After André's email to inform us of some updated software, I thought it was time that I announced my own little application (!BgrndCtrl).

André has just emailed us to tell of updates to some popular RISC OS software...

As we get closer to the Wakefield show, more exhibitors are booking all the time. If you've not looked recently, check out the show website for the latest details.

We've added a new poll to the site and would like to know whether people are considering attendance at the is year's Wakefield show.

Take a look at the poll and vote by clicking here

WAKEFIELD RISCOS COMPUTER CLUB

MEETING on Wednesday 5th March 2003

Dave Holden of APDL + Production Omegas to play with!

Aaron Timbrell, that lovely cuddly creature from VirtualAcorn emailed a quicky to us a day or so back (sorry folks, the bluebottle has been really busy, but things should be back now!).

VirtualAcorn are delighted to announce that version 1.4 of VirtualA5000 will be released at the RISC OS SouthWest show on the 22nd of February 2003.

Following a dispute, first reported in the Register, .uk.co domain names disappearred in a puff of virtual smoke yesterday!

Thousands of domain owners have been left stranded with no cyber-prescence, including our communities most prominent .uk.co website, Castle Technolgy Ltd.

Castle were also recently in the news following intimations that they had used GPL open source code in RISC OS 5, which they denied by releasing a statement.

Note: An update from the Register is available, essentially, the Columbian judge ruled in favour of the University - so .uk.co domains are not likely to return! An appeal is in the offing.

The Wakefield show website is being constantly updated with new exibitors coming onboard and publicity material.

From the web site, you can download a PDF Poster for the show and also an HTML code fragment for linking to the show website from your own.

As reported elsewhere on the Net. The Wakefield RISCOS Computer Club is pleased to be able to announce its intention to run another show in 2003.

This year the show will be slightly earlier than previous years and will be a one day event - on Saturday, 10th May 2003. The show will be open to the public between 10 am and 4:30 pm.

The next meeting of the RISC OS North West User Group (RONWUG) will be:

Jack Lillingston (Managing Director, Castle Technology Ltd)
The IYONIX pc RISC OS 5 computer

6:45pm for 7pm, Wednesday 15th January 2003

Trafford Metrovick Rugby & Cricket Club
Finnybank Road
Sale
Cheshire
M33 6LR

The launch of the 600MHz IYONIX pc, the first RISC OS 5 computer, has caused a great deal of excitement in the RISC OS community, and this is your chance to see, hear about, try and buy it.

Plans for the evening include:
- an OHP2 slide presentation from Jack about the Iyonix's features
- demonstrations of the computer's speed and software compatibility
- the popular "is the Iyonix so quiet you can't hear it?" test
- a chance to try out the Iyonix yourself
- a look inside the case (if someone remembers a screwdriver)
- questions and discussion

Jack will be bringing a video projector for the presentation (which will run on the Iyonix itself), and a 22" monitor to show off the computer's high resolution screen modes and performance. So everyone should have a great view.

Google Toolbar for RISC OS Public Beta version 0.62 (18 December, 2002)

After a while of no development, I have released the latest beta of !Google, a version of the Google Toolbar for RISC OS computers.

The Google Toolbar for RISC OS is an attempt at making the Google Toolbar,
which is an add on to Internet Explorer which allows the user to search the
Internet from any Internet Explorer window without going to the Google
website, available for the RISC OS platform. It allows the user to search for web pages, images, usenet articles, open directory links and news.

This new version contains a few updates to the previous release version, such as the option to search in the .co.uk domain rather than the .com domain, the option to hide the iconbar icon and the option to start small.

Please note that the homepage for this version has changed to the http://toolbars.andrewpoole.org.uk

Bug reports, suggestions etc. are welcome. Please Email them to andrew@andrewpoole.org.uk

The next meeting of the RISC OS User Group of London will be:

Jack Lillingston (Managing Director, Castle Technology Ltd)
Iyonix in action and to take away...
(And some Aemulor news)

Monday 16th December 2002, 7:30pm for a 7:45pm start

The Blue-Eyed Maid (upstairs)
173 Borough High Street
London SE1 1HR

Plans for the evening include:
- an OHP2 slide presentation from Jack about the Iyonix's features
- demonstrations of the computer's speed and software compatibility
- the popular "is the Iyonix so quiet you can't hear it?" test
- a chance to try out the Iyonix yourself
- questions and discussion

*** In addition ***, Neil Spellings of Aemulor will

Well, the frenzy to go over to 32 bit is hotting up. So far, we've had announcements from RComp that lots of their products will be available (at a small charge for upgrades) for 32 bit machines, Cerilica are there already, the 32 bit developer tools are already available, Icon Technology had a 32 bit happy version of their amazing TechWriter/EasiWriter products ages ago.. A 32 bit version of CDBurn (called CDBurnLite) will be shipped with the Iyonix.

David Pilling is making his software available as 32 bit, as is a new version of ArtWorks from Martin Wuerthner. Abacus Training, the bods behind PipeDream have already made FireWorkz 32 bit and have plans to do the same with PipeDream.

Even GCC has a 32 bit version!

Who does that leave?

We're still waiting to hear back from Clares Micro Supplies and also to see what APDL/Proaction will be able to do with their catalogue. Most of the applications for RiscStation machines will be 32 bit in the near future.

At this point, it is unsure what will be happening with the 4th Dimension software from CJE - our newshounds are onto that one ;-)

Note: I suppose what this does show is how quickly applications can be moved to 32 bit neutral when it came to the crunch. Question is, why has it taken this long to get something like the Iyonix?

The following message just dropped into my mailbox. Looks like it is finally here!

Castle Technology Ltd are delighted to announce the "UK LAUNCH" of the all new 32-bit IYONIX pc.

Note: We should be getting more news later today on this story - stay tuned :-)

The VirtualAcorn ccrew in the form of the Mercurial Aaron RISCWorld Timbrell has sent us an very interesting couple of tidbits...

First off, is that VA is happy to run anything compiled using the new 32 bit tools from Castle. Now there is no excuses for not using VA as a tool to program new apps for RISC OS.

My !Velcro application has been upgraded.

It uses a command 'stick <app>' for sticking an application to the iconbar. To be stickable an application must have a sprite in a !Spritesxx file and an 'info' template in a Templates file. It can also have !Drag, !Select and !Adjust Obey files to determine what happens when its iconbar icon is dragged to or clicked on. !Velcro is a stickable application that sticks itself to the iconbar when run and whose !Drag file simply sticks dragged objects. The download archive also contains a directory of three example stickable applications.

Stickables let you make simple wimp programs that respond to clicks on and drags to the iconbar icon, without having to do more than write an Obey file.
</app>

Ever since it was announced more than a month ago, Castle's 600MHz RISC OS 5 Iyonix PC has been the hot topic for just about all RISC OS users.

Castle are releasing more information about the Iyonix all the time (despite the secrecy that understandably shrouded its original launch), and there are also many of us keen to check out any developments in the systems on show since the last time we saw the Iyonix.

It's good news, then, that Castle's Managing Director, Jack Lillingston, will be demonstrating the Iyonix at M25EROUG on the evening of Monday 25th November, and at ROUGOL on the evening of Monday 16th December.

What's more, both meetings have free admittance and are open to all!

Aaron Timbrell, that multifaceted man of many guises has sent this through. I'm not going to repeat it verbatim incase anyone from another one of the news portals thinks we're just going to repeat whatever people send us...

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the next RISCWorld will be going through letterboxes all over the world in the next few days.

RISCWorld is the CD based subscription magazine, published bimonthly by APDL, it also makes an excellent drinks coaster to keep coffee stains off your mousemat (no it doesn't - it makes you think that this is how good magazines should be - ed)

This exciting issue includes, words, pictures and punctuation, but not necessarily in the right order. Among the highlights are:

• Insider on the new Iyonix PC from Castle Technology
  
• the 2nd part of our serialisation of the Archimedes GameMakers Manual
  
• reviews of Desktop Repton and NTUser2.
  
• The very useful OS_ReadArgs call also gets a thorough examination.
  
• Continuing series include HTML Convertors, writing modules, networking (this issue how to share the internet connection on your PC with a RISC OS machine) and of course advanced coverage of
  Powerbase.
  

We also have all the regulars, including the PD column, GamesWorld, DiscWorld, the letters page and more.

Oh and Hugh Jampton still has his own column with a very funny photo