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Storm 6 is Here!
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New from Storm 5 to 6.x: |
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A completely new interface, utilizing the 32-bit Windows. (Previous versions were based on 16-bit windows, and the first version of storm, circa 1986, was in DOS!) This means more stable performance and faster performance with a properly equipped PC and Network. Binx Recommends Windows XP, 2000, or 2003. Memory requirements vary by OS, but we recommend a minimum of 256mb RAM but you'll do better with 512mb RAM or more. Storm 6 will also work with Windows ME, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0. It will NOT work with Windows 3.x or Windows NT 3.x. It MAY work with Window 95. |
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Complete Windows XP/2000/2003 printer compatibility. |
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Automatically prepare and publish closing lists via FTP to the web without user intervention by starting a standalone executable file from any Storm-and-Internet enabled work station or server. If no closing are on file, a page is automatically published indicating such. You do need to manually publish a list one time in order to get the FTP settings entered and verified. |
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Automatically e-mail organization administrators when an announcement for their organization is entered or updated. This is another security layer that can hopefully guard against false data getting on the air or on the web. (This is accomplished via the same standalone executable file mentioned above) |
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New interface for "on-screen" closing lists. The prepared list can now be set to automatically scroll up or down so you don't need to mess with the mouse or keyboard when reading lists off of the computer. Scroll speed is controllable and is saved per-user. |
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Export master and closing data to Excel, Lotus, XML, CSV, and other data formats. This allows you much more flexibility in creating form letters and mailing labels than the basic functionality that is built into Storm. |
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Import your existing data and most preferences from Storm For Windows versions 4 and 5. If you need help importing from Storm DOS versions or a competitive format we provide data conversion services on an hourly basis. |
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Improved Database location handling. Database table location is now defined through use of a "Database Alias" stored on each machine. This means you no longer need to have the same drive letter mapped for each machine and/or fake a drive letter mapping on the server. No more searching through INI files looking for drive letters...you can change the data location with a menu item in Storm. (The data still needs to be all in the same folder, but it can be accessed as a D: drive on one machine and a Z: drive on another as long as your network drive mapping points to the same physical location.) |
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Prepare up to 8 different versions of your closing lists by making only one database entry. This is a must-have feature for a group of stations that serve different or overlapping markets from the same studio location. |
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New option to select whether an announcement will appear on the web page (default is to be included.) This can be set both in the Master data and when entering a new closing. |
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*Station Name labels can now be up to 35 characters in length. *Organization Types and Closing Types may now be up to 20 characters in length. *You may now have up to 30 different organization types and closing messages. (Old limit was 10) |
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Download program updates from the web from within Storm. No more e-mails and special download sites. New technologies used to develop this program will, in most cases, result in drastically smaller downloads. |
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"Start Time" is now available for closing announcements. "Start Time" defaults to the current time and date but may be changed. You may filter your closing lists by all closings with a start time "less than" a selected time/date. (Kill time is still available and works as before.) |
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Separate "First Time Indicators" for printouts and web publishing so your announcers and your web-viewers always know when something is new or changed. |
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New Tool bar controls data navigation and the most common functions of the program. Most "buttons" have been removed from the data entry window resulting in a less cluttered look. Keyboard shortcuts for common actions (Such as Ctrl-S for Save and Ctrl-N for New) have been retained. You can drag the toolbar off of its "Docked" position at the top of the window and position it within the confines of the Storm application window if you wish. |
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Easier look up function when entering county names. As you key in the drop-down box, the closest match appears. When the correct county appears, hit the "enter" key to select, or tab out of the field to add the County to your list. |
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Zip-Code Look up speeds data entry into the master list. Enter the 5-digit zip code. If a match is found the city and county are automatically filled in. |
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Right-Click Cut/Copy/Paste functionality on most entry fields. |
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New "Search/Query" interface allows you to filter the closings/master listings that appear on the grid. The new interface allows you to build a SQL query on multiple fields in the table rather than just one field at a time as in previous versions. |
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New option to add an extra blank line between closings on the web page. (Default is no extra line) |
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New option to suppress appearance of the "Last Updated time/date" line on the web page. (Default is to include the "Last Updated" line) |
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Improved Password Interface. |
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No more funky colors on the data entry windows. For the most part, Storm form colors are based on your own Windows settings. The exceptions are title areas and some specialized forms that I wanted to stand out. |
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Prepare closings lists in a variety of sort orders for use on-screen, printed, or generate and publish your list in HTML format for use on your station's web page. The closings list is organized in a logical order with schools, businesses, community organizations and up to 8 additional user-definable groups appearing together. |
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Top-of-page links in the html file make navigating the closing list easy for your listeners without forcing them to use complicated and confusing query methods. The html list contains a script that forces a "refresh" when the page is first loaded, and at period you define to be sure the most current data is always presented to your web users. |
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Easily "Filter" closing lists by start time, kill time, or organization type to trim closing lists down to a manageable size. |
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Outdated closings are automatically deleted while a list is generated so you can be sure your list is up to date. |
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View all active closings on-screen at all times, with the ability to sort the list in several different orders. |
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Define the content and appearance of detail that appears on closing lists. |
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Automatically verify authenticity of closing information with a database of close-codes and contacts for organizations in your service area. |
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Quickly add closings for organizations with closing codes kept in your Master Table. You can even add closings "on the fly" without a master table entry. Storm even checks for duplicate listings in the event more than one person from an organization calls in their announcement. |
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Unlimited length "Announce As" organization name field so you don't have to abbreviate organization names in on-air listings. The shorter organization name is retained for use on address labels and form letters. |
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Automatically generate close codes for new organizations as they're added, or rebuild close codes for all existing organizations or a subset of existing organizations with a mouse-click. |
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Print a summary of all closings aired when the emergency is over. The list contains the organization's close code, announcement serial number, and all activity associated with the announcement. This is great for either documentation or for stations which charge for airing closings. |
Storm 6 allows you to store "closing codes" for an unlimited number of
organizations in your service area. Each "Master" table listing
contains the close code and other important information about each organization
to allow you to easily verify the authenticity of a closing when it is entered.
On a weather emergency day, fire up Storm on as many
networked computers as necessary to handle the load. Ask for a caller's
closing code, key it in, choose a message type (Closed, Delay, etc) manually
enter any other pertinent data and save. If the caller does not have a
closing code you may either scan the master list for a match, or manually enter
the closing with just a few additional keystrokes/mouse clicks.
When you need a "prepared" list, you may choose to
print the list, view the list on-screen complete with an auto-scroll feature, or
publish the list to your station's web site.
To make things easier Storm 6 has an "Auto Publish"
feature. This is a separate executable program that you run to
automatically update your web site every few minutes (you decide how
often.) This utility will also send an e-mail to administrators of
organizations in the Master Table when an announcement for their organization is
entered or updated.
Why does Storm 6 not have an automated closing entry system
so administrators can use a touch-tone telephone to enter closings? While
there is some interest, most of our customers have not demanded this
feature. One reason is expense. To have an effective automated
phone-in closing center you will need to have several dedicated phone lines
hooked into multiple computer modems. Since most stations rarely have
an extended Snow Emergency, this is seen by our past customers as an unnecessary
expense. Even if we offered automated entry via telephone there would
be no opportunity for the administrator to enter any other important information
into the system. Another is security. Most station managers would
rather have their staff screen every call rather than take a chance to damage
the station's reputation by allowing erroneous data to get on the air.
 | Version 6.50: (6/16/2007): Update by running Help-Update Storm from the Storm Menu bar. - Because of numerous changes to Storm and security changes on our web site, upgrading from a version lower than 6.5 will need to follow three steps (you may get a "Memory Access Error during steps 1 and 2 and may need to use Windows Task Manager to stop Storm) OR you may just download the new installation program and reinstall. You will not lose any data.
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Version 6.5 changes/bug fixes:
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| Version 6.10 (1/20/2007):
All previous bug fixes are included. If you had not previously installed the version 6.08 update, this update will include updated runtime files...but the runtime files will be installed only on the machine on which you run the update utility. ALL Storm work stations should have the runtime files installed for proper operation. The easiest way to do this is to download the runtime files update and install on each Storm work station. You may wish to download the system file update separately as it must be installed on ALL Storm work stations. Click here to download the system files only. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.09 (1/15/2007): (Update by running Help-Update Storm from the Storm Menu bar.) Updated Closing and Master forms so you no longer get a "Value Out Of Range" error on Main32.wfm line 701, and BMain32.wfm line 528. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.08 (10/21/06): Updated runtime fixes several minor problems including incompatibility with Copy Genie. Eliminated very rare "hang" on program startup if one or more "county" fields was empty in the Master or Closing table. Modified update utility to check for latest runtime version. Updated FTP upload utility to address specific problems with one company's FTP server. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.07: Released as a test version only. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.06: Improved auto-delete function for outdated closings, and multi-user grid update. Fixed bug that required user to "page up" on the closings grid display after using the "Refresh Closings" button. Fixed Copyright dates on "About Storm" window. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.05: Fixed "Data Type Mismatch" error when trying to print closing when County is part of print line, the closing data was copied from the Master table, and no county was entered in the Master table (county field was NULL.) Fixed similar error when "comments" line was too long. New Master records with no County defined will no longer have NULL fields. New startup procedure will replace NULL county fields with spaces to avoid problems in the future. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.04: Fixed "Unable to open file" error when running on-screen viewer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.03: Fixed problems with updating existing closings and display on-screen function call. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.02: Fixed Conversion problem when Defined data folder is different than the folder in which Storm6.exe exists. Fixed Data Import/Conversion problem with missing index. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version 6.01: Fixed startup error that always wants to convert an empty summary table to the new version. |
Storm 6 is list-priced at $245.00. Our price includes free telephone support! If you purchased any version of Storm on or after 6/1/05 this is a free upgrade. If you purchased any version of Storm 5 BEFORE 6/1/2006 there is a $50.00 upgrade fee. Users of Storm versions 4 and earlier must pay a $100.00 upgrade fee. If we cannot find your purchase in our records, please supply your sales invoice for proof of purchase.
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What happened to that
announcer you grew up listening to? 
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Bloopers, Comedy cuts, Air Checks and Photos from Paul's radio career
