NewtNews-171-10Mar98

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



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  EDITOR'S NOTE: Nancy Hanger <nhanger@windhaven.com> at Windhaven Press

  <http://www.windhaven.com> has volunteered to translate the HTML version

  of NewtNews published every week while I finish my thesis into text so

  that it can be emailed out.  Wow!  This is cool!  Enjoy!! :-)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



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

newsletter focusing on Newton Technologies and related topics. NewtNews

Copyright 1994-98 Steve Holden. All rights reserved. See the

Administrivia at end for details and FAQ info.



This issue of NewtNews <http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/> is

sponsored in part by:



 + 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 its custom

   and caret menu editor and creator! - Demo at:

   <http://www.standalone.com/newton>



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

   Newton - info@tempestprod.com - http://www.tempestprod.com/



 + PowerTrans 3.2 - Multilingual Customizable Translator and

   Mobile Vocabulary Trainer - Speech on MP2K, eMate

   <http://www.travel-cs.com>



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

   Newton 2.0 solutions - <sales@landware.com> -

   <http://www.landware.com>



 + Give your Newton the Clearly, Superior, Protection it deserves

   with The BARRIER -installs in seconds, protects for months

   <HTTP://WWW.ROADRUNNERTRACKS.COM>



 + THE CEO from MAR Software <http://www.marsoftware.com> -

   Ambidextrous, slim black leather play through case, 14 card

   pockets, adjustable closure & more $59.95



 + GERMAN QUALITY by Rindle & Partner

   <http://www.rindle.de/Horizontal.US.html> GmbH maker of the

   Isaac's application suite



 + WinSlurp from Rare White Tiger Creations - makes data

   transfer to a Newton from Windows a snap!

   <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/heringermr/

   winslurp.htm>



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

   solution from PelicanWare! For more info send email to:

   <sales@pelicanware.com> <http://www.pelicanware.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, 01Mar98 thru 08Mar98

  13. INNOVATION, 02Mar98

  14. Administrivia





Top News

--------



** THE END OF THE APPLE OFFICIAL NEWTON TRIP **



Apple has killed the Newton (MessagePad & eMate). You can learn more via

the NewtNews-170-03Mar98. Check out Comments for your feedback and my

analysis on the cancellation of the Newton OS by Apple

<http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/PI/NN-170-03Mar98.htm>.



David MacNeil has posted his "Newton: In memorium" article to Pen

Computing website <http://www.pencomputing.com/>.



Don Crabb has a positive article about his belief that 'Mac OS Lite' is

going to be ultimately better for Apple than the Newton OS

<http://www.maccentral.com/features/rumor_reality.shtml>.



MacWeek (02Mar98) <http://www.macweek.com> has a short blurb about the

demise of the Newton OS at Apple on page 3. PC Week (02Mar98)

<http://www.pcweek.com> also a short blurb on page 6.



** DEVELOPERS AND USERS VENT **



Newton Developers Association (NDA)

<http://www48.pair.com/penbase/NU/NDA/> spearheaded a protest at 12:00

Noon PST on Friday, 06Mar98 at The Apple Store in Cupertino, California.

Folks not at the gathering were encouraged to call Apple Computer at

800.767.2775 and voice you opinion on this issue. Others thought that

sending as many emails as possible to Steve Jobs <sjobs@apple.com> was

another good step in the right direction.



ZDNET Newton Underground's

<http://www.zdnet.com/chkpt/adt0306bm/www.anchordesk.com/story/story_1829.html>

"Ghost of Newton!" has some very good coverage of the NDA 'protest' at

Apple Computer on Friday

<http://www.newton-underground.com/NU/ghost.shtml>.



Robin Diane Goldstein <robin@weblegal.com> has posted online photos

<http://pwp.value.net/robin/> of yesterdays Newton Developer Rally at

Apple Computer located in Cupertino, California. Robin reports some

70-100 people were there, and the mood was upbeat.



John Perry <JWPerry@pobox.com> also reported that KNTV ran a story about

the rally that ran for about 2 minutes.



You can learn more via:



  - Wired <http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/other/

    business/story/10734.html>

  - Macintouch <http://www.macintouch.com>

  - MacCentral <http://www.maccentral.com/news/mar06.shtml>

  - Scripting (aka Userland Frontier aka Dave Winer)

    <http://www.scripting.com>

  - News.com

    <http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,19782,00.html?owv>



[EDITOR: Adam Tow <atow@tow.com> reported on 01Mar98 that Newton

Developers Association (NDA) continues to organize the Newton developer

community into a unified and united front. Send mail to: info@tow.com

with the Subject Line reading: "NDA Membership" if you want more

information. Please include in the body of your message your name,

Company name, address, email, phone, and short listing the products you

produce.]



** FUTURE ANNOUNCED SUPPORT FROM DEVELOPERS IS POSITIVE **



The following Newton developers have announced plans to continue Newton

development efforts at least for the near future:



  - Gerd Staudenmaier <gerds@micronet.de>

  - Foundation Systems <http://www.tow.com>

  - StandAlone Software <http://www.standalone.com/>

  - Concept Kitchen <http://www.conceptkitchen.com>

  - NS BASIC <http://www.nsbasic.com>

  - Five Speed <http://www.fivespeed.com/>

  - Mark Ebell <http://www.familypractice.msu.edu/retriever.htm>

  - PelicanWare <http://www.pelicanware.com>

  - Catamount <http://www.catamount.com>

  - VisualNewt Software <http://www.VisualNewt.com/>

  - Tima Scientific <http://www.timasci.com>

  - MAR Software <http://www.marsoftware.com>

  - Sine of the Times <http://www.sineware.com>

  - EBB <http://www.ebb-ubb/ebb/voicenotes>

  - Enfour <http://www.enfour.com/>

  - Steve Weyer <http://members.bellatlantic.net/~sweyer/newton/index.htm>

  - Sun Sabre Software <http://members.aol.com/sunsabre>





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  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.

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



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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.

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





Comments from the Editor

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



** APPLE NEEDS TO SQUISH THIS BUG **



HOT! -- A Newton Developer reports that Apple knows about a bug in the

Newton OS that causes MP2100s to randomly generate a -10061 error

message. There is no work around available, and Apple has stated in a

conference call with developers that the have no plans to fix this

problem. If you 'Think Different' please contact Mark Rabkin at:

rabkin@newton.apple.com and let Apple know that you "demand" this bug get

fixed ASAP.



** WHY CAN'T APPLE?!? BETTER YET WHY WON'T APPLE?!? **



A reader asks rhetorically -- "If General Magic <http://www.genmagic.com>

can release a new version of MagicCap OS and have someone OEM new

hardware for them, then why can't Apple do the same?!?"





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       C o u c h   F i r e !

>From your armchair, find your favorite shows using your Newton. Couch

Fire is 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 auto-updating TV grid, searches and reminders mean

you won't miss a thing. For more info, write <info@tempestprod.com> or

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

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                  THE HAND STAND. The first Newton case ever with

  PDA Concepts    a built-in adjustable stand. Convert your

  proudly         Newton and keyboard into a miniature laptop

  presents:       computer that you can use anywhere, anytime!

                  Carry virtually everything you need in one

                  compact case. <http://www.pda-concepts.com>

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New and Updated Newton Information

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



** MORE ON NEWTON USER DISCONTENT **



Newton Lifestyle Online-Magazin <http://www.newton-lifestyle.de> is

conducting a poll that will attempt to gauge German Newton users current

thoughts and future plans.



Steven Hackstadt <hacks@cs.uoregon.edu> has created a Website that hosts

six similarly themed banners that protest Apple's killing the Newton

decision <http://www.cs.uoregon.edu/~hacks/newt/banners/>.



Rich Healy <richhealy@compuserve.com> believes it is possible to raise

the multi-millions of dollars necessary to buy Newton OS and related

technology from Apple. Send him email if you want to be in at the ground

floor.



Xemplar Education based in the United Kingdom (UK) recently published a

press release/FAQ stating their complete and continued support for eMate

products in the UK. You might be able to learn more via:

http://www.imco.no/emate/. [Source: NS Basic <http://www.nsbasic.com>]



** HOW TO HACK NEWTON HARDWARE **



Charles Monica <cmonica@lehman.com> reports that the Hacking Newton

Hardware Web Pages are now up and running, and that there is a great deal

of interest in this site

<http://www.concentric.net/~cmonica/newton/pdq.htm>.



** AN EXCELLENT NEWTON SOLUTION **



Check out ToothChar! <http://www.dreamscape.com/tidt> An excellent Newton

solution. [Source: Tom Dresch <Tfdresch@aol.com>]



** GET YOUR TV SCHEDULE ON YOUR NEWTON **



CouchFire <http://www.tempestprod.com/> continues to produce excellent

customized TV show scheduling information for your Newton. They now offer

local coverage in the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,

Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington,

DC. They are also currently conducting a survey on future offerings

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



** GOING OUT OF NEWTON BUSINESS SALES?!? **



RoadRunner Tracks <http://www.roadrunnertracks.com> has announced the

discontinuance of all their Newton products. They will no longer

manufacture or distribute their Barrier Screen Protector or the Wedge

Desk Stand. RoadRunner Tracks continues to refer sales of their current

inventory of products to their list of dealers. For more information send

email to Janet Honek <janet@roadrunnertracks.com>.



Llamagraphics <http://www.llamagraphics.com> has announced "that they

have decided not to pursue development of Life Balance 2.0 on the Newton

platform as previously announced on Planet Newton. We will, however,

continue to sell and support Life Balance 1.1.1 for our Newton customers,

and to continue to develop the product for other platforms."



Concept Kitchen <http://www.conceptkitchen.com> is now selling: Sticky

Newts 2.0 for US$25; Small Talk Deluxe (includes translation for English,

Spanish, French, German and Italian) for US$49.95; and Small Talk Basic

(includes English plus one of the other four languages listed above) for

US$29.95.



Marleen Winer <mwiner@teletype.com> reports that TeleType GPS

<http://www.teletype.com/gps> is now offering a "clearance sale" on their

TeleType GPS Newton version. This mapping package is now available for

US$75 while supplies last.



Shawna Rosen <shawna@mail.macworks.com> notes that MacWorks

<http://www.macworks.com/html/newtons.html> is having a "big sale" on

'old' Apple Newton software/hardware that they have in stock.





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  NS BASIC 3.6 with Visual Designer! The latest implementation of this cool

  programming tool has an easy to use graphic screen layout function, plus

  indexed file communications, graphics and more! Program directly on

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

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



** GPS TOOL GOES FREEWARE AND PRO VERSION GETS PRICE CUT **



Gerd Staudenmaier <gerds@micronet.de> has announced that GPS Map Lite for

the Newton <http://www.soaring.de/gps/GPS_Map.html> will be freeware by

end of this week, and that GPS Map will have a new list price of DM 298

(~US$170). Gerd is also selling a custom Newton interconnect port cables

(JAE26). You can learn more via <http://www.soaring.de/gps/GPS_Map.html>.



** VOICE NOTES ON THE NEWTON **



Andreas Briell <a.briell@ebb-ubb.com> has announced version 0.90b of

VoiceNotes for the Newton (digital dictating machine software)

<http://www.ebb-ubb.com/ebb/voicenotes>. This beta will expire on

30Mar98, and will work on MP2x00 devices. A future beta will support the

eMate 300. The product is expected to be officially released in Apr98,

and will retail for under US$50.



** DECISION MAKING TOOL GOES BETA **



Camas <http://www.camas.org> is pleased to announce the release of the

final v0.9 beta version of DecisionLab for Newton OS 2.0 devices.

DecisionLab is a decision development and exploration tool that optimizes

choices based on your personal assessment of the information at hand.

[Source: Bruce D'Ambrosio <dambrosi@pearson.camas.org>]



** MANAGE YOUR FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO **



Peter Leenes <pmleenes@knoware.nl> reports that NewtBrick

<http://www.w4r.com/macbrick/NewtBrick> has announced version 1.1 of its

Newton Portfolio Manager with added MacInTalk support (software not

included), better status handling, and improved graph analyzing function.

The Newton Portfolio Manager 1.1 (US$20 shareware) helps you manage your

investments in stocks, mutual funds, options and bonds.



** SIX NEWTON SOLUTIONS WORTH A LOOK **



Five Speed <http://www.fivespeed.com/> has released a "killer little

alarm clock" for Newton 2.1 devices called Wake Up Call 1.0

<http://www.fivespeed.com/wakeupcall/>.



Tima Scientific <http://www.timasci.com> has announced plans to release

on 10Mar98 their new forms-building solution called 'EnviroScribe 1.0.'



J. Rick Adams <jrad@jrad.seagull.net> has announced that JRAd consulting

<http://jrad.seagull.net> has released version 2.2 of their healthcare

patient management software for the Newton called Palmedic.



Innovative Computer Solutions (ICS) <http://www.newts.com/> is now

shipping a new public beta release of Twerx

<http://www.newts.com/newton/twerx.html> -- "a NotePad-to-NewtWorks

document importer for the Newton MessagePad 2000/2100 and eMate."



Scrawl Software <http://www.scrawlsoft.com> has announced the release of

version 1.1b2 of PT100 (VT100 emulator & NIE savvy Telnet solution for

the Newton OS 2.x devices).



John Strickland <jbstrick@aol.com> has posted a collection of sounds

(sndicons.sit, ~1-MB) that he recently converted for the Newton

<http://members.aol.com/jbstrick/newton/>.





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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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   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   |             |      Multilingual Customizable Translator

   |  P O W E R  |         and Portable Vocabulary Trainer

   |  T R A N S  |

   |             |           <http://www.travel-cs.com/>

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Handheld Mentions in 'The Media'

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



** POSITIVE NEWTON MENTIONS **



Randall Newton <randall.newton@bentley.com> notes that the Mar98 issue of

MicroStation Manager <http://www.mmicorp.com/msmanager/> features a

favorable two-page review of the Apple MessagePad 2100. Randall also

notes that unfortunately the next edition of PC Magazine also has a

favorable MessagePad 2100 review.



The Chicago Sun-Times ran an article on Thursday, 26Feb98, entitled

"Financial Connected: Here's how to gear up and go" by Don Crabb that has

MP2100 and eMate 300 mentions.



** MORE DETAILS ON STRONGARM DIRECTION **



Lisa DiCarlo covers the news of "Intel <http://www.intel.com> Seals

StrongARM <http://www.arm.com> Deal: Agreement fills product gap, sets

stage for Intel/Digital semiconductor pact" on page 43 in the Desktop &

Mobile section in PC Week <http://www.pcweek.com> published on 02Mar98.

This issue also has a large article that starts on page 77 the lists

Gartner Group's "Technologies to watch in 1998" which includes:

biometrics, desktop videoconferencing, data mining, document imaging,

electronic cash, network computers, PDAs, push technology, smart cards,

and speech recognition.



** 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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  GERMAN QUALITY: Isaac's Names - !the! Newton Names extension with

  superior functionality for your Names application. Haven't you ever

  dreamt of having full control of anniversaries and birthdays? With

  Isaac's Names you choose the ones placed into your calendar. You can even

  set different "reminder in advance" alarms. Print a list if you want.

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

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  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.

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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! Please include details of

the Newton model and OS that you are using.



** 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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  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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  New Copy: Back-up your Newton to a desktop Mac through your Ethernet

  Network. Print to network printers. FTP files to/from the Internet and

  browse the web fast! Farallon offers 8 ways to connect

  Newton-to-Ethernet, including EtherWave, the daisy chainable Ethernet

  technology that allows you to connect your Newton without unplugging your

  desktop computer from the net. For more info visit:

  <http://www.farallon.com/product/mobile/newtsolutions.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 75% 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>.



** AUDIO FILES FROM REALAUDIO ON NEWTON?!? **



Mike Sforza <mikesf@dra.com> would like to download audio files, like

those from RealAudio, from the Internet down to onto his Newton in order

to listen to them at a later time. Specifically Mike would like to listen

to the Daily Newscasts.



** TWO SUGGESTIONS **



Robert Stainsby <wlemanuel@angel.comcen.com.au> is looking for two new

Newton solutions:



  - upload formatted text like RTF to desktop machines using email

  - print driver to the Epson Stylus 600 inkjet printer



** READING WORD FILES VIA EMAIL?!? **



Sandia National Laboratories' jegrona@sandia.gov would like to be able to

read and write Microsoft Word files attached via email on the Newton.



** TOOL TO RECLAIM WASTED SPACE?!? **



Kenneth Wong <kenneth@cybpage.com> notes that flash memory cards can

become very fragmented over time. The only apparent way to reclaim this

wasted space is to backup your data, do a hard reset, and restore the

backup. It would be nice if a developer created a Newton based

'defragger' that did this without the need for a complete hardware reset

and restore.



** SCHEMATIC DRAWING TOOL **



Lou Bilancia <lfbilancia@mcione.com> would like a tool that would enable

him to capture schematics on his Newton. Lou envisions a tool with a

palette that has symbols and/or recognition of typical schematic

squiggles (resistors capacitors, inductors). The tool would also support

a variety of drawing grids, that would also let you array a series of

dots that lines would snap to.



** MAKE FIND SCREEN SMALLER?!? **



Lorne Kapner <Lorne@kapcotech.com> would like a smaller find screen that

doesn't take up 25% of the viewable area on Newton devices.





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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  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

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Other Handheld Technology News

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



[EDITOR: News collected via snail mail, major publications, news services

(Inquisit <http://www.inquisit.com> & HeadsUp

<http://www.individual.com>), USENET newsgroups, email, and the WWW.]



** PALMPILOT **



Aportis Technologies <http://www.aportis.com> is now shipping their

freeware version of AportisDoc for PalmPilot (software for reading

documents of any size on PalmPilot devices).



Dave Mark has a Q&A entitled "CodeWarrior for PalmPilot" with members of

Metrowerk's Palmpilot development team including Eric Cloninger

<ericc@metrowerks.com> on page 49 of MacTech <http://www.mactech.com>

published on Mar98.



Small Business Computing (Dec97) found the PalmPilot to be the best PDA

in 1997. [Contract Professional, Jan/Feb98, page 16]



The same issue of Network World also looks at an article by Paul McNamara

entitled "Handheld devices are delivering more email: EasySynch2 for

Lotus Notes is the latest electronic messaging product aimed at PalmPilot

users" on page 8.



** WINDOWS CE **



InfoWorld published on 23Feb98 has a review of the Windows CE savvy HP

620LX by Andre Kvitka on page 106; and an article entitled "Startup

(AvantGo) releases resource planning client [for PalmPilot]" on page 40

written by Stannie Holt.



** OTHER DEVICES **



It appears that Microsoft is going to invest US$6 million in General

Magic's Serengeti product that gives users Web access to PIM data and

other types of data like phone, email, and faxes. [Source: TCC

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



LAT Times (16Feb98) has a similar article as the one listed above

entitled "PDAs gaining access to consoles: portable and handheld

computers teaming up with wireless networks to provide network

administration tools" by Monica Snell on page 14.





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

  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 **



Denise Pappalardo has an article on page 13 of Network World (02Mar98)

that reports the next generation of CDMA is expected to support data

communication rates up to 7-megabits per second vs. today's (if you are

lucky) 14-kilobits per second. The article is entitled "Wireless heavies

promise 500-fold speed boost."



Andrew Lawrence and Guy Daniels look at "Space Race: The development of

low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems will - if they work - create a

huge new industry" on page 18 of Global Technology Business published in

Mar98.



PC Week (23Feb98) examines "Reach Out and Touch the Net (Painlessly):

Mobile devices, servers getting 'smart' on page 47 according to PC Week

Labs' Matt Kramer.



"Wireless Phones get access boost: Unwired Planet teams with hardware

vendors to make 'Net access easier for GSM users" is a topic that Denise

Pappalardo & Kristi Essick examine on page 27 of Network World published

on 23Feb98.



John Fontana examines "Wayfarer Pushes New Webcasting Software" in CMP

TechWeb published on 02Mar98.



Addison Wesley Longman <http://www.awl.com/cseng> (800.824.7799) has

three wireless/mobile books of potential interest in their Winter/Early

Spring 1998 catalog:



  - "Wireless Multimedia Communications: Networking Video, Voice,

    and Data" by Ellen Kayata Wesel

  - "Wireless Personal Communications Systems" by David J.

    Goodman

  - "Mobile IP: Design Principles and Practices" by Charles E.

    Perkins



** APPLE - MACINTOSH - RHAPSODY **



Apple <http://www.apple.com> has announced price cuts on the following

products via their Apple Store:



  - Power Macintosh G3 Desktop 233MHz & 266MHz PowerPC G3 RISC

    systems

  - Power Macintosh G3 Minitower 233MHz & 266MHz PowerPC G3 RISC

    systems

  - AppleVision 750, 750AV, 850, and 850 AV



Apple <http://www.apple.com> has also created a new website called Apple

Learning Interchange that is designed to provide educators with materials

and tools such as teacher-tested lessons, photos, maps and videos to

encourage and support collaboration among educators. The site will also

feature daily news on education and related topics and also provides chat

rooms that enable teachers to interact and share information with

colleagues.



There is also a new public beta version of Apple Network Assistant 3.5

<http://www.anat.apple.com> that runs on a Mac OS server that makes it

easy to manage a group of networked Mac OS-based computers from a central

location over TCP/IP and AppleTalk networks.





Advertising Notes

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



If you are interested in advertising in NewtNews please drop NewtNews an

email <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

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



* 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

(513.899.4710) with 10% by mentioning NewtNews.

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



* 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>



* Stand Alone, Inc. has over 70 applications for the Newton OS, including:

  - BUTTONBAR PLUS: Place the buttonbar on any side of the

    screen, or shrink it to a small floating window. Also, shrink

    icons and resize the bar to suit your needs. $25, 2.1 OS

  - STAND ALONE MENU EDITOR : Create custom menus for the text

    caret, screen corners, extras icons or StatusBar button; each

    with over 35 possible actions. $29.95, 2.x OS

  - STARTBAR: Win95 style task bar that shows all of your running

    applications at the bottom of the screen, and lets you switch

    between them with a single tap. $20, 2.1 OS

  - TIMEMAN: Works both as a timer and a time card where you

    record your hours. Multiple views and printing options make

    it easy to manage your billing, and track your time. $44.95,

    2.x OS

  - PAPERBOY: A threaded off-line Usenet news reader for the

    Newton. Download your news to read it, and reply back on the

    go! $29.95, 2.x OS

For more information about Stand Alone's line of software for the Newton

OS, visit our web site at <http://www.standalone.com>, or contact us at

<info@standalone.com>, or (773) 477-2492



* 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!



* 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.



* 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.



* NEW! 11th Volume of the Totally Incomplete PDA CD-ROM for Newton! This

CD-ROM from AMUG CD, Inc. contains over 1450 packages, 550 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/>.



* 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

  - TrackIt: track and graph data, $20USD

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

    + MSD:

For more info: <PMitchell@kagi.com> or <http://www.ccinet.ab.ca/pmitchell/>.



* BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY PACKAGES FROM PELICANWARE

All packages for Newton 2.0 OS - Upgrades also available.

  - QUICKFIGURE PRO 3.0: Spreadsheet application $59.95

  - NEWTCASE 3.0: The Ultimate Utility Suite $49.95

  - NOTION 1.5: High Performance List Manager $59.95

  - AVAILWORKS 2.0: Text, spreadsheets, drawing, and graphing

    $79.95.

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

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



* CATAMOUNT SOFTWARE offers the following:

  - POCKETMONEY assists you in balancing your checking, savings,

    credit card and loan accounts. Export and import transactions

    to Quicken, MYM and other desktop based program.

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

    5000.

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

    economy, record mileage for tax purposes, schedule repeating

    vehicle maintenance items for multiple vehicles.

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

    records books, laserdiscs, videos, and more...

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

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



* 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 information

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



* 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>.



* 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 try --

WWW <http://members.bellatlantic.net/~sweyer/newton/index.htm> or email

<mailto:weyer@kagi.com>





Edupage, 01Mar98 thru 08Mar98

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



** EUROPEANS TELL U.S. TO INCLUDE THEM IN INTERNET PLANNING **



A meeting of the European Union concluded with a warning that Europe does

not want to be excluded from planning the future direction of the

Internet; the warning was in response to an American "green paper" that

proposed a new arrangement for managing domain names on the Internet

(such as ".com", ".org.", and adding new ones). The EU said the U.S.

proposals would "in the name of the globalization and privatization of

the Internet, seem to consolidate permanent U.S. jurisdiction over the

Internet as a whole." (Financial Times 27 Feb 98)



** UPS GETS INTO ELECTRONIC SHIPPING **



United Parcel Service of America is teaming up with Tumbleweed Software

and NetDox Inc. to offer secure electronic document delivery via the

Internet. Tumbleweed and NetDox already offer Internet-based document

delivery, but the new service will be marketed under the UPS name. (Wall

Street Journal 4 Mar 98)



** LUCENT TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS DATA OVER LIGHT **



New optical technology from Lucent Technologies will give fiber optic

networks a boost, moving the equivalent of 90,000 sets of encyclopedias

per second, according to company sources. The technology, called dense

wavelength division multiplexers (DWDMs) acts like a prism to increase by

an order of magnitude the number of light streams capable of carrying

data. In addition, DWDMs don't need to go through the extra step of

translating the light signal into an electrical signal in order to pass

through switches. "This technology will take off really fast, almost as

fast as Cabbage Patch dolls," says the director of strategy for Lucent's

Optical Networking unit. (Investor's Business Daily 4 Mar 98)



** CELL PHONES CAN INTERFERE WITH AUTO SYSTEMS **



Carmakers have known for a while that talking on a cell phone while

driving can cause accidents, but now research shows that wireless phones

can disrupt anti-lock braking and other electronic systems. For instance,

Mercedes Benz warns that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the

microchips in wireless phones can disable its Babysmart toddler restraint

seat, which automatically switches off the passenger side air bag when a

child is sitting up front. "As far as we know, no injury or death has

resulted from interference between wireless phones and other

radio-frequency emitting devices," says an AT&T Wireless Services

spokeswoman, but some late model owner's manuals contain special warnings

regarding the problem. (USA Today 4 Mar 98)



** CAR SHOPPING ON THE WEB IS A HIT **



According to market researcher J.D. Power & Associates, 16% of new-car

buyers last year used the Web to gather information, up from 10% in 1996.

Industry observers say 2% of the 15 million new cars purchases last year

were directly attributable to online shopping, and those numbers are

rising. "Realistically, we think two years from now half of all new-car

buyers will use the Internet in this shopping process," says a director

at J.D. Power. Chrysler Corp. and General Motors Corp. both are

experimenting with Web sites that link shoppers to dealers in their

areas: "For the first time, the customer is going to control the retail

system," predicts Chrysler Chairman Robert Eaton. (Business Week 9 Mar

98)



** WIRELESS MARRIAGE **



RF-Link Technology has developed a Wireless PC@TV product that allows an

Internet link via a PC in one room to be displayed on a television in

another. A scan converter translates the PC's video display signals into

signals that a TV can process, and wirelessly sends the audio and video

signals using a radio-frequency transmitter and receiver. The signals can

travel up to 100 feet, and a wireless keyboard allows the user to

manipulate the PC while watching the action on the TV in another room.

The cost is about double that of a set-top WebTV receiver, but does not

require a special Internet service. (Popular Science Mar 98)



** THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU AND ME **



New York's Trump Towers, a luxurious Fifth Avenue complex owned by Donald

Trump, has sent the following letter to its residents: "You will be given

a set-top box at no cost and a list of approximately 600 movies and

programs available ... The set-top box plugs into any single telephone

line so there is no need for any additional cabling or other

interruptions. There is no interference or interruption to your telephone

services, and there are no charges whatever to your telephone bill. Also

available at a nominal cost ($29.95 per month) is a high-speed access to

the Internet. This access will be approximately 100 times faster than the

fastest modem now available, and, in fact, no modem whatsoever will be

required in the residence." (New York Times 7 Mar 98)





INNOVATION, 02Mar98

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



** TRENDS: EASY COME, EASY GO IN WEB RETAILING **



The day of the small, Web-based retailer is already come and gone, as

mega-stores like Wal-mart and CUC International get into the Internet

act. "Unfortunately for the aspiring Web-only retailer, it's really too

late to learn from the past. Certainly none of the first iterations of

online retailing offers much help: the online malls missed the mark, the

niche Web retailing opportunities are quickly fading, and the Internet

megastores require big capital and a big name." The next stage for online

retailing will involve Web sites and intelligent agents, designed to take

the legwork out of online shopping by guiding the consumer through the

purchasing process. "Over the next couple of years, massively distributed

database technology and intelligent agents will allow customers to

arbitrage away any differences in pricing," says a senior analyst with

Forrester Research. "Anyone who's playing in a commodities business will

no longer be able to differentiate on advertising, brand, product

selection, or service... A few new businesses can succeed, but they had

better be extremely well thought out and very aggressively marketed."

(Red Herring Feb 98) <http://www.redherring.com/>



** STRATEGIES: KNOW YOUR NON-CUSTOMER **



Management guru Peter Drucker says in order to compete in today's world,

companies need to look outside the organization to avoid being

blind-sided by external forces. "The single biggest challenge you face is

to organize outside data, because change occurs from the outside,"

Drucker told a group of information technology executives at a meeting

recently. "Management is swamped with inside data but doesn't have any

more real information than it did 40 years ago, and the quality of

decisions has not improved." He emphasized that companies need to learn

more about their "non-customers" in order to avoid the fate of many large

department stores that were unprepared for the disappearance of their

core customer -- the housewife with leisure time to shop. Said one

attendee, "We're focusing on outside data about competitors and

customers, but not much on non-customers -- he's on to something there."

(Information Week 16 Feb 98) <http://www.informationweek.com/>



** INNOVATIONS: DIGITAL INK LINK **



When you have to take notes, paper computing is the way to go. A new

combination of high-tech pen and clipboard enables you to zap your

handwritten notes to your PC. The CrossPad, from penmaker A.T. Cross and

developed with the help of IBM, consists of a pad of paper placed on top

of a battery-powered digital clipboard. As you write, transmitters in the

clipboard and pen create an electronic copy, which can be transmitted to

your PC via a cable linked to the clipboard. Future uses of the

technology could include a digital checkbook. (Business Week 23 Feb 98)

<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:

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 1994-98 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

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company names may be registered trademarks of their companies. All

trademarks used in this publication are for informational purposes only

and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of

infringing on that trademark. NewtNews is not affiliated with Apple

Computer.



My personal comments may be included in articles NewtNews reports by

highlighting them as -- [SDH: Comments]. Official NewtNews Editor's

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and company names may be registered trademarks of their companies. All

trademarks used in NewtNews are for informational purposes only and to

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Send contributions and comments to Steve Holden, Editor and Publisher

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THIS EDITION OF NEWTNEWS WAS WRITTEN WITH THE HELP OF: Lamb's Players

Theatre's " The Secret Garden"; a relaxing excursion to Carlsbad,

California to work on Christy's Mac Lab, a walk on the beach, and dinner

at Pizza Port Brewery; and continued progress on my thesis.



QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as

hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a

vital ingredient in beer." -- Dave Barry



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

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

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