There was a presentation of eComStation operating system on 20th of April in Kazan State University. There were much to show - system itself, included software, software from third-party vendors. Shortly - main theme was the importance of such presentaions among with other actions, which should help users to know more about system, to try it. More detailed story and other photos will be later.

April 2002 denotes the beginning of a new era for F/X Communications. We have entered the public beta-test phase for our new Multi Platform (OS/2, Windows, Linux) software and we mark that with a 30% discount on the current OS/2 products.
Special Offer!
This is a combined beta/holiday special, which is to ensure that our customers get a fair deal when buying during a period of new product testing and less responsive support. Effective April 4, 2002, OS/2 customers can order the "InJoy Dialer 2.3" and the "InJoy Firewall 1.4" with a 30% discount. The offer is valid through BMT Micro until May 15, 2002. You can order online at these locations: http://www.fx.dk/injoy/register.html, http://www.fx.dk/firewall/register.html
Software purchased under this deal is upgradable in the same way as software purchased prior to this deal. You can also upgrade your current software to a new level (e.g. from "Basic" to "Pro"), based on the prices of this special offer. Please direct your purchase questions to: orders@bmtmicro.com
What To Expect From the NEW Products
With our new release, we sum up our accumulated experience and fulfill our vision of delivering an accomplished industry-leading Multi Platform connectivity and security solution! More than anything, we have been aiming to create a set of quality tools that will empower our users to easily conduct business over the Internet. No matter what OS platform or protocols you are connecting, whether you focus on top-notch dynamic security or transparency, managability or simplicity, Server or Client, then our new software delivers one of the most intuitive and business friendly solutions. We hope you will find the time to visit F/X Communications during the coming months to check out our new products. http://www.fx.dk
Help Us Beta Test
The public beta testing is _just_ getting started. You can stay updated on the progress and join the beta here: http://www.fx.dk/beta
Be sure to direct questions and feedback for the new software to the InJoy product mailing list. You can subscribe from the beta page.
Stay Informed
Join our news mailing list to get (only) the biggest news from F/X. We deliberately keep the use of this mailing list to a minimum, but it still allows you to stay up to date with our product announcements and other major news.
Subscribe to the list from this URL: http://www.fx.dk/contadd.html

WHAT IS THE BUILT-IN FIREWALL?
The MPTS firewall feature is included in MPTS v5.3/TCP/IP v4.1 and up, and is one of OS/2's best-kept secrets. Until now, it has had no documentation (or even official acknowledgement) besides some sparse and incomplete notes scattered amongst various RedBooks. Many people probably don't even know it exists. This feature includes IP packet filtering and IPSec tunnel functionality, both inherited from the AIX SecureWay Firewall product. (The code wasported over from the AIX as part of the 32-bit TCP/IP stack; probably for the sake of providing the dynamic IPSec tunnel client, which is the only part of it to have an actual GUI interface). With these features, OS/2 is capable of functioning as a VPN host, or even as a basic firewall. The more advanced features of SecureWay, such as NAT or SOCKS server functionality, are not available in the MPTS firewall.

I recently purchased an Epson Photo 820 printer which works very well under eCS-OS/2 with the EPOMNI3 driver from IBM Japan. The print quality for photos is about as good as on windows (so I'm told) or a Mac (I have the parallel port connected to an eCS machine and the USB to an iMac). But the driver utilities (nozzle check, head alignment, head cleaning) don't work with this printer/driver combination and the print quality tops out at 1440x720 while the printer is capable of 2880x720 DPI. So I have started an email survey to see what if any interest there is in getting this printer better supported. I am particularly interested in responses from anyone that would use this printer in a commercial/business application or setting, but replies from anyone truly interested in needing a photo quality printer under eCS-OS/2 are also appreciated.

• Please briefly describe your company (company focus / size of company / use of OS/2)?
• If you are interested in being contacted about this please include an email address, contact name and company name (if applicable).
• How many Epson Photo 820 printers (current and future) would you need?
• Would you prefer support for a different Epson model? If yes, please explain (model/quantity needed/why preferred).
• Why would you need 2880 DPI printing?
• Which applications would you be using with this printer?

Please send all replies to epson820@os2voice.org

Dear all,

this is your latest EWWS NewsFlash.

This issue covers:

1. EWWS Tips & Tricks Database Web Access
2. FTP Site for Warp Community Workshop Pictures upload
3. FingerPrint Support for OS/2
4. Windows XP not Java compatible
5. InfraRed Support updated
6. SCSI Geometry Filter
7. Technical Training for OS/2 MPTS 6.0 enhancements: Update
8. CeBIT 2002 Review
9. Warp Community Update Workshop II/2002: Plannings
10. IGS - Innotek Partnership
11. IGS - AMD Partnership

1. EWWS Tips & Tricks Database Web Access
   We are happy to announce an additional way of communication and exchange of informations. We have putted a Lotus-Notes based Information "portal" online, which we ask you to exchange informations, experiences, etc. To keep control of who has access to this database, a registration is required. This database syncs regulary between IBM and Starfire (and add. Mirrors in the future). Please register at:
   http://www.titan-central.com/ibmwsodtips
2. FTP Site for Warp Community Update Workshop Pictures upload
   All attendees, who took pictures may upload them to StarFire's ftp server:
   • Site: ftp://ftp.starfire.net
   • User ID: wcuw5
   • Password: germany
3. FingerPrint Device Support
   IBM Global Services Germany and Siemens AG are now working jointly together on biometric access integration into OS/2 operating systems.
   In a first step Siemens biometric division realized a connectivity for their ID-Mouse with OS/2. Using this solution, Login to OS/2 systems and related applications will change from Name/Password oder personal access Code (PINs), hardly remembered by users, to easy finger tip. Flexible integration to existing environment is possible, as well as replacing standard login-procedures of Warp Server for e-business or Workspace on-Demand. Contact us at emeawarp@de.ibm.com if you want to integrate a FingerPrint Device into your corporate OS/2 environment. This has been demo'd successfully at CeBIT 2002 in Hannover.
4. Windows XP not Java compatible
   We usually don't cover non-OS/2 issues, but for those, who are considering migration from OS/2 to Windows, should definitely have at look at: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020308/ap_on_hi_te/sun_microsoft_lawsuit_13
5. InfraRed Support updated
   IBM updated the InfraRed stack and released it on Software Choice. It now also works with the InfraRed chipset used in the latest T23 Thinkpads. We also tested with Cellphones like Ericsson T39, T68 in addition to the ones tested by the Lab, and it works great.
6. SCSI Geometry Filter
   Some SCSI device drivers report incorrect geometry for media in partitioned removable devices (such as ZIP drives). In addition to some of the media space being unusable, the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) considers the partitions on the media to be corrupt, and media prepared on non-SCSI attached devices may not be readable. This filter corrects the geometry reported by the device driver, if required, insuring that all space is reachable and that LVM considers the partitions valid. Get the filter from:
   http://www7.software.ibm.com/2bcprod.nsf/Driver+Profile+Web/scsiflt.exe?OpenDocument
7. Technical Training for OS/2 MPTS 6.0 enhancements
   We finally announce a technical class on all MPTS enhancements and changes since Warp Server 4. These are for example TCP/IP 4.x (aliasing), TCPBEUI changes, multiple adapter, Big enhancements and changes in Name Resolition (DDNS, Shadow,...), Tuning Parameters and such.
   The Agenda in Detail:
   1. NetBIOS, NetBEUI protocol overview.
   2. TCPBEUI overview based on RFC 1001 & RFC 1002.
   3. Comparisons between the two protocols.
   4. NetBIOS names and name types.
   5. Name resolution options in TCPBEUI: B-node, H-node, P-node, DNS resolution with domainscope and their relative advantages and disadvantages.
   6. Logical adapters/multiple instances of protocol binding. How it is arbitrated.
   7. Windows way of interaction. Implication on TCPBEUI.
   8. Tuning parameters at protocol level: RFCNAMES.LST, RFCBCST.LST, RFCCACHE.LST 64k boundary restriction calculations.
   9. Troubleshooting:
      • General PD/PSI tools and usage.
      • Discussion on typical issues from the field.
   10. IBMLAN.INI parameters, intended use of the same and tuning.
   The class will be held in week 24 (June 10th - 14th) at IBM facilities in Munich. To enroll,
   • go to http://www.ibm.com/services/learning/
   • select your country
   • click on "Course Booking" (or whatever it says in your language)
   • Enter the course code: TAMPE0DE (attention: name has changed!)
   New: The course is now available in IBM Learning Services' course booking system.
8. CeBIT 2002 Review
   At CeBIT 2002, the IBM EWWS Team showed a Thin Client scenario using WorkSpace On-Demand Version 3.02 on OS/2 Server as well as Virtual PC running different PC Operating Systems (SuSE Linux 7.99, Windows 98 SE, Windows NT 4, OS/2 MCP2) as a guest on top of OS/2. Furthermore, the ID Mouse (see c) for details) provided by SIEMENS was used to show how biometric access integration into OS/2 may look like. The booth was very well visited, thanks to all who showed there interest into the solutions shown. The WorkSpace On-Demand OS/2 Client was running OS/2, 32 Bit Windows (via Citrix Client using a Windows Terminal Server) and Java applications concurrently. If you are interested in this scenario or want to get further information on how to integrate certain parts of this demo setup into your corporate environment, please contact us at emeawarp@de.ibm.com.
9. Warp Community Update Workshop II/2002: Plannings
   The current plannings are to host "WCUW6" in week 38 (Sept 16-20) in Duesseldorf. Date and city are still subject to change. Please give us feedback about your preferences regarding date, city and topics as soon as possible.
10. IGS - Innotek Partnership
    At CeBIT 2002, IGS, represented by our Team signed a Partnership agreement with Innotek. This Partnership will enable IBM IGS to support all Innotek products through IGS standard support channel, which will be beneficial for all customers. Also IGS project teams will be staffing Proof-of-Concepts, Implementations and Roll-outs for Innotek Products. Innotek can offer standard IGS services around their products suite and support through MVSL contracts.
11. IGS - AMD Partnership
    Our Team also now supports AMD in testing their latest Chipsets and Processors for OS/2 compatibility. Currently, we successfully tested and certified a dual K7 Tyan Board with MP chipset implementation, while a ASUS MPX board is still in testing.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for the next NewsFlash.
Warm regards.

• Best Supporting OS/2 Company: SciTech Software, USA for Display Doctor
• Best Commercial Software of the Year: eComStation by Serenity Systems,USA
• Best Individual Software of the Year: XWorkplace by Ulrich Moeller, Germany
• Honor Award for Individuals: Ulrich Moeller, Germany for XWorkplace and WarpIn
• Best OS/2 Site of the Year: OS2.org, Germany

Complete list can be found in the Award Section.

Making their games open source will help other developers in the community to learn from the code and possible continue this projects.
Right now Im listing all OS/2-eCS Open Source games.
So, if you know any game developer of an unsupported, abandon, new, old, nice or ugly OS/2-eCS game, ask them kindly to open source their game under any license he/she prefers, and let me know so I can package it and put it on my site.
Plus you can always tell me if Im missing an OS/2 game on my site, or any other sugestions.