User group Newsletter Editors: Utilize this content in your newsletter -- PLEASE ... reference The User Group Network _ / _ UG Network Channel _ / _ NEWS_/ _ Info Manager Shareware Manager is coming: YUM! Show us the shareware! The Info Manager is looking for your rumors and tidbits... give him a post! ...or subscribe... see subscription notes below Info Manager - 7/28/Y2K More MacWorld Expo NYC; Newer; Adobe; Canvas Lite; AACUG; Another Privacy issue; Lightshare; WinMac? **** The Info Manager didn't make it to NYC this year. So most of my comments here both this week and last came from reading news stories on the Internet mostly at MacWeek, Macintouch and IGM. Here are some of the other announcements via those sites: **** Newer Technology once again made a major upgrade announcement. It announced the first ever G4 processor upgrades for iMac computers. It also announce price reductions on its G3 iMac cards. The iMAXpowr G4 is now shipping (although constrained) and costs $549 after returning your processor to Newer. Complete story at: http://www.insanely-great.com/contentfeed.html?2000/07/19/09/26513836 Or go direct to Newer's site. http://www.newertech.com/ **** Adobe Computer World is saying that Adobe is raising prices across its product line on September 1. One dealer was quoted that prices were almost doubling. To me that sounds like a nasty rumor, but it is quite possible that prices are going up despite the fact that Adobe is actually making money, unlike some of its competitors. But then again as they become almost a monopoly with the state of Corel these days, they very well could. Perhaps more of us should look at Canvas. (Story at: http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0%2C1199%2CNAV47_STO47340%2C00.html?pm) **** Canvas Bob Levitus in his weekly column on the Houston Chronicle web site is telling us that Deneba has announced a "lite" version of Canvas called Canvas 7 SE that will sell for only $99.95. (See what I mean). Bob says only things that appeal to the professional graphic artist have been left out. See the column at: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/tech/608633 **** AACUG ... Association of Apple Computer User Groups As expected and widely reported, the Association of Apple Computer User Groups was kicked off with terrific fan fare at Expo. Apparently the Thursday meeting in the UG resting area went well. But, I have been hearing a rumor that the officers of AACUG are getting paid. In truth, they are getting paid about as much as most of the officers of MUGs around the world. Zilch __ It is hard to know how these things get started. Perhaps by those who have gotten used to other people supplying all the operating cash of an organization and don't want to pay any dues. Or by people with other conflicting interests. In any case, the code for the 501(c)(3) is available in pdf format at: http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf In Chapter 3, page 14 you will find a paragraph that says: __ "2) No part of the organization's net earnings will inure to the benefit of private shareholders or individuals. You must establish that hour organization will not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interest, such as the creator or the creator's family, shareholders of the organization, other designated individuals, or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests." __ So legally, they can not be paid. Although it is possible for the non-profit corporation to have employees, under the above paragraph, they creator can not benefit from it. __ Hopefully this will put the rumor to rest and let progress continue. To the RM, it really sounds like something we have needed for a long time and will provide a more financially sound organization than we have with UGN which is primarily supported by its founders. As with your user group, the organization will only work as well as the support it gets from its members. So join soon and then volunteer to help out. **** A new web privacy worry According to the BBC, a program for looking at your computer can be "placed" in a dot on an html page. The article says that it gives us more reason to stick to text only e-mail and browsing. See it at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_842000/842624.stm **** Lightshare A new company called Lightshare has started up to allow people to sell product to each other using the Gnutella type of file exchange. For more detail, see http://www.lightshare.com and http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-2302329.html?tag=st.ne.1002.tgif.ni **** Windows to look like Mac? According to several sources, there are two potential new front end enhancements to Windows concealed within a preview edition of Whistler -- (code name of an upcoming version of Windows 2000) -- have begun to surface. These are a "Start Panel" and a "Start Page". Both of them are DHTML based and once activated they can be used as alternatives to the Start menu. This would give windows a "dock" and a "Finder" that would be similar to the Mac. The current version is still in beta and apparently still very buggy, but it looks like Microsoft R&D is a live and well in Cupertino. More info at: http://betanews.efront.com/article.php3?sid=964053944 and http://www.wininformant.com/display.asp?ID=2833 **** FedEx FedEx has setup an online store on its web sites, to help small businesses manage their on-line sales. The starter kit is free to fedex.com customers. The system can be used for order entry, order processing, biling and shipments using FedEx. See the Fedex web site for more details: http://www.fedex.com **** Quote of the week: "It's just another form of grabbing eyeballs. The question I would ask is, are those the eyeballs you really want?" --Harry Wolhandler, vice president of research at Web marketing analysis firm ActivMedia Research in Peterborough, N.H., speaking about services that pay people to surf the Web. (Quoted in InfoWorld e-mail newsletter. **** Web Site of the Week: just for laughs - comic sites Ok, so it is web sites. How about a bunch of comics. Here is a list of sites I have found: http://www.unitedmedia.com/html/sitemap.html http://www.creators.com/comics/ http://www.comicspage.com/ http://www.kingfeatures.com/comics/comicman.htm http://www.lats.com/lats/what/index.html http://www.uexpress.com/ups/comics/ or for New Yorker magazine cartoons: http://www.cartoonbank.com If you want to see the up and coming comics try: http://www.ultranet.com/~cdesign/ Of course, the site I have used for a couple of years now is via The San Jose Mercury newspaper site. (The Mercury Center) They have over 100 that you can pick from and set up your personal page by registering. If they only had Gasoline Alley, I probably wouldn't go any further. http://cgi.mercurycenter.com/comics/ **** pau **** Don't forget ... the Info Manager invites you to use all or part of his column in your user group newsletter. Please let him know, and if possible send an electronic copy for the old scrapbook. Any suggestions for topics and reports of rumors are always welcome. Please me know. Thanks The Info 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. Post a lead Rumor Manager should follow up on. Subscribe to Rumors@lists.user-groups.net rumors-on@lists.user-groups.net for more information go to: http://www.user-groups.net/ugcommunity/subscribe.html UG Network Channel _ / _ NEWS _ / _ UG Library _ / _ UG Bookshelf 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 - 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 2001, all rights reserved. Copyright 2001, The User Group Network, http://www.user-groups.net/News-Service.