CYBERSECRETARY 1.1.0
September 11, 1998

Introducing CyberSecretary, the PC world's first virtual office assistant!
CyberSecretary puts the face in user interface, and will help you manage your
busy worklife using the e-mail, calendar and contact management features of 
Microsoft Outlook.

Your CyberSecretary can:
 - Announce your incoming mail.
 - Remind you of today's appointments at the start of the day and as appointments
   occur, and of tomorrow's appointments at the end of the day.
 - Automatically file outgoing mail, creating diary reminders and journal entries.
 - Maintain a call list of your contacts, prepare formatted letters and documents
   with contact information, and even get a street map (if you have an Internet
   connection).
 - Handle expenses and prepare expense reports.
 - Access information via the Internet, including stock prices and Internet searches.
 - Send a web page to your (or anyone else's) inbox.
And much, much more!

CyberSecretary is controlled by scripts that can be easily customized to perform
various tasks using Microsoft Outlook, the Internet, and your own programs and
files.  Scripts can be launched at preset times, daily or on any day of the week;
when any of several dozen events occur in Microsoft Outlook (such as sending or
receiving a mail message, or opening a contact item); whenever you click on her
tray icon; or even randomly!

It is easy to create scripts to launch programs, documents or visit Internet sites
either at scheduled times or on demand.  Simply right-click on any program, document
or Internet shortcut, and send it to your CyberSecretary's desk tray - she'll come
right away to "learn" to do the new task.

To install, simply unzip the files into a common folder.  Then run SETUP.EXE.  
You will be prompted for an installation folder.  Note: the first time you run 
either program, you will be asked to choose a name for your CyberSecretary.  
This will be followed by an "interview" that will give you an overview of your 
CyberSecretary's capabilities, and which will set up scripts for common tasks.  
More information - including how to "teach" your CyberSecretary new tasks - is 
contained in the documentation file, CyberSec.hlp.

The setup program for this release was prepared with the Visual Basic Setup Kit,
and should resolve the problem experienced by some users of the beta versions
that the CyberSecretary DLL could not be registered.  Any user who has experienced
that problem with prior versions should install this version and report the result.
This version also supports automatic uninstallation.

Some users of prior versions also reported a GPF in OLEAUT32.DLL.  It appears
this is a problem with incompatibility between the Outlook 98 type library and 
Outlook 97.  If you experience this problem and are still using Outlook 97, it is
recommended that you install Outlook 98 and try again.  There are plenty of
reasons (not limited to CyberSecretary!) to take advantage of the Outlook 98
free upgrade.

KNOWN BUGS: If you display a file folder in Microsoft Outlook, your
CyberSecretary will think that you have closed Outlook and will ask if she can
go home.  For now, simply answer no.  I'm exploring more reliable ways to detect
whether Outlook has been closed.

					*        *        *

This package also introduces CYBERSEC.DLL, the CyberSecretary object library,
which allows developers to design applications using the CyberSecretary user
interface.  If you have Visual Basic 5, and have installed this package,
CyberSecretaryLibrary should appear when you open the Project|References 
dialog.  This is an ActiveX component which features:
 - The CyberSecretary, male or female, with seven different facial expressions
 - A library of icons representing common office objects
 - The ability to play sound effects
 - A customizable dialog box interface featuring a drop down list box, a variable
   sized text input box, and an assortment of buttons
 - Several common office forms including a phone message form
 - The ability to display a message for a preset time
 - The ability to add an icon to the system tray and to respond to clicks on that
   icon
 - A number of useful built-in functions including Internet searching
 - Support for user registration codes
Developer licenses are available for personal use (develop applications for use on
a single PC), corporate use (develop applications for use on all PC's of a single
company), freeware development (develop applications which will run on any PC), and
commercial development (full support for user registration passwords).

Please contact me if you are interested in translating the CyberSecretary resource
files and scripts into other languages.

					*        *        *

REGISTRATION: CyberSecretary is shareware.  This version is fully functional but, if
left unregistered, eventually becomes temperamental.  The software is freely distributable
provided that all files are intact and unaltered. 

To register, send $24.95 to:

	Walter E. Heindl
	271 Misty Patch Road
	Coatesville, PA 19320

You must include your Windows 95/98 registered owner name exactly as it appears
in the Help | About box in Windows Explorer, as this registered owner name is
used to determine your registration password.  (Note: the unregistered version
of CyberSecretary will offer to prepare a mail message that will contain the
required information.)

Please note, we are only able to accept U.S. dollar checks drawn on or payable
through U.S. banks.  

Please send comments, suggestions, bug reports to: walter.heindl@usa.net.

I am envisioning CyberSecretary as a whole new concept in office automation
that is potentially much broader than Microsoft Outlook, even though Outlook
is a perfect vehicle for demonstrating her capabilities.  Since CyberSecretary
is built around an ActiveX component, it will be possible for other developers
to create "CyberSecretary-enabled" applications, that will allow your virtual
office assistant to perform virtually unlimited tasks.  I am particularly 
interested in hearing from (1) developers interested in creating their own
CyberSecretary-enabled applications (including support for other PIM's as well
as applets); and (2) users with ideas for other useful functions.

Thank you for your support!
