSTREAM Parlor- Purpleberry CBM SFRT2 FAMILY Games CBM UNIX On Screen CBM LEFTCOAST MAC Help NeXT GENEALOGY UNIX History ATARI8 10:30PM SFRT1 MAC JAPAN MAC Horror Powerbooks Fonts MAC EduMac 11:00PM CBM MAC Help SCORPIA CBM PHOTO MUSIC CBM Star Fleet MAC Help General Nightowls MAC Help MAC Help Mac Help Midnight ASTROLOGY Mystic Chat Lines hosts a delightful variety of Multiplayer Games and fascinating Theme Chats on weekends, weekday evenings and during the wee hours, plus Breakfast Chats at 6AM Eastern time. Complete schedule on GEnie Page 400. First Friday of EVERY month in the Atari ST RoundTable at 10PM is Dateline Atari. [EOA] [GAM]////////////////////////////// THE GEnie GAMER / ///////////////////////////////// o Beating the Summer Blues o [*]RSCARDS Backgammon Tournament Winners o Heads Up, Sports Fans! >>> BEATING THE SUMMER BLUES <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By Kevin J. McCann ~ ______ / __ ) / / ) / / /__/ / (______/ragon's Gate, AUSI's fantastic multi-player roleplaying game in which the minority of characters are human, has seen a number of notable enhancements recently. Designing Dragons Just when your dragon felt fuzzed and fading, mature """"""""""""""""" models now have something to give a toothy smile about -- and it isn't social security. They've finally earned their wings! In what's known as the second stage of growth, dragons got their wings at last, along with valuable clawing skills to deal with whatever they meet in the unfriendly skies around the Spur. In fact, there a number of new things to be on the lookout for in Dragon's Gate. An overhaul of the psycian training and ability system has expanded their capabilities to train and start 'glowing,' and not just from pride. Brand new psycian abilities are also in store. New moves are in place for martial artists, too -- actually over a dozen spiffy new maneuvers and abilities. In the realism department, all maneuvers are now affected by the amount of weight you carry, as well as your attire. So don't show up for a duel in chain mail with a bowling ball. More Elders In keeping with Dragon's Gate's tradition of encouraging """"""""""" interaction between players and Elders, a number of behind-the-scenes expansions have been added to make special events easier than ever. And there are more Elders than ever now, too, standing ready to answer questions and lend a sympathetic ear. A number of new paths have recently been uncovered by diehard Dragon's Gate explorers. And with these paths, the world of Dragon's Gate just got bigger. Several new areas await your personal discovery, and they all tie in seamlessly with the existing world, allowing further development of a number of major storylines. If this isn't enough to make you feel close to home, Dragon's Gate has the next best thing... Now you can own a piece of the pie in Dragon's Gate. Elders are taking orders for personal property, so if you've always wanted a castle in the beautiful volcanic range or a nice little retreat in the cemetary, now's your chance. Prices vary (market fluctuation in action) accordingly to location. Skills have also been revamped with the ultimate rank now at 40 as opposed to the prior 31. And a number of regular events are making headway through Dragon's Gate with addition of the new Elders. These include Drag the Elder and the ever-popular Governor's Games contests. Faces Behind the Races If you're in the neighborhood of Elizabeth, New """""""""""""""""""""" Jersey, around July 23-25, don't miss your chance to meet the faces behind the races in Dragon's Gate. Many of the Elders along with lots of players will be at the Dexcon Convention then, staying at the Holiday Inn Jetport. For more information, check out the Dragon's Gate Bulletin Board CATegories in the Multi-player Games RoundTable. New Air Warrior Front Ends Several new smashing graphics and """""""""""""""""""""""""" sound-capable Front End Programs have flown into Air Warrior for SVGA, Color Macintosh, Amiga, and IBM PC-compatibles. The SVGA upgrade features improved COMM port handling, revamped plane performance data, several little code tweaks, and a revised terrain file. Macintosh, Amiga, and other IBM versions all sport new special effects such as stalls, spins, buffeting, and G forces, as well as terrain updates. Air Warrios Front End Kits are available on GEnie Page 871, and best of all they're free downloads. The SVGA kit is free download for SVGA owners who have registered via the mail coupon. The roster of active pilots in Air Warrior has been growing steadily, and to accomodate this, the main arena will be split into two identical copies of the European and Pacific Theaters. This will allow pilots to jump between theaters at will, fighting wherever they perform best. Three new fighters will also be entering Air Warrior with their guns blazing. These are the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, Grumman F6F Hellcat, and the Kawanishi N1K2 "George." Add this to the dozens of existing planes and Air Warrior is definitely the premier multi-player World War II dogfighting simulator. (Not to mention only). Your Online Pub Stay on top of things by dropping by the Multi-player """"""""""""""" Games RoundTable. The Bulletin Board offers news on the latest happenings in all of GEnie's multi-player games, a forum to offer suggestions direct to the designers, and a place to kick back and shoot the breeze about your favorite games all summer. Multi-player Games Keyword Page ---------------------------------------- Air Warrior AIR 870 CyberStrike CYBERSTRIKE 1380 Hundred Years War HYW 945 Dragon's Gate DGATE 915 Federation II FED 220 Galaxy I GALAXY 925 GemStone III GS3 930 MultiPlayer Games RT MPGRT 1045 MultiPlayer BattleTech BTECH 1135 NTN Trivia TRIVIA 1031 Orb Wars ORBWARS 895 QB1 QB1 1030 RSCARDS RSCARDS 875 Stellar Emperor EMPEROR 1085 Stellar Warrior WARRIOR 860 >>> RSCARDS BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT WINNERS <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" RSCARDS Backgammon Tournament Winners! Durf Freund defeated past champion """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Glenn Daily by a score of 9-8 to win the RSCARDS Spring 1993 Backgammon Tournament. Third place was shared by Peter Abrams and past champion Mike Murray; fourth place belonged to Gerald Spalding, Douglas Johnson, Mark Damish, and Dan Shirley. A purse of $587 in cash and connect time prizes was shared by the top four finishers. Our congratulations to all! The single-elimination, 100%-return RSCARDS Backgammon Tournament is held quarterly, with registration beginning on the first day of each new quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1). For official rules and information, type BG, BACKGAMMON, or M877 from any GEnie menu prompt, and select the BG Tournament Information menu item. RSCARDS graphic front ends are now available for IBM-compatibles, the Apple Macintosh and 2gs, the Commodore Amiga and C-128, and the Atari ST computers. To join the fun of RSCARDS multi-player games (Blackjack, Backgammon, Checkers, Poker, Reversi, and Chess), type RSCARDS from any GEnie menu prompt. >>> HEADS UP, SPORTS FANS! <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ Up-To-The-Minute Sports News ~ ~ Peggy Herrington ~ _ _ / \ / ) / \/ / / /\ / (_/ \_/ow you can get up-to-the-minute sports coverage just like on ESPN, NBC, ABC or the Sports Network of Canada by tuning into the Sports Network on GEnie! Offering coverage of every major sports team and every major sports event AS IT HAPPENS, the Sports Network makes current information available to you 24 hours a day. And best of all, standings, schedules, score summaries and the Scoreboard -- which provides easy access to in-progress and final scores from every major sports event in the past 48 hours -- are all available on GEnie*Basic! Don't Wait Sports News is available for a full 48 hours after it is put """""""""" in place! Other Sports News menu items have limited lives as well: Pre-game weather forecasts are there for 24 hours, final scores for three days, box scores for ten, while general sports stories are on the menu for seven full days. Updated news (score summaries, injuries, revised news stories, etc.) show only the most recent information. Quick Searches In addition to offering sports news from the menu, the """""""""""""" Sports Network has an option to search by keyword the headlines of all stories currently online, including those no longer available from a menu. Searching, which is really quick and easy, is available at low GEnie Value rates on Menu Option 8 on GEnie Page 1340. Whenever you're after professional or collegiate sports news -- National or Major League football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, auto racing, tennis, and practically anything else -- check out the Sports Network on GEnie. Simply type SPORTSNEWS at any numbered GEnie page prompt. Hooray for the 1992 NFL Football Pool Winners! Congrats to these sports fans who picked the winning teams in the Sports RoundTable's 1992 NFL Football Pool! For the locker-room story -- and to discover which of these clever armchair quarterbacks picked the FEWEST WINNERS one week -- check out the electronic edition of LiveWire Online on GEnie Page *LIVEWIRE. The 1992 winners are: R.WORKMAN3 J.MRAK W.KEEVER I.IBRAHIM1 J.FINIS2 R.PAXSON3 J.FUGATE1 J.HALES1 J.GALLAGHER9 A.BURNS2 G.WINCH With the new season starting soon, join the 1993 NFL Football pool on the Sports RoundTable by typing the keyword SPORTS at any numbered GEnie page prompt. Select Menu Option 7 Sports Pool Games & Fantasy Leagues for details. [EOA] [IBM]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The IBM PC RoundTable """"""""""""""""""""" By Laura K. Tanner ____ (_ _) / / / / _/ / (____)f you've ever cooled your heels in a phone queue waiting for technical support, check the IBM PC RoundTable to see if the manufacturer of your software or hardware offers online product support. Taking advantage of support on GEnie can keep you from getting hot under the collar waiting for technicians. Dozens of hardware, software, shareware and peripheral vendors provide online support there, which gives you a distinct advantage. No Sweat Support Using online support, you can save time by avoiding """""""""""""""" prolonged on-hold waits on what are often long distance calls. You can leave a query for a vendor in an appropriate Bulletin Board CATegory, sign off, and check later at your leisure for an answer. Although they're not the only ones who can help you, most vendors access GEnie at least once a day. Hot Tips from the Makers Vendors frequently make vital product """""""""""""""""""""""" information and news available online, too. For example, Gateway 2000 offers a number of product specification files and the latest hardware drivers in the IBM PC Library. You'll find the latest EMS driver for Gateway's Handbook in file #30627 PCCEMM.EXE, all the DOS drivers for their 486 mini-desktop product line in #30709 LP486_42.ZIP, and specs for their monitors in #31639 MON_SPEC.TXT. Gateway 2000 also provides a directory of technical and product information accessible through their FaxBack Service which is currently available in file #32097 FAX.TXT. Search the Library using appropriate keywords should that file be missing since it is updated frequently, as are many others. Power Users Share Secrets An even more valuable resource on the IBM PC """"""""""""""""""""""""" RoundTable is the advice and knowledge gained by sharing information with other members. They often know short-cut solutions and hints which could very well work for you. Common questions are constantly posed and answered on the Bulletin Board, and a quick read of messages in the proper CATegory can save you hours of aggravation. Among companies currently offering support in the IBM PC RoundTable are Gateway 2000, Boca Research, Parsons Technology and PC Catalog. Locate others by using the Bulletin Board INDex command. At the very least, a question in the proper topic (start a new one if you need to) will undoubtedly bring experienced users to your aid with tips, and visiting a Real-Time Conference might do the trick as well. The IBM PC RoundTable has lots of cool alternatives to spending your summer sweating in a tech support queue. [EOA] [WIN]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The Windows RoundTable """""""""""""""""""""" By Holly Jahangiri ______ (__ __) / / / / (_/he Windows RoundTable has grown tremendously since its grand opening a year ago. With thousands of the hottest shareware programs for Windows available anywhere, the Windows RoundTable Software Library should be your first stop for additions to your own Windows software collection. July is "Windows Utilities" month. Want a better way to view files from the File Manager? Try Drag and View in File #1079 DRAGVU11.ZIP. #853 GRPICO.ZIP lets you edit individual group icons or add wallpaper to group windows for easy identification. Avoid screen capture frustration with the Professional Capture System in #1080 PCS102.ZIP. This full-featured system lets you capture both Windows and DOS screens. Why settle for the built-in Windows Clock when you can have Clock Manager (#825 CM12A-1.ZIP and #824 CM12A-2.ZIP), the clock and event scheduler that includes reminders, program launches and more. Address Manager (#979 AM-21C.ZIP) organizes all those important addresses and phone numbers, and even dials for you! VBToolBox Pro (#707 VB2-TB.ZIP), the ultimate add-on for Visual Basic 2.0., features a configurable floating toolbar, current project launch on start up, and a Save and Run command helpful for preventing lost work. Also includes VBToolBox Spy for debugging API calls and much more. Birthday Bash On Sunday, August 22 at 9:30PM Eastern time, the Windows """"""""""""" RoundTable will throw an all-out Birthday Bash -- but we'll be the ones giving the gifts! One lucky guest will win Microsoft's Windows for Workgroups! The hot topic during the month of August is "Undocumented Windows." Be sure to visit the Bulletin Board for the latest "insider's secrets!" You'll also find product support there by Berkeley Systems, LaserTax, and other Windows software vendors. Extended Help Desk hours in both the Windows Real-Time Conference area and LiveWire Chat Lines means that expert Windows help is only a few keystrokes away on most nights! See GEnie Page 1335 for current Help Desk hours. The Windows RoundTable also hosts exciting Guest Speaker Conferences on hot Windows topics. Transcripts from past Conferences include Library Files #1025 DCAXTALK.ZIP with Maria Forrest, DCA Product Specialist; #340 LANGARTC.ZIP with Fred Langa, Editorial Director of Windows Magazine; #857 NT_RTC.ZIP on Windows NT with Helen Custer, author of Inside Windows NT; #892 WINUSER.RTC with David Harvey, Executive Editor of Windows User magazine. Stop by the Windows RoundTable at GEnie Page 1335 and take advantage of all the resources it has to offer both novice and expert Windows users! [EOA] [MAC]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The Macintosh RoundTable """""""""""""""""""""""" By Stephen Kahn ______ / __ ) / / ) / / /__/ / (______/on't let the label "programmers" scare you away from the Macintosh Programmers and Developers RoundTable on GEnie Page 480. While there are plenty of resources there to delight the hearts of hardcore hackers, MacPro offers an abundance of useful information and tools for Macintosh end-users as well. MacPro sysop Erik Thauvin (MACSPECT) brings formidable credentials to the RoundTable, including a dedication to customer service and a lively sense of humor. At the age of 12, Erik scored his first computer from the grateful employees of a computer store when a handicapping program he wrote picked a winning horse. He was soon working for Apple in his native France, and later a managerial promotion brought him to the U.S. where he formed a development company of his own. Erik points to one particular area of MacPro that's of interest to just about everyone, the popular "Open Beta" program where GEnie members register to test interesting new applications. Their most popular offering has been Online Servant, a HyperCard-based "front end" for automated GEnie navigation. A second area of interest involves scripting applications such as HyperCard, AppleScript and Frontier. Apple operating system software is clearly moving in the direction of customization and automation for all. MacPro provides a convenient and up-to-date way to discover and master these powerful yet accessible new tools. Source Code: To Go! The MacPro Bulletin Board offers a rich collection """"""""""""""""""" of resources for professional and amateur programmers alike. For example, the FOCUS series combines carefully chosen Bulletin Board and Real-Time Conference input into specific programming problems and solutions, the Press Release and News CATegories keep members abreast with the movers and shakers in the Macintosh development world, and professionals appreciate the Jobs area that brings employers, qualified job-seekers and consultants together for their mutual benefit. The MacPro Library contain over 4000 files including C, Pascal, and OOP, source code, tech notes, data sheets, and Hypercard XCMD and XFCN externals. Besides regular MacPRO programming workshops, weekly Real-Time Conferences include Monday "Hacker's Nite" and Tuesday HyperTalks. Hot Summer Fun! August Hot Summer Nights extravaganzas include free """"""""""""""" giveaways of StuffIt Deluxe, Leyte Gulf, ClarisWorks 2.0, your author's very own Microsoft Word 5.1 Book, plus free GEnie Time! Check the Macintosh RoundTable announcements CATegory for the details on these and more special August events. [EOA] [*S*]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The *StarShip* Amiga RoundTable """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" By Jim Meyer _ / \ / - \ / ___ \ (_/ \_)s the days get longer, the air outside isn't the only thing getting warmer. Action in the *StarShip* is definitely heating up, helped along in no small part by the Video Toaster from NewTek. With release of the Toaster4000, as well as Toaster 3.0, the power to do video special effects -- as seen in the TV movie Babylon 5 -- is now available on Commodore's newest platform (the Amiga 4000), and has been significantly enhanced across the Toaster line. Yury German (BLUE-KNIGHT), our inimitable v-v-Video Topic Leader, broke word of this exciting release in the *StarShip* Bulletin Board, quickly following it up with a series of Conferences. Discussions of the Video Toaster, as well as all things video, can be found in Bulletin Board CATegory 25: The Toaster & Video, with over 20 TOPics ranging from the Toaster itself to LightWave, Video tape recorders and genlocks. Faithful readers of ViewPort, the *StarShip*'s monthly online magazine, and our 5-MINUTE Weekend News hounds, were first to learn that Commodore has been working closely with NewTek, and that an A4000-compatible release of the Toaster was forthcoming. There will be plenty more late-breaking news all summer, and you don't have to miss a bit of it. Capture the 5-MINUTE News in Conference Room 10 on the *StarShip* each weekend, and read it off-line. You'll find a free GEnie*Basic copy of ViewPort magazine waiting for you each month at the *StarShip* Main Menu, or you can download the archived version from the Library. Emulators and Blankers The hit of the World of Commodore Show was """""""""""""""""""""" Emplant, a full-color Macintosh IIx emulator for the Amiga from Utilities Unlimited. Jim Drew, Vice-President of UU, has been an active participant on the Bulletin Board since release of the Emplant. He checks in regularly, and keeps everybody apprised of the latest developments. As one of the engineers who developed the Emplant's hardware and software, Jim is well-equipped to handle the stickiest of problems. If you've looked with envy at screen blankers on other platforms, check out SUPERDARK_V15C.LHA, file #19189 in the *StarShip* Library. This little gem is similar to After Dark, a well-known screen blanker from the Mac and IBM PC worlds, and it has two big advantages: It runs on the Amiga, and the mailware donation is optional! Just remember -- whether it's SuperDark or merely twilight, the *StarShip* always illuminates. Stop by! Just type AMIGA at any numbered GEnie page prompt. [EOA] [AST]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The Atari ST RoundTable """"""""""""""""""""""" By D. A. Brumleve _ _ / \/ \ / \ / /\ /\ \ (_/ \/ \_)any commercial developers offer product support in the Atari ST RoundTable's Bulletin Board and Library, but an opportunity for more intimate and immediate help is provided by our regularly-scheduled Real-Time Conferences. The Help Desk Conference on Sunday evenings is a great place to find out how to use the ST RoundTable more effectively or to try out conferencing for the first time. Conferences on Monday and Wednesday nights cover a variety of computing topics. All manner of questions may come up -- and be answered -- at informal conferences; on any given night, it's not unusual to find many experienced ST owners, software developers, and employees of Atari Corporation in attendance. Formal conferences usually feature professionals in the industry. The recent trend of awarding door prizes at formal conferences has boosted both morale and attendance. In addition to weekly conferences, Dateline: Atari! with Bob Brodie is held on the first Friday of every month. And in celebration of Hot Summer Nights, the August Dateline: Atari! will be free for all Atari ST RoundTable members! Upcoming conferences are listed on GEnie Page 475 and in CATegory 1, TOPic 11 on the Bulletin Board. Formal conferences are captured and uploaded to Library 13. A Help File in Library 1, #9741 RULES.TXT, provides guidelines for formal conferences, but the best way to learn to use GEnie's conference system is to attend one! Try something informal the first time and don't be afraid to announce your lack of experience; there are always GEnie members on-hand who enjoy teaching new comers the ropes! When in doubt, try the /help command. Bug Swatters If you spend your Hot Summer Nights chasing after bugs with """""""""""" a flyswatter, you may get some satisfaction from insect-related games recently uploaded to the Library. Dave Munsie has provided us with #27013 MEGAPEDE.LZH and Gordon Meyer uploaded #27568 CENTPED.LZH. Both are terrific versions of Centipede. A shareware Galaga clone, #27772 INSECT.LZH by Robert Dytmire, was uploaded by Michael Rainey. Edward Baiz shared #27690 INSECTA.LZH, another bug-infested shoot-'em-up. Children will enjoy painting the pictures of butterflies in #27196 E_BUTTER.LZH, designed by Al Bagetta for use with his Eliemouse Complimentary Coloring Book, #24281 ECCB_6.LZH. And I've written a simple insect-matching game for young children, PARLOR12.ARC (#26295). You'll find a new free featured download in the ST RoundTable each week during August! And please respond to our free survey on GEnie Page 475. [EOA] [APP]////////////////////////////// FOCUS ON... / ///////////////////////////////// The Apple II RoundTable """"""""""""""""""""""" By Lunatic E'Sex ______ (__ __) / / / / (_/his summer there's lots of fun to be found in A2 and A2Pro, the Apple II RoundTables on GEnie. We're going stronger than ever with more Real-Time Conferences, an ever-expanding Library (over 21,000 uploads now!), lots of discussion in our Bulletin Boards on everything related to the Apple II, and FREE off-line navigator programs for you to download! After a hot day outside, come on in and cool off with some of your favorite Apple II personalities in A2 and A2Pro Real-Time Conferences. We've been getting more people in our Conferences lately. In fact, we recently set an all-time high record for attendance! We've got Conferences every day of the week at 9:30 PM Eastern time in A2, plus special "Bewitched, Bewildered and Bothered" Conferences all afternoon on Sundays. A2Pro's big weekly programming hackfest happens Sunday at 8:30 PM Eastern time, and our special Graphics and Sound Programming Conference is at 9:30 PM Eastern time each Thursday. System Watch Be on the lookout for Apple IIgs System 6.0.1! This latest """""""""""" update of the amazing Apple IIgs system software will be available in the A2 Library as soon as it is released by Apple. By the time you read this, it may already be out! System 6.0.1 contains the long-awaited MS-DOS File System Translator (FST), so that Apple IIgs computers will be able to directly read MS-DOS disks from any GS/OS program. To find the latest Apple II system software in the A2 Library, search (Library Menu Option #3) on the keywords SYSTEM SOFTWARE. This summer brings the 5th Anniversary of the A2-Central Summer Conference, better known as KansasFest. This meeting of Apple II minds on July 22-24 in Kansas City, MO, is especially geared toward programmers, developers and power users. It's also traditionally a time when big introductions are made. We'll be providing up-to-the-minute coverage of KansasFest events on the A2 and A2Pro Bulletin Boards. Great New Freeware If you find GEnie Bulletin Boards confusing or time """""""""""""""""" consuming to check, we've got the cure! GEnie Master (GEM), an incredible off-line navigation program, is now available as FREEWARE in the A2 Library! Also available as freeware in A2 is TCXpress, and we're planning on pulling more tricks out of our hats. Search the A2 Library on the keywords GEM and NAVIGATOR to find them. [EOA] [LOG]////////////////////////////// LOG OFF / ///////////////////////////////// About GEnie & LiveWire """""""""""""""""""""" GEnie's Computing RoundTables Type Keyword or M### at any numbered GEnie page prompt RoundTable Sysop Mail Keyword Page# """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Windows WIN$ WINDOWS 1335 IBM PC IBM$ IBMPC 615 Macintosh DRACO MAC 605 *StarShip* Amiga STARSHIP$ AMIGA 555 Apple II A2.HELP A2 645 Atari ST INFO$ ST 475 Atari 8-Bit AT$ ATARI8 665 Commodore Flagship FLAGSHIP$ CBM 625 [*][*][*] GEnie Client Services 1-800-638-9636 GEnie LiveWire is published six times annually for subscribers to GEnie online services by GE Information Services, 401 N. Washington St., Rockville, MD 20850. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Inquiries should be sent to GEnie LiveWire, P.O. Box 6413, Rockville, MD 20850, or GE Mail Address LIVEWIRE. LiveWire is produced by Jainschigg Communications, 29-05 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106, 718/545-2900, fax 718/545-8200. Advertising Sales: Greg Rapport, 108 Morningside Drive, Trenton NJ, 609/393-1586, Fax 718/545-8200. LiveWire reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertising at any time, and shall not be subject to any liability for its rejection or cancellation. LiveWire reserves the right to require any advertising material to be labeled "advertisement" if deemed necessary. JOINING GEnie IS EASY """"""""""""""""""""" 1. Set your communication software to half duplex (local echo) at 300/1200/2400 baud. 2. Dial toll-free 1-800-638-8369 (in Canada dial 1-800-387-8330). Upon CONNECTion, enter HHH. 3. At the U#= prompt type SIGNUP and press RETURN. 4. Have a major credit card account number ready. In the U.S. you may also user your checking account. (c) 1993 General Electric Company. [EOF]