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- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.i-amiga
- Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 11:09:00 EST
- Sender: Info-Amiga List <I-AMIGA@RUTVM1.BITNET>
- From: Jim Loomis <LOOMIS@ITHACA.BITNET>
- Subject: GEnie Weekend News - Dateline 921211
- Lines: 524
-
- Long post: 500+ lines. May contain product releases which include
- reference pricing and other information which might be considered
- promotional or commercial by some definitions. Those who fear such
- contamination should delete now. JL
-
-
- -*- IMPORTANT! -*-
-
- As long as individual stories are kept intact and credit
- is given, this material may be reproduced in ALL or PART
- on a privately owned BBS or in a user group newsletter.
- See wording for proper credit at the end of this Newscast.
-
-
- Thanks to Denny Atkin, Editor, COMPUTE's Amiga Resource, for his generous
- input.
-
-
- DateLine: December 11, 1992
- This 5-MINUTE Newscast presents the following stories:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- 1. AmigaWorld's Top 10 Freely Distributable Picks
-
- 2. Gail Wellington Joins OptImage Interactive Services as VP
-
- 3. Impulse Releases Visionaire!
-
- 4. Next Week's *StarShip* Amiga Conferences [DELETED]
-
- 5. The *StarShip* Arrives in Federation II Space [DELETED - promotion]
-
- 6. Directory OPUS 4.0: More Versatile, Infinitely Customizable
-
- 7. TURBOprint Dot Matrix Printer Enhancement Software
-
- 8. Conquer Dangers Lurking Beyond the Black Hole: INOVAgame's Vektor Storm
-
- -* BULLETIN! Important Letter from Commodore to All Amiga Users!
-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 1st of 8 Stories
-
-
- AmigaWorld's Top 10 Freely Distributable Picks
- _ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- / \ December 10, 1992 - *StarShip* News Network
- / - \
- / ___ \
- (_/ \_)migaWorld's January 1993 issue features a listing of the Top 10 picks
- of freely distributable software for the Amiga.
-
- The *StarShip* would like to thank AmigaWorld for the special award and
- recognition of Aladdin in this list of some of the best software in all of
- Amiga-dom.
-
- Aladdin for the Amiga is supported in its own GEnie*Basic bulletin board at
- page 1055, and can be downloaded from the library at the AmiAladdin RoundTable
- at that same page.
-
- Aladdin for the Amiga automates routine GEnie functions like retrieving and
- sending replies to GE Mail and bulletin board messages, and checking for new
- downloads for you. Once you have selected the files you want to download and
- made your replies -- all offline -- Aladdin will log back onto GEnie and
- automatically do whatever you have asked it to do. You may configure it for as
- many or as few RoundTables as you like.
-
- Congratulations to Tim Purves for this fine honor, and thank you AmigaWorld!
-
-
- For your convenience, here are the *StarShip* Library file numbers for the
- rest of the featured picks of the year from AmigaWorld.
-
-
- LhA version 1.38 [or higher]
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- No. File Name Uploader Bytes
- ----- ------------------------ ------------ -------
- 16893 LHA138.READ.LHA S.LUTNES 1280
- 16894 LHA_E138.RUN S.LUTNES 109184
- 17024 LHAXV142.LHA PETER-CPM 5120
- Desc: LHARC/LHA extractor (2.x Only)
-
-
- Rend24 Version 1.04f
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 14421 REND24.LZH M.HALL33 58496
- Desc: Converts 24-bit IFF to HAM or IFF
-
-
- View 3.2
- ~~~~~~~~
- 17624 VIEW34.LHA BOOMER.T 48896
- Desc: Latest AGA compat. Anim/Pic Viewer
- 17213 VIEW_V3.2.LZH BLUE-KNIGHT 51968
- Desc: View animation Viewer V 3.2
-
-
- EdPlayer 2.1
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 17600 EDPLAYER21.LHA A.CCOOK 225664
- Desc: V 2.1 of Ed Mackey's MOD player!
-
-
- Parnet
- ~~~~~~
- Pro/Am File: [MOVE 670;3]
- 810 PARNET24.LZH BAEDER 28980
- Desc: Parallel connection of two Amigas
-
- Companion file from the *StarShip*:
-
- 12825 PNETKEYS.LZH TOMW 5120
- Desc: Use mouse & keyboard through Parnet
-
-
- GadToolsBox
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Pro/Am File: [MOVE 670;3]
- 1028 GADTOOLSBOX.LHA D.WAER 318848
- Desc: Creates source for gadgets.2.0 Only
-
-
- SysInfo
- ~~~~~~~
- 16531 SYSINFO273.LHA J.HANNA5 40448
- Desc: Version 2.73 of SysInfo
- 17043 SYSINFO301.LHA D.VAILLANCOU 39168
- Desc: System Info 3.01 -- new features
-
- -*-
-
- [Ed. Note: I didn't delete this listing, since all or most of these files
- are available elsewhere. JL ]
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 2nd of 8 Stories
-
-
- Gail Wellington Joins OptImage Interactive Services
- as Vice President
- _____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- / _ ) Des Moines, IA -- December 9, 1992
- / / ) /
- / (_/ /
- (_____/ptImage Interactive Services Co. L.P. Wednesday announced that Gail
- Wellington has joined the company as vice president of marketing and sales.
-
- Wellington will be responsible for expanding the successful sales and
- marketing programs for OptImage's line of Compact Disc Interactive (CD-I)
- authoring tools.
-
- "We are extremely pleased to have someone of Gail Wellington's caliber join us
- at OptImage," said Tim Wahlers, president of OptImage. "Gail's experience with
- multimedia product introductions and developer programs will compliment
- OptImage's commitment to the CD-I developer community."
-
- Wellington comes to OptImage from Commodore International Services Company
- where she served as director of special projects and was responsible for
- managing the team which brought CDTV to market.
-
- During Wellington's twelve years at Commodore she was responsible for the
- development of the AmigaVision authoring system, the Commodore Applications
- and Technical Support (C.A.T.S.) program, and the launch of the Amiga computer
- in Europe and North America.
-
- Wellington holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Management and Mechanical
- Engineering from Northeastern University.
-
- "I'm looking forward to bringing OptImage's powerful and creative
- multi-platform CD-I development tools to market," said Wellington. "The
- advent of full screen/full motion video makes this an especially exciting
- opportunity that will ensure OptImage's position as the world leader in
- CD-I development solutions."
-
- OptImage Interactive Services Co. L.P. was formed by N.V. Philips, of the
- Netherlands, and Microware Systems Corp., of Des Moines, to provide leading
- edge authoring solutions for developers of CD-I software titles for the
- consumer and professional markets.
-
- -*-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 3rd of 8 Stories
-
-
- Impulse Releases Visionaire!
- _ _ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- ( \ / ) December 1992 -- Minneapolis, MN
- \ \_/ /
- \ /
- \_/isionaire is available NOW from Impulse, Inc. Some of its features
- include:
-
-
- - Morphing, Warping and Dissolving;
-
- - Range of effects is limited only by your imagination;
-
- - Morphing and Warping using animations as input (to create warpings
- and morphings of moving subjects, like in the "Black or White" clip);
-
- - Color and Shape Mixers give total visual control over the progress of
- the warping or morphing, limited only by your imagination;
-
- - Exclusive Local Color and Shape Mixers allow the warping or morphing
- of different parts of the images at different times (a *must* for
- professional results!);
-
- - Sophisticated 2 level antialiasing, the best for dramatic deformations;
-
- - The best and most complete alpha channel support, for transparencies
- and background compositing;
-
- - Support for 24-bit displays and single-frame video tape recorders.
-
- - Unlimited Undo/Redo capability;
-
- - Full support for Workbench 2.0 and beyond, including ARexx, public
- screens and special display modes;
-
- - Intuitive, easy-to-use user interface, including an Expert Mode;
-
- - Fully configurable keyboard shortcuts and macros;
-
- - Completely customizable with many preferences-like requesters.
-
- - Includes predefined ARexx macros that allows you to create special
- effects without knowing anything about ARexx.
-
- - Includes ready-to-use effects such as Sphere, Wave and Twirl, and
- you can easily create your own effects, too. The effects are
- naturally integrated with the rest of the package, and can be
- combined with all the other features.
-
- - Comprehensive 180 page user and reference manual, including
- many tutorials and examples, and also a reference for all menus,
- requesters and ARexx commands.
-
- For more information contact Impulse, Inc., 8416 Xerxes Ave. North,
- Minneapolis, MN 55444, telephone 612/425-0557, FAX 612/425-0701.
-
- -*-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 4th of 8 Stories
-
- [DELETED]
-
- -*-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 5th of 8 Stories
-
- [DELETED - GEnie inside joke]
-
- -*-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 6th of 8 Stories
-
-
- Directory OPUS 4.0: More Versatile, Infinitely Customizable
- ____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- (_ _) December 4, 1992 - World of Commodore, Toronto
- / /
- _/ /
- (____)NOVAtronics announces Directory OPUS 4.0, a major revision of their
- best-selling Amiga disk and file management utility. Along with A4000 and
- A1200 compatibility, increased audio/image file support, and many other new
- features, Directory OPUS 4.0 is now more intuitive, more helpful and more
- flexible than before. You can even completely re-configure the interface to
- suit the way you want to use the program.
-
- Graphics Compatibility, Improved File Support, Other New Features
-
- Directory OPUS 4.0 now supports all Amiga graphics hardware, including the AGA
- and AA chipsets used in the Amiga 4000 and Amiga 1200. Graphics and Audio
- support have also been expanded. Now you can use Directory OPUS 4.0 to play
- Anim and Anim Brush files, or view images saved in all ILBM formats. You can
- also play sound files stories as Noisetracker, SoundTrackers, ProTracker, and
- MED w/MIDI, Oktalyzer, 8SVX or Raw Data.
-
- Together with expanded ARexx support (now over 100 commands), Directory OPUS
- now has a convenient Hotkey feature for launching any Amiga application from
- the keyboard, so long as OPUS is either running or iconified. (Amiga-D, for
- example, could be set to launch DeluxePaint.)
-
- Directory OPUS 4.0 now also lets you print individual frames from full screen
- and brush animations. Also new: a new Font View facility that lets you print
- out an entire alphabet of any font you select, including Amiga and
- Compugraphic Bitmap fonts under Kickstart 2.04 and beyond.
-
- Other new features include improved documentation, players for CanDo decks,
- and a completely revised approach to using system resources. Instead of
- loading the entire program at once, OPUS now runs individual functions as they
- are called for. This not only reduces demands on system RAM, it gives users a
- way to access individual program features directly from the CLI, without ever
- having to load Directory OPUS.
-
- Infinitely Configurable, More Easily Configurable
-
- Directory OPUS 4.0 is now very user-configurable, meaning that you can
- optionally modify the interface to suit your needs or personal preference. You
- could, for example, configure as many buttons or add as many actual or virtual
- devices as you'd like, modify the size of each directory window, or minimize
- the program so that only one, or two or three rows of buttons are visible.
- Directory OPUS 4.0 now lets you select any screen font for use in any part of
- the interface. You can also filter the files you see displayed -- such as only
- file names that match the DOS pattern "#?.doc."
-
- Configuring OPUS to meet your needs is a lot easier than you might expect,
- thanks to an extensive new configuration system that gives instant on-line
- assistance for whatever you need to do. For instance, if you are in the middle
- of attaching an AmigaDOS command to an onscreen button, you could instantly
- call up a list of executable command names. Whatever you're doing in OPUS,
- help is always close at hand. And (under AmigaDOS 2.0) configuring buttons to
- run programs also got easier; just drag any program icon over any OPUS button,
- and release!
-
- We Didn't Kill a Good Friend
-
- Most important, the new features added to Directory OPUS 4.0 won't put off
- users of previous versions for day-to-day tasks -- like formatting floppy
- disks, copying or deleting files, viewing directory lists, viewing image, text
- and HEX files, or playing sound files.
-
- "We didn't kill off an old friend," says Tim Martin, the new president of
- INOVAtronics. "Many upgrades make changes that kill the usability that made
- people like the program in the first place. With Directory OPUS 4.0, we solved
- this problem by making everything optional, and by making it extremely easy
- for OPUS owners to use any or all of the new features they want. Despite all
- the changes," Tim says, "OPUS will remain the most useful tool on your Amiga
- computer."
-
- New Price and Upgrade Policy
-
- Directory OPUS 4.0 carries a new retail price of $99.95, and will be available
- after December 4, 1992. Registered owners of Directory OPUS version 3.4 or
- later can upgrade for $40, plus $5 for shipping and handling. If you own a
- version of Directory OPUS prior to 3.4, the upgrade is $50, plus $5 shipping
- and handling. Directory OPUS 4.0 works with any Amiga with one Megabyte of RAM
- or better, running any version of Kickstart.
-
- To learn more, contact INOVAtronics, 8499 Greenville Ave. #209B, Dallas, TX
- 75231; telephone 214/340-4991, fax 214/340-8514.| You can now communication
- directly with INOVAtronics on the *StarShip* Bulletin Board! Type M555;1 from
- any numbered GEnie page prompt. At the bulletin board prompt, type SET 28 to
- reach Category 28. Then type TOPics for a list of ongoing discussions between
- INOVAtronics representatives and GEnie members. READ whatever topics interest
- you by number, such as READ 1. The company is also available on GEnie by
- leaving GE Mail to INOVATRONICS.
-
- -*-
-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* Amiga *Flash*
- 7th of 8 Stories
-
-
- INOVAtronics Announces
- TURBOprint Dot Matrix Printer Enhancement Software
- ______ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- / __ ) December 4, 1992 - World of Commodore, Toronto
- / / ) /
- / /__/ /
- (______/on't blame the printer if your dot matrix output usually includes
- unaesthetic horizontal banding, jaggies, unintended machine-like dot patterns
- or colors different from those you saw onscreen. The problem may not be in the
- hardware but in the quality of your Amiga printer driver software. To help
- your dot matrix printer live up to its full output potential, INOVAtronics
- announces TURBOprint 2.0, a new multi-featured Amiga printer driver package
- for both color and black & white dot matrix printers.
-
- TURBOprint lets you output monochrome or color text and graphics to the
- highest possible resolution of your printer. There is a special half-line mode
- that minimizes horizontal banding, while two optional levels of smoothing
- algorithm eliminate the stairstep "jaggies" normally associated with printing
- Amiga text.
-
- For better image output, TURBOprint provides 14 distinct kinds of rotatable
- print dithering (including halftone, TV-like rasterized, and 2 high resolution
- Floyd-Steinberg types). For color printing, TURBOprint comes with tools that
- provide a large degree of direct control over color correction and brightness,
- thanks to a flexible "gamma-curve" tool. It also does exceptional color seps.
- Other features built into TURBOprint include the ability to posterize and
- print wall-size images in any proportion, and up to 64 pages (8 x 8 pages).
- You can print selected sections of a screen, or save sections as IFF files.
- You can even print out reversed images of graphics -- such as for printing
- T-shirts with a transfer ribbon.
-
- TURBOprint is easy to learn and use, works with all Amiga software and has
- drivers for almost all current printers. Resident and reset-proof, TURBOprint
- can be called up with a single keystroke and lets you interrupt printing as
- necessary. Written in the more efficient 68k Assembler, TURBOprint's small
- code size and intelligent algorithms allow fast parallel port transfer rates
- for printing with minimal delays. Priced at $129.95 and now shipping,
- TURBOprint is compatible with any Amiga running Workbench 1.3 or 2.0.
- TURBOprint is published by IrseeSoft of Irsee, Germany. To learn more, contact
- INOVAtronics, 8499 Greenville Ave. #209B, Dallas, TX 75231; telephone
- 214/340-4991, fax 214/340-8514.
-
- You can now communication directly with INOVATtronics on the *StarShip*
- Bulletin Board! Type M555;1 from any numbered GEnie page prompt. At the
- bulletin board prompt, type SET 28 to reach Category 28. Then type TOPics for
- a list of ongoing discussions between INOVAtronics representatives and GEnie
- members. READ whatever topics interest you. The company is also available on
- GEnie by leaving GE Mail to INOVATRONICS.
-
- -*-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
- 8th of 8 Stories
-
-
- Conquer Dangers Lurking Beyond the Black Hole
- _ _ with INOVAgame's new Vektor Storm
- ( \ / ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- \ \/ / December 4, 1992 -- World of Commodore, Toronto
- \ /
- / /
- (_/ou can't travel through a Black Hole and survive, according to Stephen
- Hawking, the Cambride University astrophysicist. But if you could "come out"
- on the other side, what kind of a universe would you find? That's the premise
- of Vektor Storm, the first Amiga entertainment software title from the new
- INOVAgames division at INOVAtronics.
-
- Vektor Storm makes you commander of a small space exploration fleet that
- accidentally falls through a Black Hole. On the other side, reality is turned
- upside down as you discover an alternate, fragmented universe where truth is
- false and right is wrong. Even the very laws of physics have changed. Lurking
- in the infinite darkness, an army of nasty alien life forms waits to destroy
- you and your fleet.
-
- To return to this universe, you and your ships must first meet the challenge
- set before you by your alien adversaries -- beat them at their own game. Your
- four ships must fight against an arsenal of intelligent weapons on a series of
- battlegrids. The rules are simple; the stakes are life and death itself!
-
- Vektor Storm is fast-paced action with dizzying perspectives, graphics,
- animation and impressive stereophonic sound. Priced at $39.95, Vektor Storm is
- available now and runs on any Amiga computer with at least 512K RAM, running
- Kickstart version 1.3 or higher, including machines running AmigaDOS 2.0.
-
- To learn more, contact INOVAtronics, 8499 Greenville Ave. #209B, Dallas, TX
- 75231; telephone 214/340-4991, fax 214/340-8514.
-
- You can now communicate directly with INOVAtronics on the *StarShip* Bulletin
- Board! Type M555;1 from any numbered GEnie page prompt. At the bulletin board
- prompt, type SET 28 to reach Category 28. Then type TOPics for a list of
- ongoing discussions between INOVAtronics representatives and GEnie members.
- READ whatever topics interest you by number, such as READ 1. The company is
- also available on GEnie by leaving GE Mail to INOVATRONICS.
-
- -*-
-
-
-
- *StarShip* News BULLETIN!
-
- Important Letter From Commodore to All Amiga Users
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-
- TO: All Amiga Users
-
- FROM: Commodore Business Machines, Inc., Marketing Department
- 1200 Wilson Drive
- West Chester, PA 19380
-
- Commodore Business Machines, Inc. was recently surprised that the magazine
- NEW MEDIA 1993 Multimedia Tool Guide (November issue date) omitted covering
- any information on Amiga product.
-
- Perhaps NEW MEDIA is not aware just how many Multimedia users own and
- respect Amiga product for their diverse uses? And . . . perhaps it would
- be beneficial for NEW MEDIA to have our users tell them about Amiga and its
- Multimedia capabilities.
-
- For comments to NEW MEDIA, you can write to:
-
- David Bunnell,
- Editor in Chief
- New Media Magazine
- 901 Mariner's Island Blvd. Suite 365 Phone: (415) 573-5170
- San Mateo, CA 94404 FAX: (415) 573-5131
-
-
-
-
- Permission is hereby granted to quote ALL or PART of this
- Newscast on a privately owned BBS or in a user group news-
- letter provided you include the following credit:
-
- Reprinted by Permission from the 5-MINUTE Weekend
- News Network, a *StarShip*(tm) Production on GEnie(R).
-
-
- Disclaimer: My only relationship to GE or its subsidiaries, including
- GEIS, is as a subscriber to GEnie.
-
- Jim Loomis LOOMIS@ITHACA.BITNET GEnie: J.LOOMIS
-