INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Thu, 15 Feb 90       Volume 90 : Issue  208
 
Today's Topics:
                         Club pirating orgies
                             FORMDIAL.PRG
                  Manipulation of Courtroom Evidence
                         Mega 2 Fan Question
                      Neodesk trashcan accessory
                     Some Atari dealers in Canada
                   Waterproofing HP DeskJet output.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Feb 90 19:12:15 GMT
From: amdahl!pacbell!sactoh0!mfolivo@apple.com  (Mark F. Newton)
Subject: Club pirating orgies
Message-ID: <2554@sactoh0.UUCP>
 
Heck, if you really want to make a difference, don't just write a
letter,or make an announcement saying you're clean, the pirate
boards just laugh in your face anyway, what do they care?
 
Heck, just infiltrate the bloody organization, and format their
hard disk, or palm an indistrial magnet, and run them over the
disks....
 
Plant worms, viruses, program new viruses to screw up their
systems. Do something, rather than point and hope someone does
something.
 
Besides, *DON'T* believe all the "we're clean" postings, as here in
Sacramento, an Atari BBS had a "secret" download section full of
pirated Atari software, while they claimed that they do not condone
pirating. See, what do pirates care? Unfortunately, although I was
close to breaking in, I was cut off... I was close though...
 
Mata ne da-tcha,
Mark Newton-John
 
--
--
   (ames att sun)!pacbell! \      Sakura-mendo, CA
           ucdavis!csusac! - sactoh0!mfolivo
              uunet!mmsac! /      the good guys!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 15 Feb 90 16:11:06 GMT
From:
 mcgill-vision!clyde.concordia.ca!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!barry@bloom-beac
 on.mit.edu  (Barry Lay)
Subject: FORMDIAL.PRG
Message-ID: <1990Feb15.161106.17781@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
 
There is an example of handling dialogs in Tim Oren's ProGem series.  If you
the form_do() in a loop awaiting the proper "exit" button, then wrap it in
calls to form_draw() (is that the right call?), you shouldn't have a problem.
As I recall, the form_draw() routine takes a numeric parameter which indicates
its function.  Zero allocates a screen area (whatever that means), one animates
the zoom out, two animates the zoom in, and three releases the screen area,
causing the redraw messages.  Mr. Oren points out that calling form_draw() with
a function code of three and the coordinates of the desktop will cause redraws
to be sent for all windows; that is, there is no "balancing" required.  I don't
understand why you have to wait for the redraw to carry on.  If your program
handles messages as they arrive, this shouldn't be an issue.
 
Barry Lay
University of Toronto
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 15 Feb 90 15:51:26 GMT
From:
 pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ap
 lcen!jhunix!barrett@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Dan Barrett)
Subject: Manipulation of Courtroom Evidence
Message-ID: <4240@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU>
 
In article <102034@pyramid.pyramid.com> wniren@pyrtech (Walter Nirenberg)
 writes:
>...the impact of recent computer
>graphics technology advances on the use of video and photographs as
>courtroom evidence.  As many of you may know, it has been possible
>over the past few years to manipulate photographs and videos at
>a bit-level using new generations of graphics computers.  The results
>are that you can completely alter what these media display.
 
>Is there software available for these inexpensive machines to enable average
>people to do this?  Has anyone seen examples of this kind of manipulation?
 
        Well, we have a relatively expensive Pixar graphics machine
($40,000) that produces pictures so lifelike that it's uncanny.  Note
that I said "produces", not "alters."  These pictures are NOT photographs,
but are completely computer-generated.
        So, not only can pictures be altered, but also they can be CREATED
FROM SCRATCH.
 
        I own a Commodore Amiga, and indeed it is possible to retouch photos
on screen.  Right now, the screen resolution of the Amiga (approx. 750 x 480
pixels in 4096 simultaneous colors) can display stunning pictures, but I
don't know how you would get an altered screen picture back onto a photograph.
You could photograph the screen, but that might result in a great loss of
quality compared to the original photo.  Perhaps there is a better-quality
way to do this.
 
>We're talking about a tremendous potential for "disinformation"...
 
        If you think about it, this isn't much different from the situation
that exists anyway.  If you bring a piece of evidence into a courtroom, it
could be completely fake REGARDLESS of its medium.  Documents can be forged,
alibis invented, fingerprints faked, guns substituted for other guns, etc.
In addition, it has long been possible to "stage" photographs.
 
        So, I see the real problem is one of educating your jurors and other
judicial personnel in what fakery is possible.  A photograph of my shooting
the president is not proof -- just evidence.  And it is up to the judicial
system to accept or reject that evidence.
 
        On the other hand, people tend to believe with their eyes more than
with any other of their senses.  I could see that fake photographs could
sway a jury toward the wrong decision.
 
        People have been saying for years that technology is racing ahead
faster than the software industry and the legal industry can handle it.
Well, it's true.  But forewarned is forearmed.
 
                                                        Dan
 
 //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| Dan Barrett     -      Systems Administrator, Computer Science Department |
| The Johns Hopkins University, 34th and Charles Sts., Baltimore, MD  21218 |
| INTERNET:   barrett@cs.jhu.edu           |                                |
| COMPUSERVE: >internet:barrett@cs.jhu.edu | UUCP:   barrett@jhunix.UUCP    |
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 15 Feb 90 15:03:39 GMT
From: maytag!water!ljdickey@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (L.J.Dickey)
Subject: Mega 2 Fan Question
Message-ID: <2990@water.waterloo.edu>
 
In article <76921@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <bks@cis.ohio-state.edu> writes:
>
> I have a mega 2 with PC speed installed, and one external SF314 disk drive.
>When either disk drive is accessed the fan in the mega slows down...
>Is this a normal condition? Should I check my power supply? Could it have
>anything to do with PC Speed?
 
My Mega 2 does this too.  Did it when it was new.  Still does it now.
I take it to mean marginal power supply and heavy current draw by the
motor for the drive.  So far, I have no hardware additions.
 
Anyone else who knows better have comments on this?
 
--
    L. J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo.
        ljdickey@water.UWaterloo.ca     ljdickey@water.BITNET
        ljdickey@water.UUCP             ..!uunet!watmath!water!ljdickey
        ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 15 Feb 90 15:41:40 GMT
From: matthews@umd5.umd.edu  (Mike Matthews)
Subject: Neodesk trashcan accessory
Message-ID: <6132@umd5.umd.edu>
 
In article <2015@gmdzi.UUCP> focke@gmdzi.UUCP (Stefan Focke) writes:
>Hello,
>
>can anyone tell what this accessory is good for?
>
>Thanks
>
>    Stefan
>
 
It gives you a recoverable trashcan with Neodesk 2.05 and later.  When you
delete files, you can recover them later.
 
You install a new trashcan icon (included in the package) by dragging the
trashcan.acc to the desktop (they recommend removing the old trashcan icon so
you don't get confused), and whenever you delete a file, it puts it into a sort
of limbo; a trashcan.dat (or some such) hidden file is written to that disk,
and you can recover 'at any time' the file(s) in question.  Works very similar
to the Mac trashcan; note that when you "delete" the file it'll still take disk
space.  Also, if you run ICD's Cleanup or Tuneup or (I imagine) Hard Disk Sentry
on a disk that has "deleted" files, it'll muff things up.
 
Mike
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 15 Feb 90 15:21:25 GMT
From: maytag!water!ljdickey@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (L.J.Dickey)
Subject: Some Atari dealers in Canada
Message-ID: <2991@water.waterloo.edu>
 
In article <3436@plains.UUCP> blee@plains.UUCP (Blaine Lee) writes:
>In article <20919@watdragon.waterloo.edu> ljdickey@poppy.waterloo.edu (Lee
 Dickey) writes:
 
 > Just remember it IS illegal and if you are caught expect to loose your
 > computer.
 
I just want to clarify:
I am not suggesting or encouraging any illegal activity.
Blaine does not say just what illegal act he has in mind.
Perhaps he is thinking of smuggling.  I do not suggest that.
 
>I hope in the future Canadian dealers will not sell to Americans,
>I believe it IS risky for them.
 
There are several ways that Americans can buy from Canadian
dealers with no risk to anyone.  Do you have a financial interest
in the success of an Atari dealership near the Canadian border?
 
--
    L. J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo.
        ljdickey@water.UWaterloo.ca     ljdickey@water.BITNET
        ljdickey@water.UUCP             ..!uunet!watmath!water!ljdickey
        ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Feb 90 19:18:35 GMT
From: amdahl!pacbell!sactoh0!mfolivo@apple.com  (Mark F. Newton)
Subject: Waterproofing HP DeskJet output.
Message-ID: <2555@sactoh0.UUCP>
 
In article <1990Feb12.232545.19373@ns.network.com>, logajan@ns.network.com (John
 Logajan) writes:
> I have taken to waterproofing my HP DeskJet output (like the addresses
> on envelopes) by spraying it with Krylon Matte Finish.  I picked up a
> can at a local stationary store for four or five bucks.  Thus stuff
> dries in a couple of minutes.
>
> Actually, it is more like water-resistant than water-proof.
>
 
Heh, I had to read that twice. Worrying that your paper can't stand
any water threw me... Paper, by it's nature, does not hold up to a
shower very well. But I understand the problems with the water
based ink in HP DJs.
 
I supose if you really want a "hard" copy, run it on a copier. No
wait, that's too simple, and lo-tech.... heh heh
 
Ja ne da-tcha,
Mark Newton-John
 
--
--
   (ames att sun)!pacbell! \      Sakura-mendo, CA
           ucdavis!csusac! - sactoh0!mfolivo
              uunet!mmsac! /      the good guys!
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #208
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