Australian PC World articles from June 2001

Australian PC World archives from June 2001

Scams and shenanigans: most of us can spot a dodgy car salesmen or a fake charity organisation from a mile off. Yet when we turn our attentions online, unless the site says Scams-R-Us some of us are all too ready to take the plunge, without doing our homework first. (Editorial).
June 1, 2001... Ever have one of those days where you do a really stupid thing? Say you are travelling around Italy and you are tired, exhausted and famished. All you want to do is drop your pack, pig out on some pasta, and put your feet up. So you think...

NSW gets tough on scams. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... The NSW Government has taken a tough stance on computer crime and introduced the Crimes Amendment Computer Offences Bill into Parliament, which proposes to change current legislation so that convicted computer hackers be sentenced to 10 years...

Intel debuts fast DSP chip architecture.
June 1, 2001... Intel debuted its Micro Signal Architecture (MSA), marking the first step towards its new chipset for mobile devices, which is due to launch later this year. The architecture, designed with Analog Devices, features a fast DSP (digital...

Encryption to facilitate execution broadcast.
June 1, 2001... The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to broadcast the execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, but not without the assistance of encryption to ensure that only the families of the 168 victims will be able to watch him die....

HP warns some monitors can deliver electric shock.
June 1, 2001... Hewlett-Packard has discovered a defect in some of its computer monitors that can deliver an electric shock to users. The defect affects a smell percentage of HP's 17in CRT monitors sold since July last year in the US, Canada and several Latin...

Optus cable runs quickly. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... Optus's cable Internet service has been buoyed by a privately conducted report by analysis firm www.consult, showing that its broadband offering is significantly faster than that offered by rival Telstra. Consult's senior analyst Richard...

Iomega settles lawsuit. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... Iomega settled a US class action suit in April by offering users complaining of defects in the company's flagship Zip disk drive product a rebate good for other Iomega hardware. While the vendor denied any problems with its products, it...

Dutch police fight mobile phone theft with SMS bombs.
June 1, 2001... The Amsterdam police force has found a new weapon against the rising theft of mobile telephones: text message bombs. After a user reports their GSM handset stolen, the police, using a specially designed computer system, start sending out...

Central Command releases first P2P antivirus suite.
June 1, 2001... Central Command, a provider of PC antivirus software and computer security services, has announced what it believes is the software industry's first dedicated virus protection for instant messaging (IM) software. The free download of its...

Alston restrains gambling. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... Senator Richard Alston, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, intends to make illegal all online gaming and wagering services, including poker machines, casino games, sports betting and lotteries. The...

Compaq lands supercomputer deals. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... Compaq has been awarded contracts to build what it claims will be the largest supercomputers in both Japan and Australia. Japan's Atomic Energy Research Institute at the Kansai Research Establishment's Advanced Photon Research Centre will...

Nextel introduces Java phone.
June 1, 2001... Nextel Communications has announced the release of its i85s Java-enabled phones. Manufactured in partnership with Motorola, the i85s is among the first phones to use Java and will come loaded with a number of applications, including...

Online music deal launched.
June 1, 2001... RealNetworks plans to launch a platform for online music subscription services in conjunction with three of the five big music labels. Called MusicNet, the service will combine the music assets of Bertelsmann, EMI and AOL Time Warner. The...

E Ink demos first active matrix electronic ink display. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... E Ink, a maker of electronic ink technology, is one step closer to the creation of an active-matrix version of paper-like electronic ink displays that could be used in mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and reader devices. ...

Dutch turn to biometrics. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... In its search for effective measures against "look-a-like" fraud in which passports and other documents are illegally shared, the Dutch Government is turning to biometrics. Trials involving scanning of irises and faces will start in June. ...

IBM announces chips for Internet appliances.
June 1, 2001... IBM has announced a new line of chips intended to support Internet appliances -- Internet-connected, low-power consumer devices that are more portable and flexible than traditional PCs. The move continues the push IBM and other developers are...

IDC: MP3 players to sell like hotcakes. (News Analysis).
June 1, 2001... Music fans will trade in their portable CD players for MP3- and other compression-technology players... eventually, according to market research from IDC. But new devices will probably rely on something other than flash memory to store the...

Pioneer sent 10,000 customers virus e-mail messages.
June 1, 2001... Japanese electronic firm Pioneer inadvertently sent virus-infected e-mall messages to more than 10,000 customers and infected the computers of at least 19 of them, the company reported recently. The incident occurred on 2 March when Pioneer...

BT to increase mobile coverage with phone booths.
June 1, 2001... In a move to save its 140,000 pay phones around the UK, telephone giant British Telecommunications (BT) is now offering mobile phone operators the possibility to rent space for small mobile phone base stations in pay phones, to get better...

Prime contender iPrimus JetStream ADSL Internet reviewed. (broadband).
June 1, 2001... The account for which I signed the contract, and used to test the service, was the $115 per month HomeJet 1.5M/256K (1.5Mbps downstream, 256Kbps upstream) connection with unlimited downloads and phone pre-selection. Since I signed up, Primus...

Sensible censorship? (Censorware).
June 1, 2001... Is your child safe on the Internet? This is the kind of question that can make parents panic and is a line often used to hawk censor services and programs (also known as censorware). If you think censorware is a quick and easy solution to child...

Four arrested in online banking scam. (online news).
June 1, 2001... Two individuals in Switzerland and another two in San Francisco were arrested in connection with an Internet banking scam worth some $US3.9 billion, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which monitors banking fraud. ...

Intel, OradNet kick off 3D soccer online. (online news).
June 1, 2001... Intel has teamed with sports Webcasting company OradNet to develop a system that allows users to watch soccer games over the Web in a three-dimensional, graphical rendering that looks a bit like a video game. Called ToPlay Soccer, the...

AOL Instant Messaging knocked out. (online news).
June 1, 2001... An unspecified glitch temporarily knocked out America Online's Instant Messenger service recently, keeping some users out of their "buddy lists" and unable to use the communication tool. AOL could not identify the cause of the problem but a...

OptusNet rewards customers with NetRollover. (online news).
June 1, 2001... Optus has launched an aggressive new offer to grow its existing 300,000 OptusNet customer base. The ISP will now allow customers on monthly plans to `roll over' any unused Internet hours by giving them up to three months to use their included...

Rock the clock. (tech.files).
June 1, 2001... Overclocking is the computer enthusiast's equivalent of modifying a car's engine to make it go faster. A processor arrives from the factory with a certain official speed rating designed to let it operate reliably under the conditions it is...

Extreme ultraviolet process unveiled. (tech.news).
June 1, 2001... The EUV Industry Consortium has unveiled a prototype machine that by 2006, could make chips smaller and nearly 10 times faster than they are today. Using extreme ultraviolet light to print circuits onto microchips in a method similar to...

Latest AMD and Intel chips compared. (tech.news).
June 1, 2001... Intel's latest Pentium 4 runs at 1.7GHz -- a 200MHz bump from last year's first P4s. Even so, the tests of our colleagues at US PC World find the chip still locked in a tight battle with AMD's premier CPU, the 1.33GHz Athlon. The P4 beats...

Motorola Timeport P7389i and Telstra MobileNet GPRS: Internet phone. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... Many of us are familiar with the WAP (wireless application protocol) feature incorporated into a number of recent mobile phones, which makes them capable of exchanging e-mail and visiting some Internet sites. WAP has many limitations, chief...

Intel Pocket Concert Audio Player, Kodak MC3, HyperHyde MDM-H2: MP3 players. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... MP3 PLAYERS MP3 players continue to be among the most popular digital appliances. We look at three players, each with a new feature -- bigger memory, photographic capabilities, or tiny size. Intel's Pocket Concert Audio Player ...

Internet Explorer 6 beta: Web browser. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... Internet Explorer dominates the world of Web browsers, both in numbers and in quality. The sixth version of this program is under development as the core browser technology for Windows XP, and we've taken a look at a pre-release copy for a...

Tonka Space Station, Nicktoons Racing, Lego My World School Skills: software for kids. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... An educational game for younger kids is a bit of a balancing act. The game must be simple enough that younger kids can play it, but complex enough to hold their attention. We tested a few to see how they did -- not all managed the tightrope...

Iomega QuikSync 3: backup software. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... Are you just too busy to back up those important computer files? Iomega's new QuikSync 3 program instantly saves your data to a second drive, so you're always covered if your hard drive goes belly-up. Unlike previous versions, which worked only...

Palm m500 and m505: handheld computers. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... The simplicity and elegance of Palm connected organisers have made them the most popular personal digital assistants (PDAs). A growing number of PDA buyers are turning to feature-rich competitors, however -- to Pocket PCs with fancy multimedia...

Kodak PM200: colour photo printer. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... The Personal Picture Maker 200 is a hybrid product, combining Lexmark's print technology with Kodak's photographic knowledge. The result is a photolab printer designed for home use. The Picture Maker can be used as a standard PC printer,...

Cambridge SoundWorks PlayDock PD200: MP3 accessory. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... Designed specifically for use with the Creative Nomad Jukebox, the Cambridge SoundWorks PlayDock PD200 will turn your portable device into a booming ghetto blaster. The PlayDock will fit snugly into an area not much bigger than 30cm...

Hauppauge WinTV PVR: video on disc. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... This TV tuner and video capture card features FM radio, composite and separated VHS video input, teletext and closed caption display. The software component concentrates on making the card replace a VCR for better control of the TV. For...

Adobe After Effects Standard 5.0 beta: visual effects software. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... True 3D compositing capabilities have been added to Adobe's popular professional video effects software, as well as some innovative interface goodies and a powerful scripting language. While the program doesn't attempt to do 3D modelling,...

Info Select 6: personal information manager. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... There's no other way to say it: Micro Logic's Info Select 6 is amazing. This software allows you to collect many different kinds of information on your PC in one organised, searchable space. Version 6 adds many new functions while simplifying...

ATI Radeon 64 DDR: 3D video card. (First Looks).
June 1, 2001... Not only is this one of the more affordable 3D accelerator video cards to include 64MB of DDR SDRAM, it delivers excellent performance for the price, relative to other high-end products. That's not to say it's cheap -- with its recommended...

Smart moves. (Opinions Industry Watch).
June 1, 2001... It was the mid-1980s. It was Paris. It was mid-winter. Your correspondent was stuck in a lift. The lift was jammed because the smartcard she had been handed did not do its job and recognise her as authorised to proceed to the ground floor. ...

Gimme xtra technology. (Opinions The Open Source).
June 1, 2001... Over the last few months, IT editors and analysts have been competing to choose the 10 most significant technologies for business in the last 12 months. Most made some respectable choices -- but naming Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the...

New California dreaming. (Opinions Read Only).
June 1, 2001... Those people who can still afford to travel overseas on our insipid Aussie dollar soon discover that our cultural icons -- meat pies, Coke and The Footy Show -- aren't necessarily shared by other countries. Yes, Virginia, there are still...

The Net space race. (Opinions .Com).
June 1, 2001... Before the lightning growth of the Internet economy and before Yahoo went ballistic, a race was started. The race was to build a broadband Internet in the sky. Now the tech-wreck is upon us, now the Internet has changed how we do nearly...

Fighting Trojan tactics. (Readers' forum).
June 1, 2001... I read the recent letter in Reader's Forum (March 2001, page 57) in regard to the Trojan from Mattel. I have had similar problems. I do not have the experience, knowledge or the time to follow up the cause as Joe Prest did. I have had to...

Photo printer fixes. (Readers' forum).
June 1, 2001... I've had an Epson Stylus Photo for several years now and experienced similar problems to Garry Bright (April 2001 Readers' Forum, page 54). I agree with his comments regarding ink and paper stock, and I think the answer has been under...

More stylus solutions. (Readers' forum).
June 1, 2001... I have over the last few months been buying and reading your magazine from cover to cover, and am very impressed by your variety and quality of content in each issue. I have learned a lot from your articles, please keep it coming. I have...

Super service. (Readers' forum).
June 1, 2001... I would just like to give some positive feedback on a problem that I recently encountered. About one month ago I purchased a SwannSmart2 modem from a local retailer. Three weeks later I misplaced the power cord to this modem. Upon ringing...

Missive of the month. (Readers' forum).
June 1, 2001... Congratulations Nigel Griffiths! You are this month's winner of year's subscription to PC World worth $66. We are pleased to receive your letters, but please keep them to less than 300 words. We reserve the right to edit. letters for...

Safe kids warning: the Web can be hazardous territory for children and teenagers. Try these 22 parent-approved tips to defend them against Internet dangers, from overzealous marketers to online criminals. (Feature Web And You).
June 1, 2001... Kids can come across malicious marketing, harassing e-mail, invasion of privacy, fraud, and hacking on the Internet. They may even encounter -- or, out of curiosity, seek out -- pornography and gambling sites. Many parents also worry that their...

Privacy matters. (Feature Privacy Matters).
June 1, 2001... Though most Internet users remain uneasy about online privacy, many don't fully appreciate what's at stake. When asked to identify their concerns about using the Internet by research group www.consult for its 9th Australian Online Survey,...

Clicking with caution: Part 1: DotCons: how to beat the Web swindlers: auction scams, dangerous downloads, investment and creditcard hoaxes -- the ancient art of the swindle is alive and well on the Internet. Here's how to make sure that you don't become the next victim. (Feature Dot Cons).
June 1, 2001... This past year, did you successfully bid for something at an auction, to find it didn't arrive? Or, buy something from a site only to have the item -- and your money -- mysteriously disappear into the ether? You're not alone. Thousands of...

Operation 1GHz notebooks. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... Time to go undercover with the latest round of high-performance notebooks. These mobiles sport such extras as biometric security, built-in wireless aerials and DVD-ROM drives -- not to mention Inters PIII 1GHz mobile processor -- in fact,...

Acer TravelMate 739GTLV. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... * PIII 1GHz processor * 128MB RAM * 30GB hard drive * 8MB ATI Rage Mobility video controller * 8x DVD-ROM drive Weight: 3.2kg Plus: biometric security with fingerprint sensor Price: $8999 Released in April...

Dell Inspiron 8000. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... * PIII 1GHz processor * 128MB RAM * 30GB hard drive * 8x DVD-ROM drive Weight: 4kg Plus: huge graphics performance via the 32MB GeForce2 Go card and integrated FireWire Price: $5299 At $5299, the Inspiron 8000...

IBM ThinkPad A22p. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... * PIII 1GHz processor * 128MB RAM * 32GB hard drive * 16MB ATI Rage Mobility 128 video controller * 8x4x24 CD-R/RW drive Weight: 3.3kg Plus: UltraPort --essentially a proprietary USB port for extras like a...

Gateway Solo 9500 Deluxe. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... * PIII 1GHz processor * 256MB RAM * 32GB hard drive * 16MB ATI Rage Mobility M4 video controller * 8x DVD-ROM Weight: 4kg Plus: killer 15.7in LCD screen and FireWire connectivity Price: $7499 Weighing 4kg...

Toshiba Tecra 8200. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... * PIII 1GHZ processor * 256MB RAM * 20GB hard disk * 8MB ATI Rage video controller Weight: 2.6 kg Plus: the only system we've seen with a combination DVD-ROM and CD R/RW drive. Also features built-in aerials for both WiFi...

Exclusive: GeForce2 Go. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... Dell's 1GHz Inspiron 8000 model featuring the GeForce2 Go evaluated here gave us an exclusive opportunity to investigate what is regarded as the first mobile graphics processor unit (GPU). The GeForce2 Go is capable of handling more than 17...

Speed stats. (Feature Operation Overdrive).
June 1, 2001... SPEED STATS Acer TravelMate Dell Inspiron IBM ThinkPad 739GTLV 8000 A22p SYSMark 2000 155 163 160 PCWorldBench 2000 151...

Network your home: wireless and wired home networks compared. (Feature Home Networking).
June 1, 2001... Have a couple of PCs at home and want to share peripherals and Net connections? What about a notebook you use at work -- but also at home for all that stuff you didn't get to during the day? Chances are you've already considered installing a...

The wireless home networks standards war. (Feature Home Networking).
June 1, 2001... You've got a few computers. You've got broadband Internet access. Now you want to pull everything together with a wireless network so you can share the wealth of bandwidth (not to mention printers and files) without having to run cables all...

I'll take the wired road. (Feature Home Networking).
June 1, 2001... It's only in recent years that computer networks have become a viable option in the home. The reasons for this vary, but the main ones are the drop in computing and networking hardware prices and the increased ease in setting up a home network....

Wireless networking: easier than you think. (Feature Home Networking).
June 1, 2001... The cabled network has served everyone well, whether it's the multi-node client-server found in the business world or just a plain little peer-to-peer network found in many homes, and the price per node does not carry the expense it once did....

E-commerce law: your responsibilities. (Stage 25 E-Commerce Law).
June 1, 2001... You don't need the services of a band of expensive lawyers to give your e-biz the once-over -- eComWorld this month takes a look at some of the legal issues of which e-commerce operations need to be aware. INTRODUCTION From the...

Windows XP at Home. (Feature Windows XP).
June 1, 2001... As the successor to all Windows platforms, Windows XP is touted as being the most stable platform for both home users and business users alike. Why? Because with Windows XP, Microsoft is moving towards a common code base for all its products...

Windows XP at work. (Feature Windows XP).
June 1, 2001... While the interface of Windows XP offers users a new view of their Microsoft world, those interested in XP for work rather than entertainment need to look carefully for a small number of significant additions that take the product beyond...

Office XP Professional + FrontPage. (Feature Office XP).
June 1, 2001... Next to its operating system, Microsoft's most important product is its office suite, which can be found on almost as many computers as Windows itself. Office XP is the latest revision of this collection of applications, and looks like the best...

Best buys: home, sub-$2000 & business PCs. (Best Buys PCs).
June 1, 2001... HOME PCs 1 Australia IT Bravura 1900 Series NEW This machine was able to produce results that, in the 2D realm, are so far unsurpassed by Windows 98 machines that we have seen in the PC World Test Centre. A PC WorldBench 2000...

Power notebooks. (Best Buys Notebooks).
June 1, 2001... POWER NOTEBOOKS 1 Dell Inspiron 8000 RE-TESTED Within the dark grey casing of the 8000 is a PIII 1GHz, 128MB of RAM, 32MB DDR SDRAM NVIDIA GeForce2 Go video controller, ESS Maestro 3 audio controller, 8x DVD-ROM drive, single...

Notebooks best buys. (Best Buys Notebooks).
June 1, 2001... Make/model Value Performance rating rating POWER 1 Dell Inspiron 8000 75 (a) 163 (b) 152 ...

Value notebooks. (Best Buys Notebooks).
June 1, 2001... 1 Toshiba Satellite 1730XCDT NEW The sleekest, sexiest satellite in the cosmos wasn't launched by NASA, the Chinese or the Russians; it's made by Toshiba and it's called the 1730CXDT. Nowhere near as expensive as the orbiting variety, the...

Best buys: webcams.
June 1, 2001... Ever wanted to videophone loved ones over long distances, own a simple video camera, send video mail, set up a simple motion detection security system or just plain be able to take as many photos on the run as you like without having to worry...

Less than $150. (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... Creative WebCam PROS: Ease of setup, functional and comprehensive software package CONS: Slightly fuzzy/snowy image, no built-in or bundled microphone This is the only webcam in Creative's new product line-up that is dedicated to...

$150-$200. (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... Creative WebCam Go Mini PROS: Ease of setup, functional and comprehensive software package CONS: No built-in or bundled microphone The cream-coloured WebCam Go Mini is Creative's mid-range model, offering both webcam and portable...

Over $200. (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... Creative WebCam G0 Plus ES PROS: Ease of setup, functional and comprehensive software package, great storage CONS: No built-in or bundled microphone At the top of Creative's brand-new product line resides the WebCam Go Plus ES,...

Best buys webcams.
June 1, 2001... BEST BUYS WEBCAMS RRP inc GST/ Camera Warranty What's In the Box OVER $200 Creative $299 Installation CD includes WebCam WebCam 1 year PhotoEditor, FlipViewer,...

Irez USB Live! (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... Through its RCA video in, the Irez USB Live! video capture adapter cable lets video cameras, camcorders, VCRs or TV tuners be connected to either a PC or a Macintosh. Bundled applications allow you to capture video at up to 30fps at a...

Wireless Xcam 2. (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... The Xcam 2 package includes a wireless 16.7 million colour camera with built-in microphone. It uses the 2.4GHz frequency to transmit to any video and audio input/output or SCART connector with the supplied cables and a receiver that works with...

Lego Vision (Lego MindStorms). (Best Buys Webcams).
June 1, 2001... The Vision Command system, featuring the Leon Cam, allows your kids (or you!) to program anything from a motion-sensitive spy camera to a music synthesiser that you can play with your hand -- just like a theremin or Roland's D-Beam technology....

GNOME 1.4 (including Nautilus). (using Linux).
June 1, 2001... GNOME (www.gnome.org) has undergone some major changes for the 1.4 release which should see it maintain pace with the other major Linux desktop, KDE. The release last year of KDE 2.0 with a rewritten interface, additional applications and...

Caldera OpenLinux 3.1 beta. (technology).
June 1, 2001... Unlike the majority of commercial distributors, Caldera Systems (www.calderasystems.com.au) has kept to its annual release schedule for its OpenLinux operating system with a public beta of 3.1, code named Sybil. This successor to OpenLinux 2.4...

Playing with MAME. (Putting Linux to work).
June 1, 2001... MAME, or Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator (www. mame.net), is an open source project that allows arcade games to be played on standard PCs. The MAME project was founded by Nicola Salmoria in late 1996 and its development is still led by...

Installing and configuring a webcam. (here's how).
June 1, 2001... Our Best Buys feature this month focuses on comparing a number of different web cameras that are currently on the market (see page 132), so we thought this would be a good time to provide a guide on how to actually go about adding one of these...