Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 08:34:49 -0700 (PDT)

From: Steve Holden <newtnews@pobox.com>

To: newt_news@io.com

Subject: NewtNews-145-08Jul97

Sender: owner-newt_news@lists.io.com

Reply-To: Steve Holden <newtnews@pobox.com>

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NewtNews-145-08Jul97

====================



by Steve Holden <newtnews@pobox.com>.  This is a weekly freeware

newsletter that focuses on the Apple Newton and related technologies.

NewtNews Copyright 1994-97 Steve Holden.  All rights reserved.  See the

Administrivia at end for details and FAQ info.



This issue of NewtNews is sponsored in part by:



 + PDA & HANDHELD DIRECT - Putting Technology in the Palm of Your Hand!

   800-279-4PDA 219-882-5228 [F]:219-845-0578 <http://www.pdadirect.com>



 + QuickFigure Pro v.3.1 - New version of the spreadsheet solution from

   PelicanWare! - <sales@pelicanware.com> - <http://www.pelicanware.com>



 + TeleType GPS and moving map for the Newton - Never get lost again -

   <http://www.teletype.com/gps/> - <TeleTypeGPS@teletype.com>



 + PowerMedia presents 'Arcade Game Pack' - Birds With Lances, Rocks

   In Space, Frogs vs. Cars - US$29.95 - <http://www.powermedia.com/~pmi>



 + VITAMIN A MENU EDITOR - Stand Alone has released it's custom and caret

   menu editor and creator! - Demo at: <http://www.standalone.com/newton>



 + WriteRight Screen Enhancements - protect from scratches, reduce glare,

   and simulates writing on real paper - <http://www.ConceptKitchen.com>



 + Buy a guide to what's on TV for your           C o u c h   F i r e !

   Newton <http://www.tempestprod.com/>



 + X-Port, KwikMenu, NewtPaint, Quicknames Pro, proCALC Ex - Newton 2.0

   solutions - <sales@landware.com> - <http://www.landware.com>



 + WinSlurp from Rare White Tiger Creations - Available via WWW at:

   <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/heringermr/winslurp.htm>.



 + PowerTrans 3.0.2 - Multilingual Customizable Translator and Vocabulary

   Trainer - Speech on MP2K, eMate - Demo at: <http://www.travel-cs.com>



 + RidgeNet - ARA, SLIP, PPP access to the Internet from Ridgecrest, CA.

   <http://owens.ridgecrest.ca.us/RidgeNET/RidgeNETWelcome.html>





Table of Contents

-----------------



 1. Table of Contents

 2. Top News

 3. Comments from the Editor

 4. Information from Email

 5. Information from the Internet

 6. Top Print Sources Of Interest

 7. NewtNews Tips and Tricks You Can Use On Your Newton

 8. Other Related Technology

 9. Dear Newton Developer

10. Other Tidbits of Information

11. Advertising Notes

12. Product and Service Information

13. Edupage, 29Jun97 thru 06Jul97

14. INNOVATION, 30Jun97

15. Administrivia





Top News

--------



** SOME NEWTON, INC. DIRECTION **



Patty Tulloch <tulloch@newton.apple.com> posted "A Note from Newton,

Inc." on 01Jul97 to the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.newton.misc that

attempts to answer questions about what Newton, Inc. plans to do in the

near and long term future.  In summary, Newton, Inc. will continue to:



    - sell the MP2K in current channels, and continue to

      evaluate all potential new channels

    - support the very successful Newton specialty stores

    - to focus on the Corporate Vertical and Horizontal

      markets



They will however have to make some 'lean' decisions, specifically they

will not have a Newton, Inc. booth at MacWorld Boston Aug97.  In the

future they will participate in tradeshows but will have to do so in much

limited numbers.  They do plan to participate in as many tradeshows as

possible in 'non-booth' situations like in speaker & tutorials roles; and

in conjunction with Newton, Inc.'s ISVs, Licensees and VARs if they are

participating in a tradeshow.



** NIE 2.0 TO OFFER TCP/IP LAN ACCESS **



Newton, Inc. has announced that they have teamed up with Farallon to

insure that when Newton, Inc. ships Newton Internet Enabler (NIE) 2.0 in

Sep97 that Ethernet cards are available that work with the MP2K and eMate

300.  NIE 2.0 will support native TCP/IP over Ethernet and LocalTalk

networks, and offering protocol support for UDP, DHCP, MacIP, PPP, SLIP,

PAP, and CHAP.  A similar working relationship was also announced with

Proxim to insure that wireless NIE 2.0 connectivity is also available

when NIE 2.0 ships.



In related news, Newton, Inc. was also at the Apple booth at the recently

held National Education Computing Conference held in Seattle, WA demoing

the 'Ethernet' connectivity running on MP2Ks and eMate 3000s.



** PHOTOSHOW 2.0 FOR NEWTON RELEASED **



Clinton Logan <clinton@landware.com> has announced the release of Landware's

PhotoShow 2.0 -- presentation software that does grayscale imaging on the MP2K

and the eMate 300.  The software lets you import images from your desktop

computer to your Newton in either BMP or PICT format.  You can then sort the

order by drag-and-drop, and you preset the transitions between pictures using

any of the eleven built-in features.  The software will retail for US$44.95 and

you can get more information via: <http://www.landware.com>.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  The New WriteRight Screen Enhancements protect your screen from

  scratches, reduce glare and improve your handwriting recognition by

  simulating the feel of writing on paper. WriteRights are available for

  all Newtons in packs of: 4-for $11.95, 8-for $18.95, and 12-for $24.95.

  Mention NewtNews and receive 10% off our 12-pack. For more information:

  415-929-1002 <Info@ConceptKitchen.com> <http://www.ConceptKitchen.com>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  AvailWorks 3.0 - New version adds a text layer with spell-check, find

  and replace, and support for multiple page documents.  AvailWorks

  integrates text processing, powerful tables, dynamic business charts

  and graphs, and drawing and page layout tools into one convenient

  package for the Newton. From PelicanWare at $79.95+S&H. For more

  info: <info@pelicanware.com>. To order 800.655.6398 or visit resellers.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Comments from the Editor

------------------------



** FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE **



I have mixed feelings about Newton, Inc.'s currently marketing plans.

They appear to be a little short sighted, but it is hard to get too

worked up over them though because I finally have a Newton device --

MessagePad 2000 -- which is 'ideal' for what I use it for.  Granted it

could be smaller, but then I wouldn't have the big screen, two slots,

etc. ...



I think they do need to get a couple of things in order very quickly:



    - desktop connectivity needs to get fixed;

    - Java plans need to be outline because Psion and

      Windows CE will be running Java soon; and

    - encourage a licensee to build a PalmPilot size

      Newton device and a Network Computer (NC) device.



** WINNER OF THE HANDHELD SYSTEMS SUBSCRIPTION **



The winner of the "Handheld Developer Give-A-Way" is:



    Bob Fairbairn



Bob's subscription should start soon.  Congrats!!



** CLARIFICATION ON AD IN NEWTNEWS **



Steve <steve@conceptkitchen.com> would like to remind NewtNews readers

that they will not automatically get the 10% discount on orders for

Concept Kitchen's WriteRight products but just mentioning the NewtNews in

their Web ordering forms.   You must ask specifically for the discount.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  From your armchair, find your favorite

  shows using your Newton. Couch Fire is        C o u c h    F i r e !

  a TV  programming  guide that includes

  accurate, weekly updates via email. It combines the feel of a paper guide

  with  the intelligence of a Newton. Couch Fire's custom TV grid, searches

  and reminders mean you won't miss a thing.  <http://www.tempestprod.com/>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  TeleType GPS - New v2.0 - now includes U.S. Interstate Highways data

  overlay. GPS software provides plot of your position on moving maps while

  you drive or fly. Overlay packages include cities and towns, Interstates,

  and special Aviation overlay for pilots. Bundles include GPS receiver and

  software.  Never get lost again.  Email: <TeleTypeGPS@teletype.com> or

  WWW to: <http://www.teletype.com/gps/> for more information.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Information from Email

----------------------



** SCOREPAD GETS AN UPDATE **



Sun Sabre Software <sunsabre@one.net> has announced a maintenance upgrade

to fix a couple of bugs to their ScorePad product.  The new version is

3.0.2.  Registered owners can get the upgrade by sending an email to the

address listed above.  You can learn more about this unique personal golf

software for the Newton by checking out the following WWW page at:

<http://members.aol.com/sunsabre/ScorePad.html>.



** NEWTON COMMS PACKAGE RELEASED **



Emmanuel Dillard <info@easter-eggs.com> reports from Paris, France with

the news that Easter-Eggs has an new 'universal communications package'

for Newton 2.x called EETransfer 1.0.  You can use EETransfer on a host

of mediums, to any 'serial' communication port on any computer, and you

can even use it to send Newton specific data, not just raw text

transfers. The expected shareware price is going to be US$50, and for

more information check out: <http://www.easter-eggs.com/>.



** SITE WITH NEWTON SOFTWARE REVIEWS **



Boon Brown <eep@surfer.pcsonline.com> notes that he has posted his past

Newton reviews that he has submitted to Gecko magazine to the following

site: <http://www.pcsonline.com/users/boon/Newt.htm>.



** QUICKPRESS 1.4 FOR NEWTON **



Felix Hagno <hgus6@hgus.gu.se> notes that Avanti Software has recently

announced a powerful update -- version 1.4 -- of their "Live Desktop

Integration" software for the Newton called QuickPress.  The way the

software works is drag-n-drop access to the Newton Notepad or NewtWorks

applications via a small Macintosh application.  For more information

check out: <http://lthmtek.msek.lth.se/~cim93hf4/download.html>.



** EMATE REVIEW IN GERMAN MAC MAGAZINE **



Pascal Finette <a2684608@athena.rrz.uni-koeln.de> notes that the Jul97

edition of the German Macintosh magazine "Mac Easy & Mac Magazin" has a

review of the eMate 300 which includes some benchmarking data.  The

editors of the magazine think that the eMate should be marketed as the

computer for 'all of us' not just the education market.  You can check

out the German articles via:



    - <http://www.macup.com/macmags/classics/eMate.html>

    - <http://www.macup.com/macmags/aktuell/edit.html>



** HONG KONG NEWTON USER GROUP STARTED & NEWTONS USED BY JOURNALISTS **



Johnny Lau <cklau@eee.hku.hk> notes the creation of 01Jul97 of the

Hong Kong Newton User Group (HKNUG).  For more information about this

group send Johnny email or check out: <http://www.hkstar.com/~hknug>.



Blaine Fergerstrom <webmaster@starbulletin.com> independently noted that

the recently announced Hong Kong Newton User Group's WWW site noted that

many of the journalists in Hong Kong to cover the recent re-unification

were using either MessagePad 120s, 130s, or 2000s.  Blaine also reported

that the Honolulu Star-Bulletin <http://starbulletin.com> had a reporter

covering the Hong Kong going-ons using an eMate 300 with the NewerRam

memory upgrade and 33.6 Megahertz modem.  The reporter was using an

AimQuest/GRIC Internet roaming account <http://www.aimquest.com> to

communicate and file stories with.



** ROADRUNNER TRACKS GET NEW WEB SITE AND AREA CODE **



Janet Honek <Janet@roadrunnertracks.com> notes that the new WWW site for

Roadrunner Track is: <http://www.roadrunnertracks.com>.  They have also

had updated area codes in Janet's area -- for voice use: 760.431.5483 and

for fax use: 760.431.5497.



** SHAREWARE WEB BROWSER AND BOOK APP UPDATED **



Steve Weyer <weyer@kagi.com> has announced on 28Jun97 a new version of

Newt's Cape  -- version 1.4.  This 'popular' NIE savvy application lets

you not only creates Newton books with text, graphics, hypertext links,

tables and embedded forms from HTML (HyperText Markup Language) documents

but also lets you browse the WWW.  For more information check out:

<http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer/newton/releases.html>.



** NEW ZEALAND NEWTON USERS GET A SITE **



Kieren Simon <ksimon@ts.co.nz> notes the creation of New Zealand Newton users

WWW site at: <http://www.advcomm.co.nz/newton>.  Several of Kieren's freeware

products are posted to this site.



** NEW MAC OS TO NEWTON SHARED CALENDAR NEARS RELEASE **



Carsten Brinkschulte <support@centsoft.com> notes that Century Software

<http://www.centsoft.com> is still on track to deliver by mid-Jul97 with

'advanced day planner' for the Mac OS and Newton.  The software bundle

will retail on the WWW for US$49.  For more information check out the

URL noted above.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

$ NS BASIC  $ The latest implementation of this cool programming tool has an

$   3.6     $ easy to use graphic screen layout function, plus indexed file

$   with    $ communications, graphics and more!  Program directly on Newton

$  Visual   $ or with a PC or Mac.  Create packages in the Extras drawer and

$ Designer! $ much more. 260 pg handbook. Cost is $99+5 S&H for all Newtons.

$           $ <info@nsbasic.com>,  <http://www.nsbasic.com>,  416.264.5999

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  PDA and Handheld Direct, Everything you need for your Newton

   - Apple MessagePad 2000 Standard Model only $949.00 (#22005)

   - Apple MessagePad 2000 Business Bundle only $1099.00 (#22008)

   - MP130 Buy Back Program - Trade in your MP130 for special deals on

     MP2000 or other PDAs - Call for details: 219-882-5228

   - MP2000 Accessories: Rech. Battery $31.95 (#22209) AC Adapter $29.95

     (#22202) MP2K Pen $12.95 (#31227) -- Type II Flash Memory 4MB $98

     (#41070) 8MB $174 (#41073) 10MB $210 (#41074) 16MB $310 (#41077)

   - Revelar Connection Utilities (RCU) for Win and Mac $39.95 (#10071)

  To order 800-279-4PDA or 219-882-5228 or FAX 219-845-0578 [Source #161]

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Information from the Internet

-----------------------------



** MORE NEWTON CASE NEWS **



Bryson Jack <Bryzon.Jack@usa.net> notes a new MP2K specific case is in

the works.  The dimensions are approximately 11.75" x 5" x 2.5" -- so iw

will also hold your keyboard.  This leather case will also come with a

'stand' to enable quick and easy access to the keyboard, and has storage

areas for PC Cards, credit cards, checkbook, etc. ...  For more

information send Bryson email and he'll notify you as soon as the cases

are available for purchase.



Alfred <saulo1@ix.netcom.com> reports that he has posted some pictures of

'his new MP2K case' to: <http://pw1.netcom.com/~saulo1/newt.htm>.



** NEW MEMORY GAME SHIPPING FOR THE NEWTON **



Deep Focus Designs <info@deepfocus.com> has released a new music memory

game they are calling CopyCat v1.0 for Newton OS 2.x.  You can check out

a 60-day full demo of this US$10 shareware game via the following URL:

<http://www.deepfocus.com/>.



** FOUNDATION SYSTEMS CONTINUES TO CHURN **



Adam Tow <atow@tow.com> notes the recent release of three Foundation

Systems Newton solutions:



    - Dvorak 2.0! [freeware]: an extension that adds 2

      Dvorak keyboard layouts to your Newton

    - nHTML (beta) [shareware US$45]: an HTML

      authoring tool



For more information check out: <http://www.tow.com>.



** NOT TO BE OUTDONE, SCRAWL CAN CHURN ALSO **



Scrawl Software <help@scrawlsoft.com> has updated two of their products

recently:



    - Chiral v0.921b: "a game based on the formation

      of molecules, kind of like a cross between Tetris

      and that 10th grade chemistry class you tried to

      forget."

    - PT100 v0.99b: a VT100 emulator for the Newton

      capable of Modem sessions, Direct Serial sessions,

      VT100 emulator, and Telnet over Newton Internet

      Enabler (NIE) 1.0 connections.



For more information, visit: <http://www.scrawlsoft.com>.



** MAKING OF THE NEWTON BOOK **



Luigi Giovanetti <LuigiG@world.std.com> recently noted on the USENET

newsgroup comp.sys.newton.misc the availability of a limited number of

"Defying Gravity the making of Newton" (ISBN 0-941831-94-9).  The asking

price is US$15 + US$3 for S&H in the U.S.A.  For more info call:

617.747.3903.



** MANHATTAN SUBWAY MAPS IN MP2K FORMAT **



Tom Deering <edgar@deering.org> has posted a HTML version of his

Manhattan Subway Maps reference to the following Web site for download

using Nethopper or NewtScape via: <http://www.deering.org/subway>.



** CALCULATOR GETS NEW POWER **



Ashish Mishra <a2mishra@eestaff.uwaterloo.ca> has announced the public

availability of MathWorks (0.91 Beta) -- a component to their Eclipse

PowerSet calculator that enables graphing, programming, worksheets,

conversions, and a host of built-in equations.  For more information

check out: <http://www.sineware.com>.



** WANT A NEWTON 'LOGOED' HAT?!? **



James Murphy <cmurf@worldnet.att.net> notes that the Apple Designs

Webpage at: <http://www.appledesigns.com/> has have some Newton 'logoed'

items available.



** PASSKEEP UPDATE RELEASED **



Robert Lee <leere@mindspring.com> has release passKeep (v1.25b3) -- a

utility designed to track passwords and software serial numbers. The

software is currently retailing for US$10, and will after 15Jul97 cost

US$15.  For more information: <http://www.mindspring.com/~leere>.



** POINTER TO WINDOWS NTK BETA **



Keith Rollin <rollin@newton.apple.com> notes that you can get the WinNTK

1.6.1b1 updater for WinNTK 1.6 via the Newton Toolkit (NTK) Web page at:

<http://gemma.apple.com/dev/newton/tools/ntk.html>.



** CONNECTING YOUR NEWTON VIA IRDA TO THE DESKTOP?!? **



Will Nelson <wnelson@pobox.com> has started working on a Newton

Connection Utility (NCU) to IrDA FAQ.  He recently posted the FAQ to the

USENET newsgroup comp.sys.newton.misc.  Will also publishes "The Newton

2000 Underground" which should also have the FAQ available via this URL:

<http://www.skyport.com/nelson/newton>.



** OTHER NEWTON MENTIONS ON THE WWW **



Geoffrey Klingsporn <g-klingsporn@uchicago.edu> notes that a recent

"Mac-the-Knife" column had a new rumor that the next iteration of

FileMaker Pro -- version 4.0 -- is expected to be out by the end of 1997.

This new version could have a Newton OS 2.1 client available when it

ships.



Jim Omura <jimomura@pathcom.com> notes that you can find Newton specific

reviews and mentions in the Jun97 edition of "The Computer Paper

(Canada)" via: <http://www.tcp.ca/>.  His review of 'Pocket Spreadsheets'

can be accessed at: <http://www.tcp.ca/1997/9706/9706mobi/pda/pda.html>.



Marton Carungay <martonc@earthlink.net> notes that there was a Newton

specific article recently in the Toronto Sun newspaper entitled: "Teacher

claims Apple eMate boosts student reading, writing input".  You can check

it out at: <http://www.canoe.ca/CyberColumnists/connect_0625.html>.



Rob <bratling@ici.net> notes that the recently announced Washington Post

review of the MP2K can be viewed on the World Wide Web via this URL:

<http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/tech/reviews/finder/rev_1025.htm>.



Consumer Electronics published via Infoseek <http://www.infoseek> posted

an article on 23Jun97 that covered "Newton, Inc.'s Corporate Focus."  The

article was one of the first to quote Newton, Inc. COO Sandy Benett has

saying that Newton, Inc wasn't going to be in the broad-based retail

distribution channels for at least 3 years.



Grady PowerPage <http://ogrady.com:80/> recently noted that The Newton

Store in Canada has opened up their third store in Vancouver, BC.  For

more information check out: <http://www.newtonstore.com>.



Jimmy Guterman has been running a series of Newton vs. PalmPilot pieces

the last couple of weeks at the Chicago Tribune Silicon Prairie site:

<http://www.chicago.tribune.com>. Jimmy has good things to say about the

Newton handwriting recognition but still isn't fast enough for him; but

he doesn't like Apple's Newton Connection Utility for the PC (mostly

because he couldn't download it, but also because it didn't work for

him).  On the PalmPilot side of things he likes the size, and desktop

connectivity; but isn't the big of a fan of Graffiti.  Jimmy also found

some 'extreme' limitations with the built-in PalmPilot notepad, and

calendar.



** MACWAY NEWTON MENTIONS **



Guy Kawasaki's MacWay Evangelist email listserver had several Newton

blurbs recently including:



    - Michael Stango <mjstango@worldnet.att.net> has a pointer

      to Rob Pegoraro's MP2K 'positive review' in the Washington

      Post on 13Jun97.  Try either:



<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-06/13/040L-061397-idx.htm>



<http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/tech/reviews/finder/rev_1025.htm>

    - Tina Velgos <tina@thereviewzone.com> notes that the REVIEW

      Zone has an eMate 300 review at:

      <http://www.TheReviewZone.com/emate.html>.

    - RoadRunner Tracks have announced The BARRIER -- "the

      Clearly Superior Screen Protector" for the eMate 300.  For

      more info: <http://www.roadrunnertracks.com>

    - The Daily Newton ezine is at: <http://newton.macguys.com>

    - Casady & Greene is offering Newton's Reflex and Silicon

      Casino Bundle for US$39.95.  For more info:

      <http://www.casadyg.com/C&G/Order/order_flx.html>

    - Press release for Avanti Software's QuickPress v1.4

    - Pedro Gil Nieva <pgil@tula.mext.com.mx> notes that a

      company called Mext is available to build custom NEXTSTEP,

      Rhapsody, WebObjects, and Newton solutions.

    - J. Terpstra <J.Terpstra@mail1.remote.uva.nl> is collecting

      medical related Newton information to be used in a

      presentation to sell the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) at

      the University of Amsterdam on using Newton technology.

    - Press release for Century Software's ClockWork



For more info about this excellent Apple, Macintosh, Newton, etc. ...

resource check out: <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/>.



** OTHER SITES WORTHY OF A BROWSE **



    - American Radio Relay League: <http://www.arrl.org>

    - Search Engine Watch: <http://searchenginewatch.com>

    - MPEG-I Audio Layer 3 standard (MP3): <http://www.mpeg.org>

    - Cybergold [Banner Tracking]: <http://www.cybergold.com>

    - Websnake [Offline browsing]: <http://www.anawave.com>

    - Pat Meier's RealAudio interviews: <http://www.patmeier.com>

    - Lotus Domino 4.6 Beta: <http://www.notes.net/46>

    - Safe Kids Online: <http://www.safekids.com>

    - SENSE8 [3D Virtual Reality]: <http://www.SENSE8.com>

    - The VRML Consortium: <http://www.vrml.org>



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   WinSlurp! - Rare White Tiger Creations provides Newton Book publishing

   services and is NOW offering WinSlurp. A windows front-end to Slurpee

   which supports transferring notes back and forth between the Newton

   notepad and the PC desktop.  Available for downloading from this URL:

   <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/heringermr/winslurp.htm>.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   PowerMedia is your source for all the latest cutting edge Newton apps:

     + Super NotePad: Quick access arrows, encryption, tags, filters, etc.

     + DateMan 3.0: Complete agenda and contact management.

     + Stationary Construction Kit: Build your very own custom stationary.

   Commercially available at your favorite Newton retailer.  Or check out

   online demos via the following site: <http://www.powermedia.com/~pmi>.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Top Print Sources Of Interest

-----------------------------



[EDITOR: This is a collection of articles of potential interest to

NewtNews readers from the leading technology print newspapers,

newsletters, and magazines.]



** A NOT SO GOOD EMATE REVIEW **



LaMont Ridgell has a short review of the Apple eMate 300 on page 34 of

MacUser published on Aug97.  LaMont only gave the eMate three out of five

mouses, and noted that the "keyboard-equipped Newton for kids is more a

costly toy than an effective teaching tool."  Since the eMate isn't

'water proof' it can still be easily 'damaged', and LaMont also wasn't

impressed with the size of the keyboard.



** MP2K GETS MAJOR PLUG **



Andy Ihnatko devotes most of his column on page 154 of MacUser (Aug97)

ranting and raving about the "computationally incredible" Apple

MessagePad 2000.  Andy also shares some thoughts about future small

Newton devices, and how the MP2K is currently his favorite Internet

device.



** NEWTON IDEAL FOR REMOTE COMMS **



Baker/Pillar <celtica@flash.net> notes that the 22Jun97 edition of Sunday

London Times has a very detailed look at Sir Chris Bonington

mountaineering reporting efforts.  Sir Bonington uses a Newton and a data

channel from Inmarsat to keep folks updated on his adventures with text

and pictures sent via his Newton.  The article goes on to note the

usefulness of the MP2000 as a replacement for a notebook computer,

especially if you need to stay connected while on travel.  The article

also notes: GSM, Psion, and Windows CE.



** TIME LOOKS AT MP2K **



Time Magazine (01Jul97) has a Newton specific article entitled "Newton's

Mixed Message: The Newton MessagePad 2000 proves a beauty, but may not be

the Apple of everyone's eye".  The article interviews four folks and

includes their thoughts on the MP2K.  The article included the necessary

positive, negative, wishy-washy, etc. ... remarks/opinions to basically

prove the word -- 'mixed' -- in the title of the article.



** COMPLETE HANDHELD REVIEW **



David Busch <dbusch@dbusch.com> at NetGuide has a 'NetGuide Labs' review

article entitled "Handheld PCs Reach Out to the Internet" that was

published on 01Jul97. The review looks at Windows CE devices, and the

MessagePad 2000. The MP2K was the easiest to set-up, but all of them did

well sending and receiving email.  Web browsing in general was a

disappointment on all the devices but graphics did look better on the

MP2K.  The Newton also scored well for their "treasure trove' of bundled

software, and noted that upload/download of information with the MP2K

worked well, but synchronization was definitely better on the Windows CE

side of things.



In the end though the Velo 1 was chosen as an Editor's Pick in the

handheld category with the HP320LX coming in second.  The MP2K was third.

This third place rating is hard to figure when you read the complete

article because there is little negative information stated about the

MP2K.  The article notes that the MP2K is almost in its own separate

category  because of the MP2K's size and price, but also because of the

MP2K's unique software, IrDA printing, large screen, optional keyboard,

and 'remarkably accurate' handwriting recognition.  The article also

notes that when an MP2K is compared against a Windows CE handheld that

the MP2K is hard to beat.



** MP2K DOES INFLUENCE ONE EDITOR **



Christopher Doyle <aripres@aol.com> makes the MP2K an "Editor's Choice"

in an article entitled "MP 2000: Good To The Core -- Apple's

gravity-defying MessagePad takes off" in VAR Business published on

01Jul97.  The article can be summed up with: "get the MP2K up and running

in the field or, better yet, at 27,000 feet, and you'll soon forget the

$500 you could have saved by buying a Pilot. Instead, you'll marvel at

how much work you-or more importantly, your customers-can get done with a

MP2K."



** OTHER ARTICLES OF POTENTIAL INTEREST **



Some Network Computer (NC) articles of interest:



    - "Wintel embraces Network Computers: Intel, Microsoft,

       answer Oracle efforts" by Martin La Monica & Judy DeMocker,

       InfoWorld, 23Jun97, page 1

    - "NC Client Software Arrives" by Lisa DiCarlo, PC Week,

       30Jun97, page 22

    - "The Next Wave: Mobile NCs. Vendors' consortium announces

       spec for portable Network Computers" by Lisa DiCarlo, PC

       Week, 30Jun97, page 59

    - "IBM leads NC standards group" by Dan Briody, InfoWorld,

       30Jun97, page 31

    - "Early users give NetPCs a thumbs-up" by John Cox, Network

       World, 30Jun97, page 36



** MAJOR WEEKLY MAGAZINE WEB POINTERS **



    - Web Week: <http://www.webweek.com>

    - MacWeek: <http://www.macweek.com>

    - InfoWorld: <http://www.infoworld.com>

    - Computer Reseller News: <http://www.crn.com>

    - PC Week: <http://www.pcweek.com>

    - Network World: <http://www.nwfusion.com>

    - LAN Times: <http://www.lantimes.com>

    - Information Week: <http://www.informationweek.com>





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  K2 consultants, Inc. has the best Medical titles for Newton. Just out is

  Dr. Ferri's popular book for internists with special offers! Get the hit

  references like Lexi-Comp Drug Handbook, 5 Min. Clin Consult, Archimedes

  Programmable Calculator, etc.  KJV Bible, Ole spanish translator & more,

  all working with our renowned ART engine. See ART make a big splash at

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$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  Still looking for a great screen protector?  Look at The BARRIER!!

     * Clearly Superior Protection

     * Abrasion, Chemical AND Thermal resistant

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  "Why doesn't Apple mount a Barrier on every unit? -- Marco Mailand (.ch)

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$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





NewtNews Tips and Tricks You Can Use On Your Newton

---------------------------------------------------



** NO NONSENSE NUGGETS OF NIFTY NEWTON KNOW-HOW **



By Roger Coleman <Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com>



If you have similar tidbits for this column (for any Newton version),

please drop me a line! <Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com>.  Please include

details of the model and OS that you are using.



** TIPS WANTED **



Please send me any tips, hints, goodies, or similar bits of information

for future issues of this column to me <Roger_Coleman@compuserve.com>.

Credit & Glory will be given to all those that contribute!



** NEWTON TO PC TEXT TRANSFER SUGGESTION **



Minh-Kiet Callies <callies@execpc.com> notes great success using Quick

Port 1.1 to transfer text to and from his Newton and Compaq desktop

system using a freeware data terminal solution for the PC called

Quik-Catch.  Minh-Kiet would like to created extensions to these two

applications that would allow the transfer of MS Word & Excel to/from

NewtWorks.



** SOME PC TO NEWTON SUGGESTIONS **



Dimitri Pateras <dimitri.pateras@span.ch> notes that those folks looking

to upload and download Microsoft Outlook data to/from their Newton do so

by using the MS Schedule+ format.  You can also, according to Dimitri,

get Newton data in/out of PC applications by using the CSV extension in

Newton Connection Utilities.



** FOR BETTER BATTERY LIFE ... **



Charles Monica <cmonica@lehman.com> notes that Newton Customer Support is

'urging' MP2K users who have a PC modem card in their MP2Ks most of the

time should put the modem in the bottom slot if they want to get better

battery life.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  PDA Panache is your single source for stylus solutions.  Custom stylus

  upgrades for Newton MP130 and MP2000.  Custom styli for WinCE, USR, and

  Sharp PDAs.  Wide selection of Pocket Styli for all tastes and budgets.

  Duo multi-function stylus/pen combo. Beacon L.E.D. lighted stylus. Stylus

  inserts for Cross & other popular pens.  More info: 800.270.7196 or

  516.467.4042, FAX: 516.467.6329, <http://www.PDAPanache.com> (secure)

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



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  PowerTrans 3.0 - Translator and Vocabulary Trainer - 60,000 Words -

  English, Spanish, German, French and Italian (no storage card required).

   + Customize the vocabulary and/or create new languages, attach notes

   + MP2K and eMate featured - speech, classroom multi-user, keyboards

   + Vocabulary Trainer - based on approved didactical learning system

  Checkout demo: <http://www.travel-cs.com> - contact: <info@travel-cs.com>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Other Related Technology

------------------------



[EDITOR: News collected via snail mail, major publications, USENET

newsgroups, email, and the WWW.  For more information about Farcast check

out: <http://www.farcast.com> and for more information about HeadsUp use:

<http://www.individual.com>.]



** WIRELESS & MOBILE **



IEEE has finally finalized the 802.11 standard that was started in 1990

to define how multivendor wireless LAN products will interoperate in the

2-megabit/second range over infrared or radio frequency bands. [Network

World, 30Jun97, page 6]



Geoworks has announced that they will join with Spyglass to delivery Web

browser technology to future smart phone devices.  In related news,

Geoworks also signed a similar agreement with Connected Corporation for

'backup technology' that 'could' be used in future smart phone devices.

[HeadsUp]



The wireless device heavy weights -- Nokia, Ericsson, Unwired Planet, and

Motorola -- have reportedly agreed to work together to define a 'common'

Wireless Application Protocol. [HeadsUp]



Some 'wireless' articles of potential interest:



    - "Wireless Net Access Wares Making Waves" by Stephanie

       LaPolla, Mark Moore, & Scott Berinato, PC Week, 23Jun97,

       page 1

    - "AT&T Wireless Adds Web Email to Mobile Phones" by Mark

       Moore, PC Week, 23Jun97, page 126

    - "Sprint PCS Adds Cities to National Wireless Service" by

       Mark Moore, PC Week, 23Jun97, page 131

    - "Wireless Web Access: Warp Drive Networks provide

       high-speed path to the Net" by Mark Moore, PC Week, 30Jun97,

       page 30

    - "Stalking 'Killer' That Drives Wireless Nets" by Mark

       Moore, PC Week, 30Jun97, page 134

    - "Wireless Data's Diverging Visions" by Bill Frezza,

       Network Computing, 01Jul97, page 35

    - "Wireless service (Warp Drive Networks) gives users a

       high-speed Internet link" by Denise Pappalardo, Network

       World, 30Jun97, page 27



** LAPTOPS **



Some 'laptop' articles of potential interest:



    - "New Notebook PCs Challenge Desktops: portables from NEC,

       Micron, and Hitachi PC strive to become desktop

       replacements" by Mark Moore, PC Week, 23Jun97, page 51

    - "RDI's PowerLite Turbo Heavily Targeted at Military and

       Gov't: portable equipped with 170-MHz SPARC Chip" by Mark

       Moore, PC Week, 30Jun97, page 60

    - "Notebooks to Be Fed a Diet of Super-Capacity Drives" by

       Scott Berinato, PC Week, 30Jun97, page 62

    - "Backup for Road Warriors: For execs on the go, saving

       important data on disks is a pain. The Internet is easier,

       cheaper, and more reliable" by Richard Adhikari, Information

       Week, 30Jun97, page 94

    - "Supply-Side Economics: Notebook Shortage Ends,

       Availability of Toshiba notebooks jumped last month" by

       Keith Burbank & John Roberts, Computer Reseller News,

       16Jun97, page 10

    - "Toshiba's Libretto 50CT handheld is a dream traveller" by

       Joel Shore, Computer Reseller News, 16Jun97, page 331



** PALMPILOT **



U.S. Robotics has announced that they are now officially selling an

English version of the PalmPilot Professional in Japan at a price of

Yen-59,800. [HeadsUp]



Rich Neves has a two column review article of the PalmPilot Professional

starting on page 160 of Computer Reseller News (CRN) published on

23Jun97.  The article is part of a big CRN Spring Comdex Test Center

article that looks at all the latest and greatest stuff demoed at the

recently held NYC Comdex.



Noblestar <http://et.noblestar.com> and PilotGear HQ has announced a new

partnership to expand each other's 'robust' PalmPilot product offerings.



Edward Keyes <mistered@1stresource.com> noted on comp.sys.palmtop that

the Boston PDA Users' Group has plans distribute "floppies full of 'best

of' freeware and shareware collections for PDAs" at the upcoming August

MacWorld Boston Expo.  If you would like to be included please send

Edward email at the address listed above.



Some PalmPilot links of potential interest:



    - Jeff Jetton 's Golf Solitaire 1.1:

      <http://www.mindspring.com/~jetton/pilot/>

    - Doug DeVries's TRG SuperPilot memory card:

      <http://www.trgnet.com/pilotweb/pilot.html>

    - Calvin's Pilot FAQ: <http://www.pilotfaq.com>

    - Adam Deave's PalmPilot Software Archive:

      <http://Home.InfoRamp.Net/~adam/pilot/>

    - Fahl's Birthdate: <http://www.birthdate.com/index.htm>

    - cbasPad 0.79b [Tiny Basic interpreter]:

      <http://www.nicholson.com/rhn/pilot/>



** WINDOWS CE **



Symantec <http://www.symantec.com> has announced the creation of a new

mobile use team called "Remote Productivity Solutions" that will continue

to focus on products like pcAnywhere and others that help laptops and

handhelds stay sync'd with servers.  [Jeff Walsh, InfoWorld, 23Jun97,

page 21]



Mark Moore examines the news that Wright Strategies' Form Logic 3.0 now

works with Windows CE on page 62 of PC Week published on 30Jun97.  You

can learn more via: <http://www.wrightstrat.com>.



Rich Levin and Mary Hayes has an indepth article entitled "Microsoft Readies

Mobile Computing Push: Operating system upgrades, and Universal Virtual Machine

aimed at enterprise" on page 20 of Information Week published on 30Jun97.

Look for introduction of Windows CE 2.0 on 29Sep97.



Microsoft has recently unveiled in Japan a Japanese version of their

Windows CE operating system.  In related news, NEC will introduce in

Jul97 a Japanese savvy Windows CE device.  The device will be marketed as

a mobile terminal with access to public and private networks.  Casio will

also reportedly have a new Windows CE device available in Japan in short

order.[HeadsUp]



Intrinsyc Software has announced that they have a new Windows CE savvy

Web server that will be ideal for embedded computer solutions. [HeadsUp]



Electronic Engineering Times reports that developers of OEM handheld

products are 'demanding' more developer tool support for Java and for

Windows CE. [HeadsUp]



Two recent tidbits from Puma Technology -- NEC's MobilePro 450 will be

bundled with Puma's Intellisync software, and Windows Sources Magazine

recently awarded Puma their "Stellar Award' for their Intellisync

product. [HeadsUp]



Want to learn more about the Windows CE operating system from the

developer and OEM perspective?  Then check out Eclipse International --

they recently signed an agreement with Microsoft to provide Windows CE

training classes. [HeadsUp]



Some Windows CE links of potential interest:



    - Frank Yacano's free 'Expenses Application'

      <http://www.syware.com>

    - WindowsCE On-Line: <http://www.winceonline.com>



** PSION **



Andrew Seybold recently held his "Outlook on Wireless OS '97" conference,

and according to Business Wire, the Psion EPOC32 platform emerged from

the conference as the clear leader in meeting the technical requirements

outlined for smart phone devices and for mobile network computers (MNCs).

[HeadsUp]



Some Psion links of potential interest:



    - Guillaume Dupont's  <bdupont@imaginet.fr> business and

      finance calculator called Pourcent can be found at:

      <http://www.imaginet.fr/~bdupont/>.

    - Steve Simpson's <steve@alba.co.uk> Alba Computing Ltd. is

      available for custom Psion development services:

      <http://www.alba.co.uk/>.

    - Alan Clifford's Alarm Enhancer v3.3 has been posted to

      Psion binary USENET newsgroup.



** OTHER HANDHELD **



Zaurus have announced in Japan a new line of PDAs called the MI-500

series that offer 4.3-inch color displays that offer thousands of colors

at 320 x 240 pixels.  The unit is also smaller and weights less than the

previous MI-10 series.  Other features include: better internal software,

improved communications integrations, and even more connectivity with

digital still cameras.  The entry level price will be in the just under

US$1500 (Yen-168,000) range, and Sharp even noted that they expects to

produce 30,000+ a month for the Japanese marketplace after the 17Jul97

introduction date.



Brother International <http://www.brother.com> has announced a note line

of handheld devices that come with a full keyboard (like a laptop),

running GEOS 3.0 operating system.  The units will be called GeoBook,

cost in the US$599 range, come with a built-in software suite, and

include an internal modem.  Expect availability by Jul97.



Anne Kaliczak has a short review of the new Sharp Zaurus ZR-3500X on page

130 of InfoWorld published on 23Jun97.  You can learn more about this

US$399 device by checking out: <http://www.sharp-usa.com>.



Mark Moore has a short blurb about a new wearable PC from Interactive

Solutions (a subsidiary of Teltronics) called "Mentis" on page 34 of PC

Week published on 30Jun97. The unit is expected to retail for under

US$3700, weighs 2 pounds, runs Win95 or WinNT, and is powered by a

166-MHZ MMX Pentium.



Michael Caton takes a PC Week Labs look at the latest Wyse Technology's

Winterm Wireless 2930 tablet in an article that starts on page 59 of PC

Week published on 30Jun97.



Jonathan Marshall recently published an business section of the San

Francisco Chronicle entitled "Calling Your Computer: General Magic hopes

new product does the trick".  The article looks at the past and current

plan from General Magic.  The stock for this company was once at US$32,

and now can be bought for US$1.82.  But things are changing -- new

management -- and most importantly a new codeword "Serengeti".   Which is

a collection of old MagicCap technology repackaged into a 'very handy'

mobile workers phone system that will actually pull data from a

workstation and relay the information back to the worker.  For more info

check out: <http://www.genmagic.com>.



Widget Software Canada <WIDGETCAN@aol.com> has a host of used PalmTop and

PDAs available for purchase, including at least one of each of the

following: Casio Cassiopeia; Sony Magic Link PIC-1000 & PIC-2000;

Motorola Envoy; H-P 200LX; Pilot 5000; Newton MessagePad 100; AT&T EO

Personal Communicator; Amstrad PenPad System; Zaurus ZR-5000; Parrot

Voice Recognition Diary; and Psion Siena 512k.  For more information

check out: <http://www.widget.co.uk/canada/>.



** APPLE & MACINTOSH **



Apple has officially announced that Mac OS 8 will be shipping by the end

of Jul97 in North America.  The expected retail cost is going to be under

US$80. [HeadsUp]



In the shipping hardware news -- Apple India is now shipping a 240-MHz

PowerPC 603ev savvy Macintosh PowerBook 3400 series laptop in India.  And

Motorola and UMAX Computer are now shipping 300-MHz PowerPC Mac OS clone

systems in North America. [HeadsUp]



Apple customers continue to be the "most loyal" in the computer industry

according to a recent survey published in MacWeek. [HeadsUp]



Apple has announced that their Macintosh OS technology called AppleScript

will be integrated into the Rhapsody OS. [HeadsUp]



CE Software is now shipping QuickMail Pro 1.5 for Macintosh. [HeadsUp]



Apple has announced that 250 workers have been laid off from a plant in

Singapore.  A similar plant in Ireland has not yet announced any employee

changes, but 'fears' of layoffs are reportedly running high. [HeadsUp]



Apple has announced a new 'education market' specific version of Apple

Network Administrator Toolkit v2.0.  The software will enable better

student/teach collaboration for Apple TCP/IP devices including Mac OS

systems, printers, and the eMate 300. [HeadsUp]



MacWorld Expo Boston Aug97 will include keynote presentations from Apple

CEO Dr. Gil Amelio and Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki. [HeadsUp]

Apple has announced that they are now in the process of restructuring

their marketing operations and strategies.  Therefore they have decided to

'open up' their advertising account for review.  Apple's current

advertising agency, BBDO, was invited to participate, but sent out a slew

of PRs saying they weren't interested in continuing a relationship with

Apple since Apple was 'reviewing' their advertising account.



Apple has created a new online community called the Apples Educational

Object Economy (EOE) project <http://trp.research.apple.com> with the

specific goal of "creation, sharing, and use of teaching resources that

incorporate Java applets for web-based learning."



Tensor Information Systems <http://www.tensor.com> has announced a new

agreement with Apple that certifies Tensor as an training partner with

Apple for WebObjects.  Tensor will have exclusive training rights in the

Dallas/Fort Worth area and the opportunity to conduct private classes in

North America.



In a recent survey of RAID solutions for the Mac OS -- MacUser (Aug97)

found that the ProDirect PowerRAID-M18 and StreamLogic Sledgehammer Pro

217400 PCI to be the best of available choices.



Some recently updated Mac OS links:



    - Open Door Networks [Internet servers]:

      <http://www.opendoor.com>

    - StarNine Technologies [Internet servers]:

      <http://www.starnine.com>

    - GIFmation 2.1 & PhotoGIF 2.1 [Internet Graphic Tools]:

      <http://www.boxtopsoft.com>

    - RumorMill 1.0 [NNTP server] & ThufirCalc [algebraic

      calculator]: <http://www.stairways.com/>

    - Subwoofer [Internet Glue]:

      <http://devworld.apple.com/dev/subwoofer/>

    - MondoMail [Scriptable email]:

      <http://www.acmetech.com/MondoMail.html>



** OTHER **



Netscape has announced that they are now completely supporting a 'new

standard' called Meta Content Framework (MCF) developed originally by

Apple for displaying online content.  The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

will be the standards body that evaluates MCF. [HeadsUp]



Motorola has announced a new version of their PowerPC 603e family of

processors that can sustain harsh temperature ranges making it ideal for

use in avionics and military embedded applications. [HeadsUp]



Oracle has announced that their much anticipated Oracle 8 relational

database platform is now shipping for sixteen Unix and Windows NT

platforms -- including systems from Compaq, Data General, Digital,

Fujitsu, HP, Hitachi, IBM, Intel, NCR, NEC, Sequent, and Sun. [HeadsUp]





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  Need more Newton information?!?  NewtNews suggests you check out:

    + Newton Reference: <http://www.panix.com/~clay/newton/>

    + Always Newton Central: <http://newton.theonly.com>

    + NewtUser: <http://www.newtuser.com>

    + NewtWorld: <http://www.fw3.com/newtworld>

    + The Ultimate Newton: <http://shell.rmi.net/~rbruce/>

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  To much info in NewtNews for you?  Does all the Macintosh information

  make you want to puke?  Then maybe you should check out NewtNews-Savvy.

  For $20 you get 40 issues of just lean and mean Newton/PDA/Wireless

  information directly to your inbox of choice.  Send an email message

  with the subject containing 'NewtNews-Savvy' to <newtnews@pobox.com>

  and you'll get a sample issue and an order form.  Thanks for reading!

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Dear Newton Developer

---------------------



** INTRODUCTION & INCENTIVE **



This area is dedicated to trying to solve NewtNews readers programming

needs, and in turn hopefully lead to the creation of a legitimate Newton

shareware solution for the developer solving the problem.  If a developer

solves such a problem, NewtNews will give them a 50% price reduction for

any advertising service they order for that product in our Products and

Services area.  If you have a utility you need written, please let

NewtNews know by sending an email to: <newtnews@pobox.com>.



** EMATE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE SITE?!? **



Rob McNeely <rmcneely@onramp.net> is looking for a comprehensive WWW list

of currently available educational software for the Apple eMate.



** NEW DATE UTILITY THAT MANAGES ARCHIVES **



Olivier Ozoux <o_ozoux@beachnet.com> is looking for a new Date solution that

would enable him to archive some of his dates, appointments, etc. ... out of

the built-in Dates soup, but still let him do searches on the old data.  For

instance, search of date items that happened in the Summer of 1996.





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

   This space for rent.  For more info: <newtnews@pobox.com>.  Thanks.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





Other Tidbits of Information

----------------------------



** FORBES @ 80 YEARS **



There is a short Newton mention in a graphic that illustrates 'examples'

of Moore's Law on page 175 of Forbes published on 07Jul97.  The blurb

mentions the release of the Apple Newton handheld computer in 1993, and

includes a small picture.



The Newton gets another plug on page 252 in an article by Philip Ross in

an article entitled "Refining the term user-friendly."   The article

includes a picture of the MessagePad 2000.  Srikumar Rao also has an

interesting handheld article called "Robocop" on page 190 of Forbes

published on 07Jul97.  The article includes a big picture of two Texas

State Troopers holding a Symbol Technologies' PPT 4600 handheld slate

device.



This issue also had some interesting "forward looking "articles on:



    - Home Automation: "Your bath is drawn ..." by

      Eric Nee, page 202

    - Data Storage: "Putting Mount Everest into an

      anthill" by Mark Halper, page 208

    - Interface: "Format Wars" by Julie Pitta, page

      262



Ads of interest -- HP has an ad for their Windows CE HP320LX on pages

18-19; Toshiba has an ad for their Libretto 50CT on pages 346-347,



** EXCELLENT AGENT REFERENCE UPDATED **



Timothy Finin <finin@cs.umbc.edu> has posted another excellent edition of

his UMBC AgentNews newsletter, volume 2, number 6 on 22Jun97 to the

following URL: <http://www.cs.umbc.edu/agentnews/2/06/>.





Advertising Notes

-----------------



If you are interested in advertising in NewtNews please send email to:

<newtnews@pobox.com>.  NewtNews is freeware because of the advertisers

that support this effort, and we appreciate their support.



When you purchase products from NewtNews vendors please mention that you

heard about their product in NewtNews.





Product and Service Information

-------------------------------



* STAND ALONE offers a variety of Newton applications for Newton 2.0:

   - PACKAGE POPUP: instant access to all your packages, launch

      with a tap, automatically thaw and re-freeze. $15.

   - SECURE-A-NEWT: Password protect folders in your NotePad, Names,

      and Extras Drawer. Protect your info from prying eyes. $20.

   - KEYMAN: Adds function keys, a multi-function calculator, and a

      new keyboard designed for one-fingered typing. $20.

   - NOTEMAN: Instant access to the NotePad from any package. $10.

   - BACKGAMMON: The classic board game, brought to Newton. $20.

   - SUPER SORTER: Fast, Usable list management, featuring fully

      expandable and customizable list creation and editing. $20

For information about any of these or other Stand Alone products,

contact us at: <info@standalone.com>, or (312) 262-5150. Also check

out our Web site at: <http://www.standalone.com/newton>.



* Tim Constantine has several cutting edge Newton solutions: Flash - A

Speed Reading Tutor; CrazyDice - Multi-player Strategy Game, and Clean

Notes - Stationary w/o Lines.  For more info: <timconstan@kagi.com> or

<http://www.kagi.com/timconstan>.  Tim is also available for custom

Newton application development.  Send Tim email if you have a question

about custom application development or about his cutting edge solutions.



* NEW! 9th Volume of the Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM for Newton! This

CD-ROM from AMUG CD, Inc. contains over 1450 packages, 618 megs, and a

Newt 2000 only area. Works on Mac or PC. 2.x & 1.x Packages can be

downloaded directly from the CD to your MessagePad. Maximize your

Newton experience! ONLY $29 + S/H. Call AMUG 602.497-2244, or email

<sales@amug.org> to order! AMUG CD web page at <http://cdrom.amug.org/>.



* BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY PACKAGES FROM PELICANWARE

   All packages for Newton 2.0 OS - Upgrades also available.

 - QUICKFIGURE PRO 3.0: Spreadsheet application  $59.95

 - NEWTCASE 3.0: The Ultimate Utility Suite  $49.95

 - NOTION 1.5: High Performance List Manager  $59.95

 - AVAILWORKS 2.0: Text, spreadsheets, drawing, and graphing $79.95.

All from PELICANWARE.  For more details email: <info@pelicanware.com>,

vox: 503-221-1148, fax: 503-221-8709, or <http://www.pelicanware.com>.



* CATAMOUNT SOFTWARE offers the following:

   - POCKETMONEY assists you in balancing your checking, savings,

       credit card and loan accounts. Export and import transactions

       to Quicken, MYM and other desktop based program.

   - NAMIGATOR gives rapid access to Names. I know, I have over 5000.

   - MPG helps you keep your vehicle records in order. Track fuel

       economy, record mileage for tax purposes, schedule repeating

       vehicle maintenance items for multiple vehicles.

   - MORGAN is the Newton Media ORGANizer. Track CDs, tapes, records

       books, laserdiscs, videos, and more...

For more information call 802-372-9512, email <products@catamount.com>, or

visit our web site <http://www.catamount.com>.



* NEW BILLS TO PAY PRO 3.5.5 Rated 5 out of 5 by Gecko Magazine! Now

available in German! For NOS 2.0. Includes support for stationery,

enhanced overview, and new printing options! Easily track bills and

expenses; create budget projections; and set alarms to remind you of

bills. Send bill info to Pocket Quicken or Pocket Money. $39.95+S&H MAR

Software at: <info@marsoftware.com> or <http://www.marsoftware.com>.



* GET AMIGO NOW! Did you know you can order AMIGO the premier 8000+ word

English/Spanish Dictionary Reference Tool and Translation program for the

Newton over the World Wide Web at: <http://www.1stopsoft.com>?  AMIGO is

available for US$24.95 and it comes with a full year of upgrades. For

more information contact ACCSYS by email at: <rkaplan@well.com>



* GPS MAP and GPS MAP LITE -- GPS based navigation with real moving maps,

showing all details as familiar from paper based maps.  Features -- map

calculator, route planning, database, history track, and mission

recorder.  Import your own maps from your Mac or PC at any scale.

Connects to most GPS receiver's offering a NMEA183 interface.  For more

info/demo: <http://www.soaring.de/gps/GPS_Map.html> or <gerds@micronet.de>.



* Newt Development Environment: develop object-oriented applications in

NewtonScript on the Newton (shareware: $49.50; tools, examples, support).

* Newt's Cape: create Newton books with text, graphics, tables, links,

and forms from HTML (via web browsing or Notepad) (shareware: $38.50;

tools, examples, support). For details, software, and registration info:

<http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer/newton/releases.html> or <weyer@netaxs.com>



* INFORMED FILLER FOR NEWTON is your mobile data collection solution for

Inspection forms, Health Care forms ... in fact, for any forms you use!

Design custom forms on your Macintosh with Informed Designer.  Then, fill

out your forms on the Newton quickly and accurately using automatic

defaults, choice lists, calculations and signatures.  Finally, send

completed forms directly to Informed Filler on your desktop for further

processing.  Now when you buy Informed Designer, you'll also get Informed

Filler for the desktop AND a BONUS Newton Filler.  For more details about

this exciting offer, contact Shana Corp. at: (800) 386-7244, email at:

<info@shana.com> or visit our Web site at: <http://www.shana.com>.



* SOLUTIONS FROM LANDWARE. All work in the Newton 2.0 OS.

  - PROCALC EX: Programmable calc. w/ SAN & RPN, includes: proCALC 12c.

  - QUICKNAMES PRO: Rapid access to names and much more.

  - X-PORT: The 2.0 connection utility. Send/receive notes, contacts...

  - KWIKMENU: the Newton dashboard, includes GestureLaunch Lite.

  - NEWTPAINT: "MacPaint" on your Newton, w/zoom-in and screen shot.

  - SYNC+: Dates to Schedule+ 1.0 or 7.0

LandWare, 201-347-0031, <sales@landware.com>, <http://www.landware.com>



* Frustrated by the amount of time required to input long notes?  Looking

for a faster method?  GESTURE MOSAIC is a hybrid keyboard/recognition

system which enables the rapid (30-40+wpm) pen-based entry of text.  Now

updated for OS2.0, you can use it to quickly input text anywhere in your

Newton. FREEWARE versions are available at: <http://www.amtelcom.com/Mosaic>

For more information contact: <amtelmit@aol.com> or call: 800-696-6724.



* ChessPad 2.0 turns the Newton into a digital chess book and a portable

chess set. It contains 28 fully-annotated games played by the greatest

players of all time, 100 brilliant winning combinations by Morphy, Tal,

Fischer, and Kasparov, and 100 chess problems.  ChessPad can also import

games in Portable Game Notation format. Only $39.95. Clear Lake Research

713.663.7513 <DavidL62@aol.com> <http://members.aol.com/clrsch/chesspad.html>



* THE HANDHELD COMPUTER ALMANAC -- The definitive guide to handheld

products and services, from organizers to ruggedized systems. 150 pages,

600 companies, 1300 products and services in 50+ categories, with more

than 300 Newton products. Only $24.95 + S&H from Creative Digital

Publishing Inc. 30-day money-back guarantee. email: <hhca@cdpubs.com>,

URL: <http://www.cdpubs.com>, voice: 415.621.4252, fax: 415.621.4922



* NEW SCOREPAD 3.0.1 -- Golf scorekeeping package for Newton 2.0. Easily

keeps scores and statistics - analyze and graph the results. Figure your

unofficial handicap. Automatically calculates nassaus and skins. Keep

notes about each round and course.  Available for US$50 from Software

Unboxed <http://www.unboxed.com> or directly from Sun Sabre (513.459.9330)

with 10% by mentioning NewtNews. <http:members.aol.com/sunsabre/ScorePad.html>



* MoreInfo 4.1 - This integrated contact manager seamlessly integrates

the built-in Names, Dates, Calls and Notes applications.  This latest

version adds even more useful features to this already essential product.

MP2K savvy. Voted Best Newton Software for 1997 - mobilis Magazine

Reader's Choice Award. From SilverWARE at $69.95+S&H.  For demos check

out: <http://www.silverware.com> - <info@silverware.com> - 508.521.5262





Edupage, 29Jun97 thru 06Jul97

-----------------------------



** ONLINE NEWSPAPER ALLIANCE **



The 125-newspaper New Century Network alliance is unveiling its NewsWorks

Web site <http://www.newsworks.com>, which will contain features from

individual newspapers, as well as an overview of national news stories

assembled from various publications.  The New Century Network includes

Advance Publications, Cox Newspapers, Gannett, Hearst Corp.,

Knight-Ridder, the New York Times Co., Times-Mirror, Tribune Co. and the

Washington Post Co. (Broadcasting & Cable 23 Jun 97)

<http://www.broadcastingcable.com>



** POWER COMPUTING TO OFFER WINTEL MACHINES **



Power Computing, the biggest cloner of Apple Macintosh computers, says it

plans to begin selling machines based on the Microsoft Windows/Intel

microprocessor "Wintel" standard sometime in the second half of this

year. "The way you win is by volume, and they would never get serious

profitability on the Mac side because the volume is not there," says an

industry consultant.  (Wall Street Journal 1 Jul 97) <http://www.wsj.com>



** DIGITAL WATERMARKS EMBEDDED IN PLAYMATES **



In an attempt to put a stop to Net piracy, Playboy magazine is going to

begin placing invisible digital "watermarks" in the images it posts on

the Internet.  The magazine will use watermark technology developed by

Digimark Corporation in Portland, Oregon.  The digital watermark is a

pattern of pixels concealed in an image and coded with information about

the image's owner and any copyright restrictions placed on its use.

Playboy will also be using Digimark's Markspider, which crawls the Net

looking for images that contain its watermark.  A Playboy executive says,

"The worm is very appealing. We try to see who's doing what, where and

when to our stuff." (New York Times 30 Jun 97)  <http://www.nytimes.com>



** THE UNLINKING OF THE WEB? **



Some companies are concerned about the Web's ability to link any two

sites together, regardless of whether both parties agree to it or not.

The recent lawsuits involving Ticketmaster vs. Microsoft, and six media

companies vs. TotalNEWS.com are just the beginning, say some lawyers, who

predict "link licenses" will become more commonplace in the near future.

"Links establish a connection between two businesses, and people really

want to be able to control that," says an intellectual property attorney.

"A lot of our clients get upset with pornography sites linking to them --

they don't want that kind of connection."  Meanwhile, a federal court's

ruling two weeks ago, on First Amendment grounds, that a Georgia law

forbidding use by a Web site of another company's trademark or symbol

could be challenged appears to add some protection to the right to link.

"That isn't to say you can't have some extensions of existing copyright

and trademark protections to the Internet," says an ACLU lawyer, "but

it's a very different matter altogether to say that people can't

reference your site, which is what a link is." (Wall Street Journal 2 Jul

97)



** OLD PCs PROVIDE "A TRAIL OF INTELLECTUAL BREADCRUMBS" **



With computers averaging only a three- to five-year life cycle before

becoming obsolete, there are plenty of old PCs cluttering up closets and

garages, but many people find it emotionally wrenching to part with their

outdated machines:  "The reason you can't throw it away like an old shoe

box is precisely because you've established a prior relationship with

it," says an anthropologist at Xerox Corp.  Part of the problem is the

rapid pace of technological advancement:  "My theory is that these folks

are so giddy with the pace of change that they keep this junk around as a

trail of intellectual breadcrumbs, leading them back to their computing

origins," says futurist Paul Saffo.  Meanwhile, computer critic Clifford

Stoll recycles his machines into other useful household objects -- his

one-piece Macintosh Plus is doing double duty as an aquarium, and the

shell of an old IBM PC is now used as a cat litter box.  (Wall Street

Journal 2 Jul 97)



** NEW HANDWRITING RECOGNITION SOFTWARE FOR THE USPS **



Sargur Srihari, director of the Center of Excellence for Document

Analysis and Recognition at the State University of New York at Buffalo,

has developed handwriting-recognition software that goes way beyond the

personal digital assistants' programs capable of "learning" one specific

person's penmanship eccentricities.  PDA software could never handle the

job that Shihari is tackling - deciphering handwritten (sometimes

scrawled) addresses on mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service.  Rather

than examining one letter at a time, Srihari's Automated Postal System

software looks at the overall shape of the word it's trying to "read."

The program also uses other information in the address to decode

illegible words;  for instance, by looking at the zip code, it determines

what street names might be possibly formed from, say, the first three or

four letters in a word. With a 60% success rate, the Automated Postal

System saved the USPS $5 million last year in a one-month, 34-site test.

Once the technology is widely deployed, USPS officials expect to save at

least $50 million a year. (Discover Jul 97)



** ON THE INTERNET, NO ONE KNOWS THAT SPAM COMES IN CANS **



To Internet users, "spamming" means wholesale distribution of junk

e-mail, but to the  Hormel Foods Corporation, Spam is a scrumptious and

nutritious pressed meat that they sell in a can.  So Hormel has demanded

that junk e-mail distributor Cyber Promotions Inc. stop using the name

Spam and also stop using a picture of a can of Span on its Internet site.

"We want them to recognize that Spam has been a widely known Hormel Foods

trademark for 60 years and they are not authorized to use that trademark

for their commercial use."  (USA Today 3 Jun 97)





$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  Don't forget to check out the freeware-monthly-Acrobat-savvy-version of

  NewtNews called NewtNews Pro: <http://members.aol.com/nnpro/newton.html>.

  Newton evangelists are "empowered" to download this file and print

  several dozen copies for distribution to company cafeterias, user groups,

  dentist offices, local computer stores, libraries, etc. ... Just do it!

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$



$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$

  NEED A NEWTON PROGRAMMER? NewtNews has a list of over 48 Internet based

  Newton programmers who are interested in working on vertical or

  horizontal market solutions.  Please send email to: <newtnews@pobox.com>

  if you would like the list or would like to be added to the list.

$-----------$------------$------------$------------$-----------$-----------$





INNOVATION, 30Jun97

-------------------



** TRENDS: IS THE WRITING ON THE WALL FOR THE BOOK INDUSTRY? **



There are optimists who will tell you that in spite of (or even because

of!) the success of electronic and visual media, people are now reading

more than ever before -- but the pessimists worry that the book industry

is about to decline.  One signal that the decline has begun is the

decision by venerable publishing company HarperCollins to cut more than

100 books that were being readied for publication.  The company's chief

executive says, "In all honesty, I don't want to publish books that we

won't get behind and publish well."  What books *will* they "get behind"?

 Authors whose reputation or celebrity status can generate the kind of

publicity that sells books.  A dejected author charges:  "It's about

selling Michael Jackson biographies and advertising things.  It's more in

line with selling cigarettes."  And, in fact, HarperCollins recently

opened a Los Angeles office for liaison to the entertainment industry.

The relentless "packaging" of  books as entertainment products may not

kill off the book industry, but it appears to be forcing it to receive a

heart transplant.  (Doreen Carvajal, "HarperCollins Cancels Books In

Unusual Step for Industry," The New York Times 27 Jun 97)

<http://www.nytimes.com>



** STRATEGIES: COMMUNICATION RULE #1 -GET TO THE POINT. RULE #2. STOP **



German publisher Hubert Burda says that publications will be successful

in the future only to the extent that they can adapt to the

"post-Gutenberg mind of the new consumers of complex content."  Whereas

text and print encourage you to be analytical, multimedia (combining

text, image, and motion) enables "the joining of both the zones of

analysis and synthesis." And so the development of multimedia represents

not just an extension of the written word, but a reinvention of it.  It's

truly a paradigm shift, so ignore it at your peril.  As the younger

generation gets older, "very few will want to imbibe with their morning

coffee the mountains of text as they are commonly presented today in

newspapers and magazines."  They will want all that information boiled

down and made interesting and comprehensible. "This approach is easier

for the reader, but much harder for the editors, who may have to work for

two or three days to get through the voluminous material so they have the

necessary knowledge to bring it down to essentials."    At NewsScan, we

think Herr Burda has hit the nail on the head.  (New Perspectives

Quarterly Spring 97)



** INNOVATIONS: FACE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE **



"FaceIt" software developed by Visionics, based in New Jersey, uses a

neural-based pattern-recognition technology that can extract local

features unique to each face to eliminate the need for passwords or PINs.

 The Visionics software differs in approach from other face-recognition

software, which tries to force facial features to fit into a

one-size-fits-all categorization scheme.  "We believe our approach, based

on local features, will prove to be superior, because we are relatively

immune to the vagaries of lighting, pose, expression, camera angle and

hairstyle," says the company's CEO, who's also head of the Computational

Neuroscience Lab at Rockefeller University.  The FaceIt system currently

is being used in Malaysia, where it encodes the features in airline

passengers' faces as they check in and records them on a smart card in

their boarding passes.  Later, as they board the plane, the facial

features on the boarding pass are compared with the real-time features

extracted a second time by the software.  If the two don't match up, the

pass-holder can't board. (TechWire 26 Jun 97)

<http://www.techweb.com/wire/>



** MORE INFO ON INNOVATION **



Innovation is published weekly, with individual subscriptions available

at $15 a year. Topics are organized under the following headers: TRENDS,

STRATEGIES, and INNOVATIONS.  For a six-week free trial subscription to

Innovation, please send an email message to

<innovation-trial@newsscan.com> and in the subject line type the word:

'subscribe'.  You can also use the trial registration form on their Web

site at: <http://www.newsscan.com>.  For more info, send email to:

<gehl@newsscan.com> or <douglas@newsscan.com>





Administrivia

-------------



NewtNews Copyright 1994-97 Steve Holden.  All rights reserved.

Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full

credit is given.  Others please contact me.  NewtNews doesn't guarantee

accuracy of articles.  NewtNews does not express or imply any

endorsement of any businesses participating in this publication.  My

personal comments may be included in articles NewtNews reports by

highlighting them as -- [SDH: Comments].  Official NewtNews Editor's

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 NEWTON CLASSIFIEDS: <http://pobox.com/~bnet/newton>



This edition of NewtNews was written with the help of: the movie "Men In

Black" (pretty good - made me laugh a lot); Fourth of July celebrations

(one 10K fun run; two parties; and a whole day of babysitting our niece

Hayley); and a day at the Del Mar Fair which had a concert featuring the

'still very talented' Monkees.



Disclaimer:  I am doing this on my own time, and on my own hardware

***********  and software not the government's or my employer's.