Updates from last month's column:

SciTech Display Doctor beta 38 was released as of 01/17/2001. This version adds interrupt mouse cursor support, which fixes the incompatability with the Kensington mouse drivers. Go to ftp://ftp.scitechsoft.com/sdd/beta/os2/. The list of changes are at http://www.scitechsoft.com/sdd2_changes.txt; the main SciTech page is at http://www.scitechsoft.com/sdd2_os2.html.

For those of you who like to play with alpha/beta versions of software, IBM has released as of 01/30/2001 a new build of Mozilla M18 (the successor to Netscape 4.61). Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/warpzilla/. Also, if you have not installed Mozilla previously, you will need to download, unzip, and install the contents of mozilla-os2-installer-M18.zip as well.

There is now also an XFree86/OS2 version of WarpZilla available as of 01/05/2001. Use search key XWarpzilla on Hobbes.

Polarbar Mailer version 1.19a has been released. This e-mail program came from the source code release of JStreet Mailer. Go to http://www.polarbar.org/.

There is a beta of ASPIROUT.SYS which is needed for some of the free CD recording utilities. It is at version 1.1 beta 4. Go to http://home.clara.net/orac/files/os2/aspirb4.zip.

Audio/Data-CD-Creator version 0.45 is available as of 01/12/2001. It is a folder class for the WPS which works as a front-end for cdrecord/2 for creating audio and data CD's. Just put wavefiles or data into this folder and press "write". Arbitrary ordering of files is possible via drag-and-drop. Go to http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Sector/5785/creator/creatormain.htm.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), billed as THE PhotoShop for Linux, is now at version 1.2 as of 1/14/2001 for use under XFree86/OS2. Go to http://birdy.hpage.net/. There is also a FreeType plug-in available as of 01/17/2001 that can anti-alias and use OS/2 fonts; go to http://www.egroups.com/files/gimp-os2/.

Ray Gwinn has resumed work on the beta of SIO version 2. The beta is now at level 16a as of 01/25/2001. Go to http://www.gwinn.com/. The GA version of SIO is at version 1.60d (as of 03/17/1997).

cdrecord version 1.10a13 is now available as of 01/27/2001. This has the capability of burning single-session, multi-session, or audio CD's. Use search key cdrec on Hobbes.

Matrox has released as of 01/22/2001 version 2.54 of their video drivers. This driver supports all boards from the Millenium to the G450. Go to http://www.matrox.com/mga/support/drivers/files/os2_254.cfm.

CSD 19 for the Graham Utilities for OS/2 v2.0 is now available as of 01/21/2001. This takes it to version 2.10.9. Go to http://www.warpspeed.com.au/u-warp.htm.

The program UpdCD (a.k.a. cdupd) is now at version 1.3 as of 01/30/2001. It now has support for all of the Java update components, a number of bug fixes, and an automated update procedure for Warp Server for e-Business. Also support for the IBM GRADD drivers was added. With UpdCD you can incorporate public FixPaks and other components into your Warp 4 or Warp Server for e-Business install CD. This allows you to install a Y2K-compliant Warp 4 or Warp Server for e-Business on systems with large hard disks right from this CD. Look for UPDCD13.ZIP on Hobbes, or go to http://xenia.sote.hu/~kadzsol/rexx/sajat/updcd.htm.

CoolFM version 1.1 is now available as of 01/30/2001. It is a powerful FM radio tuner control program, compatible with most popular FM tuners. Go to http://os2.ru/projects/coolfm/.

This month's new listings - Drivers:

There is now a driver (as of 01/08/2001) that enables the extra buttons on the IBM Rapid Access Keyboard I. This keyboard is available as an option from IBM and is the default keyboard for a broad range of Aptiva systems. When this driver is loaded, the extra keys will generate Scan Codes like any other key. Use search key ibmra on Hobbes.

The IBM version of SciTech Display Doctor is now at version 7.0.4, dated 12/12/2000; it was released on 01/10/2001. Go to ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/os2ddpak/sddse704.exe.

IBM has updated as of 01/17/2001 the printer drivers for PostScript, ink-jets, laserjets, and plotters to version 30.730. Go to http://service.software.ibm.com/os2ddpak/html/printers/.

IBM has updated as of 01/11/2001 the drivers for CardBus support (PC Card Standard 5.0) for laptops with Cirrus Logic or Texas Instruments Socket Controller chips. Go to ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/os2ddpak/cardbus.exe.

IBM has updated a package of drivers for the Thinkpad T21 series as of 01/02/2001. This package provides PCMCIA CardBus, Trackpoint 4 mouse, SpeedStep Technology, and IDE support. Go to ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/os2ddpak/t21.exe.

This month's new listings - Applications:

IBM has released FixPak 15 for Warp 4 as of 01/10/2001. Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4warp/english-us/xr_m015/. If you use the RSU method, be sure you have the latest version of the RSU utility (version 1.91 as of 03/05/1999; go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/rsu/rsuinstn.exe).

IBM has released FixPak 2 for Warp Server for e-Business as of 01/03/2001 for the base operating system. (The fixes for WSeB I mentioned in last month's column was for the LAN Server portion of WSeB). Go to ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4.5warp/english-us/xr_e002/.

NOTE: If you want to use the RSU method, you need to download a fix from ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4.5warp/IC24998.EXE, or install TCP/IP FixPak UN_2101, located at ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/tcpip/fixes/v4.2os2/un_2101/.

PMMail has been updated as of 01/05/2001 to beta version 2.20.2030. It contains some bug fixes, and now allows SMTP authentication. Go to http://www.pmmail2000.com/betas/. The file is PMMOS2BETA1.EXE (as there are Windows versions of PMMail as well).

XWorkplace, which was referenced in Gary Granat's series on "Seeking Ways to Get Rid of System Bloat", has been updated to version 0.9.8 as of 01/26/2001. Go to ftp://ftp.os2.org/xworkplace/xwp-0-9-8.wpi. This requires WarpIn (see below).

WarpIn, which was written up by Gary Granat in OS/2 For You (and is required to install XWorkplace), has been updated to version 0.9.8 as of 01/26/2001. Go to ftp://ftp.os2.org/xworkplace/warpin-0-9-8.zip.

There is a utility called zip2wpi, released on 01/13/2001. This REXX script takes a zip file and turns it into a WPI file for WarpIn. Go to http://www.egroups.com/files/warpin-user/.

WarpZip has been updated to version 3.2 as of 01/24/2001. This new version supports .WPI files. Go to http://www.pillarsoft.net/warpzip.html.

Info-Zip has released UnZip version 5.42 as of 01/16/2001. Go to ftp://ftp.icce.rug.nl/infozip/OS2/.

The "in-development" version of Apache 2.0 is now available as of 01/19/2001, for those who want to try out the new features. It offers big performance improvements due to multi-threading and elimination of some emx dependencies. Go to http://silk.apana.org.au/apache/apache_v2.shtml. The stable version of Apache is 1.3.14 as of 10/13/2000; for that go to http://apache.org/dist/binaries/os2/.

VFAT2EA version 1.11 has been released as of 01/16/2001. This utility converts VFAT long file names to .LONGNAME extended attributes and vice versa. Use search key vfat2ea on Hobbes.

There is an Enhanced E editor (basically E.EXE with the ability to print, among a few other enhancements). Go to http://www.pillarsoft.net/enhanced.html.

Moneydance version 3.0 beta has been released as of 01/11/2001. It's a personal finance manager written completely in Java. It includes transaction auto-completion, graphing, reporting, a reconciliation tool, running cleared vs. uncleared balances, transaction sorting, double-entry, multiple currencies, multiple accounts, and more. Go to http://seanreilly.com/java/moneydance/.

Ogg Vorbis has been ported to OS/2 as of 01/07/2001. It is an audio compression format similar to MP3, but free of patented algorithms and is fully open source. Go to http://silk.apana.org.au/vorbis/.

MyMP3FS is an ID3 tag editor for MP3 files. It finds MP3 files along a search path and sets them up for individual or multiple editing. MyMP3Rx can edit v1.1 & 1.2 tags or will amend an ID3 tag to the end of the file if none was there originally (v 1.2 is used for writing). MyMP3Rx will also remove tags, delete, rename & move files, and make, rename, or remove directories. Use search key mymp3 on Hobbes.

RPM version 3.06, the Red Hat Package Manager, has been ported to OS/2 as of 01/25/2001. You can extract or install files from Linux CD-ROM's or Linux FTP sites, and make rpm packages for OS/2 users. Go to http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~vtgf3mpr/index-e.htm.

Lotus has released Domino Server version 5.0.6a update for OS/2. Go to http://www.notes.net/qmrdown.nsf/QMRWelcome.

jSync Manager provides PalmOS data synchronization on any Java-enabled platform. It is also a powerful developers' toolkit, allowing programmers to write jConduits, or to employ data synchronization into their own projects. Go to http://warp.idirect.com/jsyncmanager/uindex.html.

Yotogi Hime has released his APM Monitor, version 0.61e as of 01/01/2001. It allows you to check power status, remaining battery power, etc. in APM-enabled environments. It can also perform APM sleep/suspend/power- off or restart the system. Customizable window shape or graphic images with external "Panel File". Use search key hapm on Hobbes.

Editorial Note: Special thanks to SCOUG's Dallas Legan for writing a handy REXX script to convert URLs in a text file into HTML tags. It's much appreciated!

SCOUG, Warp Expo West, and Warpfest are trademarks of the Southern California OS/2 User Group. OS/2, Workplace Shell, and IBM are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.