"The best ideas are the ideas that help people." PHido PHreaks PResent... The Future Evolution of Ascii Express By the Silver Ghost August, 1987: Version 5.0 Offers ARC storage, which will compress or decompress files in IBM ARC format --handy for text files! Included is XYZMODEM32, a hot new protocol that allows bi-directional file transfer and chatting at the same time. January, 1988: Version 5.2Q Automatically ARCs and de-ARCs everything on the disk, for an average savings of 40%. Gives individual-password access to specific files, for private mail- sending. The new transfer protocol is WCXYQMODEM64, which supports conference and three-way calls, so you can send the same file to more than one person at the same time. March, 1988: Version 5.2S Improved ARCing--average savings is now up to 50%. November, 1988: Version 6.02 The ARC is now compatible with all earlier versions, so you can use all your old disks. Now runs AEDOS instead of ProDOS; AEDOS will read or write to ProDOS, Pascal, CP/M, or DOS 3.3 disks automatically. The new protocol is YXmodem-7, a software patch allowing 1200 baud modems to run at 2400 baud, while sending up to eight files bidirectionally simultaneously, while chatting. Up to 256 people can conference and receive these files. A LOG feature allows the AE sysop to print out a complete log of every caller's activities. July, 1989: Version 6.57 ARC now crunches files to 30% of their original size using a special fractal procedure. All earlier ARCs are of course supported. In answer code, AE traces all incoming calls, and puts the caller's phone number into the LOG. For their convenience, Apple-Cat owners may use the PHREAK feature, which sends a guaranteed-to-be-untraceable-or-your-money-back 2600 Hz tone, allowing free calls. AT&T files suit and wins; it's appealed. Meanwhile AEPro 6.57 is selling like hotcakes. X-Marks-The-SpotModem will not only support conference calling, it will, quasi-legally, create conferences for you to use (Apple-Cat owners only). December, 1989: Version 7.00 The appeal of the AT&T suit is cancelled, as Southwestern Data Systems buys out AT&T in an unfriendly takeover. Version 7.00 has a multi-purpose PHREAK command that's compatible with all Hayes-compatible modems. X-RatedModem8 will nybble-transfer the entire contents of anything that fits on your disk drive, from an off-the-shelf copy of Flight Simulator VI to your socks. The special software-generated tones are above the range of human hearing--so while you send up to thirty-two files or disks multidirectionally between up to 4096 people at 9600 baud, you can pick up the phone and chat voice with everyone else. ARC now compresses data down to 10% of its original size. August, 1990: Version 8.00 Assuming that both parties have a Write-Once-Read-Many Compact Disk Drive, XXXModem allows sending of any CD, from a spreadsheet to Pole Position III to the Beatles, across the phone lines. Capitol Records files suit and is bought up in a corporate takeover. On-line hacking help is available for any of over a hundred types of mainframes. ARC squeezes data to 5% of its original size, allowing 40 megs to fit on one of the new 2 1/2" disks. The LOG trace feature now offers a comprehensive Federal Agency Search, which will identify FBI offices by phone number and, if desired, reduce their access accordingly. Version 8.00 supports up to four modems connected simultaneously to the Apple //SX, with no significant slowing of speed. April, 1991: Version 9.05 The LOG trace now includes the home phone numbers of 95% of all employees of the government. The U.S. Government sues SDS and is bought up in an unfriendly takeover; all laws regarding the telephone system are repealed. With a simple video camera hookup, Special-F-XModem will use the Super-Super-Hi-Res screen (4096x1024, 64 million colors) to display the person on the other end of the line while up to eight modems transfer up to 256 files or disks each simultaneously, multidirectionally, between 65,536 people at 96,800 baud. The telephone is now obsolete--the internal speakers allow listening in, while the internal microphones pick up the user's voice, with Dolby Z filtering automatically applied to eliminate line noise. The latest automatic ARC scrunches files to an average 3% of their original size--about 70 megs fit on the 2.5" disks. This fantasy courtesy of Thieves' World FIDO, 616-344-2718, blah blah blah. Just call the number, okay? It won't kill you. EOF!