Aaron Dobbins

ActiveWin has posted an extensive review of the upcoming new operating system from Microsoft, Windows Me. A slew of reviews have been written on the subject, and ActiveWin has not fallen short, detailing the finer points of the system and the draws to getting it when it arrives in September. The review comes in eleven parts with a whole mess of screenshots for you to look at. Windows Me went gold a few weeks ago, and is expected to hit store shelves on September 14th. For more information read the review at ActiveWin.

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TechHack has written an interesting article on how to make your Dreamcast 'leet. It includes tips on changing the case for your Dreamcast to a cool translucent colored one. It seems to be a fairly simple process, just unscrewing four screws from the bottom of the console. There are currently two types of replacement shells for the Dreamcast, an unnofficial import and one designed by Sega itself, which comes in a wide variety of flavors. For more information on replacing the casing around your console, and where to find that cool colored one to make your Dreamcast 'leet, visit TechHack.

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The Register is reporting the first glimpse of Intel's pricing scheme for its forthcoming Pentium IV, formerly known as Willamette. In September the 1.3GHz member of the PIV family will reportedly cost $895 (in 1000 unit quantities), while its more speedy sibling, the 1.4GHz member will ring up for less, at $795. Two months after their debut, Intel is expected to cut those prices to $795 and $625 respectively. For more information about the Pentium IV, visit Intel, or read the article at The Register.

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A new program from Neoworx is open for a time-limited beta trial. Starting today, users can download the program for a compatability test to make sure the program works well with all hardware. The program itself is designed to deny a hacker entrance to your computer while simultaneously tracing the route back to the intruder. The program then displays a world map with the location of the intruder, and logs the IP for later use. The software is currently not compatible with Windows 2000 or Windows NT. For more information visit the HackTracer Web site.

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According to an article written by Paul Thurrot this weekend, installing Windows IE 5.01 SP1 may not be worth it at all. It seems that the installation has caused problems with Microsoft's Office 2000, and Office 2000 SR1a. The update to Internet Explorer apparently breaks the help available in these programs, but can be fixed with the proper registry editing steps. Thurrott reports, "it is with some reluctance that I must advise users against downloading and install IE 5.01 SP1, unless you're comfortable with a little Registry editing." For more information about how to fix the problem visit WinInformant.

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FotoTime has released the next version of its popular photo-sharing and organizing software entitled FotoAlbum. This newest version allows users to create a CD image to quickly and easily archive photos on CDs. Startup time has been improved, along with adding support for various digital cameras and added preferences. With FotoAlbum and an account on the FotoTime Web site, netizens can share pictures either scanned or taken from digital pictures, and have them all stored on the Web for easy access. Visit FotoTime for more information, or download FotoAlbum from FileForum now.

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Digital Software Inc., a privately held digital media
promotions company, today touted a system it has created,
which embeds advertising into MP3 files as a possible solution to the
record industry's current online music-distribution woes.

However, while the system may satisfy artists and record
labels, it remains to be seen how consumers will take to the company's
Digital Payload's technology.

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Blue Byte and Adrenaline Vault have teamed together to offer 5,000 strategy game fans around the world the opportunity to beta test Settlers IV. The testing will begin at the end of July, and those who are chosen will be notified by e-mail. A second round of beta testing will take place at a later date, at which time Blue Byte will offer more openings to get a sneak peek at the game. For more information and to sign up, visit Blue Byte.

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Sweden-based game company O3 Games is looking for beta testers and game enthusiasts world-wide to stress test its latest game entitled "The Outforce". A space situated real time strategy game, The Outforce is a game inspired by classics such as Dune 2, Command and Conquer, and the Warcraft/Starcraft series of games. Check out the Outforce Web site for more information, or sign up today to beta test. If you are in Sweden, you can even join the crew for late night in-house games.

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Vista Software has released for testing the first stand-alone SQL database server specifically designed and created for use with Active Server Pages. Vista Software CTO Med Shakeri told the press "We conceived Apollo ASP last year out of sheer necessity, and ultimately developed it with broad appeal in mind. We understand what professional ASP developers need in terms of data management and Apollo ASP really delivers. We are very excited about Apollo ASP as well as ASP technology as a whole." The beta period is expected to be relatively short due to extensive in-house testing, so visit http://www.ApolloDatabase.com for more information.

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America Online Inc. has been accused of violating the rights of its subscribers by using the Netscape Web browser to capture the Web surfing activities of AOL subscribers.

A class action lawsuit was filed on Friday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York (New York City). The lawsuit also names Netscape Communications Corporation as a co-defendant and is seeking damages based on the number of users of the Netscape Web browser.

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Microsoft has made available two new text-to-speech engines on the Microsoft Web site. These new engines enable foreign language exchanges to occur with Microsoft Agent 2.0. The new engines cover areas where British English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian and Spanish are spoken. The engines will be included on many computers sporting the new Windows Me that will arrive later this year. Visit Microsoft for more information and to download the new engines.

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MSDN has posted a lengthy technical article on the new features and abilities added to Microsoft Exchange 2000. Amongst these added features comes integration with Active Directory and tools to easily create workflow applications and models. XML support has been added in this latest version, and includes a completely rewritten Collaboration Data Objects (CDO). You can also download the Exchange 2000 RC2 Preview SDK from MSDN to get started building applications now. Read the article about Exchange 2000 from MSDN for more information.

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The Redmond giant has opened beta testing registration for its all-in-one eCommerce solution, Commerce Server 2000. The software allows anyone to "quickly and easily set up shop on the Internet." The beta includes the ability to target content to users, and let managers respond to customer needs and demands quickly. The beta for Commerce Server 2000 will expire on October 31, 2000 and can be ordered on CD. Visit the Commerce Server 2000 beta site for more information.

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Purplexd Designs has posted the first screenshots of its newest game, Unity Station, a 3D sci-fi game currently being developed. The company requested the help of beta testers and gaming enthusiasts just over a month ago to aid in the creation and conceptual design of the game, and will be hard at work to finish the game in a timely manner. The final product of Unity Station will be a free RPG available through the company. Visit Purplexd Designs for more information.

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