NewtNews-161-09Dec97

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



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

newsletter focusing on Newton Technologies and related topics.

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

the Administrivia at end for details and FAQ info.  NewtNews Web site

is hosted at: <http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/>.



This issue of NewtNews is sponsored in part by:



 + THE CEO - Ambidextrous, slim black leather play through case, 14 card

   pockets, adjustable closure & more $59.95 <http://www.marsoftware.com>



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

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



 + PowerTrans 3.2 - Multilingual Customizable Translator and Mobile

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



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

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



 + Brain Wash from Concept Kitchen wipes your screen clean --

   <http://www.conceptkitchen.com/htdocs1/products2.html#brain>



 + Sticky Newts 2.0 lets you jot notes, get organized, or just doodle.

   From Concept Kitchen: <http://www.conceptkitchen.com>, 415-252-3333



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

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



 + GERMAN QUALITY by Rindle & Partner GmbH maker of the Isaac's

   application suite:  <http://www.rindle.de/Horizontal.US.html>



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

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



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

   <http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/RidgeNet/RidgeNet.html>





Table of Contents

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



 1. Table of Contents

 2. Top News

 3. Comments from the Editor

 4. New and Updated Newton Information

 5. New and Updated Newton Technology

 6. Handheld Mentions in 'The Media'

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

 8. Dear Newton Developer

 9. Other Handheld Technology News

10. Other Tidbits of Information

11. Advertising Notes

12. Product and Service Information

13. Edupage, 01Dec97 thru 07Dec97

14. INNOVATION, 01Dec97

15. Administrivia





Top News

--------



** SOME NEWTON DEALS **



Cyberian Outpost is offering readers of NetBITS a price of US$939.95 on

the new MessagePad 2100.  For more info, call: 860.927.2050 x9228 or

check out: <http://www.netbits.net/nbp/message-pad-2100.html>.



Alfred <saulo1@rocketmail.com> has announced a new XMAS blowout price of

US$24.95 (plus $5 for S&H) for his Newt-A-Tote case for the Apple

MessagePad 2000 and 2100.   You can check out pictures and learn more

about ordering via: <http://www.netcom.com/~saulo1.newt.htm>.



Steve Weintraut <zacware@earthlink.net> reports that Zacware has

announced two Newton holiday specials -- 1.) Zachary's Wheel can be

purchased online for US$19.95; and 2.) if you buy QuoteMaker Pro you'll

get a copy of Zachary's Wheel for free.  This offer is valid from

01-30Dec97.  For more information: <http://home.earthlink.net/~zacware>.



The Concept Kitchen's Dec97 PDA Newsletter notes a 'special discount' on

their 'PDA Starter Kit' for Newton (also available for PalmPilot and

Windows CE devices).  If you use coupon code "X897yeti8", you get Concept

Kitchen's bundle that includes: WriteRight Screen Enhancements, Karma

Cloth, Brain Wash, and the Desktop Stylus -- for US$59.95.  For more

information check out: <http://www.conceptkitchen.com> or call:

415.252.3333 or fax: 415.252.3323.



** MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR PALMPILOT **



DeLorme <http://www.delorme.com> new Fall/Winter 1997-1998 catalog is

out.  There are a host of mapping and GPS solutions now available that are

PalmPilot savvy including: Street Atlas USA, Tripmate, Map'nGo, and Phone

Search USA.  You can get more info about pricing and availability by

calling: 800.254.5081.



** HANDWRITING SOLUTION FOR WINDOWS CE SHIPPING **



Silicon Graphics' <http://www.sgi.com> Internet technology company,

ParaGraph PI Technology <http://www.paragraph.com>, is now shipping

CalliGrapher 5.0 for Windows CE.  This product is "an accurate

handwriting recognition and spell checking solution" that costs under

US$50.



** GENERAL MAGIC HAS VERTICAL MARKET DEVICE IN THE WORKS **



General Magic <http://www.genmagic.com> has 'launched' a new vertical

market device called DataRover 840 that is ideal for the healthcare,

utilities, and transportation marketplaces. The DataRover 840 is powered

by a RISC processor running the new Magic Cap 3.1 OS. The unit is

expected to -- cost under US$1000, ship in Q1'98, come in a clamshell

design, and include an integrated keyboard.





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

  The Next Generation of 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 a pack of 12 for $27.95.  For more info:

  415-252-333 <Info@ConceptKitchen.com> <http://www.ConceptKitchen.com>

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



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

  NewtCase 3.1 - The Ultimate Newton Utility Suite. Designed for Newton

  2.x. Get system info, freeze/thaw packages or sets to increase heap,

  customize backdrop & button bar, and more. Includes: Package Manager,

  Extensions Manager, NewtInfo, SleepAid, GestureLaunch, BarKeep, Desktop,

  and SoupKitchen. From PelicanWare at $49.95+S&H (Upgrades $25+S&H). More

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

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





Comments from the Editor

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



** CORRECTION REGARDING RPNCALC LITE **



Joel Siegel <siegeljd@earthlink.net> reports that Paul Dorweiler's

RPNcalc Lite has been pulled from the site referenced in the last

NewtNews because of "previous contractual obligations" with Paul's

primary employer.



** DEVELOPER WANTS FEEDBACK FOR NEW NEWTON SOLUTION **



Laurent Daudelin <nemesys@dc.net> is interesting in writing a "grocery

shopping application" for the Newton, and would like some feedback from

potentially interested users.



** EMATE UPGRADE WOES?!? **



RJ <randing@netcom.ca> is curious if other folks have experienced any

problems related to the eMate System Update recently posted to the

Internet.



** NEWTON DEVELOPERS RECEIVE KUDOS **



Martin Latterich <latteric@san.rr.com> recently reported receiving some

great technical support from WyndMail in regards to some configuration

problems.



John Shigeoka <Shigs@worldnet.att.net> reports great success using: 1.)

the new FITALY keyboard <http://www.twsolutions.com>; and 2.) Stand Alone

Software's <http://www.standalone.com> Works Better enhancement to the

Apple's NewtWorks (built-in word processor for Newton OS 2.1 devices).



Dimitri Pateras <dkp@iqp-media.com> reports receiving excellent technical

support for True North's Out Of Pocket <http://www.northisup.com> from

'JB' at True North.





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

  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/>

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



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

  DON'T TOUCH THAT SCREEN --

  until you protect it with The BARRIER Screen Protector!

    *  Clearly Superior Protection

    *  Chemical, Abrasion and Thermal resistant

    *  Given 9 out of 10 by Newton 2000 Underground

  For more info: <http://www.roadrunnertracks.com> or call: 760-431-5483.

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





New and Updated Newton Information

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



** NEWTON DEVELOPER HAS TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS **



Sun Sabre Software <sunsabre@one.net> has two pieces of new news -- 1.)

they have a new phone number: 513.899.4710; and 2.) they have released a

ScorePad v3.1.1.  You can learn more about ScorePad (golf game play

tracker) via: <http://members.aol.com/sunsabre/ScorePad.html>, and you

can purchase ScorePad online at: <http://www.unboxed.com>.



** AMUG'S FTP SITE FOR NEWTNEWS GETS CHANGED **



Michael Bean <bean@amug.org> notes that the AMUG FTP site for NewtNews

text and Newton Book versions has been changed to:

<ftp://ftp.amug.org/pub/newton/info/newtnews>



** PSEUDO QUICKTIME ALREADY AVAILABLE FOR THE NEWTON **



Dean Siracusa <CarShooter@aol.com> suggests NewtNews readers check out

Lee Mone's beta application <http://members.aol.com/LeeMoon/> that

converts QuickTime movies to a Newton compatible package.



** MSNUG MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY **



Michigan State Newton Users Group <http://www.msu.edu/~luckie/msnug.htm>

will be meeting on Tuesday, 09Dec97, at 7 p.m.  The location will be

Beaner's Coffeehouse, 270 W. Grand River, East Lansing, Michigan.



** NEWTONTALK NEARS 1000 SUBSCRIBERS **



Sean O'Shaughnessey <seanos@earthlink.net> reports that NewtonTalk

<http://www.esosoft.com/seano/newtontalk.htm>, the email discussion list

of all things relating to the Newton, has well over 900 subscribers now.



** NEWTON SOFTWARE DIGEST UPDATE **



Ian Robinson <ian@stormont.compulink.co.uk> reports the updating of the

Newton Software Digest page on 01Dec97 with:



    5 Minute Clinical Consult, Account Info 09, Aloha

    2.4, Backgammon 2.11, Bandwidth Calc, Book Of

    Pirates, Buttonbar Plus 2.0, Cigarbox 1.1.1,

    Corporate Connection, Dateman 3.17, Farallon

    Product Selector , Formit, Gecko 12-97, Holidays

    1998, Home Page Info 02, Hypernewt 2.1, Inkspot

    1.04r2, Insurance Info 02, Jupiter's Moons 1.0,

    King James Bible, LunaSuite Pro 2.1Bc259EN, Mail

    On The Run, Motile, N-Project Pro, Newtnews 157,

    Newtnews 158, Newtnews 159, Newton Press 1.1

    Updater, Newton Fitaly Keyboard, Nhtml Beta 5,

    Order Form Pro, Paperboy 1.12, Passkeep 1.27d,

    PkgPopper, Powertrans 3.2, Pt100 9.98, QuoteMaker

    Pro 2.4, Startbar 1.08, System Update 2.1, The

    Scarlet Letter, Timelock 4.01, TimeTrax 0.951b,

    Trackit 2.0, Unimail 1.01e, Works Better 1.25 and

    Xmas 97



For more info: <http://www.compulink.co.uk/~stormont/newton/weekly.htm>.



** "THIS OLD HOUSE" & "VICTORY GARDEN" USE NEWTON TO SAVE MONEY **



Hardy Macia <hardy@catamount.com> notes that if you are looking to

capture timecodes during video production electronically you should check

out Production Magic's ShotLogger solution for the Newton.  For your

information check out: <http://www.productionmagic.com/> or email:

<info@productionmagic.com>.  The two TV shows notes above in the title

use ShotLogger, and report substantial time/cost savings.



** DEVELOPER DEPOT HAS HANDHELD STUFF **



Developer Depot <http://www.devdepot.com> (805.494.9797 or 800.MACDEV-1)

has the following products of potential interest now available:



    - CodeWarrior for PalmPilot (US$369)

    - NS Basic 3.6 for Newton with Visual Designer

      (US$99)

    - Pilot Attache Disk 1 (US$29.95)

    - Programming For The Newton Using Macintosh, 2nd

      Edition (US$31.45)

    - Wireless For The Newton (US$31.45)



** EVANGELIST NEWTON MENTIONS **



Guy Kawasaki's Evangelist email listserver had a couple of Newton blurbs

recently including:



    - Toad Hollow Software's Holidays98:

      <http://www.pobox.com/~toadhollow/>

    - Nomadic Technologies' N*Project:

      <http://www.NomadicT.com>

    - PDA Concepts's Hand Stand price drop to US$79.95

      from US$89.95: <http://www.pda-concepts.com>

    - Textware Solutions' FITALY One-Finger Keyboard:

      <http://www.twsolutions.com/newton/newtfitaly.htm>

    - Tactile Motile! for Newton 2.0:

      <http://www.tactile.com/motile.html>

    - Century Software's ClockWork 1.0 for Mac OS and

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

    - Enfour's UniMail 1.01: <http://www.enfour.com/us/>

    - German 'Tips & Tricks' for the Newton:

      <http://rzaix340.rz.uni-leipzig.de/~pge94abz>



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

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





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

$ 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

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



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

   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>.

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





New and Updated Newton Technology

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



** FREEWARE CURRENCY TOOL KEEPS YOUR EXCHANGE RATES FRESH **



Riverland Research <http://www.riv.be/> is now shipping a freeware

'Currency Updater' tool that will keep your Newton exchange rates soup

up-to-date with the latest available information using data distributed

on Olsen and Associates <http://www.oanda.com>.  For more information

check out: <http://www.meta-labs.com/newton/currency_download.html> or

send email to: <info@meta-labs.com>.



** ADDING HOLIDAY EVENTS TO YOUR DATES **



Leo Won <leowon@radicaltech.com> notes that Radical Technology Limited

has released the freeware Newton pkg called "97-98 Hong Kong Holiday for

Newton" via: <http://home.hkstar.com/~hknug>.



** POPULAR NEWSGROUP READER GETS BUG FIX UPDATE **



Dejavu Software <dejavu@martnet.com> has released Ink Spot 1.06 (a

shareware offline USENET newsgroup reader for the Newton) via the

following URL: <http://www.martnet.com/~dejavu/Ink>.



** INTERNET SUITE OF TOOLS GETS NEW BETA **



Lunatech Research <http://newton.lunatech.com/> announced on 04Dec97 the

posting of LunaSuite Preview 2.1Bc278 -- their modular collection of

tools that enable email, WWW browsing, FTP, and GSM-SMS services on the

Newton.  The release notes and pointers to the download area can be found

via: <http://newton.lunatech.com/Download/2.1Bc278_release_notes.html>.



** LEATHER C.E.O. CASE NOW SHIPPING **



MAR Software is now shipping their black leather C.E.O case for the

MessagePad 2000/2100.  The case includes 13 compartments, and can be

adjusted to secure your MessagePad to your own personal needs.  The case

retails for just under US$60 and you can check out pictures and get more

information on ordering via: <http://www.marsoftware.com>.



** FORMS TOOL GETS NEW VERSION **



CHS Systems <http://www.webleap.com/> is now shipping version 2.1 of

FormIt for Newton/Macintosh. This solution is 'ideal' for building forms

for your Newton, to collect information on your Newton, and then upload

the information up to a Macintosh desktop system.



** KEYBOARD UTILITY RELEASED FOR FREE **



Travel Concept Solutions, <http://www.travel-cs.com> has released

PowerTrans Keyboards 1.1 for the Newton for free.  PowerTrans Keyboards

1.1 is a keyboard driver collection that brings 18 national keyboard

layouts to a Newton.



** OTHER RECENTLY UPDATED NEWTON PRODUCTS **



    - Advanced Mobile <http://www.taxpro1040.com/>

    - Enroute Internet 1.4.2 <http://www.netstrat.com>





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

   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>.

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



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

             A N N O U N C I N G   L E X I D R U G S - 97          +-------+

  K2 Consultants, Inc. has just announced the latest version of    | A R T |

  Drug Information Handbook with 5000 drugs and improved interface.+-------+

  Check out www.skyscape.com/k2 for all medical and non-medical    |  b y  |

  titles such as 5 Min. Clin Consult, Ferri's book for internists  |  K 2  |

  Archimedes Intelligent Calculator, Current Clinical Strategies   +-------+

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





Handheld Mentions in 'The Media'

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



** PICTURE OF EMATE IN SAN DIEGO NEWSPAPER **



The San Diego Union-Tribune <http://www.union-tribune.com> published on

Sunday, 30Nov97 had a picture of a student using an eMate 300 in the

'City & County' news section on page B1. The student, Jianyne Figueroa,

was using the eMate in her creative writing class in Coronado High

School. The article was written by Angela Lau and entitled "Point of

contention in Coronado."



** NEWTON SHOWN ON CHICAGO TV NEWS PROGRAM **



Scott Hickenbottom <sjhick@idir.net> caught a Newton sighting on the TV

show covering the Chicago Tribune Online WWW site. Scott writes -- "The

piece discussed the move by major newspapers to get online and how this

move was related to lost revenues from advertising and classified ads.

The show covered the team that handles the Tribune Online site in a

meeting, and there was a guy writing notes on what looked like an

MessagePad 2000."



** MP2000/2100 MENTION IN MAJOR ASIAN NEWSPAPER **



South China Morning Post published a Newton specific blurb entitled

"MessagePad 2100 brings more memory" on 02Dec97. According to the

article, Apple Asia is now shipping the MP2100 and the MP2000 in the

region.



** MORE INFO ABOUT ALLPEN -- VERY INTERESTING COMPANY **



Austin American-Statesman published an extremely interesting piece

entitled "AllPen Software's founders reach across two generations --

Father and son built AllPen Software" on 01Dec97.



** PEN COMPUTING - DEC'97 - IS NOW AVAILABLE **



Pen Computing <http://www.pencomputing.com> Dec97 edition is now out.

This issue is filled with a ton of good handheld information. On the

cover is a host of Windows CE 2.0 devices, the MP2100, the new Java savvy

Telxon PTC-1124, and the Dauphin Orasis.  Definitely a must read.



** HOLIDAY GADGET MENTIONS ARE EVERYWHERE **



The San Francisco Examiner examined the following handheld technologies

in a 'Holiday Electronics' article entitled "Itsy-bits Gizmo makers find

a pocket of opportunity" published on 28Nov97: Franklin Electronic

Publishers' REX; 3Com's PalmPilot; Toshiba's Libretto 70CT; Sharp's LC1 &

LC2 digital cameras; and Epson PhotoPC 550 (also a digital camera).



The Kansas City Star published an article entitled "High tech for the

holidays Gizmos and gadgets that amaze and delight make great gift ideas"

on 30Nov97. Several handheld devices were mentioned including: REX, the

new Cross I-Pen (401-333-1200), and the Sharp Mobilon.



The nationwide Sunday insert magazine called "Parade" (30Nov97) is filled

with pointers to James Bond (aka 007) like gadgets. The main story is

entitled "Plug In '98 -- The low-stress guide to high tech", and some

products highlighted include: 3Com PalmPilot, Philips Velo 1, REX,

CardScan Plus 300, Ricoh RDC-2 digital camera, SkyTel 2-Way pager, and

the Libretto 50CT.



The Men's Journal Buyer's Guide 1998 examined a host of 'big boy toys' --

including the following technology devices that might be of potential

interest: Hitachi MP-EG1A MPEG Camera; Seiko MessageWatch; Minolta Dimage

V (digital camera); Philips Velo 1; Toshiba Libretto 50CT; and the Apple

Macintosh PowerBook 2400c.



Other articles with the same focus were noticed in:



    - Investor's Business Daily, "Computers &

      Technology Hand-Held Device Makers Try To Grasp

      Opportunity", 01Dec97

    - Hartford Courant, "HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR THAT

      COMPUTER OWNER ON YOUR LIST", 01Dec97

    - Consumer Electronics, "HANDHELD PCs CHALLENGE

      NOTEBOOKS", 01Dec97

    - ComputorEdge, "Worldwide News & Product

      Reviews", 28Nov97, by Charles Carr

      <reviews@computoredge.com>



** INTEL MAKES PLANS TO SUPPORT WINDOWS CE **



Tom Davey noted in an article entitled "Intel Plans 'Lean Client' Spec"

that support for Windows CE was outlined in the document.  The article

published via Information Week Daily also noted that such devices

conforming to the spec could ship by the end of Q2'98 at a price point

around US$500.



** HELPFUL 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>

    - Network Computing: <http://www.networkcomputing.com>





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

  INTRODUCING WebXpress - Have web pages like The Wall Street Journal, CNN

  Interactive, The NY Times and other popular info sources ready and

  waiting for you each & every morning with WebXpress! With WebXpress

  your Newton can retrieve  and store sports news, weather reports,

  technology updates, medical news, stock reports, you name it! WebXpress,

  delivers the Web to you - $34.95 - Free demo at: <http://www.pentekk.com>

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



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

  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>

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





NewtNews Tips and Tricks You Can Use On Your Newton

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



** NO NONSENSE NUGGETS OF NEWTON KNOW HOW **



By Roger Coleman <roger@rogercoleman.demon.co.uk>



If you have similar tidbits for this column, please drop me a line!

<roger@rogercoleman.demon.co.uk>.  Please include details of the Newton

model and OS that you are using.



** EXPERIMENTING WITH ASSIST **



I have spent this morning playing with the 'Assist' feature on my MP120

and I have discovered a couple of great things it can do. This is not a

Newton feature I have really explored very much, but these tips may give

you some ideas. If anyone has any other exciting ideas for this feature,

drop me a line!



** USING ASSIST **



Firstly, you don't have to highlight the text that you want Assist to

help you with - tapping the 'Assist' icon just after writing something is

all you need to do.



** TIMEZONES **



It's in the manual, but I didn't realize that Assist can read the phrase

'time in sydney', and will open the Timezones extra with Sydney

highlighted, showing the current time. Using Assist to open Timezones in

this way is much quicker than waiting for the extras draw.



** RECENT ASSISTS **



Just tapping the Assist icon without previously writing anything brings

up a blank Assist slip. If you tap the diamond beside 'Please', you see a

list that includes the last few things you asked Assist to do. This makes

it really easy to repeat common requests.



** ASSIST AND EXPAND **



The 'Expand' feature in the Newton [OS2] dictionary can be used with

Assist for even neater tricks - try this:



    1. Teach your Newton dictionary to expand 'tis' to

       'time in sydney'.

    2. Now all you have to do is write 'tis' and the

       Newton will expand this to 'time in sydney'.

    3. Tap 'Assist' and you will get the time in

       Sydney! Fantastic!



** ASSIST, EXPAND AND EMATE **



Presumably eMate users will be able to use the assist key to make

expanding keyboard shortcuts that could do the above in four keypresses.

I'm guessing here because I've never used an eMate, but if you've got

one, give it a try!



** TIPS WANTED **



Please send me any tips, hints, goodies, interesting or

ingenious ideas for future issues of this column to Roger Coleman

<roger@rogercoleman.demon.co.uk>. Thanks!





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

  New! The Hand Stand. Use your Newton like a mini lap-top computer! You've

  got the fastest PDA available, with full keyboard integration. If only

  you could carry and use both whenever and wherever you needed. The real

  solution is finally here! It's the first case ever to have a built in

  multi-angle stand plus carries virtually everything you need in a compact

  case only 12x6x3.5 inches! View it now at: <http://www.pda-concepts.com>

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



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

  GERMAN QUALITY: Isaac's Dates - !the! Newton Dates extension.

  Graphic display of your important scheduling information at a glance.



  YOU'VE GOT TO TRY IT. CHECK IT OUT & EXPERIENCE. WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING



  Stay tuned for more info: <http://www.rindle.de/Horizontal.US.html>

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





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>.



** KEYBOARD ENHANCEMENT FOR NOTEPAD NEEDED **



Bob Groothuis <snotolf@wxs.nl> is looking for a Newton keyboard extension

to the NotePad that would let him scroll to the left or right depending

on what is visible.



** OWNER AND SITE MANAGER NEEDED **



Larry Chen <lchen@socrates.berkeley.edu> is looking for an Owner and Site

management tool for access multiple email accounts via multiple connection

scripts through different network access points.



** SOMEONE WANTS REX TO NEWTON CONNECTIVITY VERY BAD **



Dean Siracusa <CarShooter@aol.com> would like to find a developer

interested in building a Newton to/from REX product.  Dean is will to

work with the developer on getting access to a REX device including the

necessary SDK's to get this request off the ground.



** DEVELOPER WANTS TO OFFER REMOTE BACK-UPS. ANYONE INTERESTED?!? **



Kenneth Wong <kenneth@cybpage.com> is interested in pursuing a new

service for very mobile Newton users that would let you backup an

entire 'soup' via modems to a secure server available on the Internet.

If this sound like something you would use, or you have some insight

one making this effort successful, then please send Kenneth email.



** NAMES UTILITY WANTED **



Anne Le Maistre <71222.2706@compuserve.com> is looking for a Names

utility that will let you jump into overview mode when you are in a

single card view, and you tap on one of the letters at the top of the

screen. [EDITOR: This request must be for devices pre-MP2000, because

on my unit Names already does this.]





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

  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)

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



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

  Widget Software Canada - Your Handheld Computer Experts! Let Lloyd Wasser

  and his staff provide your organization with the best in Newton, Psion,

  Windows CE & PIlot consulting, one-on-one or group training and product

  recommendation and support.  You can "try before you buy". ++ Used and

  new Newton (and other) hardware and accessories also available ++ Contact

  Widget Canada today at: 416-449-2331 Email: <Widgetcan@aol.com>

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





Other Handheld Technology News

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



[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>.]



** PALMPILOT **



Lotus <http://www.lotus.com/calendar> is now shipping their PalmPilot

savvy versions of EasySync for Lotus Notes, and EasySync for Lotus

Organizer.



More details on what Symbol plans for their ruggedized PalmPilot are

starting to materialize. The unit should ship in Q2'98; cost under US$500

for the base model; a wireless model will be available for under US$1000;

and there will be options for adding a bar-code scanner. [John Spooner,

PC Week, "Symbol Plans to Ruggedize PalmPilot, 27Oct97, page 45]



3COM <http://www.3Com.com> is showing off a host of their key

technologies -- including the PalmPilot -- at the Bank Administration

Institute's (BAI) Retail Delivery '97 Conference being held 02-05Dec. 2-5

in New Orleans.



Information Week <http://www.informationweek.com> published two handheld

related articles back in their 27Oct97 edition -- "PalmPilot Steps Out:

Vendors plan industry specific versions" by Tom Davey; and "Handheld

Solutions: Machines from HP, Palm, Psion tested" by Alyson Behr.



Deskfree Computing <http://www.deskfree.com/> has announced 'Deskfree

Recycle' -- a memory defragmentation utility for PalmPilot.



Water Lou <cwlou@news.hk.super.net> has announced the availability of

Chinese OS 1.2 for PalmPilot via: <http://www.hk.super.net/~cwlou.>.



Martin Wilber <mwilber@mcs.com> is now shipping Dates! 1.50 (beta) for

PalmPlot.  Some new options: enhanced day/week views, and new navigation

buttons.  Check it out at: <http://www.mcs.net/~mwilber>.



Bookcraft is now publishing a collection of LDS writing for the PalmPilot

using 'InfoBases PocketLibrary.'



Flash Sheridan <flash@pobox.com> notes the next meeting of the Stanford

Pilot User Group (SPUG) will be held on 06Jan97 at 7 p.m.  The location

will be at: Printer's Inc Bookstore Cafe, 310 California Ave, Palo Alto,

California.  There will be demos fro Smartcode Software's HandWeb, and

Hands High Software's ThoughtMill.  For more information check out:

<http://pobox.com/~spug/>.



Some PalmPilot links & articles of potential interest:



    - Fractions! v1.0:

      <http://www3.gamewood.net/mew3/pilot/FraCalc/>

    - Pickled Pilot Newsletter: <http://www.pickled.com/>

    - PIP 1.12: <http://www.ingeninc.com>

    - WorldFAQ (Beta): <http://www.cdpubs.com)

    - TikTok v1.06: <http://www.acemake.com/hagbard/>

    - DeFragger v0.97 (beta): <http://www.trgnet.com>

    - TRG 3-MB SuperPilot:

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

    - The Palmtop Network's Commlink Retractable Phone

      Cables: <http://www.palmtop.net/pilotcomm.html>



** WINDOWS CE **



LG Electronics has set-up a new WWW site for their Windows CE 2.0 device

called Phenom <http://www.lgphenom.com>.



Communication Intelligence Corporation <http://www.cic.com> (CIC) has

announced that Compaq will bundle CIC's QuickNotes with Windows CE 2.0

savvy C-Series PC Companion devices when they ship.  To learn more about

Compaq's Windows CE 2.0 devices check out:

<http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/index.html>



Jim Cricket <sourcecode@geocities.com> has released version 0.95a of

IrcCE (a freeware IRC client) for Windows CE via:

<http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/9987>.



Some Windows CE links & articles of potential interest:



    - Portable Add-ons: <http://www.portable.co.uk>

    - Ilium Software's Keep Track:

      <http://www.iliumsoft.com/keeptrk.htm>



** PSION **



Psion Software <http://www.software.psion.com> has confirmed that they

have developed 'handwriting recognition technology' (called Allegro

<http://www.papassoc.com> ) for the EPOC32 software platform. The

solution will be used in Psion Series 5 and Geofox's Geofox-1 devices.



Geofox <http://www.geofox.com/> has dropped the price of their 4-MB

Geofox-One device (very Psion savvy) from US$590 to US$499, and their

16-MB version is now US$599 instead of US$760.



Some Psion links & articles of potential interest:



    - Psion PC Card Modem:

      <http://www.psion.com/products/scpccard.html>

    - Psitris (S5 Tetris game):

      <http://fatcatz.base.org>

    - FaxIt (Siena): <WalterWright@cis.com>



** OTHER DEVICES **



Consumer Electronics reports that Nintendo has sold over 6.94 million

Pocket Monster games for the next generation of GameBoy devices in Japan.



Ziff-Davis is now shipping a new comprehensive magazine dedicated to

digital electronics called Equip <http://www.zdequip.com>.



James Derk <jderk@evansville.net> has a REX mention in an article

entitled "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING LAPTOP, AND OTHER WONDERS" in the

Commercial Appeal Memphis published on 02Dec97.





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

  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.

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



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

  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.

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





Other Tidbits of Information

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



** WIRELESS & MOBILE **



The InfoWorld <http://www.infoworld.com> Test Center had a major analysis

article entitled "Wireless internetworking: Tired of being Wired" that

started on page 90 of InfoWorld published on 03Nov97. The article looked

at: infrared laser, microwave, and spread-spectrum solutions.



Wired has an article about "WIRELESS LAN VENDORS TALK STANDARDS"

available at:

<http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/other/technology/story/8888.html>.



Kristina Sullivan <kristina_sullivan@zd.com> has an article entitled

"Standards Watch: Wireless LANs -- IEEE's 802.11 is still competing with

proprietary solutions for implementation in new products" on page 136 of

PC Week <http://www.pcweek.com> published on 01Dec97.



The City of Pittsburgh Police Department has awarded Paradigm4

<http://www.paradigm4.com> a US$1 million contract "to equip its police

force with wireless technology that will provide immediate access to

critical information on the streets."



ActionTec <http://www.actiontec.com> is now shipping CompactFlash modules

in the following sizes 4-MB, 8-MB, 16-MB, 24-MB and 32-MB. The modules

will work in ActionTec's Shuttle Bay PC card adapter.



Wireless Data News published an interesting article on 26Nov97 entitled

"Geoworks Broadens International Exposure On Two Fronts". The article

goes into indepth analysis on some of the recently announced Geoworks

cooperation agreements with companies like: NEC, Toshiba, NNT DoCoMo,

Access Co Ltd, and Telecom Finland.



Communications Today published on 04Dec97 reports that Orbital Sciences

has announced the merger of Ashtech with Orbital's Magellan Systems. The

merger will create a $125 million satellite products company that will

focus on GPS wireless services and solutions.



** APPLE - MACINTOSH - RHAPSODY **



Apple <http://www.apple.com> is now shipping WebObjects 3.5, and then

have a 'Developer Release' of QuickTime 3.0

<http://www.quicktime.apple.com/preview/> for Macintosh and Windows also

available. There is also a version 1.3 of "Inside Macintosh: Open

Transport <http://devworld.apple.com/techinfo/techdocs/mac/mac.html>"

document in PDF format also recently posted.



You can find the NeTProfessional's Mac Internet Product Directory

<http://www.NeTProLive.com/> online. They plan to 'print' and

'distribute' some 50,000 copies for MacWorld Expo/SF in Jan98.



White Pine Software <http://www.wpine.com> is now shipping CU-SeeMe v3.1

<http://www.cuseeme.com> (H.323 compliant video teleconferencing

software) for Macintosh and Windows95/NT.



Lari Software <http://www.larisoftware.com> is now shipping a QuickTime

3.0 savvy graphics product called 'LightningDraw for the Web.'



** MISCELLANEOUS INFO **



TimesTen Performance Software <http://www.timesten.com> has announced

that James Groff (a former senior vice president of Apple who was at one

time overseeing the Newton System Group) has joined TimesTen as its CEO

on 03Nov97.



Riven fans take note -- Starting on 12Dec97, an auction will be held by

NonprofitAuction.com <http://www.npauction.com/riven> to benefit Oxfam

America <http://www.oxfamamerica.org>. The stuff available for purchase

will be exclusively 'RIVEN: THE SEQUEL TO MYST' related merchandise,

including many one of the kind items. [Information from InterActive

Agency <http://www.iagency.com>]



Business Wire published on 05Dec97 reports that Applied Technology has

provided start-up financing for E Ink Corporation, a company that will

commercialize discoveries made by Professor Joe Jacobson and a team of

researchers at the MIT Media Lab.  These 'discoveries' are related to

patients held regarding 'electronic ink'.





Advertising Notes

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



Steve Weyer, AMUG, and MAR Software have updated their ad spaces below.



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

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



* 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>



* NEW SCOREPAD 3.1 -- 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>



* 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>.



* NEW! 10th Volume of the Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM for Newton! This

CD-ROM from AMUG CD, Inc. contains over 1450 packages, 600 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 or better OS - Upgrades also available.

 - QUICKFIGURE PRO 3.1: Spreadsheet application  $59.95

 - NEWTCASE 3.1: The Ultimate Utility Suite   $49.95

 - NOTION 1.5: High Performance List Manager  $59.95

 - AVAILWORKS 3.0: 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>.



* Bricks is FAST -- Bricks, a classic ball and paddle game that utilizes

  the speed of your Newton OS 2.1.  What's fast? (20 frames per second!)

* HexPaint, plus Paint Transfer (Mac conductivity) gray scale paint

  application for Newton OS 2.1, filters include invert, rotate and flip.

  German version of HexPaint also available.

Demos available at <http://www.hexdump.com>. 30-day money back guarantee!



* 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.



* 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>.



* COOL NEWTON STUFF from MAR Software:

   + THE EXECUTIVE NEWTON STAND Mahogany/Maple $49.95+S&H.

   + BILLS TO PAY PRO 3.5.6 Budgeting/finance tool $39.95+S&H

   + THE CEO Black leather play through case 14 pockets $59.95+S&H

   + THE NEWTSUIT Black neoprene slipcase $29.95+S&H

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



* Organized yet???  Now it's time for something fun!

We've got Super Newtris, xWordBuddy, Sea Hunt, MineField II, Scramble,

Solito Deluxe and World Conquest to provide you with hours of fun.

Tactile Systems is your source for inexpensive Newton Entertainment

Titles Free demos available: <http://rainbow.rmi.net/~rbruce/tactile/>

email: <info@tactile.com> or call: <303.841.1114> for more info



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

forms from HTML (via web browsing, Notes, Newtworks) (shareware: $35.00)

* Newt Development Environment: develop object-oriented applications in

NewtonScript on the Newton (shareware: $45.00). * Crypto: puzzles.

*Sloup: data/text transfer.  For details, software, and registration info:

<http://members.bellatlantic.net/~sweyer/newton/index.htm> <weyer@kagi.com>





Edupage, 01Dec97 thru 07Dec97

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



** MOTOROLA'S TWO-WAY PAGER **



Motorola has begun retail sales of a pager that looks like a tiny,

three-and-a-half-inch-wide laptop and operates on Skytel's two-way paging

system to send as well as receive e-mail or acknowledge receipt of a page

for guaranteed messaging.  The pager costs $330-360 and Skywriter

services cost $24.95 a month for 6,000 characters and $48 a month for

20,000 characters.  (New York Times Cybertimes 2 Dec 97)



** CLIK DRIVE FROM IOMEGA **



Iomega, maker of the popular removable storage Zip drive, has unveiled a

petite portable disk drive called Clik that's small enough to fit in a

shirt pocket.  Its diskette -- about half the size of a credit card --

stores 40 megabytes of data.  The device is designed to work with a

variety of hand-held gadgets, from palm-top computers to digital cameras.

 (Investor's Business Daily 2 Dec 97)



** RISING TECH SALARIES CAUSE RESENTMENT AMONG NON-TECH WORKERS **



One side effect of the increasing shortage of qualified high-tech workers

is a sharp rise in salaries for technical jobs, which is causing morale

problems among non-technical staffers working side-by-side who are

beginning to see the pay scales diverge.  "Salaries are escalating really

quickly," says one technical director.  "Sometimes, it's difficult for

human-resources people to comprehend how fast that is happening."  The

increase in salaries is also making it harder to pitch technology

projects to top management, says another information technology director:

 "Management always reads about technology costs going down.  But now

costs are going up, and it's hard for them to digest this."  (Wall Street

Journal 1 Dec 97)



** COMPUTER SECURITY ISSUES **



WinMagic Chief Executive Chau Thi Nguyen-Huu warns that the secrets of

banks, government agencies and other institutions and individuals who

have used certain popular encryption software may not be so safe after

all, and says he has observed security flaws related specifically to the

two most popular data encryption software:  Symantec's For Your Eyes

Only, and Data Security's SecurPC.  Symantec officials acknowledged the

bug, and a fix to the problem can be ordered from the company's Web site

for delivery within five to seven days.  Data Security spoke with

Nguyen-Huu, but said further tests will have to be  conducted to

determine whether a bug exists. (Toronto Globe & Mail 4 Dec 97)



** PROGRAM DETECTS SOFTWARE PLAGIARISM **



An associate professor of computer science at the University of

California at Berkeley has developed a software program that can identify

plagiarism in computer programming coursework.  The "Measure of Software

Similarity" program compares lines of code in students' assignments and

flags those that contain similar code.  The software's creator hopes his

product will become a deterrence factor for students who are tempted to

cheat:  "There are places that find 10% of their students cheating.

That's a lot more common than you'd like it to be."

<http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~aiken/moss.html> (Chronicle of Higher

Education 5 Dec 97)



** SPEEDING UP LEARNING CAN CAUSE "TECHNOSTRESS" **



"TechnoStress" authors Michelle Weil and Larry Rosen say that the

tendency of businesses to offer technology training via short, immersive

workshops is usually not the best way to teach a technical skill.  Rosen

maintains that learning technology is a different process than learning

many other kinds of things:  "You must have time to explore and play.

You learn it in much the same way a 2-year-old learns things -- through

repetition and asking a lot of questions.  The goal of training programs

is to get employees to say, 'Aha!  Now I get it.'  ... Think back to the

seventh grade and what it was like learning geometry.  The concepts might

not have been easy.  But if you'd ask the teacher to display the concept

visually, for example, you had a better chance of getting it."

(Investor's Business Daily 8 Dec 97)



** COMPANIES COUNT ON QUICK PAYOFFS WITH E-COMMERCE **



A new study by CMP Research and Sage Research predicts that electronic

commerce among large and mid-size companies will grow more than 50% in

the next year, with 64% of the current and future users anticipating

recouping their investments within a year.  Only about 18% expect to lose

money in their electronic ventures.  (Information Week 1 Dec 97)





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

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

  give you a headache?  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!

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



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

  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/>

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





INNOVATION, 01Dec97

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



** TRENDS: AUTOMATION IN THE EXECUTIVE SUITE **



Increasingly sophisticated "electronic performance support systems"

(EPSS) are dramatically decreasing the amount of training, knowledge and

skills needed to perform many white-collar jobs, leading to the prospect

there will be shrinkage of the wage premiums paid by employers for

educational credentials and even for work experience.  The systems, which

are especially good at eliminating the need for workers who have mastered

arcane details and procedures, are now used to diagnose car troubles,

prepare intricate car-leasing documents, plan complicated travel

itineraries, and even handle performance auditing. With help from EPSS,

many people with no experience at all are able to perform as well as

people with 18 or more months of training.  How far will this trend go --

and, specifically, how high up the organizational ladder?  One EPSS

executive boasts:  "Among high-level people, a common misperception is

that they think that whatever they do is so creative or involved that it

can't possibly be put in a computer when in fact it usually can."

(Phillip J. Longman, "The Janitor Stole My Job," US News & World Report

26 Nov 97)



** STRATEGIES: A PLATFORM PRODUCT IS NOT A ONE-TRICK PONY **



A common problem with next-generation products (also called "platform

products" because they are intended to inspire and support a whole new

line of products based on or derived from their designs) is that they

expose greater markets than they themselves cover.  Therefore, you need

to make plans to fill those holes with derivative products at the very

same time you are defining the platform product that will fill the gaps.

"Companies that don't make such plans hand rich opportunities to their

competitors, who may even dislodge them from the very markets that they

have created."  The trick is to regard a new-platform product not as an

isolated event but as part of an ongoing process, because overall market

success "depends not only on a company's development of new-platform

products but also on its ability to create the derivative products that

can insulate its share of the market from competitors' incursions."  And

a good way to pull off this trick is to create a fully-staffed

derivatives team at the outset to develop a comprehensive plan for

reaching the target markets rapidly.  (Behman Tabrizi & Rick Walleigh,

"Defining Next-Generation Products," Harvard Business Review Nov/Dec 97)



** INNOVATIONS: TECHNOLOGY FOR DISABLED MOVIEGOERS DEBUTED **



Two new technologies for moviegoers with hearing or visual impairments

debuted last week at the General Cinema Theatre in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Developed by the WGBH Foundation with a grant from the Department of

Education, the technologies provide private subtitles or a narrative

description of what's happening on the big screen. The Rear Window system

uses a light-emitting diode display mounted on the rear wall of the

theater to reflect subtitles onto acrylic panels, which can be attached

to any seat in the movie house.  Meanwhile, the DVS Theatrical System

provides a description of the on-screen action, settings and scene

changes, using infrared or FM listening devices.  The systems operate in

unison, via a CD-ROM player and special reader that hook into the film

projector.  The hardware costs about $15,000 to equip each theater, and

the software adds about $12,000 to the cost of making each film.  (Los

Angeles Times 24 Nov 97) <http://www.latimes.com/>



** 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 comments are

highlighted as -- [Editor: Comments].  Publication, product, and company

names may be registered trademarks of their companies.  All trademarks

used in NewtNews are for informational purposes only and to the benefit

of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringing on that trademark.



Send contributions and comments to Steve Holden, Editor and Publisher

at: <newtnews@pobox.com>.  Other important NewtNews players include:



    - Reviews Editor: Bob Torres <btorres@io.com>

    - Newton Book: Mark Heringer <HeringerMR@pobox.com>

    - FTP site & email list admin: Bob Torres <btorres@io.com>



      SUBSCRIPTIONS: email <newt_news-request@lists.io.com> with

                     "subscribe" as the body of your message

                     (no quotes)

        UNSUBSCRIBE: email <newt_news-request@lists.io.com> with

                     "unsubscribe"  as the body of your message

                     (no quotes)

                WWW: <http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/>

                FTP: <ftp://ftp.io.com/pub/usr/btorres/NewtNews>

                     <ftp://members.aol.com/NewtNews1>

                     <ftp://ftp.amug.org/pub/newton/info/newtnews>

                     <ftp://ftp.scamedia.com.au/pub/newtnews/>

   NEWTON REFERENCE: <http://www.panix.com/~clay/newton/>

 NEWTON CLASSIFIEDS: <http://pobox.com/~bnet/newton>



THIS EDITION OF NEWTNEWS WAS WRITTEN WITH THE HELP OF: celebrating Dick

Six's Sixty-Six B-Day on Friday with a home cooked meal, a jug of San

Diego Brewing Company's Nut Brown, and a concert with the Boston Pops

Esplanade Orchestra at SDSU's new Cox Arena; transforming the house into

a Christmas Wonderland; and the Charger vs. Atlanta football game.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and

most do." -- Dale Carnegie



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 DISCLAIMER:  I am doing this on my own time & with my own equipment.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *