NewtNews-162-16Dec97

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



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:



 + 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>



 + 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>



 + THE EXECUTIVE - An elegant stand of contemporary design, available in

   mahogany & clear maple finishes $49.95 <http://www.marsoftware.com>



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

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





Table of Contents

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



 1. Top News

 2. Comments from the Editor

 3. New and Updated Newton Information

 4. New and Updated Newton Technology

 5. Handheld Mentions in 'The Media'

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

 7. Dear Newton Developer

 8. Other Handheld Technology News

 9. Other Tidbits of Information

10. Advertising Notes

11. Product and Service Information

12. Edupage, 08Dec97 thru 14Dec97

13. INNOVATION, 08Dec97

14. Administrivia





Top News

--------



** COMPLETE NEWTON BRIEFING SOLUTION NOW AVAILABLE **



Don Vollum <donv@pelicanware.com> has announced PelicanWare's PointPro

1.0 <http://www.pelicanware.com/> -- a Newton savvy color presentation

package that works in conjunction with a PC Card video adapter to display

briefings on a VGA monitor or TV.  PointPro will work on the MP2000,

MP2100, and the eMate 300.  The retail price of the package will be

US$79.95, and for a limited time there is a PointPro bundle with EZShow

Systems' VGA/TV savvy PC Card display adapter available for US$299.



** HYPERCARD LIKE NEWTON SOLUTION RELEASED **



George Henne <gh@nsbasic.com> reports the release of NS BASIC's NewtCard

1.0 <http://www.nsbasic.com> -- a US$99 multi-media authoring system for

Newton devices. This product uses:



    "The familiar concepts of stacks, cards and

     backgrounds, users can create projects with

     pictures, drawings, sounds and text. Fields can be

     set up to collect data, and buttons can be added

     to navigate through the stack. In addition,

     functionality can be added almost anywhere with

     scripts written in the easy to use BASIC

     programming language.



You can find screen snapshots at about NewtCard posted to:

<http://nsbasic.com/info/newtcard/screenshots/>.



** NEWTON AT MACWORLD SF 1998, PART 1 **



The conference will be 06-09Jan98 in San Francisco, California.



Check out Newton Underground <http://www.newton-underground.com/> for

details about a planned Newton user get together.



Power Media and Newton Source have plans to team up for a booth.



Intergraph Computer Systems <http://www.intergraph.com> will be showing

off their ExtremeZ Graphics Workstation at booth #1417.



Metrowerks <http://www.metrowerks.com> will be in Developer Central

(Booth #3080).



PelicanWare will be demoing their software at Pen Computing's booth.



[EDITOR: If you know of Newton related MacWorld news please let me know.]



** WINDOWS CE 2.0 UPGRADE NEWS **



NEC <http://www.necnow.com> is selling their NEC Mobile Pro 450 Handheld

PC (running Windows CE 1.1) for US$199 (#M4500) via: 888-8-NEC-NOW.  The

Windows CE 2.0 upgrade for this unit (and the 400 device) is US$99

(#M4505).  But reportedly when you call the upgrade number, sales people

are not recommending the upgrade to MobilePro 400 owners because it will

slow down this unit by "40%".



LG Electronics has announced that their current Phenom devices running

Windows CE 1.0 will be upgraded to Windows CE 2.0, but they have not

announced when, how much, or how the upgrade will be implemented.



** PRESS SAY MICROSOFT'S GRYPHON WILL KILL PALMPILOT **



PC World has posted "MICROSOFT GRYPHON PDA TO COMPETE WITH PALMPILOT"

<http://www.pcworld.com/cgi-bin/news?ID=971210083356>.  And InfoWorld has

their take about Microsoft's Gryphon via this URL:

<http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?971212.wgryphon.htm>



PC Watch <http://www.pcwatch.com> reported on 10Dec97:



    Microsoft plans to release new "Gryphon" PDA

    technology next month at the Consumer Electronics

    Show in Las Vegas. The company hopes the new

    technology will unseat 3Com's PalmPilot, but

    analysts said that was unlikely, given the fact

    3Com now holds 66% of the market and has enormous

    developer support.





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  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>

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  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.

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Comments from the Editor

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



** THERE ARE NO EXPLODING NEWTONS **



There is another crummy post floating across the USENET newsgroup

comp.sys.newton.misc entitled "Newton EXPLOSION Stories".  The story is

completely untrue and made up.  This post is most likely the work of the

'troll' who started the false rumor that Apple had sold the Newton to

3Com that NewtNews debunked a couple of weeks ago.  Expect similar posts

in the future.  You have to take USENET newsgroups with a huge grain of a

salt.



** MORE ON THE NEWTNEWS DAILY NEWS PAGE **



The NewtNews Daily News Page (beta) continues to be refined using many of

your suggestions.  You can check out the new version by choosing the

Prototype #2 option on the new Comments page that has been created at:

<http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/NN_comments.html>. Your opinions

are appreciated: <newtnews@pobox.com>.



** EXCELLENT RESOURCE NEEDS KUDOS **



In the Internet world, having an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for a

USENET newsgroup is one of the best things possible.  Robert Sexton

<robert@kudra.com> deserves tremendous credit for publishing the

comp.sys.newton.misc FAQ.  The current version is v2.8 (25Nov97), and you

can find the English version at: <http://www.kudra.com/newton/newton-faq>

& the Japanese version at:

<http://www.cyborg.or.jp/~iinuma/html/NewtonFAQ-J.html>.





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  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/>

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  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.

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New and Updated Newton Information

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



** WIN EMATES FOR YOUR SCHOOL **



International Schools CyberFair 98 <http://www.gsn.org/cf> wants schools

to register for this project by 28Feb98.  By simply entering your school

you can win prices such as Apple eMates and Cisco Web servers.



** DO YOU USE SCHEDULE+ WITH YOUR NEWTON?!? **



If you need to sync your Newton with Schedule+ using the Newton

Connection Utility you might want to track down an article posted to

USENET newsgroup comp.sys.newton.announce written by Kenneth Wong

<kenneth@cybpage.com> and entitled "Getting NCU to work... SUCCESS!".



** NEW JAPANESE PROGRAMMING BOOK **



Apple Developer News <http://devworld.apple.com> published on 12Dec97

(Issue 86) reports "A New Book for Japanese-Speaking Newton Developers by

Yosuke 'Basuke' Suzuki".  You can learn more via:

<http://www.ohmsha.co.jp/data/books/contents/4-274-06224-4.htm>.



** POINTER TO NEWTON HOTLINE SERVER **



Hotline users [EDITOR: Still a Mac only client?!?] can chat and download

Newton software by using the Newton Intelligence Hotline Server

(207.245.14.170 - orion.syr.edu).  You can learn more about Newton

Intelligence via: <http://www.rinzai.com/ni/>.



** NEWTON INFO SITES ON THE WWW **



Larry Rank <aku-aku@teleport.com> thinks his "The Art of Newton" site is

worth a browse: <http://www.teleport.com/~aku-aku/TheArtofNewton.html>.



Rob Isaac <rob@terabyte.co.nz> thinks that Peter's Newton site is also

worth a look at: <http://www.jlist.com/peter/newtonrev.html>.



There is also new 'central place on the WWW for rabid Newton fans'!  The

site is called Planet Newton <http://www.planetnewton.com> and it will

focus on: daily news, downloads, feature articles, discussion forms, and

a knowledge repository.



** HOW FAST CAN YOU TRANSFER DATA?!? **



Jim Bailey <jdb@shore.net> started an interesting thread on the USENET

newsgroup comp.sys.newton.programmer entitled "Ethernet driver for

Newton".  Included in the discussion was a great deal of MP2100 and eMate

300 file/transfer timings.  Check out HotBot <http://www.hotbot.com> to

track down the thread if you are interested.



** POWERMEDIA WILL NOW SELL AT LEAST THREE TITLES FROM SCRAWL **



Scrawl Software <http://www.scrawlsoft.com> has announced that PowerMedia

<http://www.powermedia.com> has been selected to commercially publish a

set of Scrawl's titles including Mahjongg, Chiral and PT100.  An FAQ about

the deal has been posted on the Scrawl WWW site.



** EVANGELIST NEWTON MENTIONS **



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

recently including:



    - Sine of the Times's passKeep [password

      management utility]: <http://www.sineware.com>

    - AMUG's Totally Incomplete PDA CD for Newton 10:

      <sales@amug.org>



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

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





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$ 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

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   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>.

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New and Updated Newton Technology

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



** HOST OF NEW STUFF FROM CATAMOUNT **



Catamount Software <http://www.catamount.com> has released the following

major updates: NoteScroller 5.0; TimeLock 4.01; and Aloha 2.4.  The

following products have also gotten minor updates: CigarBox 1.1.1, and

Silk 2.0.1.



** BUYING AN EMATE IN THE UK **



You can buy an eMate in the United Kingdom (UK) until 31Jan98 for UK$549

from Xemplar Education Ltd <http://www.xemplar.co.uk>.



** CASE NEWS **



Arnold Kim <arn@visi.net> has posted a "Real Quick Newton Case Page

<http://users.visi.net/~arn/newtoncase.html>".



S.M.A. Enterprises <saulo1@ix.netcom.com> has dropped the price of their

Newt-A-Tote case for the MessagePad 2000/2100 from US$32.95 to US$24.95.

You can check out pictures via: <http://pw1.netcom.com/~saulo1/newt.htm>.



** CHINESE NEWTON OS FINDS NEW HOME WITH ENFOUR **



Enfour <http://www.enfour.com/us/> and Comjet <http://www.cisc.com.tw>

have announced that Enfour will now be the developer of future versions

of Comjet's Newton OS Chinese solutions.  The companies plan to continue

to work closely on future projects including a new 'light' version.



** ENVELOPE PRINTING UTILITY **



MAR Software <http://www.marsoftware.com> is now shipping an envelope

printing utility for the Newton called Quick Envelopes.  Some key

features: support for most inkjet & laser printers, and three print

layouts.  The online price is US$19.95.  For more information call:

510.337.0231 or send email to: <info@marsoftware.com>.



** ANOTHER TO DO LIST UTILITY IN THE WORKS **



Adam Tow <atow@tow.com> reported on USENET newsgroup comp.sys.newton.misc

that he is working on a new To Do List utility called "NewtToDo".  You

can check out screenshots on the Foundation Systems WWW site at:

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



** OTHER RECENTLY UPDATED NEWTON PRODUCTS **



    - InterText:

      <http://www.etext.org/Zines/InterText>

    - SBM Utilities for Newton Beta 7:

      <http://members.aol.com/muellerho>

    - Ezshow2TV: <http://www.ezshow.com>

    - Sine of the Times' ShowMate 2 [TV

      Remote Control]: <http://www.sineware.com>

    - MyMenorah for Newton OS 2.x:

      <http://www.wco.com/~bernieb/2kindex.html>

    - Scrawl Software's PT100 v1.01:

      <http://www.scrawlsoft.com>

    - ClubPDA: <http://www.clubpda.com>





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   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>.

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             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   +-------+

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Handheld Mentions in 'The Media'

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



** NEWTON COVERED IN T3 XMAS PDA STORY **



The magazine T3 has had several Newton articles posted over the last

year, including a new Christmas 1997 edition that examines the 'best

PDAs."  The MessagePad 2000 get an 8/10 and the reviewers have the

following to say about the unit "Its also the most ambitious and

innovative of all the machines here".  You can learn more via:

<http://www.futurenet.com/techzone/T3/>.



** EMATE IN THE NEWS **



Mark <macdoc@geocities.com> notes that the Washington Post Magazine

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/m-wpmagazine.html> published

a positive eMate related article on 07Dec97 on page 28.



** NEWTON STILL ON A WORLD TRIP **



Christian Dreyer <cdreyer@magnet.ch> continues to keep NewtNews posted on

the Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition 'world travel' article

written by Joan Indiana Rigdon on a MessagePad 2000.  This weeks issue is

entitled "Pressing Noses, Pressing Issues Define Maori Way of Survival",

and can be found on the WWW at:

<http://interactive.wsj.com/edition/current/articles/SB881769866806011000.htm>.



** STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PDA **



Bob Lewis <robert.lewis@ps.net> at Perot Systems has a weekly "IS

Survival Guide" column published in InfoWorld <http://www.infoworld.com>.

This week's article (08Dec97) is entitled "Personal digital assistants

could sneak into the office and become the next PCs" on page 138.  Bob

notes that when the Newton first came out, he deployed 55 of them with

top executives customers. The 'experiment' (given that the unit was most

likely a MP100) was not successful, but in the article Bob outlines his

steps to making PDAs successful.



** BIG VISIBILITY HANDHELD DEVICE SIGHTINGS **



PC World has an article posted online entitled "EMPOWER YOUR PDA:New

software extends capabilities of Pilot, Psion, and Windows CE devices."

<http://www.pcworld.com/cgi-bin/news?ID=971209170126>



The Columbus Dispatch published a huge handheld specific article entitled

"SMALL BUSINESS IS TARGET OF NEW ELECTRONIC GADGETS" on 09Dec97. Some of

the products highlighted included: Franklin Electronic Publishers' REX;

3Com's PalmPilot; Mitsubishi's Pedion "ultra-thin laptop"; LG

Electronics' Phenom; Psion Series 5 palmtop; Cross Pens' iPen; Crosspad;

Hot Office <http://www.hotoffice.com>; Visionics' FaceIt; Sony's I/O

Software; Digital Persona's U.are.U fingerprint-recognition system;

Panasonic's <http://www.panasonic.com> 17-inch LCD monitors; and

Fieldwork's ruggedized laptops.



There are a ton of 'handheld' devices showcased in the latest The Sharper

Image 1997 Gift Catalog <http://www.sharperimage.com>. A couple of items

are worth a closer look: Seiko's Quicktionary (US$250); JVC's LCD Digital

Video Camcorder (US$2795); and Panasonic's PalmCam Digital Camera

(US$549). For more information call: 800.344.4444.



** PC WEEK HAS A BUNCH OF NEWS **



PC Week <http://www.pcweek.com> published on 08Dec97 has a host of

potentially interesting articles:



    - "3Com PalmPilot Gets Wireless Link for Email

      [using Nobelstar's Scout

      <http://www.et.noblestar.com>]" by John Spooner

    - "Databases Thin Down: Sybase

      <http://www.sybase.com> and Oracle

      <http://www.oracle.com> promising handheld access

      [via Windows CE first and PalmPilot second] to

      back-end corporate data" by John Spooner and John

      S. McCright

    - "New Technologies Enable Email by Phone: PC Week

      Labs examines messaging devices [AT&T's PocketNet

      device, Nokia's 9001 Communicator device, and

      Tegic Communications' T9 for Texas Instrument's

      Avigo device &amp; for 3Com's PalmPilot) that do

      without keyboards" by Matt Kramer

    - "PCS Gives Wireless a Boost: Digital cellular

      networks are bringing speed, lower costs to

      wireless nets" by Paul Korzeniowski

      <paulkorzen@aol.com>

    - Buyer's Guide -- "Have Your Pager Call My Pager:

      Devices gain several new capabilities, thanks to

      wireless messaging software" by Kristina B.

      Sullivan



** 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>





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  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>

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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>

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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.



** SOME HANDWRITING HINTS FROM MACWORLD **



Macworld's Mac Tip of the Day <http://www.tipworld.com> for 08Dec97 was

entitled "MessagePad Handwriting Hints". In summary: 1.) correct mistakes

immediately will improve accuracy; 2.) you can correct mistakes directly

over the mistake; 3.) copy and paste is fast; and 4.) place the pop-up

cursor where you want by just tapping.   And archive is available at:

<http://www.macworld.com/dailytips/>.



** NEWTWORKS SHORTCUT **



Hardy Macia <hardy@catamount.com> has found a NewtWorks keyboard shortcut

"cmd-opt-up/down arrow" that will move to the prev/next paper.



** KEYBOARD ENHANCEMENT FOR NOTEPAD **



Michael Tiernan <mtiernan@bbn.com> reports that if you are looking for a

scroll function in the NotePad, then you should try out SuperNotePad from

Stand Alone Software.



** 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!





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  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>

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  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>

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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>.



** WILL THE NEWTON SUPPORT IOMEGA'S CLICK! DISKS?!? **



Geoff Chan <geoffchan@hotmail.com> is curious if it will be possible to

use Iomega's new Clik! disks with Newton technology when Clik! becomes

available.



** WORLD ATLAS **



Drew Thoeni <drewt@pobox.com> would like a world atlas solution for the

Newton.  The world map should start off with a big world map and let you

drill down by tapping on continents, then countries, down to areas

covering about 500 x 500 miles with cities and major geographic features

(rivers, lakes, mountains, etc. ...).



** LANDWARE SITES TWO REASONS FOR NO NEWTON TO REX CONNECTION **



Clinton Logan <clinton@landware.com> replied to a request on USENET

newsgroup comp.sys.newton.misc for a Newton to/from REX tool with news

that Landware <http://www.landware.com> is interested in developing such

a product but two things are holding them up:



    1.) REX API: Currently 'unreleased'

        from Franklin

    2.) NEWTON LOW LEVEL DEVICE DRIVER

        STK: not widely available



** NEW LOCKING SERIAL CONNECTOR IN THE WORKS **



ABT Technologies continues to work on a new MP2x00 locking serial

connector.  Pricing will be in the under US$200 range, and will require

ABT to retro-fit your MessagePad.  More information via the WWW is

expected soon (including pictures).  Say tuned.





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  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 **



Ziff Davis University has announced plans to offer an online class on

programming for the 3Com PalmPilot

<http://www.zdu.com/zdu/catalog/opendetail3380.htm>.



Jerry and Jan Michaelson <smarttravel@worldnet.ATT.net> have a PalmPilot

friendly article entitled "The future in travel fits in your pockets"

published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on 08Dec97.



Small Doggy <http://www.smalldoggy.com> is now selling IBM's WorkPad

running PalmPilot OS for US$339.



Alexander Hinds <ahinds@hotmail.com> is now shipping BackupBuddy v1.3 for

the PalmPilot <http://intellisys.base.org>. This popular package now has

the ability to schedule backups at your choosing.



Ernie Rudolph <erudolph@trgnet.com> reports the release of DeFragger 1.0

for the PalmPilot <http://www.trgnet.com/pilotweb/pilot.html>. This

memory management tool is free for 3-MB SuperPilot memory board users,

and can be purchased by others at PilotGear HQ.



Chris Velly <chris@bettercase.com> has recently updated his WWW pages for

his new line of leather cases called BetterCase for PalmPilot

<http://www.bettercase.com>. The site includes pictures and

pricing/ordering information.



Russell Information Sciences has a new version of their Calendar Manager

v6.0 that runs on  Microsoft Exchange Server that enables PalmPilot

real-time scheduling connectivity.



If you'd like to learn more about PIP (Personal Installation Program)

v1.11 then you should try to track down a new post to USENET newsgroup

comp.sys.palmtops.pilot via HotBot: <http://www.hotbot.com>. The author

was Scott Grigsby <grigsby@hyperion.citizen1.com> and the article was

entitled "Review: PIP v1.11 (long)".



The newsletter TidBITS #409 published on 10Dec97 is dedicated to

"GiftBITS" and in the "Miscellaneous (But Cool!)" category is a PalmPilot

<http://www.palmpilot.com/> mention.  You can check the complete issue

via: <http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/TidBITS-409.html>.



Some PalmPilot links & articles of potential interest:



    - Pyramid Solitaire 1.2:

      <http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/~scubajl/ss/ss.html>

    - Jim's App Archive:

      <http://www.pcisys.com/~mccarthy/jim/apps/>

    - PageNOW! v1.0d2 for PalmPilot:

      <http://www.markspace.com/pagenow_pilot.html>

    - Days To Go! V1.0:

      <http://sailfish.exis.net/~haze/dtg.zip>

    - The Palmtops Page:

      <http://palmtops.miningco.com/mbody.htm

    - cbasPad 0.85 beta [Tiny Basic interpreter]

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



** WINDOWS CE **



ZDNET <http://www.zdnet.com> has as an new article available online

entitled "CE Gets Serious About Business

<http://www.zdnet.com/products/content/wins/0512/wins0053.html>". John

Schettino <schettino@writeme.com> provided the pointer and summarized the

article with: "The NEC MobilePro 700

<http://www.nec-computers.com/products/mobilepro/mpro700.html> is a $800

Windows CE 2.0 machine that is in the same size class as the eMate."



Dave Kramer <mworker@microsoft.com> notes a host of new info posted to

Microsoft's Windows CE Website at: <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/>.

You can learn more about: color HPCs; chat; tips; new games; upgrade

announcements; developer related news; and a new resource guide.



Casio's new Casiopeia Windows CE 2.0 device will be powered by a 80-MH

SH-3 RISC processor capable of 80-MIPS.



There is a new Windows CE resource WWW site called WinCE Lair

<http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7378/>.



Some Windows CE links & articles of potential interest:



    - TankZone: <http://www.sticky.net>

    - Advanced Recognition Technologies' (ART)

      smARTspeak SDK for Windows CE 2.0:

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



** PSION **



Marc de Oliveira <MHyO@novo.dk> is now shipping Invoice Manager 1.0 for

the Psion via: <http://www.deOliveira.dk/pythia>.



Psion <http://www.psion.com> is now shipping Message Express (SMS savvy

text messaging software) for their Psion 3c devices in the United

Kingdom.



Psion has announced that Kanri Kogaku Kenkyusho Co Ltd. is going to

develop a Japanese version of Psion's EPOC32 operating system.



Some Psion links & articles of potential interest:



    - Pyramid v1.01 (source available)

      <http://users.skynet.be/sky43948/pyramid.htm>

    - HomeBank Beta 1.0 (Series 5):

      <http://www.highfell.demon.co.uk/psion.htm>

    - SameGame 1.0:

      <http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~jnr95r/psion/samegame.html>:

    - Psitris: <http://fatcatz.base.org>

    - The Psioneer (newsletter):

      <http://www.praxcomm.com/psion.htm>

    - PSAROS v1.2 (Tide prediction Series 3a &amp; 3c)

      <http://www.r-court.demon.co.uk/>

    - Vector for Psion 3a/3c [CAD package]:

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

    - AGNMERGE v1.4.0 [Batch Agenda Merge Utility]:

      <http://www.kurzbyrn.demon.co.uk>

    - Galileo 1.0 [freeware astronomy program for

      Series 5]:

<http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/4202/psigal.html>

    - The Unofficial Psion Series 5 Email Digest (UPS5

      Digest): <http://www.pinkworks.com/pda/s5list.html>

    - Porfolio v1.3f:

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

    - PsiMAC [Series 3c & Siena connectivity to Mac OS

      systems]: <http://www.alba.co.uk/products/psion.htm>

    - Flight Planing Software for PSION 3a:

      <hornet@magi.com>

    - Austrian PSION Newsletter:

      <http://www.psion.priv.at/psion/newsletter.htm>

    - Psion 3a/c Flash Card Manager:

      <jstroede@estec.esa.nl>



** OTHER DEVICES **



Mitsubishi has licensed GEOS-SC operating system platform from Geoworks.

This OS will be used in future smartphone devices from Mitsubishi.



The success of Toshiba's Libretto mini-notebook has created a host of new

competitors - Sony's BioNote, Fujitsu's Biblio NCI3D, and Matsushita's

LetsNote Mini.



Tom Davy examines "Symbol's Handheld Gets Wireless (via RAM Mobile Data):

Modem (from Ericson) lets parking officers (in New Jersey) link to state

databases" on page 149 of Information Week

<http://www.informationweek.com> published on 08Dec97. The fielded

handheld systems cost US$4350 each plus US$1800 for a mobile printer.



There was no handheld related news in the Jan98 edition of The Red

Herring <http://www.herring.com> (focus = digital hollywood), but there

were a couple of 'wireless/handheld' related advertisements: Lucent

Technologies <http://www.lucent.com/micro>, Hitachi

<http://www.hitachi.com>, and Paradigm4 (888.8MOBILE).



Hills Department Stores has announced plans to roll out a new US$3.2

million wireless data network that will link their 155-store chain

together. The network will be installed by Telxon

<http://www.telxon.com/> using 2.4 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

(FHSS) radio technology to connect to Telxon mobile PTC-960SL handhelds.



Frost & Sullivan <http://www.frost.com> have a new industry report

that is projecting "excellent" handheld barcode scanner marketplace

growth for companies doing business in India. In related news, Frost

& Sullivan has also announced five industry group Web newsletters

<http://www.frost.com/newsletter> that will focus on: Healthcare;

Industrial; Information Technology; Telecommunications; and Consumer

marketplaces.



Robert Hawkin's <bob.hawkins@uniontrib.com> article entitled "Wow -- gets

louder as devices gets smaller, software smarter" published on page 3 of

the Union-Tribune's ComputerLink <http://www.uniontrib.com> (09Dec97)

goes into Robert's positive opinions about Franklin Electronic

Publishers' REX PC Companion.



Ray Broniak <rbroniak@intrex.net> has created a new WWW site to highlight

Avigo developer resources for creating 3rd party solutions for this new

handheld from Texas Instruments.  You can check out the site at:

<http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/9705/avigo.htm>.





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

  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.

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



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

  Back-up your Newton to a desktop Mac through your Ethernet Network

  without having to switch to Localtalk. Upload Newton packages and print

  to Appletalk network printers too. Farallon offers four Newton-to-

  Ethernet solutions, including EtherWave, the daisy-chainable technology

  that connects up to 7 devices to one Ethernet port. For more info visit:

  <http://www.farallon.com/markets/solutions/newtsolutions.html>.

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





Other Tidbits of Information

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



** WIRELESS & MOBILE **



AT&T's PocketNet continues to get favorable press release mentions --

both Business Wire and M2 Presswire recently had highlight articles. One

of the new features just announced is Livelink Ontime

<http://www.opentext.com/livelink/ll_ontime.html> (a group scheduling

solution).



Motorola's FLEX is going to be integrated into the International

Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Recommendation M.584-3 on Codes and

Formats for Radio Paging.



Wired has posted an article about a new pager network developed by

Motorola that can control an automobile.  Check it out at:

<http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/other/technology/story/9131.html>.



Wireless LAN leaders BreezeCOM, Netwave, Raytheon Wireless Solutions and

Symbol Technologies have all 'certified' that their Frequency Hopping

wireless LAN products are 802.11 standard compliant.



Inter@ctive Week <http://www.interactive-week.com> published on 08Dec97

has two wireless articles written by Paula Bernier of potential interest:



    - "Internet Takes Wireless Flight"

    - "Wireless Handsets Overhauled for Easier Use: Is

      the screen large enough? How do I switch to

      Internet mode? What's the cost?"



** APPLE - MACINTOSH - RHAPSODY **



Apple has announced that over the first 30 days of operation that their

new 'The Apple Store' has generated US$12 million in orders.



Apple has announced that Diana Ryall is now in charge of Apple Computer

Australia.



Tetsuya Mizutori <mizutori@ohsaki.meidensha.co.jp> has posted an example

BeanBox application for Macintosh 1.0d3 (requires Apple's MRJ 2.0) at:

<http://www.bekkoame.or.jp/~mizutori/java/index.html#howtobeanbox>.



Apple has announced that former CEO Gil Amelio received a $6.73 million

lump-sum severance package after he resigned on 25Jul97.  San Jose

Mercury News also reports that Apple isn't even close to finding a

replacement.



Delta Tao <http://www.deltatao.com> will be shipping "Eric's Cascade for

Macintosh" (waterfall simulator) at the MacWorld Expo SF 1998.



Apple reports that more than 5,000 K-12 schools have registered for

participation in Apple's Power of 10 program <http://www.apple.com/power10>.



Here are some other potentially interesting URLs:



    - OpenUp.app:

      <http://www.stepwise.com/> and <http://www.plsys.co.uk/plsys/>

    - Web Server 4D 1.7.3: <http://www.mdg.com/>



** MISCELLANEOUS INFO **



Qualcomm <http://www.qualcomm.com/> has announced that they are shipping

version 4.0 of Eudora Pro CommCenter <http://www.eudora.com> for Windows

(Macintosh version to be released soon) the integrates JFAX technology to

provide fax capabilities with Eudora



Motorola has announced that they have now shipped 2 million cable modems

worldwide.



Some URLs to check out:



    - FutureTel: <http://www.futuretel.com>

    - RFC 791 on IP:

      <ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc791.txt>

    - RFC 768 on UDP:

      <ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc768.txt>

    - The Politika Tournament:

      <http://www.redstorm.com/gamershq/contest.html>

    - Voyager 2.0 Beta 1:

      <http://www.objectspace.com/voyager>





Advertising Notes

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



Mitchell System Designs is now advertising for their products OrderTaker,

TrackIt, and Relations.



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

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



* SALES AUTOMATION Solution from Mitchell System Designs

    OrderTaker: create orders/invoices, integrated with Names, inventory

           and order template modules, export in format for MYOB*. $75USD

  + Other solutions - TrackIt: track and graph data, $20USD

       Relations: genealogy for Newton, import/export GEDCOM, $20USD

  + MSD: <PMitchell@kagi.com> or <http://www.ccinet.ab.ca/pmitchell/>



* 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>



* 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>





Edupage, 08Dec97 thru 14Dec97

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



MOTOROLA LOOKS TO SYSTEMS-ON-A-CHIP FOR ITS FUTURE



Motorola is giving up its dream of challenging Intel in the desktop

microprocessor market, focusing instead on a new breed of customized chips

that will merge memory, logic and other circuit types onto one silicon

wedge.  "We intend to turn what has been a weakness -- a broad array of

technologies -- into a powerful weapon no one else has," says the president

of Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector.  The company sports a portfolio

of more than 50,000 chips, including the PowerPC microprocessor that

Motorola had sought to promote via Apple Macintosh computers.  System chip

sales currently run only $4 billion a year, or 3% of the world market, but

by 2001, sales could top $70 billion -- triple the size of today's

microprocessor market.  (Business Week 15 Dec 97)



SUN ACTIVATOR MELTS MICROSOFT JAVA THREAT



Sun Microsystems has come up with a piece of software called Activator,

which is designed to compensate for any incompatibilities that emerge

between the Microsoft version of Java used in its Internet Explorer browser

and programs written in the "official" Java language.  The Activator program

works by scanning a user's computer and automatically downloading Java

Virtual Machine software from Sun's Web site if it doesn't find it already

installed -- a procedure that "sounds like Big Brother technology," says a

Microsoft general manager.  A Gartner Group analyst calls the move " a

direct assault on Microsoft," and says it likely will succeed because it

will make it more attractive for software developers to create Java programs

by restoring Java's one-code-fits-all-platforms appeal.  (Wall Street

Journal 10 Dec 97)



VANDAL POSTS RANSOM NOTE ON YAHOO



A network vandal broke into the Yahoo Web site for several minutes Monday

night to post a note instructing the government to release the prisoner

Kevin Mitnick, who is serving time for having used phones and computers to

break into corporate, government and university computer systems.  Although

the vandal claimed to have implanted a "logic bomb/worm" on the Yahoo site,

no virus was found, and the security breach was discovered and patched

immediately.  (NYT Cybertimes 7 Dec 97)



FORMER NOVELL CHIEF LAUNCHES "EGO" FOR SMALL BUSINESSES



A Santa Clara, Calif. start-up company headed by former Novell CEO Bob

Frankenberg has unveiled its first product -- a software/hardware/services

system for setting up an electronic commerce Web site.  Dubbed "ego" (with a

small "e"), the system is designed for anyone with a basic knowledge of PCs

and some Internet exposure.  "When you take the box home, you hook it to

your PC, the software starts up, and it asks you 20 questions," says

Frankenberg.  "You fill in your company name, address, a description of your

business and other data.  The box will generate a Web site for you and

configure an e-mail server for up to 25 people."  Set-up should take less

than 30 minutes, and the system includes a firewall and a Java Virtual

Machine to add applets to Web pages.  Ego, made by Encanto Networks Inc.,

will carry a base price of $995.  (Investor's Business Daily 9 Dec 97)





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

  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.

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



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

  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!

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





INNOVATION, 08Dec97

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



** TRENDS: CUSTOMIZED BALKANIZATION **



Joseph Turow of the Annenberg School of Communications is worried that

the increasing sophistication of customized "target marketing" will lead

to the increased dysfunction of American society.  "Compared with today,

the media of the future will be far more fragmented, with hundreds of

market-driven options targeted to carefully targeted types."  A likely

result is that children growing up will feel increasing suspicion of

people other than those living in their own tight circle.  "Customized

media allow, even encourage, individuals to live in their own personally

constructed worlds, separate from people and issues they don't care about

and don't want to be bothered with...  Marketers and media practitioners

hold a special responsibility for this widely felt sense of

fragmentation, because they are building it into the very content and

structure of the media system." (Joseph Turow, "Breaking Up America: The

Dark Side Of Target Marketing," American Demographics Nov 97)



** STRATEGIES: CAREFUL DOWNSIZING IS CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS **



A 10-year study recently completed by researchers at the Harvard Business

School shows that the determining factor in whether efforts to streamline

resulted in higher productivity was the company's selection of which

employees should be downsized.  Companies that chose a mix of types of

workers realized a $200,000-per-employee gain in productivity over

companies that focused exclusively on mid-level managers.  "The best

approach: careful trimming of administrative, managerial, and

professional staff alike, combined with reshaping the workforce in a way

that's consistent with a clear strategic vision.  The worst approach:

laying off administrators and managers while leaving the professional

staff intact."  Added to that is a need to incorporate information

technology in a meaningful way to enhance the new functional structure:

"Our results show that IT is a necessary factor of change.  Mere

downsizing isn't enough to succeed. The market reality is forcing a clear

alignment between technology and worker composition," says one of the

researchers.  The study was conducted among 250 companies in the life

insurance industry.  (Information Week 29 Nov 97)

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



** INNOVATIONS: FLOOR ALARM **



A Finnish company has developed room-sized sensors that slide under

carpeting to alert nursing home staff when a patient has fallen out of

bed or security guards when an intruder enters an art museum.  The sensor

is a thin polypropylene lamination that contains tiny pillows of foamed

plastic that function as "electrets" -- a type of electromagnet used in

some microphones.  The resulting alarm system is so sensitive that it can

detect the breathing of a person lying on the floor -- through the

carpet.  The sensor film is expected to be commercially available next

year at $34 a square yard.  (Business Week 8 Dec 97)

<http://www.businessweek.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:

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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

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names may be registered trademarks of their companies.  All trademarks

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

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THIS EDITION OF NEWTNEWS WAS WRITTEN WITH THE HELP OF: doing some house

improvements projects; and Raul's B-Day Party on Saturday evening.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Risk more than others think is safe.  Care more than

others think is wise.  Dream more than others think is practical.  Expect

more than others think is possible." -- Cadet maxim, West Point Military

Academy



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

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