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(56K.COM was down yesterday for unknown reasons. I have contacted my web host provider and am waiting to get information from them. - Leslie)
Reuters, TechWeb, CNNfn, and PCWEEK are reporting that 3Com has signed an exclusive deal with Brent Townshend to license his patents for 56K technology. The Townshend patents were part of the reason recent ITU negotiations for a 56K modem standard were stalled. 3Com will reportedly sub-license the patent for $1.25 per modem on the client end, and $9 per head-end port on the server end. 3Com will also license its own patents for a one-time fee of $100,000, or a running fee of $150,000.
PC World News Radio has a RealAudio interview with Brent Townshend in their Thursday, September 4 broadcast.
BestData is focusing all of its efforts on 56K modems, and will be providing free software upgrades to the final standard, according to a press release.
Motorola has announced a new modem chipset that will provide ISDN and 56K analog modem technology. The controllerless chipset will be Windows-only, and is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 1997.
Advertising Age looks at 3Com's new x2 ad campaign. 3Com and U.S. Robotics merged earlier this year, and longtime readers will recall that there was confusion over what would happen to the U.S. Robotics brand. According to the article, 3Com will put its name on all of its acquired products except modems, where U.S. Robotics will remain the primary brand name.
TechWeb has just published an article I wrote about Always On/Dynamic ISDN. AO/DI allows an ISDN user to stay online as long as they want, without tying up dial-in lines or generating a sky-high ISDN bill.
Windows Sources has reviews of the Diamond Multimedia SupraExpress 56e and Supra 56K PC Card, and Motorola ModemSURFR 56K.
The 56K modem survey now has results for Zoom modems. I've actually been collecting and uploading survey results for Zoom for a few weeks, but had neglected to link to the page.
Motorola has relased a 1.009 firmware update. I couldn't find it on Motorola's web site, but MCSNet has it. Robert Aelvoet wrote to say that Motorola has the file on its BBS (508-261-1058), where it is called 56k1009.exe.
I've added Powercom America to the inits and drivers page and the firmware updates page. Marc Wilson writes:
There's an upgrade available on their web site (http://www.powercom-usa.com) that upgrades the v0.519 flash modem to the v1.0 Rockwell firmware, as well as updating the datapump to v30.0 (hey, that's what it says when you ask it). The upgrade is difficult to apply, but it seems to work (although I killed my first modem applying it).
I get an average of 44k connect to my ISP. Occasionally 46k. And since I've updated the firmware, the 31.2k connects I was getting (depending on the router I hit) are gone. All high-speed now.
If you blinked, you missed it
56K.COM received a Cool Central Site of the Hour Award.
![[Cool Central Site of the Hour]](http://www.coolcentral.com/art/awards/ccaward.gif){kind=small}
56K.COM also made Yahoo! Internet Life's list of Incredibly Useful Sites
56K.COM is written and maintained by Les Jones. Artwork by Mark Maxwell. Copyright 1997 Softwords.
