Updates from last month's column:

The WarpZilla team has released WarpZilla version 1.0 Release Candidate 1 as of 04/18/2002. This is an update to WarpZilla 0.9.2 that Dave Watson demoed at the July 2001 SCOUG general meeting. Go to ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla/releases/mozilla1.0rc1/. The file is mozilla-os2-vacpp-1.0rc1.zip. More info is at http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2/. NOTES:

1. Steve Wendt has a WarpZilla tips page at http://www.os2bbs.com:80/os2news/Warpzilla.html.
2. The script to convert WarpZilla builds from ZIP format to WPI format (for installation via WarpIn) is now at version 1.2.8 as of 04/26/2002. Go to http://hellspawn.dnsalias.net/~mircomir/os2.php. NOTE: The web page's default language is Italian, but English or German versions of the page are available if you click on the British Union Jack flag or the German flag in the upper left-hand corner of the page.

A port of the Linux BTTV driver (for BT8X8 TV cards) has been released as of 04/28/2002 (build 1009). A small radio application is included. Go to http://www.nord-com.net/s.milcke/bttv_en.htm. NOTE: This should be considered a beta driver.

There is now a tool available on Hobbes for unpacking Windows archives, which can be useful for extracting programs for use with Odin. E_Wise, updated on 03/29/2002, extracts archives in the WISE format; use search key e_wise.

RSJ CD Writer, the powerful CD mastering program, has been updated to version 4.04 as of 04/04/2002. It has support for freedb, DAO (Disk at Once mode), IDE drives, creating bootable CD's, and more. Go to http://www.rsj.de/stage/en/. NOTE: It must be purchased, but is available as a digital delivery (i.e. purchase online, download the program, and then receive a license key via e-mail).

CDRTools version 1.11a21 has been released as of 04/20/2002. It can burn single-session, multi-session, or audio CD's. Use search key cdrtools on Hobbes.

GOGO version 3.10pl3 was released as of 04/16/2002. It is a very fast MP3 encoder based on LAME. Use search key gogo on Hobbes. NOTE: You need the EMX runtime to use this.

WarpGoGo version 0.99d (not to be confused with GOGO version 3.10pl3 above) was released on 04/23/2002. This is also an MP3 encoder, with a graphical interface. Go to http://www.os2.cz/ed2/.

Privoxy, formerly known as JunkBuster, is now at version 2.9.14 beta as of 04/10/2002. This blocks ads and cookies while you are doing Web browsing. This was reviewed in the August 2001 OS/2 For You. Go to http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=11118.

eCS Maintenance Tool (formerly eCS FixTool) version 1.09.10 has been released as of 04/27/2002, along with eComStation Fix Pack 2 (as of 04/05/2002). HOWEVER: You must be a registered user of eComStation to download. Go to http://www.ecomstation.com to register and download (after you have logged into ecomstation.com).

jOggPlayer version 1.1.3 has been released as of 04/06/2002. This is an open-source GUI Java Ogg Vorbis player. Go to http://www.webarts.bc.ca/joggplayer/.

Apache version 2.0.35, the premier web server of the Internet, has been released as of 04/05/2002. For info, go to http://silk.apana.org.au/apache/; download is at http://apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/os2/. It offers big performance improvements over the older versions due to multi-threading and elimination of some EMX dependencies.

DFSee, which was demoed at the June 2001 SCOUG meeting, has been updated to version 4.21 as of 04/19/2002. It is a FDISK, display, analysis and recovery tool for disks and filesystems. It now includes some JFS and LVM support. Go to http://www.dfsee.com/dfsee.htm. NOTE: DFSee is now shareware. Tony Butka's tutorial on DFSee is at http://www.scoug.com/os24u/2001/scoug012.dfseetutorial.html.

ThirdEye version 2.01 has been released as of 04/09/2002. It is a universal digital camera manipulation program, that supports cameras from Agfa, Olympus, Epson, Nikon, Sanyo, Kodak, HP, and Konica. It has a REXX interface, a NetDrive plugin, and both PM and VIO versions of the application. This allows you to browse the pictures in your digital camera with your favorite file manager or the WPS. Go to http://ecomstation.ru/thirdeye/.

Drivers for the VIA 8233 integrated AC97 sound and CPU cooling and power management have been released as of 04/15/2002. Use search key 8233 on Hobbes.

Analog Devices AD188x (SoundMax) audio driver version 3.1.0 has been posted to Hobbes as of 04/26/2002. Use search key ad188xos2.

DaniATAPI version 0.3.10 was released as of 04/21/2002. This is a replacement for IBM's ATAPI drivers, with support for ZIP-250, including full media swapping and booting from a ZIP drive. It has faster 32-bit PIO when used in conjunction with Danis506 (see below), and devices can be used as SCSI for use with programs like CDRecord. Use search key dania on Hobbes.

DaniN512.FLT version 0.1.4 has been released as of 04/21/2002. This filter driver allows removable media with large sectors (1024 & 2048 bytes/sector) to work with other drivers which only support 512-byte sectors. Use search key danin512 on Hobbes.

A driver for the National Semiconductor DP83815 10/100 MacPhyter3V PCI Ethernet adapter was released as of 04/20/2002. Use search key tigris on Hobbes.

The P6 / K7 MTRR (Memory Type Range Registers) management package has been updated to version 0.07b2 as of 04/22/2002. This is a device driver that can manage MTRR's of Intel P6 / AMD K7 series processors. It includes VFBWC.EXE, which uses MTRR write-combining for the video frame buffer; this can often improve graphic performance, especially DIVE. Go to http://www.sys3175.com/~jjsuwa/, or use search key p6k7mtrr on Hobbes.

The RAR archiver has been updated to version 3.00 beta 6 as of 04/20/2002. This is a command-line compression utilitiy, with tight general and multimedia compression, recovery record option management of non-RAR archives, RCVT (aRchive ConVersion Tool), and more. Go to http://www.rarsoft.com.

OdinTool version 0.5.1 has been released as of 04/23/2002. This allows you to install Odin ZIP files comfortably, and keep configuration settings. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/odinusers/files/, or use search key odintool on Hobbes.

This month's new listings - Drivers:

IBM has introduced a new Thinkpad series (T30), which has its' own set of drivers:

1. Video: ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles/vftp1io2.exe
2. Audio: ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles/aftp1ios.exe

IBM has updated MOUSE.SYS to version 10.058 as of 04/25/2002. This contains some fixes for the new Thinkpad T30 (see above), and also fixes the long-standing problem with the middle button on 3-button Logitech mice. Go to http://service.software.ibm.com/os2dd/free/mousesys.exe.

IBM has updated the video driver for the Thinkpad T20/T21/T22/T23 series as of 04/04/2002. Some fixes are included in this version. Go to ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles/vftpados.exe.

IBM has updated their version of SciTech Display Doctor for OS/2 as of 04/16/2002. This is a subset of the full SciTech Display Doctor. HOWEVER: You must have a current subscription to Software Choice to download. Go to http://service.software.ibm.com/os2dd/swc/sddse709.exe.

Lexmark has updated their OS/2 printer drivers for their laserjets to version 2.720 as of 03/12/2002. Go to http://drivers.lexmark.com/drivers.nsf/SelectPrinter?OpenForm&0.

DaniS506 version 1.4.2 has been released as of 04/21/2002. This is the replacement for IBM's IBM1S506 EIDE driver, which features support for many chipsets, PCCard controllers, busmastering, Ultra33-DMA, Ultra ATA-66, Ultra ATA-100, faster PIO due to 32-bit I/O, and much more. Use search key danis on Hobbes.

USBRES version 0.9.7 has been released as of 04/20/2002. This consists of a driver and an application that shows the USB devices connected to the PC, which helps determine what is connected, and if it works with the IBM USB drivers. Go to ftp://ftp.netlabs.org/pub/usb/.

RAMFS version 1.01 has been released as of 04/14/2002. It is a very flexible file system driver for creating RAM drives. This version reports 64 MB free to applications to avoid problems with applications that check for free RAM. Go to http://karl.myip.org/ramfs.htm.

This month's new listings - Applications:

IBM has released as of 04/09/2002 IBM Web Browser for OS/2 version 1.2. This is an update to the IBM version of Mozilla that was demonstrated by Dave Watson at the July 2001 SCOUG general meeting. According to Steve Wendt, it has a spell-checker and the Flash 4 plugin. HOWEVER: You must be a current subscriber to Software Choice to download. Go to http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/asd-bin/doc/en_us/ns50/f-feat.htm.

IBM has released as of 03/29/2002 Java 2 version 1.3.1. HOWEVER: You must be a current subscriber to Software Choice to download. Go to http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/asd-bin/doc/en_us/java13/f-feat.htm.

Lotus has released Domino Server updates for OS/2, to versions 4.6.7a and 5.0.10. Go to http://www.notes.net/qmrdown.nsf/QMRWelcome.

jlGui version 2.1.1 has been released as of 04/01/2002. This is a graphical music player that supports JavaSound capabilities (WAV, AU, AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis) and WinAmp skins. NOTE: You need Java 1.3.x (which means you need either a current Software Choice subscription or eComStation). Go to http://www.javazoom.net/jlgui/sources.html.

MGL version 5.0 beta 5 has been released as of 03/29/2002. This is a portable graphics library. For more info, go to http://www.scitechsoft.com/dp_mgl.html; to download, go to ftp://ftp.scitechsoft.com/devel/beta/.

Tonigy version 1.6 has been released as of 03/27/2002. This is an installable file system (IFS) that maps tracks of CD-I, VideoCD and audio CD's into .WAV and .MPG files. Use it to access tracks like ordinary files. Go to http://www.defgroup.com/tonigy/.

eBayWatch/2 version 1.09e is now available. As the name implies, it is an eBay auction management tool. Go to http://www.eclipse.net/~knkrchnr/.

Documentation about the firewall and VPN capabilities of TCP/IP 4.1 and up are now available as of 04/03/2002. This .INF document describes how to configure and use the powerful built-in firewall feature with support for IP packet filtering and IPSec VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnels. Use search key firewall_doc on Hobbes; use the VIEW command or NewView to view the .INF document.

Virtual PC for OS/2 and Virtual PC for Windows with OS/2 Guest Support have been released. In the case of Virtual PC for OS/2, it allows you to run additional operating systems on top of your OS/2 desktop. In the case of Virtual PC for Windows with OS/2 Guest Support, it allows you to run your existing OS/2 environment, including all applications and network connectivity options on Windows desktops. Information is at http://www.innotek.de/products/virtualpc/; the products can be purchased thru mensys.

The InJoy Dialer and InJoy Firewall are available for 30% off thru May 15, 2002 via BMT Micro. For InJoy Dialer, go to http://www.fx.dk/injoy/register.html; for InJoy Firewall, go to http://www.fx.dk/firewall/register.html. Select which version / number of users combination you want and then click on the price to order via BMT Micro. Also, version 3.0 of the above products are in beta testing; for information/download, go to http://www.fx.dk/beta/.

Python, which was demonstrated by Sheridan George at the Dec. 2001 SCOUG general meeting, is now at version 2.2.1 as of 04/14/2002. It is a programming language that comes from the UNIX world. Go to http://www.andymac.org/python.html. A WarpIn version is available at Hobbes with search key python-2.2.1-emx-020420.wpi.

AudioStation alpha 23 has been released as of 04/22/2002. This is an audio player and editor. There is a mailing list at Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/audiostation/) where you can find more info. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/audiostation/files/Releases/.

Normalize version 0.7.3 has been released as of 04/13/2002. This is an overly complicated tool for adjusting the volume of .WAV files to a standard volume level. This is useful for things like creating MP3 mixes, where different recording levels on different albums can cause the volume to vary greatly from song to song. Use search key normal on Hobbes.

Inkjet Utils version 0.40 has been released as of 04/12/2002. It can be used to clean and align the printer heads on Epson and some HP inkjet printers. Go to ftp://ftp.pilot-film.com/os2/inkjet_utils/.

UpdCD version 2.0.2 has been released as of 04/07/2002. It now includes support for eComStation, has a PM interface, and supports many OS/2 add-ons. It can be used to update the base Warp 4 (or Warp Server for e-Business) installation files with FixPaks, and supports the creation of updated installation diskettes. You can use the updated OS/2 image in combination with these diskettes to create new installations of OS/2 which already incorporate the FixPaks and other software. Go to http://xenia.sote.hu/~kadzsol/rexx/sajat/updcd.htm.

Audio/Data-CD-Creator version 0.51 is available as of 04/20/2002. 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.os2world.com/cdwriting/creator/creatormain.htm.

MPEG2 version 1.03 has been released as of 04/19/2002. This is an MPEG 1/2 player. Use search key mpeg2 on Hobbes.

AiR-BOOT version 0.28b has been released as of 04/26/2002. This is a multi-boot partition loader with some extra features, including colored "Award-like" SETUP, virus protection, Linux kernel support, and more. Go to http://kiewitz.ath.cx/air-boot/.

Odin Bug Report Generator version 0.5.6 has been released as of 04/23/2002. This was demoed by Steven Levine at the August 2001 SCOUG general meeting. It is a tool to easily generate Odin bug reports. An older version of this program is now included with Odin. Use search key odinbug on Hobbes.

Odin User Manual Release 1 is now available as of 04/23/2002. This is some written documentation for Project Odin in INF format. Use search key odinuser 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!

Copyright 2002 the Southern California OS/2 User Group. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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.