User group Newsletter Editors: Utilize this content in your newsletter -- PLEASE ... reference The User Group Network _ / _ UG Network Channel _ / _ NEWS_/ _ Rumor Manager The Rumor Manager is looking for your rumors and tidbits... give him a post! ...or subscribe... see subscription notes below 9910.23 -- Priceline.com; Iomega; AOL Passwords; Firewire at 800 Mbps; GIG+ G4s; Canon Firewireless; Piracy; Wrong Number; Schoolcash.com **** Priceline.com From the won't they ever learn department. Priceline.com was interviewed by Microsoft for a possible deal. Once the sessions were completed, no deal was made. No Priceline is saying that Microsoft is using patented technology on their new web site and is suing them. I guess they didn't watch Pirates of Silicon Valley to see what Gates uses as standard research and development tactics. They also could have talked to Real Networks, Double Space and Apple among others to see how Microsoft treat "potential" partners. Sorry guys. **** Iomega Hard to believe, but with all those Zip drives selling out there, Iomega and the demise of its primary competitor, Iomega still can't make a profit.They posted a larger-than-expected loss for its third financial quarter. Losses totaled $78.3 million on sales of $356.6 million. Guess they need to sell more media. (Note: Jaz cartridges are still over priced. At 1/2 the price, they could probably sell three times as many. But then, they would also have to make them more reliable. **** AOL Passwords Hardly a day goes by but what I don't get an e-mail message telling me I have mail waiting for me at my AOL.Net mailbox, or have a romantic e-card or some other thing. The e-mail includes a link to a web site. Once clicking on the link I am taken to an official AOL looking web site that proceeds to ask me for my screen name and password. PLEASE note that these are NOT AOL properties. (Check that URL) AOL does not ever ask for your screen name and password out side of its normal sign on procedure or its own Netmail service. But you initiate that procedure, they don't! Giving out your password can create all kinds of problems for you including getting your account canceled for sending spam or pornography. Just think what someone could do posing as you. You should also forward a copy of the message to TOS1@aol.com, they will take care of it. Usually getting the account closed within 24 hours. Enough said. **** IEEE 1394 A Business Wire release says that 800 Megabit/Second Silicon Firewire products to be available in early 2000. It wuotes the chairman of the 1394 Trade Association as saying 1/3 of the computers being sold by the end of 2000 will include IEEE 1394 connectors and 90% of new camcorders released in Japan next year will as well. Those new iMacs with iMovie are sounding better all the time. More <http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/991014/ca_1394_tr_1.html> **** G4 Memory Problems If you have a G4 and are planning on adding RAM that will take it over a Gigabyte, you should read about the problem with that situation and its work around at: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n58486 **** Canon gets FireWireless Canon has developed a wireless version of the Firewire (IEEE 1394) bus capable of transmiting data at a rate of 100Mbps. The article indicates that it looks like USB will have an even more difficult time in catching up to Firewire. Also if Apple could get this into their Airport they would really be ahead of anyone else. Imagine wireless broadcast from your video camera to your iMac for editing. **** Pirates Not Targeting Microsoft The Register has a good article about Microsoft's claims of job losses and tax losses in the US because of piracy. It basically points out that it is unlikely that many of the pirates would purchase the software if they couldn't use "free" copies. ... Your Rumor Manager has always thought that the impact of piracy was over rated by the industry and latest estimates are even worse. Moreover, I believe that if the product is found to be useful, most pirates convert to legitimate usage while saving themselves the cost of software that they tried and found wanting. However, that said, if you use a product, you should pay for it. (Including shareware). **** Be Carefull Out There On October 12, the New York Times reported, that a professor in Staten Island was installing his MCI Worldcom Internet software and the modem dialed 911. The 911 was the last three digits of the access number. When the police arrived at his door, he tried to explain what happened but was still given a warning and which was now "a permanent part of his record." He was running a Macintosh with an older OS and MCI said it should have been 8.1. They refused to send a letter to the police department taking blame for the incident. The company said they never heard of an 800 number not completely dialing. To make matters worse, he still can't connect to Worldcom. Time to get another provider I would say. And to the rest of you, be careful with those phone numbers. **** Schoolcash.com During my morning reading, I came across a letter to the editor of the New York Times. It seems that the Times had run an article entitled "P.T.A.'s Tap Into E-Commerce as a Fund-Raiser for Schools," on Oct. 14th. The chief executive of Schoolcash.com had written to tell of his company. "The company was formed by a group of parents who saw the tremendous need for more money to support schools across the nation. We have more than 150 merchants and offer the highest level of rebates among similar sites. We also feature a large No Purchase Necessary section". I took a brief look at it, and it really does look like a good place for school groups to go for help in raising funds. If you are involved in a PTA or some similar school support group, you should check it out. **** America Online/Gateway AOL and Gateway have reached an $800 million agreement to market and distribute each other's products. As part of the two-year deal, AOL will invest $800 million in Gateway Inc.; ($180 million of that in AOL stock.) Gateway will spend $85 million to feature and market AOL products and services on its PCs. Sounds like a major investment to me. But I guess it pushes AOL's plan to be everywhere. Don't forget ... the Rumor Manager invites you to use all or part of his column in your user group newsletter. Please let him know at rumormangr@aol.com and if possible send an electronic copy for the old scrapbook. pau Subscribe to Rumors@lists.user-groups.net DIGEST VERSION: rumors-digest@lists.user-groups.net (recommended) rumors-on@lists.user-groups.net for more information go to: http://www.user-groups.net/ugcommunity/subscribe.html The Rumor Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. Currently working with the Apple Corp of Dallas, the Dallas Mac Pack, Cowtown MUG of Ft. Worth and TUMS (the Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society) doing newsletter articles and the monthly CD-ROM Update. UG Network Channel _ / _ NEWS _ / _ UG Library _ / _ UG Bookshelf To Advertise or become a sponsor -- Contact Jennifer -- Press Releases for publication -- should be directed to: UGNN News Desk at: News-Editor@user-groups.net. Article Reprints -- User Group Network Affiliates may reprint articles as long as full credit is given. Other Non-profit or non-commercial publications should contact us. The UGNN cannot guarantee accuracy or timeliness of articles. Many have been forwarded to us by field correspondents, or press release services. All care is taken to assure the accuracy of URLs and email addresses. Some items may be 30 to 60 days old. The User Group Network is an affiliate of the News-Serve Network - inquiries: Publisher@news-serve.net . . . All commercial names herein, including publication, product, and company names are assumed to be the registered trademarks of their companies. UGN, UGNN, UGNet News, UG Idea Exchange, are all trademarks for The User Group Network, copyright 1997, all rights reserved. Copyright 1999, The User Group Network, http://www.user-groups.net/News-Service.