Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/mac/Text/Mac Text/1989/nb890905

Text File | 1991-10-02 | 127KB | 3,127 lines

(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00001)

UK: APPLE CUTS MAC PLUS/SE PRICES}
STOCKLEY PARK, ENGLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) - Apple has sliced its
UK pricing on the Mac Plus, SE and SE/30 series of Macs. In some
cases, the price cuts approach 27 percent, pushing the basic Mac
Plus down from UKP 1,355 to UKP 995 -- below the 'magic' UKP 1,000
price point at which many PC purchasers.

Prices on the Mac SE series now range from #1,735 (previously
#2,165) for the Mac SE twin floppy machine, through to #3,545
(previously #3935) for the Mac SE 30 4/40.

According to Chris Calvert, Apple UK's product marketing manager,
the price cuts are in response to market demand, and in
recognition that the Mac needs an increased user-base,
particularly at the low end of the range.

He strongly refuted suggestions that the cuts are a precursor to
Apple phasing out the low-end Macs to make way for the next
generation of high-end Macs.

"The Mac SE series is the most popular Mac ever on both sides of
the Atlantic. There's no way we're going to axe the machine
whilst it's at the top," he said.

"We want to broaden the ownership of the Mac, and make it easier
for both companies and individuals to experience the consistency,
ease of use and minimal learning time of the Mac. At #995, the
Mac Plus will be an obvious alternative to a standard PC for most
users," he added.

(Steve Gold/19890902/Press Contact: Frank O'Mahoney, Apple
Computer UK - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00002)

JAPAN: APPLE SEEKS 5% MARKET SHARE}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 24 (NB) -- In an aggressive move to obtain
five percent of the Japanese computer market, Apple Computer Japan
has lowered retail prices for the Macintosh between 7.5 and 21
percent.

Apple faces at uphill battle, however, despite the price cuts.
Far greater firms have failed in their attempt to win buyers away
from giant NEC, among them IBM Japan, Fujitsu and Toshiba.

Though it seems almost impossible, Apple Computer Japan will try
to expand its share to five percent within two years with the
annual shipment of 100,000 units of Apple computers, according to
Apple spokesmen.

Another approach will be to attract more members to the Apple
Programmers and Developers Association or APDA, where they will
be urged to develop Japanese versions of English software for
Apple machines. Apple is planning to hold the first developer
conference in September to call for further software vendors to
join APDA, which now has 50 Japanese members.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890831)


(EXCLUSIVE)(APPLE)(SYD)(00003)

MACS TO SPEAK 50 LANGUAGES}
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Some 29 Apple Mac systems
will be installed by the Australian department of Immigration and
Ethnic Affairs, to be used in word processing more than fifty
different languages. The department has 30 full-time translators,
and a large bank of contract translators.

The machines (which beat IBM and Xerox at tender) are Mac IIcx
2/40 with two-page monochrome monitors, scanner, modem and
LaserWriter II printers. Some machines will be connected by an
AppleShare network and others, more widely spread, will use the
modems. The software is capable of handling complicated character
sets such as those used in Asia and the Middle East.

(Paul Zucker/19890901)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00004)

LOGOPOWER CREATES BUSINESS DESIGNS}
CINCINNATI, OHIO, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- The kind of simplified
logos adopted by businesses these days are often the products of
expensive, labor-intensive efforts by commercial design shops, for
instance the Coca-Cola symbol, or the AT&T globe. A new Macintosh
product called LogoPower is promised to allow anyone to make
their own minimalist logos at a fraction of the time and cost.

LogoPower, which runs on a Macintosh, offers nine disks worth
of "building block" images, such as raindrops, hexagons, and waves,
and "graphic effects," which are white opaque overlays. The system
allows the images to be traced and changed so that unlimited
changes can be made in any design element. A more powerful version
has 15 templates for corporate identity manuals or presentations.
Pages with a truck, van, sign, building, and other items for
displaying company logos are included in the templates.

Created by corporate identity designer and author David Carter,
the product is the result of Carter's own search for a product that
would help him in his job.

The program costs $249 for the 9-disk version and $495 for the
19-disk version. A demo disk and a 10-minute VHS tape are
available free of charge.

Call for information toll-free at 1-800-648-LOGO or 513-421-1938.
Or write Decathlon Corp., 4100 Executive Park Drive #16,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45241.

(Wendy Woods/19890901)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00005)

APPLE'S DAILY COLLEGE NEWS SERVICE}
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Apple Computer has
created a service aimed at making it even more ubiquitous on the
nation's college campuses -- the first daily electronic college news
service called the USA Today/Apple College Information Network.
Joining Apple in the project is Gannett Corporation, publishers of
USA Today newspaper.

The service, available to campus newspaper editors, is accessed on a
Macintosh equipped with a modem and front-end software called College
Information Network (CIN). The news stories of interest to an
academic audience are drawn from the USA Today and Gannett News
Service wires, and are available to campus papers for republishing.
Some five graphics per day made on a Macintosh by the Gannett graphics
artists are also available for downloading, according to an
administrator close to the project.

The service is already being accessed by 55 college editors, and
it is available now to others. The charges to a college paper are
comprised solely by online time, amounting to $50 an hour prime
time and $6 an hour at night, plus an annual $35 membership fee.
Campus editors need only credit a story reprinted from the service
with a USA Today byline.

(Wendy Woods/19890901/Press Contact: Mimi Feller, Gannett,
703-284-6046)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00006)

APPLE GIVES $800,000 TO MUSEUMS}
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Multimedia,
courtesy of Apple Computer, will be a part of installations at nine
U.S. museums, and will enhance exhibits such as a mission to Mars
aboard a spacecraft and an interactive probe of environmental data
gathered under Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.

Apple has donated $800,000 worth of its computers, software,
videodisc players, monitors, and audio speakers as part of its
"Explorations" initiative of a technology grants program. The museums
plan to use the technology to develop more vivid interactive exhibits
for their visitors.

At the Columbus, Ohio Center of Science and Industry, Macintoshes
will direct a simulation of a flight to Mars, using graphics, sound,
animation, and video projected from banks of 25-inch monitors. At the
Children's Museum in Boston, the Macintosh computers will present an
interactive tour of the city's neighborhoods, showing cultural
diversity. At the U.S.S. Constitution Museum in Boston, the Macintoshes
will be employed to interact with visitors in a "what would you do"
type of exhibit featuring the War of 1812.

Michigan State University's museum in East Lansing will feature the
Macs in an interactive database for Michigan folk art, animals, and
their habitats. Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut will
show a variety of presentations on Macs, including interactive
exhibits of famous yacht races, and navigation of a clipper ship.

Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History in Providence, R.I.
plans to use the Macs to allow visitors to probe environmental data
that registers the Narragansett Bay's constantly changing nature.
The same park's zoo will simulate a tropical rain forest, showing
its devastation and the effect on the planet, using the Macs.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida, plans to
explore communication among plants, animals, people, the physics
of sound, the history of language, telecommunications and the
future, using Macs. And finally, the California Academy of Sciences
in San Francisco will use its grant to create an interactive exhibit
featuring evolution, and touch-sensitive screens will enable visitors
to evoke color images of a particular animal genus and its
similarities to other animals.

(Wendy Woods/19890901)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(ATL)(00007)

IRMAPRINT2 BRIDGE FOR APPLETALK}
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 21 (NB) -- Digital
Communications Associates has announced the IRMAprint2 Bridge for
AppleTalk. The software converts print protocols to allow Apple
AppleTalk networks to emulate IBM mainframe printers for both
graphics and text.

The software enhances IRMAprint2, a $1,795 protocol converter
that enables PC printers to emulate IBM mainframe printers. Peter
Cheung, general manager of DCA's Macintosh Communications
business unit, called the new program "an effective host printing
solution that adds value to the existing investment in Apple
LaserWriters" by letting them handle mainframe printing tasks.

The software will ship this fall and comes free with IRMAprint2.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Margaret Owens, DCA,
404-442-4521)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00008)

DISK OPTIMIZER FOR THE MAC}
SPRING, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 23 (NB) -- ALSoft has come out
with the DiskExpress II, a disk optimizer for the Mac 512E, Plus,
SE, and II.

The program defragments and optimizes the hard disk drive
whenever the computer is idle or the user request the
defragmentation. It prioritizes and groups frequently used files
for maximum performance, optimizing disks one at a time. A
command called "show free space" will display any free space
fragmentation.

DiskExpress II sells for $89.95. It is compatible with
AppleShare and TOPS and works with System version 6.0 or higher.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: ALSoft, Inc., 713-353-
4090)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00009)

IDEAFISHER NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE MAC}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- Mac users need
no longer fear "mental blocks" since IdeaFisher from Fisher Idea
System, already on the market for the PC, will be released in
November for the Mac.

The program consists of 60,000 idea words and phrases linked into
373 broad categories such as "controversy" or "action/motion."
Each category points to a list of subsidiary words, and other
categories, allowing cross-tabulation. With this cross-
referencing ability, more than 675,000 direct associations can be
linked.

The program also has a QBank that asks up to 3,700 questions to
clarify the user's exact problem.

The program runs on a Mac Plus or higher with about 6 MBytes of
storage and 1 MByte RAM. (The PC version requires DOS 3.1 or
higher, 640 K RAM and 14MBytes on hard disk.)

For the first four months after the program becomes available in
November, the cost will be $495. Those buying the product later
will pay $595.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Marshall Fisher, Fisher
Idea Systems, 714-474-8111)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00010)

PRISM RELEASES MAC TRAINING PACKAGE}
SUDBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Prism Technologies
has announced HyperSource Micro, which it calls an interactive
training package for the Macintosh. A stand-alone SuperCard
application, HyperSource has three modules, according to Pierre
Messier, Prism's controller: a Macintosh product showcase, an
overview of desktop presentation software and interactive
training for PageMaker. The company plans to release further
modules in the future.

Prism, a new company, is "still in the negotiation stage" with
distributors, and expects HyperSource Micro to be ready for
shipment by mid-September, Messier said. The price has been set
at US$129.

(Grant Buckler/19890829/Press Contact: Pierre Messier, Prism
Technologies, 705-674-8254)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BRU)(00011)

WEST GERMANY LOVES MACS}
MUNICH, WEST GERMANY, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Readers of Chip
Magazine have voted the Apple Macintosh into the number one
selling position for the September issue.

In second place, Chip's reader survey placed the Tandon PCA, with
the Commodore PC-10 in third place, closely followed by the IBM
PS/2 Model 30 and the Amstrad PC 1640 in fourth and fifth places.
The IBM XT 286, Commodore Amiga A2000, Schneider AT and PC1512
plus the Compaq Deskpro 286 complete the top ten business
positions.

On the home computer front, the Amiga 500 continues to hold first
position, followed by the evergreen Commodore 64 and 128D series
in second and third position.

(Peter Vekinis/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00001)

ALDUS LAYS OFF 30 WORKERS, RESTRUCTURES}
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- The end of August
also spelled the end of employment for some 30 workers caught in a
restructuring move by desktop publishing software maker Aldus
Corporation.

The Pagemaker people are turning over a new leaf in reorganizing
their sales, marketing and product development departments to
accommodate development of new products and to bolster
international sales, according to Jill Bamburg, director of product
marketing. Bamburg says three new divisions, Aldus North
American, Aldus Europe, and Aldus Pacific Rim, have been formed.
The company is hungrily eyeing Japan in particular where it now
has just 10 percent of sales of desktop publishing software.

The severed employees were part of "duplication and overlap"
according to the company.

Aldus sales have levelled off, but most analysts see the company
as positioning itself for explosive growth into the 1990s.

(Wendy Woods/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00002)

TELEVIDEO SET FOR MEDIA BLITZ}
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Televideo, in
an attempt to lodge itself back into the PC buyer's consciousness, plans
a $3 million ad campaign for the rest of the year and is earmarking
$10 million for ads in 1990. The campaigns will emphasize the
386SX and 286SE models which have low prices, high performance,
and VGA on the motherboard.

Meanwhile, Televideo has announced the resignation of Dallas Talley as
president and board member "in order to pursue interests outside
the company." The role of president will once again be assumed
by founder Dr. K. Philip Hwang.

William T. Bayer will become a board member, replacing Talley.
Bayer was last seen as president of Scientific Micro Systems which
Televideo acquired August 22.

(Wendy Woods/19890901/Press Contact: Ron Nakashima, Televideo,
408-954-8333)


(EXCLUSIVE)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00003)

SMALL BUSINESS BOOMS IN HONG KONG}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Hongkong is well into the top
fifteen exporting nations in the world yet of the hundreds of
thousands of operating companies here, more than 95 percent
employ less than ten people, according to Graham Mead, founder
of Graham Mead Associates (GMA), Asia's leading industry
analysts, in a recent interview with Newsbytes.

"The remarkable thing is that this massive market is not being
serviced at all well by local system vendors," said Mead. " Our
surveys show that there are interesting differences when the
Hongkong market is compared with that of the USA or Europe."

GMA regularly surveys markets throughout the region and
produces annual hard-back reports of the findings. In addition
the firm maintains databases of information from which it
extracts and distributes information on an ad hoc basis to
subscribers.

"One factor that only comes apparent when one collects
sufficient information is that IBM is not nearly as strong in
this part of the world. Minicomputer suppliers have a much
higher percentage of the market. Names like Wang, Data General,
and Datapoint appear far higher on our analysis ratings than they
do in other countries," Mead noted.

"Because of this peculiar evolution, business people are more
familiar with online systems as opposed to traditional
mainframes. The problem is that the executive in Hongkong
therefore knows what he or she wants from a system, and they
inevitably expect too much from the relatively naive PC
network system supplier."

"IBM's refreshing show of support for small multiusers when it
appointed a value-added retailer for the PICK operating system
on its RT range, together with NCR's similar venture with a
local VAR to promote four-user Tower systems at less than
$10,000, point to a new trend in professionalism addressing the
small business market," says Mead.

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00004)

ARDENT PURSUIT OF STELLAR VICTORIOUS}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- Ardent
Computer Corp. and Stellar Computer Inc., pioneer developers of
the graphics supercomputer, today announced a plan to merge in a
move creating a distinct leader in the graphics
supercomputing and visualization markets.

The merger, expected to be finalized by mid-October, will create
Stardent Inc. On August 24, both boards approved a letter of
intent outlining the general terms of the merger. The transaction
is subject to execution of a definitive agreement and receipt of
shareholder and various government approvals.

Ardent is based in Sunnyvale, California.  Forty-five percent
of the company, which was valued at $100 million when
founded in 1985, is owned by Kuboto of Japan. Stellar Computer,
based in Newton, Massachusetts, was founded at the beginning of
1986, when it was capitalised at $65 million.

Stardent's new systems will be built by Kubota of Japan, which will
now own 23 percent of the joint company.

The merger will join two computer industry leaders, Dr. John
William Poduska, Sr. and Allen H. Michels. In 1985, Poduska
founded Stellar in Boston's Route 128 high-tech area and Michels
founded Ardent in California's Silicon Valley. Under the terms of
the merger, both will serve as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of
Stardent.

(John McCormick & Peter Vekinis/19890901/Press Contact:
Francine Plaza of Ardent Computer, 408-732-0400)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00005)

ANDERSEN CONSULTING MARKETS WANG}
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Andersen
Consulting has announced that it has made a nonexclusive
agreement with financially troubled Wang Laboratories to act as a
value-added reseller of Wang's innovative imaging technology in
commercial and government markets in the U.S.

Anderson Consulting is a major systems integration company and
undoubtedly any such new market is good news to the very shaky
Wang Labs.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Kathleen Mirabile, Wang,
508-967-2875, or David Bassin, Andersen Consulting, 312-507-3343)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00006)

ONLINE SOFTWARE GETS NEW CEO}
FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- On-Line
Software International, a New York Stock Exchange-listed company
that provides educational and consulting services in addition to
IBM PC-based software programs, has today announced that Peter J.
Boni was appointed president and chief operating officer,
replacing Jack Berdy, who resigned to attend George Washington
University Medical School but retained his CEO and chairman of
the board positions.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Gary Galati,
Schoenfeld/Kahn, 212-889-1200)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00007)

AMSTRAD EXPANDS SALES OUTLETS}
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Amstrad has
announced a major expansion in the number of department stores
and consumer electronics outlets selling its home office targeted
products.

Availability in mass merchandising outlets makes computer,
printers and basic software more readily accessible to the home
office shopper. Amstrad is handling the question of service and
support for end users by offering a toll free service hotline
number.

Amstrad is now sold in over 800 Sears outlets and is on a trial
basis in Walmart stores. The products are available through JC
Penney's catalog as well as in Dillards, Fred Schmid, Luskins,
H.H. Gregg, Home Centers, Lazarus, the Electronic Boutique,
Crutchfield, Garrett Miller, J.B. Dahlkemper, Office America,
Peterson's Sound Backgrounds and Swallens.

Amstrad has a Home Office Division for these products. Amstrad
computers are IBM-compatible and come in a variety of
configurations ranging from the PC20 (8 MHz 8086 16-bit processor
with 512K RAM and Microsoft mouse) to the PC1640 (640K RAM,
built-in EGA capability, and 30 MByte hard disk drive.) The
company also sells several printers as well as two software
packages, Discover Kit, a software sampler, and Alphaworks, a
three-in-one word processing,database management and spreadsheet
program.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Cathy O'Rourke Johnson,
CJ Associates, 617-266-4688)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00008)

BLUMSTEIN LEAVES PETER NORTON}
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- David
Blumstein, who took over as president and chief operating
officer of Peter Norton Computing in May has resigned the position.

Blumstein, who left Ingram-Micro D to join Peter Norton, cited
differences in management style as the reason for his
resignation. This announcement comes within weeks of the
announcement by Peter Norton Computing that the company finally
had a complete management team in place.

There are no current plans to replace Blumstein. Ron Posner, chief
executive officer of the company, will assume the responsibilities of
president.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Belinda Young, Miller
Communications, 213-822-4669)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00009)

MATSUSHITA RESELLS SHARP ORGANIZERS}
OSAKA, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Matsushita Electric Industrial
will receive an OEM (original equipment manufacturing) supply
of electronic organizers with IC (integrated circuit) cards from
Sharp, and sell them starting next April. Matsushita will make
the small gadgets compatible with its word processors and personal
computers, in order to enlarge sales of these machines.

Though Matsushita has not released details for distribution,
including information about model names or monthly output, the
giant electronics firm has announced plans to close its subsidiary,
Matsushita Communication Industrial, which had been involved in
making personal organizers.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00010)

NIXDORF LOSSES DON'T HIT ASIA}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Michael Maquet, Nixdorf's East
Asia vice-president, said this week that the half year loss
of US$156 million, reported by the West German computer company
last week would not affect regional operations.

Maquet said that growth for the markets in Hongkong, South
Korea and Taiwan had been forecast at 16 percent, and all were
on target to achieve it. He said that while the contribution
from Asia/Pacific operations to overall revenues was modest, at
about 4 percent, sales expansion in the region was significant.

He said that restructuring was in progress at headquarters
which put more emphasis on international markets and more
resources would be directed toward this region. There would be
no retrenchments in the region as a result of corporate losses.

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00011)

HONG KONG APOLLO BITTER OVER HP TAKEOVER}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Despite HP's efforts to offer
equitable remuneration packages to Apollo staff, the takeover
has produced much public bitterness between the sales forces in
the region and resignations from the former Apollo employees
reign supreme.

Industry watchers predicted the problem when the takeover was
announced some months ago because of wide discrepancies between
the compensation policies of the two companies. Apollo sales
people, it appears, were far better off than their HP
counterparts. Virtually the entire sales force of Apollo in the
region had either left already, or resigned.

Apollo's China operation is to lose all its five salesmen and
the Singapore office is expected to lose 80 percent of its
force. The Hongkong managing director, Pong Pak-wah, and
Marketing Manager Ted Cheng will leave in the short term. One
of the two Hongkong sales team has already left.

Meanwhile Cullinet staff in Hongkong were reassured by Cullinet
general manager, Peter Fletcher, that the takeover by Computer
Associates would not result in redundancies. He was quick to
point out that CA's intention was to ensure that Cullinet's
users will be fully supported in the future.

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(EXCLUSIVE)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00012)

HONG KONG: SOFTWARE PUBLISHING CLEANS UP ACT}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- The business software buying
public has reacted positively to a change of local distributor
by Software Publishing Corporation, publisher of the popular
Professional Series of business PC tools.

Apparently acting on continual poor press reports and user
complaints about the lack of support in the region, SPC changed
its distributor last month.

One technology consultant, who preferred not to be named, told
Newsbytes that the situation in Hongkong was incredible and
more US software publishers should review their position. "It
is hard to believe that local software distributors actually
work against themselves. PC magazines from the US are well-
read throughout the region and it is very easy to establish the
going retail price and other support offers such as upgrade
costs. Almost without exception, local software vendors add
unjustifiable margins onto the US list price and refuse to
recognize upgrade and other options."

"This is what happened repeatedly with SPC products. I have
many clients using the excellent packages, but despite the fact
that this was known to the local distributors, support was non-
existent."

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00013)

UNISYS AUSTRALIA CATCHES COLD}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Unisys Australia has
frozen salaries after its US parent announced a worldwide
restructuring program.

The moves come despite strong growth in the Pacific region for
Unisys Australia. Unisys Australia expects revenues to reach
AUS$400 million by the end of the year, which would represent growth of
15 percent. The corporate freeze directs that no staff
replacements will be made, and there will be cuts in budgets for
research, capital spending, and travel.

Local Marketing Director Doug Cox said the Australian operation
had already taken steps to reduce spending. "We saw a need to
tighten expenditure earlier this year due to the weakening
Australian economy," he said. "It is unfortunate when the
corporate situation affects us, but we will just have to shoulder
our share of the burden."

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890829)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00014)

SALES UP DOWN UNDER}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Australian subsidiaries
are continuing to report better financial results than their
parent companies.

Digital Australia outdid its US parent with a 13 percent increase
in revenue to AUS$370M for the year to June 30. Sun Microsystems
Australia said revenue had increased 76 percent to AUS$34M for
the year ended June 30, compared with AUS$19.4M last year, while
Compaq's Australian subsidiary claims that it has already
exceeded its entire 1988 revenue so far this year.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890829)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00015)

AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR VERGING ON COLLAPSE}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB)-- Silicon City, a national
Australian PC dealer, has been put into provisional liquidation,
leaving several debtors in danger of losing money.

Distributor Imagineering stands to lose AUS$700,000. Other
debtors include Teco Australia, $660,000; IPL Datron, $65,000;
JIT Australia, $65,000; and Star Micronics $35,000. Meanwhile,
the liquidator of Silicon City is hopeful of selling the company
and claims that it is negotiating with three possible buyers.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890829)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00016)

AUSTRALIAN FIRM OFFERS SMARTCARDS}
PERTH, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Associated Electronic
Services, a Perth company that produces so-called "smartcards" for
credit-based ticketing systems, has just signed multimillion
dollar deals in the UK and Canada.

AES claims that its sale of 20,000 cards and 100 computerized
ticketing machines to the UK city of Milton Keynes is the largest
consignment of smartcards ever sold to the transport sector. If
the project is successful, the city could buy another 25,000
smartcards. Transport credit is recorded on the cards and
deducted as passengers board.

AES is also about to go ahead with a AUS$1M order of bus/rail
machines in Toronto, Canada, after completing a AUS$2M
installation contract there. AES recently opened offices in
Sweden, Norway, and Bonn in West Germany, where it hopes to gain
a European foothold.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890830)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00017)

PHILIPS AXES AUSSIE DISK DIVISION}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Philips has closed its
Australian optical disk storage division because it failed to
establish itself in the market.

Philips spokesman George Sprague said eight staff were retrenched
last Monday when the Megadoc division was closed. "Megadoc had
not achieved an Australian (customer) site in its three-year
history. But if the optical disk storage market develops in the next
few years we'll be back in," he said.

Although Philips invented the optical disk storage technology, it
is the first to pull out in Australia. Philips recently lost a
AUS$3.4 million deal with the South Australian government, to Wang.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890831)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00018)

BMB COMPUSCIENCE SALES UP, NET INCOME DOWN}
MILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- BMB Compuscience, a
personal computer software developer based here, has reported a
modest increase in sales for fiscal 1989. However, net income
fell, largely because the use of capital to repurchase company
shares reduced BMB's investment income. For the year ended April
30, BMB reported C$2.557 million in sales, up from C$2.306
million in the previous year. Net income was C$394,302, down from
C$455,710 in 1988.

(Grant Buckler/19890830/Press Contact: William MacLean, BMB
Compuscience, 416-876-4741)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00019)

OGIVAR TO REDEEM SHARES}
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Ogivar, the
Montreal-based maker of IBM-compatible PCs, plans to redeem
440,000 of its common shares at market value, up to C$1.10 per
share. That amounts to five percent of the outstanding common
stock. The redemption period will last until September 4, 1990,
at the latest, Ogivar said.

(Grant Buckler/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00020)

UNISYS SCORES $24 MILLION BANK DEAL}
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Unisys has secured a
major deal with the Clydesdale Bank. Terms of the deal -- worth an
initial $24 million for the computer company -- call for Unisys to
install its FSA Finesse financial systems hardware and software
system in the bank's branches throughout the U.K.

According to Unisys, the company won the contract after fierce
competition from several other companies, including NCR and
NIxdorf. The Unisys bank installation involves interconnecting
Unisys' BTOS family of multiuser, multitasking intelligent
workstations with an existing Tandem series of host mainframe
computers.

(Steve Gold/19890902)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00021)

3COM OPENS THREE NEW OFFICES}
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- 3Com
Corporation has announced the opening of thee new offices in
Sweden, Australia and Hong Kong. The offices, 3Com Nordic, 3Com
ANZA (Australia/New Zealand), and 3Com Asia, have been opened to
support 3Com's expanding overseas sales, the company said.

3Com Nordic is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and becomes the
company's sixth European centre. The office is headed by Thomas
Smitt, who can be found on 08-703-4870.

3Com ANZA is based in Sydney, Australia, and is headed by Roy
Johnson, who can found on 02-959-3020.

3Com Asia is based in Hong Kong, and will service customers
throughout Southeast Asia, including China and Malaysia. The
office is headed by William Messer, who can be found on 05-290-
356.

(Steve Gold/19890902/Press Contact: (US) - 408-562-6508)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00022)

WAERTSILAE SECURITY BUYS CARD KEY SYSTEMS}
HELSINKI, FINLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Waertsilae Security has
acquired Card Key Systems of Chatsworth, California, for $40
million. The takeover consolidates Waertsilae Security, one of
Finland's computer companies, which acquired Zeiss Ikon of
West Germany for $30 million in May of this year.

Waertsilae Security's net sales last year were $119 million and
accounted for 8 per cent of the parent group's net sales of
$1,300 million in 1988.

Interestingly, Waertsilae's acquisition of Card Key Systems comes
scarcely a month after the company's shipbuilding division,
Waertsilae Marine, asked the Finnish government to bail it out
of bankruptcy.

Losses by Waertsilae Marine were projected as approaching $230
million by the end of 1989 and the Finnish government agreed to
save the company by injecting an undisclosed amount into
Waertsilae Marine.

(Steve Gold/19890902)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00023)

ELECTROLUX TO SELL IN JAPAN VIA SHARP}
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- Sharp and Electrolux of
Sweden have reached agreement to sell Electrolux's appliances in
the Japanese marketplace.

The deal marks the first time a European company has gained
access to Japan, according to Leif Johanson, Electrolux's
chairman.

"For us, an outsider in the Japanese market, sales which were
blocked in the past by local companies, will now increase as
1,000 of Sharp's stores will carry our products. We hope to have
annual sales of about $70 million or about 100,000 units," he
said.

Part of the deal calls for Electrolux to hand over a large slice
of its product profit margins to Sharp. Sharp said that it needs
the profit contribution to offset the high costs of staging a
Japanese marketing campaign.

(Peter Vekinis/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00024)

NATIONAL SEMI MAKES MALYASIAN MOVE}
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- National
Semiconductor (NatSemi) plans to move units from Singapore to
Malaysia. The company, which has been operating from Singapore
for the last few years, said that local conditions made the move
an interesting proposition.

NatSemi will be concentrating on high-performance integrated
circuit (IC) production at its Penang plant, which is NatSemi's
largest IC facility.

(Peter Vekinis/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00025)

TAIWAN FIRM OPENS W. GERMANY SUBSIDIARY}
MUNICH, WEST GERMANY, 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- CAF Computer
Corporation, a member of the Yuen Foong Yu Group of Taiwan, has
opened its first European subsidiary. The new company, CAF-
Computertechnik, is based in Luenen, West Germany and is headed
up by Gerhard Besler, who becomes company director.

CAF Computertechnik is jointly owned by CDS, an existing West
Germany company . The Taipeh-based Yuen Foong Yu Group has said
that, if the new company proves to be successful in importing
computer products from Taiwan, then it will start a European
production line by 1993.

(Eric Dauchy/19890830)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00026)

PHILIPS SELLING DEFENSE ELECTRONICS}
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Philips
Gloeilampenfabrieken has confirmed it is selling off large parts
of its defense electronics business divisions.

The Dutch electronics group said last week that discussion are
taking place with several companies, including Siemens of West
Germany, about a possible sale of Systems and Special Technology,
its West German defense electronics division.

The reports follow the recent sale of Philips' Dutch, Belgian and
French assets in the market. Philips sold 79 percent of its
stake in Hollandse Signaalapparaten to Thomson CSF, the French
defense systems specialist.

In a related story, Thomson CSF has announced plans to acquire a
minority stake in Philips' Belgian MBLE subsidiary as well as all
of the defense activities of Radioelectriques et Telephoniques,
the French telecommunications specialist. Philips originally held a
49 percent stake in the French company.

The defense electronics business has seen profit margins severely
squeezed in recent years and some analysts believe it is now
losing many companies real money. Siemens confirmed contacts with
Philips about the subsidiary. The West German concern had sales
of about $ 1,000 million in the defense electronics defence
division.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00027)

NORSK DATA TO SACK 600 MORE}
OSLO, NORWAY, 1989 SEPT 1 (NB) -- Ailing Norwegian computer
company Norsk Data will fire an additional 600 of its workforce,
adding to the 800 who already received their marching papers,
officials said last Thursday. The company has blamed deepening
losses as the primary reason for the increased lay-offs.

The Financial Times of London said : "There was always a David-
and-Goliath aspect to Norsk which held its own for years in a
world peopled by giants like IBM... but as they say in boxing, a
good big guy will always beat a good little guy."

Norsk Data has pushed its way up to the number two spot on the
Oslo stock exchange with a value of $800 million. Until 1986,
profits had gone up an average 60 percent a year. Then, in 1987,
profits were sliced in half and, by 1988, the company had dipped
into the red. Earlier this year, Rolf Skar, chief executive and
one of the founders, resigned.

To counter worsening loses, Norsk plans to regroup into several
smaller niche businesses, Erik Engebretsen, the company's new
chairman, said.

Engebretsen that said the cutbacks will be applied equally
across Norsk Data's domestic and foreign operations. The company
has announced pretax losses of 194 million Kroner ($27.2
million) for the first half of this year compared to 122 million
Kroner a year earlier. Orders hit the 1,210 million Kroner mark,
whilst the order backlog increased by 119 million Kroner to 532
million Kroner after new products were launched in May of this
year.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00028)

VNU PROFITS JUMP 17 PERCENT}
HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS, 1989 SEPT 1 (NB) -- Verenigde
Nederlandse Uitgeversbedrijven (VNU), the European and US
computer magazine concern, has seen net profits leap 17
percent in the first half of 1989. In parallel with the profits
surge, sales have risen by 6.2 percent.

Net profits for The Netherlands' biggest publisher grew to 77.9
million guilders ($35 million) from 66.8 million guilders a year
earlier ($30 million). Sales rose to 1,180 guilders from 1, 100
million a year ago.

Pre-tax profits rose 11 percent to 120.1 million guilders from
108.7 million a year ago. The company has declined to comment on
the results and has announce a forecast for the second half year.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00029)

UK: ADOBE OPENS SUPPORT OFFICE}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Adobe Systems has opened a
UK office to support its resellers and send users. Based in
London, the office will supplement the support that its existing
Amsterdam-based European headquarters provides to users in the
UK. Heading up the UK operation is Sue Thexton, late of Letraset,
one Adobe's two UK distributors, who is the company's UK
distribution manager.

"The idea is that users will feel they're getting local support
for Adobe products, rather than having them call Amsterdam each
time," she told Newsbytes

Thexton will be supported in her role by Jerry Byma, Adobe's
European managing director, who also becomes Adobe Systems UK's
managing director. Thexton will be responsible for day-to-day
running of the UK operation.

(Steve Gold/19890902/Press & Public Contact: Sue Thexton, Adobe
Systems UK - Tel: [phone])


(EXCLUSIVE)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00001)

FALL COMDEX NEARLY SOLD OUT}
NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Despite
criticism from outsiders that it's becoming an irrelevant
elephant, the annual Fall Comdex show in Las Vegas is once again
nearly sold-out, over two months from its opening November 13.

Newsbytes has learned that at least one major vendor may have
shut itself out of the event by delaying its booth order. Despite
the fact that heavy-hitters like IBM, Apple, and Digital
Equipment now make their product announcements months ahead of
the show, while other major vendors such as Lotus Development refuse
to order booths, this year's Comdex will sprawl throughout the
Las Vegas Convention Center as well as 6 casinos and the Cashman
Field Center. Cashman and the Tropicana are separated by more
than 10 miles, and a showgoer might spend 30 minutes in a bus
headed for either one. In addition to the exhibits, the Fall
Comdex will also feature 46 conference sessions on such diverse
topics as marketing, multimedia, hardware, software, and
networking.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Cheryl Delgreco, The
Interface Group, 617-449-6600)


(CORRECTION)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

CORRECTION - NEW AMIGA O.S.}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- We would
like to correct two points in a previous report about the new Amiga
operating system, version 1.4, due out in six months.

Contrary to the report, version 1.4 will not include virtual
memory, but will have a bit one can set to accommodate virtual
memory which may come in the next generation of the operating
system, according to a developer who attended a recent conference
on the operating system.

We said the next version will have true multitasking. That's not
wrong, but misleading, since the current version already has true
multitasking. The next version will, say Newsbytes' sources,
support enhanced multitasking, with improved usage of memory
facilities.

(Wendy Woods/19890830)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BRU)(00003)

CHINESE AND COMPUTERS MAGAZINE LAUNCHED}
BREMEN, WEST GERMANY, 1989 SEPT 1 (NB) -- Urs Widmer of the
Bremen University, West Germany, has successfully launched his
'Chinesisch und Computer' (Chinese and Computer) magazine. To
date, the magazine has more than 400 subscribers.

The magazine started when Widmer spotted a small ad in a Chinese
daily that promoted a package that could draw Chinese characters
on a computer screen.

Seizing an opportunity when he saw one, Widmer ordered the
software and adapted the package to work in tandem with a West
German word processor. After some intensive efforts, the 48-year
old Swiss Sinologue, an expert in Chinese for many years, combined
the software with his German system.

He then organised a workshop to teach interested parties how to
integrate both languages in a single computer system. The
reaction, he said, was overwhelming. Expecting around 40 readers,
160 signed up initially, with the number of readers growing on a
daily basis.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00004)

LINDA KAPLAN JOINS NEWSBYTES STAFF}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Linda Kaplan
a highly esteemed reviewer of Macintosh products, has accepted a
position as reviewer of Macintosh software for the Newsbytes News
Service. Linda's reviews will be syndicated throughout the Newsbytes
network.

Kaplan, whose reviews have been published in MacWeek, MacWorld,
Macazine, Mac Street Journal, and MacUser magazines, is known as an
unflinchingly honest reviewer, tough and thorough. One of the highlights
of her career came when Apple executive Jean Louis Gassee invited her
to speak with SE developers in Cupertino, and her critiques consequently
led to nine changes in the original Macintosh SE, including the
quieter fan and the more stable image on the screen.

Linda is also a prominent figure on major telecommunications services,
CIS, GEnie, and MacNET, and is in demand as a beta tester for some of the
major Mac products.

Kaplan runs a consulting business in New York City and continues to
provide reviews on Macintosh products to major publications. She is
also a participant in trade show panels, having recently
been on the Advanced Power User Tips panel at the last Boston Expo.

Newsbytes is the largest, independent computer news wire service in
the world with ten bureaus in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Hong Kong,
Japan, London, and Brussels. Newsbytes reports serve an estimated
audience of 4.5 million and are distributed by some 52 outlets worldwide
including the electronic networks of GEnie, Compuserve, the Quantum
Computer Services, and Newsnet.

(Wendy Woods/19890901)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00005)

MEGASCAN MOVES TO HOPKINTON}
HOPKINTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 23 (NB) -- MegaScan
Technology Inc. has relocated its headquarters to 420 South
Street, Hopkinton, Mass., from its old offices in Gibsonia,
Pennsylvania.

MegaScan is a privately held company that manufacturers the
world's highest resolution monitors from its combined 12,000-
square-foot R&D, manufacturing, and sales facility.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Christine Flaherty,
Beaupre & Co. Public Relations, 603-436-6690)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00006)

CABLE EXTENDS PARALLEL PRINTING PAST 12 FT.}
CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Data Spec
has broken the 12-foot parallel printer barrier with Para-Link,
Model PTREX300, a parallel printer cable extension kit that
allows placement of the printer as far as 300 feet away from the
computer.

Even with the extension in place, the parallel printer can still
be shared using a switch box. The Para-Link extension is
designed to be used with IBM PCs and compatibles and does not
require an outside power source. Suggested retail price for the
Para-Link kit is $129.95.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Melinda Macaluso, Data
Spec, 818-772-9977 ext. 421)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00007)

QANTAS GOES HI-TECH}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Australia's national
airline Qantas has spent more than AUS$33 million updating its
computer system over the last six weeks.

Qantek, the information technology arm of Qantas has doubled its
computing capacity to cope with Qantas's demand. The latest
purchase is an IBM 3090-500S to replace a smaller model bought
only a year ago. The new machine will be used for systems
development work.

Officials say the surge in computer use has been generated by the
application of technology to nearly every area of the airline's
operation. Qantas's computer needs are growing at more than 60
percent a year. Qantek's general manager, Ian Riddell, said,
"These purchases over the last month give Qantek the most
advanced technology platform available and Australia's largest
single commercial computer."

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890829)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00008)

AUSSIE WARGAMES USE ICL COMPUTERS}
NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- The
Australian defence forces have just completed their largest
exercise since the war, and a computer system based on the one
used by Great Britain during the Falkland's war was at the heart
of it. The UK developed ICL defence computer system was rated "a
great success."

The "Kangaroo '89" exercise involved more than 100 Australian and
US aircraft, 23,000 service people, 30 ships and 4,300 vehicles.
Extensive communications networks covered the thousands of
kilometres of the exercise, against the mythical Kumarian forces.

(Paul Zucker/19890901)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BRU)(00009)

MECHATRONICS CONFERENCE IN BELGIUM}
ANTWERP, BELGIUM, 1989 SEPT 1 (NB) -- Mechatronic Components has
become a standard chapter in the catalogues of leading Japanese
manufacturers of electronic components. As has happened in the
past, the West is becoming increasingly interested in the
phenomenon, hence a one-day conference on the subject is planned
in the Belgian port city of Antwerp.

The Mechatronics Approach conference will be held at the
Bouwcentrum in Antwerp, Belgium on the 18th of October. It will
be chaired by Professor Hendrik Van Brussel of the faculty of
Applied Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering of the
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Mechatronics is a motion control system to increase the
flexibility and precision of mechanical systems. The new
technology does away with the restrictions imposed by the
limitations of motor components by replacing a multicam shaft
with individual elements. A software-driven control system
controls all the individual elements of the motor, effectively
allowing it to function as a single motor.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901/Press Contact : Bouwcentrum, Antwerp : 323-
216-0070 or Fax : [phone])


(EXCLUSIVE)(GOVT)(SFO)(00001)

BROWN BAG VOWS TO FIGHT SYMANTEC RULING}
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Brown Bag Software,
formerly Telemarketing Resources, has lost its "look and feel"
copyright complaint against Symantec in which it alleged that Grandview
infringed the copyright of PC-Outline, but Brown Bag President Sandy
Schupper vows to appeal. Monday the judge hearing the case issued a
summary judgement in favor of Symantec, essentially throwing the year-
old case out of court.

"Aguilar's decision is outrageous," Schupper tells Newsbytes, referring
to Federal District Court Judge Robert Aguilar, who heard the case.
"We believe Judge Aguilar, with all his other pressures, wanted to
get us out of the way." Schupper is referring to the fact that
Aguilar, who has been hearing this suit since it was filed April 4, 1989,
was recently indicted in a real estate scandal.

Meanwhile, Melvin Zimmerman, the attorney representing Symantec,
is pleased with the ruling and says of Aguilar's competence, "There is
no doubt that the judge could continue to make good judgements on the
cases that were presented to him. Because he was not able to handle many
cases on a long-term basis (due to the indictment), he reassigned
many cases to other judges. This one he felt he could handle himself."

He adds, "It's perfectly obvious that the chief judge of the
Northern District of California would not have allowed him to
continue rendering decisions if he were not entitled to do so."

Schupper contends that the issues of copyright infringement and
a contract dispute with John Friend, the programmer for both
products, are still unresolved in the summary judgement, since, he
says, the judge failed to compare the working screens, rather than
just the opening screens of both programs. He adds that the issue of
Friend reusing PC-Outline source code in the creation of Grandview
was not addressed either, since Friend, he says, only had license to
reuse "non-application-specific I/O routines" in future products.

Schupper vows to either file an appeal or a motion for reconsideration.
It is Schupper's intention to win past royalties from Symantec for the
sale of all present and past copies of Grandview, to which he believes
he owns the rights. "Actually I'm quite excited," he says, "since we
can now take the whole thing back to square one."

For its part, Symantec believes the case is closed. "We are very pleased
by this ruling and have always had complete confidence that we would
win this lawsuit," said Gordon E. Eubanks, president and chief
executive officer of Symantec Corp.

(Wendy Woods/19890829)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00002)

WORDSTAR FREE TO GOVERNMENT WORKERS}
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- WordStar
is making an extraordinary offer of a free upgrade to version
5.5 of its Wordstar word processing software package to any
government worker who wants one. The worker needs only to submit
a written request on government departmental stationary asking
for the upgrade. No serial numbers, order documentation, or other
questions will be asked. The offer runs through September 30.

Walter Mullen, in the marketing department at Wordstar, explains
to Newsbytes that the offer is designed to help government workers
bypass the red tape normally encountered in purchasing software.

Wordstar has sold hundreds of copies of the product in its 8 year
history into such government agencies as NASA, the EPA, the
Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Department of Energy.

Wordstar, formerly known as Micropro International, is also shipping
a local area network version of Wordstar 5.5.

(Wendy Woods/19890901)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00003)

BRAZIL PROTESTS U.S. SUPERCOMPUTER BAN}
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, 1989 AUG 22 (NB) -- Redo Globo
Television has announced that the Brazilian government has
decided to formally protest the United States decision not to
sell certain supercomputers to The University of San Paulo and
the Brazilian Aeronautics Company (EMBRAER) during a special 2-
day visit by Secretary General Paulo Tarso Flecha de Lima where
he met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Lawrence
Eagleburger.

(John McCormick/198991)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00004)

AUSTRALIAN ALCATEL-STC SUED}
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- An AUS$14 million suit has
been lodged against Alcatel-STC in regard to an alleged breach of
a joint venture agreement to supply a 900-terminal online
transaction processing system to a Queensland lottery
organization.

Townsville's Statewide Computer Services, the partner in the
venture, claims it was excluded from the contract. Statewide
claims it was to provide terminal installation, training, and
support facilities. The system is now processing transactions for
the Gold Lotto lottery on behalf of Queensland's Golden Casket
Art Union Office.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890828)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00005)

CANADA: SOFTWARE FOR OIL INDUSTRY}
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Myrias Research, a
maker of parallel-processing hardware, is working with the
Alberta Research Council to develop parallel-processing software
for the petroleum industry. The company and the provincial
research agency have embarked on an 18-month project to develop
applications for seismic and meteorological applications and for
reservoir modelling. Any commercial applications developed will
be marketed under a joint-venture property agreement between the
two participants, said Ken Gordon, director of business
development at Myrias.

Myrias has loaned a 64-processor SPS-2 computer to the research
council for the project. The two partners are sharing expenses
and both are providing staff for the project.

(Grant Buckler/19890901/Press Contact: Ken Gordon, Myrias
Research, 403-428-1616)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00006)

TULIP SETTLES IBM PATENT FEUD}
HERTOGENBOSCH, THE NETHERLANDS, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Tulip
Computers, the Dutch PC manufacturer, has announced it has
reached agreement with IBM over PC copyright. Terms of the out of
court settlement have not been revealed.

IBM commenced court proceedings against Tulip in December, 1988,
over an alleged breach of copyright involving the IBM PC's Basic
Input Output System (BIOS). Unspecified damages and licence fees
on Tulip's PC products sold to date were sought.

(Steve Gold/19890902)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(BRU)(00007)

UK QUESTIONS PLESSEY TAKEOVER}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- The UK government's
Monopolies and Mergers Commission, a statutory body, has begun
questioning Plessey after complaints from General Electric and
Siemens, both of whom have recently bid for the company.

Plessey is fighting a losing battle to keep GEC and Siemens off
its back. Apparently, the two companies complained that Plessey
had put a very high value on its stake in GPT, a joint
telecommunications venture with GEC and the Hoskyns Group.
Plessey has stuck to its UKP 800 million valuation and said
that the company [GPT] offered a much higher return on its stock
than calculated at UKP 140 million. At the end of last week,
Plessey shares on the London stock exchange were trading at 266
pence.

(Peter Vekinis/19890901)


(EXCLUSIVE)(IBM)(SYD)(00001)

SPECULATION ON NEW IBM LAPTOP}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Sources close to IBM
in Australia have told Newsbytes that Big Blue may have a new
laptop ready to sell. The 386-based machine reportedly has a
paper-white VGA LCD screen, Nicad batteries, 40Mbyte hard disk,
3.5" diskette and a 'unique' method of adding MCA, or Micro Channel
Architecture cards.

Aimed at the high-end 'executive' users, the US$3500 machine is
said to be designed to recover market recently gained by Compaq,
Toshiba, Zenith, and others as laptops have become a 'must-have'
item for corporates.

(Paul Zucker/19890901/Press Contact: Wouldn't you like to know!)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00002)

TOSHIBA, IBM JAPAN TO MAKE COLOR LCDS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Toshiba and IBM Japan have signed
on an agreement for joint production of color LCDs (liquid crystal
displays). The two firms will establish a joint venture called Display
Technologies in November in Himeji of Hyogo Prefecture to start
production of 10-inch LCDs in April 1991.

The joint venture, to be capitalized to the tune of one billion yen
($7 million) and equally owned, will produce larger LCDs later, and
will employ 130 people in the first stage.

Toshiba claims that the joint venture is its most important arena next
to its one-megabit DRAM (dynamic random access memory) business,
and it foresees that it will be able to introduce technologies to
connect with IBM Japan's data equipment.

Toshiba and IBM Japan will buy products from the joint firm to use
in their computer products which are distributed worldwide. The two
firms aim to produce one million units a year, equivalent to 50
billion yen ($35 million) toward 1994.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BRU)(00003)

OLIVETTI PROMISES TO SHIP FIRST 486 PC}
IVREA, ITALY, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Olivetti President Carlo de
Benedetti has told a shareholders' meeting that the Italian
company will unveil a 80486 microprocessor-based PC on the
19th of October this year. He said that the machine will be
the first 80486-based PC from a major manufacturer to ship.

Meanwhile, Olivetti has announced profits for the first half of
1989 slumped 40 percent -- the biggest drop in its more than
two years of declining profits.

When asked by reporters about the fall, Chairman De Benedetti
said: "I am optimistic that even though the first six months
results are a little on the down-side, the second half of 1989
will significantly improve the situation."

During the first quarter of 1989, Olivetti's pre-tax profits was
L102 billion, (about $73 million), down from a high of L171
billion (about $142 million) while revenues were L3900 trillion
(about $3,280 million).

(Steve Gold & Peter Vekinis/19890901)


(EXCLUSIVE)(IBM)(ATL)(00004)

XT PART PRICES COLLAPSING}
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Research by
the Newsbytes Southeast-Midwest bureau, assisted by Newsbytes
reviewer T. Bass, confirms what many people have long suspected --
prices for XT-class computers and parts are collapsing.

After a recent hard disk crash, our reporters visited a local computer
discounter and found the following prices. Brand-name 2400 baud
modems for $150, 20 megabyte external tape back-up units for
$400, plug-in 20 megabyte hard disks for $350, and half-height
floppy drives for $70-80 each. Later in the week, when a
motherboard suddenly gave up the ghost, a new 10 MHz model was
quickly procured for about $130. For the most part, these are
prices on brand-name parts -- no-name clones will cost less.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00005)

HYUNDAI LAUNCHES NEW PCS}
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Hyundai has
introduced two low-cost PCs as well as a leasing program designed
to make it easier to take one home.

Hyundai's new Super-286E is an AT-compatible, 12 MHz computer with
640K of memory expandable up to one megabyte. It comes with MS-DOS
and GW-BASIC operating systems.

The other computer, the Super-386c, is a more powerful 80386-based
machine featuring a 20MHz microprocessor and one megabyte of
memory, expandable to eight megabytes. The Super-386c can be
used as a UNIX workstation, a network server, or it can run IBM's
new operating system, OS/2.

Hyundai did not release prices on the machines, saying they are
made up by the dealer.

To make it easier to acquire these and other Hyundai PC products, the
company has also introduced a new leasing program with
a variety of leasing options tailored to suit buyers' payment
preferences.

(Wendy Woods/19890901/Press Contact: Mary Lindsay P.R.,
Santa Clara, 408/984-7242)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00006)

SHAREWARE ENCYCLOPEDIA RELEASED}
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- PC-SIG has
released the newest version of the PC-SIG Encyclopedia of
Shareware, a comprehensive guide to free and low-cost quality
software for the PC. The book has 432 pages and lists 1400
software programs by category, including word processors, educational
software, drawing and graphics programs, telecommunications, and
utilities.

All the software listed is shareware -- programs which can be
freely copied. If a program owner wants documentation, technical
support and program updates, a fee of between $10 and $95 is
requested by the publisher.

The guide claims to list programs that are more powerful than
Lotus 1-2-3, and a database called Zoomracks which won top honors
from Compute! Magazine.

The guide can be purchased for $17.95 from most bookstores, or
from PC SIG. Call them at 408-730-9291.

(Wendy Woods/19890901/Press Contact: Troy Challenger, 408-
730-9291)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00007)

PHOENIX OFFERS 486 BIOS EISA CHIP}
NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Phoenix
Technologies, the company known for its PC-compatible ROM (read
only memory) BIOS (basic in/out system) chips which are used in
millions of PC clones, has announced that it will ship an Intel
80486-based BIOS chip for use in EISA, or Extended Industry
Standard Architecture, computers.

The EISA computers are intended to compete directly with IBM's
proprietary Micro Channel computers and are expected to play a
major role in the next generation of computers from such well-
known computer builders as Compaq, AST, and Dell.

The first step in producing a computer board is to develop the
basic control chips needed by the processor to send and receive
data between other parts of the computer, and this is the role of
the BIOS chips.

Special features of the new Phoenix BIOS include support for mice
and a sophisticated password security system such as found on
IBM's Micro Channel computers. Optional features include support
for disk caching, ROM shadowing, and EMS 4.0, code that lets
programs use memory above the normal 640K MS-DOS limit.

80386-based EISA BIOS chips have been available since spring and
are used on Intel's boards.

In other Phoenix news, the company recently announced that it
is beginning the search for a new chief executive officer.
Phoenix Technologies board member Theodore R. Joseph has been
appointed interim president and CEO, pending the completion of
the search.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: George Adams, (BIOS),
617-551-4125, or David Parkinson, (CEO) 617-551-4278, both with
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00008)

INFRARED REMOTE PC KEYBOARD}
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- nVIEW
has begun volume shipment of its wireless 100-key Toteboard
keyboard for all PC and PS/2 compatible computers.

The $495 keyboard is flat black with full-travel keys and is only
11 by 6.5 inches in size with a snap-on cover on the bottom that
covers four AA-size batteries.

Although the press release states that there is a built-in
handgrip, there is nothing that meets that description on Newsbytes'
unit, although it hardly needs any handle, being quite small and
light.

A small control box plugs into a computer's regular keyboard
port, with the cable being about seven feet long on the PS/2
version. This box sends and receives signals via infrared
transmitters and
sensors to the two infrared signal lights on the
leading edge of the keyboard.

The only control, besides some dip switches that are used only
once to configure the system, is a tiny on-off switch on the
bottom.

There are 12 function keys and a full numeric keypad and inverted
"T" cursor pad across the top of the keyboard, with the full-
size standard keyboard on the bottom half.

The Washington bureau of Newsbytes received a review unit
last week and is currently evaluating the product.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Bob Brown, nVIEW, 804-
873-2153)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00009)

DATA GENERAL LICENSES HP NEWWAVE}
WESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- Data
General Corp. reports that it has signed an agreement with
Hewlett-Packard Corp. to license its NewWave graphical user
interface environment.

DG says that it plans to use NewWave in its office-automation
products starting with a product to be announced in September.

This is an important development because it is apparently the
first non-HP product that will incorporate the new operating
environment and indicates that the industry is no longer as
worried about any potential legal problems brought about by suits
over the appearance of the NewWave environment.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Jill Liscom,
Hewlett-Packard, 408-447-1664, or Jim Dunlap, Data General, 508-
870-8162)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00010)

SOFTWARE LINK UPDATES PC-MOS}
NORCROSS, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- The Software
Link is now shipping Release 4.0 of its PC-MOS operating system,
a multiuser, multitasking, DOS-compatible operating system
first delivered three years ago. For the first time, the program
now supports color graphics, and it includes a new installation
program to help with creating directories and partitioning hard
disks. The program also offers the ability to reboot a single
workstation without interrupting the network. Price of the
single-user version is $195, of the 5-user version $595, and of
the 25-user version $995.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Cathleen Robson, The
Software Link, 404-448-5465)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00011)

COMPAQ CUTS PRICES ON HIGH-END DESKTOPS}
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Competition has
caused Compaq to cut the prices on its DeskPro 386/25 and 386/20E
personal computers.

Each model of the DeskPro 386/25 has been reduced. The Model
60's price has been lowered from $8,299 to $7,999; the Model
110's new price is $8,999, down from $10,299; and the Model 300
now sells for $11,999 as opposed to its original price tag of
$13,299. The DeskPro 386/20E Model 40 has been reduced from
$6,599 to $6,099 while the Model 110's price has been lowered to
$6,099 from $7,999. These are the first price reductions for
these products since their 1988 introduction.

The company is also reducing the prices on two fixed disk drive
options, the 110-MByte from $2,799 to $1,799 and the 84 MByte
from $2,399 to $1,399.

Suggested retail price for Compaq's new 386/25 Model 84 has been
set at $8,499.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00012)

COMPAQ CANADA CUTS PRICES}
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- The 33-MHz 386
machines and the growing popularity of PCs based on the 386SX are
having their impact on the middle of the 386 range. Compaq
Canada, in line with its parent in the United States, has
announced price cuts for 20- and 25-megahertz 386 products. The
company also added a new model to the 25-megahertz lineup.

The Deskpro 386/20e is now priced at C$10,699, roughly a 10-
percent drop from C$11,799. The Deskpro 386/25 Model 60 drops
from C$12,299 to C$12,099; the Model 110 from C$15,149 to
C$13,599; and the Model 300 from C$19,549 to C$18,149. The
Canadian suggested retail price for the new 386/25 Model 84 is
C$12,899. It has an 84-megabyte disk drive, one megabyte of
memory and six expansion slots.

Compaq Canada also cut prices on two hard disks. The 110-megabyte
drive is reduced from C$4,099 to C$2,999. The 84-megabyte drive
goes from C$3,499 to C$2,399.

(Grant Buckler/19890831/Press Contact: Donald Woodley, Compaq
Canada, 733-7876)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00013)

PC DESKTOP PUBLISHING PRODUCT: IMAGEPRESS}
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Personal
Computer Products Inc. has announced a new software package that
integrates text, graphics, layout with fully interactive WYSIWYG
(what you see is what you get) document displays.

ImagePress includes word processing and spell-checking, advanced
graphics, automated page-layout and formatting tools and a Mac-
like graphical user interface with pull down menus and the
ability to import work created with other software programs. The
program translates workstation publishing power to the desktop PC
environment, according to the company.

The program is available immediately from PCPI's software-
marketing subsidiary, ImageSoft. Suggested retail price is $499.
A version called ImagePress Plus is available to corporations,
resellers, manufacturers, and systems integrators for $899.

ImagePress works with 80286- and 80386-based IBM PC/AT, PS/2 or
compatibles with at least 640 kilobytes of memory and DOS 2.0 or
higher. It supports HP-LaserJet Plus and LaserJet II, PCPI LaserImage,
PCPI ImageScript, PostScript and compatible printers, Hercules,
EGA, VGA and full-page computer monitors, and scanners that
produce files in the PC Paintbrush format.

In a related announcement, PCPI unveiled the LaserImage 1100-PS,
a laser printer that combines the graphics and typeset-quality
output of two desktop publishing standards -- Adobe PostScript plus
Hewlett Packard page-control language (PCL). The printer can be
used with all MS-DOS based and Apple Macintosh computers. The
printer's suggested retail price is $4,995. ImagePrint is also
available bundled with ImagePress for $5,295.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Eric Gaer, PCPI, 619-
485-8411)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00014)

NEW ENTRY LEVEL BUSINESS COMPUTERS}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Data Voice
Solutions Corporation (DVSC) has announced two additions to its
Centaur II family of multiuser, multiprocessor, DOS-based
business computers.

The new computers are the Centaur II Work Group 286 and Work
Group 386SX. The systems are designed specifically for wide area
network (WAN) communications and corporate work group
applications.

The computers provide MS-DOS and Novell Netware capabilities on
standard terminals. They support most types of terminals
including ASCII, ANSI and PC type as well as multiple modem
connections.

The Work Group 286 incorporates an 80286-based central file
processor (8 MHz, 16-bit), 2.6 MByte RAM, 90 MByte formatted hard
disk storage and 1.2MByte floppy drive. The system is configured
to handle up to eight concurrent users. A typical four-user system
configuration of the Work Group 286 is priced at $12,000.

For larger capacity or higher performance, the Work Group 386SX
has an 80386SX-based file processor (16 MHz, 32-bit), 3MB RAM,
150 MByte formatted hard disk storage, 1.2 MByte floppy drive and
a 40 MB streaming tape drive. The system supports up to 16
simultaneous users. The Work Group 386SX is $22,000 for a 10
concurrent user system.

DVSC has also announced some other changes. DVSC has previously
marketed almost exclusively through manufacturers' distribution
and selected direct sales activities. The company has recently
hired Tom Quinn, as director of sales. Quinn will be developing a
national representative network to handle future sales.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Charles Spencer, Data
Voice Solutions, 714-474-0330)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00015)

TWO NEW 386-BASED COMPUTERS FROM AST}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- AST Research
has introduced two additions to its Premium computer line, the
Premium 386/25 Model 115V and the Premium 386/C Model 3110V.

Both computers feature a 110 MByte AT-embedded fixed drive and
the AST-VGA Plus 16-bit graphics adapter. The 110-MByte drive
provides 16 millisecond average access time, 10-megabit transfer
rate and 1:1 interleaving. The Premium 386/25 is priced at
$7,595. The price tag on the 386/C is $6,695. Both are
currently available for shipping.

With the introduction of these two machines, AST has also
announced that a number of models are being changed to limited
availability status including the 90- and 150-MByte models 95 and
155 of the Premium 386/25 and the 90-, 150- and 320-MByte models
390, 3150 and 3320 of the Premium 386/C. The 90-, 1500 and 320-
MByte drives will continue to be available as storage options for
the base models.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Deborah Paquin, AST
Research, 714-756-4984)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00016)

KEEP TRACK OF CLIENTS WITH LETTERMASTER}
ARLINGTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 JUL 25 (NB) -- A new version of
Dilg Publishing's LetterMaster contact management system called
LetterMaster Advanced has been released.

LetterMaster Advanced is more than a contact database. In this
version, client information is organized in dedicated fields for
immediate recall and sorting. The program provides a nearly
unlimited number of user-defined fields for database
customization. The program works with dBASE files and integrates
into most business environments.

Other features include the ability to allow sales people to
follow on-screen presentation scripts. The scripts are
"branched" so a salesperson can call up a scripted response to
questions raised by a client. There is also a file browser with
pull-down menus that allows users to select and order database
record fields they wish displayed.

LetterMaster costs $495 with the LAN Pack priced at $395 per five
users. It can be ordered directly from Dilg Publishing.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Greg Brown, DILG, 800-
339-9181)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00017)

LOCUS ANNOUNCES PC XSIGHT VERSION 2.0}
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 22 (NB) -- Locus
Computing Corporation has announced the availability of PC Xsight
2.0 which turns DOS-based PCs into powerful bit-mapped X Window
display servers.

This product allows PC users to take advantage of existing
hardware to execute X Windows applications on remote computers
via a TCP/IP network. PC Xsight 2.0 supports MIT's X Windowing
System, Version 11 Release 3 and has expanded font handling to
include professionally designed fonts and a font compiler for
additional font options. The program also offers improved
installation and two-button mouse support.

Locus will continue to make PC Xsight Version 1 for users with
640 K 8086- and 8088-based machines. A free upgrade to PC Xsight
2.0 is available to customers who purchased earlier releases of
PC Xsight prior to August 15, 1989.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Nancy Boord, Locus
Computing Corp., 213-337-5226)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00018)

NSA MOVES TO FILL REMOTE JOB ENTRY VOID}
LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Network
Software Associates (NSA), in response to decisions by
IBM, DCA and AST to discontinue their 3770 Remote Job Entry (RJE)
batch communications emulators, has announced a "trade-in"
program for users of these RJE emulators or any other RJE
emulator they want to upgrade to NSA AdaptSNA RJE software.

The trade-in program is being offered for a limited time and
includes a free trial period before a final trade-in decision
needs to be made.

The trade-in allowance being offered by the company is the
purchase price of the old RJE software (up to $500) to be applied
against the NSA product. AdaptSNA RJE is a programmable Systems
Network Architecture (SNA) 3770/RJE emulator for IBM and
compatible PCs, XTs, ATs, PS/2s and laptops. AdaptSNA sells for
$785 so the $500 trade-in allowance represents a 64 percent
discount. Volume discounts are available for multiple purchases
and there is no limit on the number of trade-ins per customer.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact: Alice Topping, Network
Software Associates, 714-768-4013)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00019)

DR-DOS DEBUTS IN JAPAN}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Digital Research Japan, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the U.S.-based Digital Research, has
released an English version of the DR-DOS operating system program,
which is compatible with MS-DOS. DR-DOS can be installed into
a ROM (read only memory) chip, so it is suitable for compact
systems.

Also, Digital Research Japan has announced that it will release a
Japanese version of DR-DOS within this year. The firm
is planning to sell it to notebook-sized computer and pocket
computer OEM (original equipment manufacturing) makers.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00020)

JAPAN: LOTUS 1-2-3'S WILD SUCCESS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) - Lotus Development has announced
that cumulative sales of its Japanese version of Lotus 1-2-3 have
surpassed 200,000 units in less than three years since the product's
first release in Japan.

Saburo Kikuchi, president of Lotus Japan, says that the firm is
deeply gratified by the acceptance of 1-2-3 among Japanese PC
users from all industries and professions. He adds that it is
especially rewarding to realize that Japanese corporations, which
increasingly rely on this product as a standard, have expanded
their concept of microcomputer-based productivity.

The Japanese version of 1-2-3 was developed on the foundation of
the English-language 1-2-3, the world's best-selling spreadsheet
software program. It combines all the key features of that product
with a variety of enhancements and new capabilities demanded by
Japanese end-users.

Lotus Development Japan has been offering a Japanese version of
1-2-3 for NEC's PC-9801 series, IBM Japan's PS/55 series,
Fujitsu's FMR series, Toshiba's J-3100 series, and Hitachi's B16
series of personal computers.

(Ken Takahashi/19890901)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00021)

AUSSIE BANK HAS LARGEST OS/2 NETWORK}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Australia's largest bank,
the Commonwealth Bank, has chosen an OS/2 operating system in a
multimillion dollar deal between seven computer firms. The bank
claims it will be the first tender in the world to buy the three
NCR adaptations of Microsoft's OS/2 workgroup products, and that
it will be one of the largest OS/2 networks in the world.

NCR and Nixdorf will provide the hardware for the deal while
Microsoft, 3-Com, Ashton-Tate, DCA and Branch Systems will
provide the software. A bank spokesman said OS/2 was selected
because it was a popular, stable architecture with flexibility and
potential for growth.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19890830)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00022)

WATCOM C FOR 386 ABOUT TO SHIP}
WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Language developer
Watcom will be shipping its C language compiler for PCs based on
the Intel 80386 processor within the first week of September,
according to Product Manager Jan Young.

The Watcom C7.0/386 Optimizing Compiler creates code for the
protected mode of the 386 processor, supporting 32-bit addressing
and eliminating the 640K-byte memory barrier imposed by MS-DOS,
the company said. C7.0/386 can address four gigabytes of memory.

Moving programs written in Watcom's existing Watcom C7.0 compiler
for 8086-series processors requires recompiling and linking to
the new compiler's library. C7.0 is also library- and source-
compatible with Microsoft's C compiler, so programs written in
Microsoft C can be ported to 386 protected mode in the same way.

Watcom C7.0/386 will sell for US$895. The compiler will be
available directly from Watcom, Young said. Watcom is located at
415 Phillip St., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3X2, telephone
519-886-3700. In addition to its C compilers for personal
computers, Watcom sells C development systems for IBM 370
mainframes.

(Grant Buckler/19890829/Press Contact: Jan Young, Watcom, 519-
886-3700)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00023)

MITSUBISHI ADDS QUAD MODEM TO LAPTOP}
HATFIELD, ENGLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Mitsubishi has added a
quad-standard modem to its MP286L laptop PC. The modem is
available as UKP 420 option on the 80286-based machine, and
supports all modem speeds between 300 and 2400 baud full duplex,
as well as the CCITT 1200/75 bps (bits per second) standard.

The modem and software are badged versions of the Dataflex Design
Quad modem. As such, the modem and software support the MNP and
Vasscom error-correction systems, as well as supporting a wide
range of terminal emulations and file transfer protocols within
software.

Mitsubishi is also promoting the Mercury 2300 long-distance and
international telephone network with the laptop modem. The Quad
modem is Mercury-compatible, and capable of mixing the long
chains of pulse and tone dialling sequences necessary for Mercury
2300 network usage. Using the Mercury 2300 network, callers can
save up to 35 percent on their phone calls.

(Steve Gold/19890902/Press Contact: David Bridson, Pathway -
0442-874006; Public Contact: Bryan Martyr, Mitsubishi Electric -
Tel: [phone])


(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00001)

CELLULAR CALLS EASILY TAPPED}
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Despite a 1986
law making interception of cellular phone calls illegal, such
calls are not private. There are roughly 1 million radio scanners
in use today, and the same scanners used by thrill-seekers to
hear police calls can also be used to automatically tap into
private phone conversations. While the FCC rebuffed an effort by
the Washington Legal Foundation to put warning labels on cellular
phones, the foundation warns that doesn't change the laws of
physics. The result could be that every cellular phone user will,
when the warning gets around, sound like a drug dealer, using
code words for everything.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00002)

SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA INTRODUCES SATELLITE MODEM}
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Scientific-
Atlanta announced the Model 4580 broadcast modem for use in data
broadcasts via satellites. The 4580 sits between a Very Small
Aperture Terminal earth station, usually just 1.8 meters in
diameter, and a host computer. It can accept and double-check
data at speeds of up to 1.544 million bytes per second, called T-
1 speeds.

Steven P. Nowick, president of the Private Networks Business
Division at Scientific-Atlanta, says data broadcasting by
satellite can cost 10-15 percent less than a comparable fiber optic
cable. Plus, data can be broadcast once for many different
receivers, which makes it an ideal solution for newspaper
publishers. The Associated Press is presently using the
company's equipment to transmit its news feeds, while the
Chicago Tribune uses it to send its newspaper to printing plants
across the State of Illinois. An advantage of the S-A scheme is
that it runs under X.25, making it compatible with existing
landline networks.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Randall Blevens,
Scientific-Atlanta, 404-441-4618)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00003)

JAPAN: PLAY GAMES ON ISDN}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- Personal computer communication
service venture NIF will start a game service which exploits the power
of ISDN (integrated services digital network) as early as December
of this year.

NIF says people in remote areas will be able to play games
simultaneously, enjoying unprecedented sound and image reproduction
using personal computers and telephones. Combined with software
from its affiliate in the U.S., Compuserve, NIF is considering the
game mahjong, and multiplayer games 40 to 50 in which 40-50
people can take part, as the first offerings of the new service.

Initial charges will be high, which is why NIF intends to offer the
games for adults, not for children.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00004)

JAPAN: ISDN PUBLIC PHONE}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- Japan's telecom giant NTT has
announced that it will develop the world's first public ISDN telephone
(integrated services digital network). The research and development
work will be conducted by the Human Interface research institute in
NTT Yokosuka Research and Development Center.

NTT started an ISDN service called INS Net64 in April, and upgraded the
service in June to INS Net1500, which has a larger call-carrying
capacity. NTT's commitment to this new technology is exhibited in
its hardware development -- NTT has created ISDN terminal equipment
such as special digital phones, G4 facsimiles, and 64-kilobit
videophone terminals. The ISDN public phone is an extension of
that development, and will be a multifunctional terminal system
which allows simultaneous transmission of voice, image, and
data on one digital line.

However, due to problems with the creation of broadband-width
ISDN, the public introduction is expected to be three to four
years away and the practical operation is expected in the latter
half of the 1990's.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00005)

NTT CHALLENGES HACKERS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- NTT, in a bold and cocky attempt
to win publicity for its new encryption scheme, has announced that it
will offer a prize of one million yen ($7,150) to any person who
can decode the data encrypted by FEAL-8, which has been developed to
protect secret communication data. NTT is giving potential
hackers two years to accomplish this task.

NTT began distributing the FEAL-8 system for practical use
three years ago to guard against online data thieves. NTT claims the
data cannot be decoded unless both the sender of data and the
receiver have common cipher keys.

Rumors have surfaced that FEAL-8 has been broken in Europe.
So NTT, unable to squash the speculation, has confronted it head-on
with this bold contest.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00006)

MATSUSHITA TO START PC NETWORK}
OSAKA, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 24 (NB) -- Following NEC and Fujitsu,
Matsushita Electric Industrial has announced plans to enter the
personal computer communication network business in October,
1990. To prepare for practical operation, the firm will open its
network to the public this October.

Matsushita organized the Home VAN project last July, and started
network operation in October 1988. The Matsushita net,
named SILKnet, has 4,000 families or 13,000 registered members,
according to the company. SILKnet is unique with the three types of
services that appeal to a range of ages, from youngsters to professional
adults. The goal of this new type of information service is
to lure family users rather than just personal computer enthusiasts.
Matsushita is also planning to join its communication satellite
business with the network.

The membership fee for the trial period before practical operation of
SILKnet will be 2,000 yen or $14 for an annual charge; the minimum
access charge will be 1,000 yen or $7 per month with one hour of free
access. Ten yen or 7 cents per minute will be added over the
minimum access. If the cost for access exceeds 4,000 yen or $28,
the extra charge will be dropped.

Currently the network has eight access points, including Kyoto, Osaka,
Tokyo, and Yokohama in Japan. An international tie-up is not being
considered at this stage.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890824)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00007)

HONG KONG OFFERS INDUSTRY DATA ONLINE}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- The Hongkong Productivity Council
has launched the first of what will be a series of industry
databases that provide a self-service enquiry facility for
local and overseas companies seeking business partners in
Hongkong.

The multimillion dollar project first addresses the linkage
industry -- bridging the gap between imported raw materials and
exported finished products. "We have found that because of the
fragmented nature of the industry and the typically small size
of the companies, the linkage industry has difficulties in
terms of contact and communications," says Chan Siu-kam, HKPC
executive director.

The Linkage Industry Database (LID) contains data collected
over a two-year period from more than 2,400 companies. The HKPC
estimates that it has listed more than 80 percent of
organisations involved in the linkage industry.

The service runs on an IBM System /38 platform which was
donated by IBM and located in the HKPC offices in Tsim Sha
Tsui. The retrieval system uses a simple menu driven approach
designed for business people without any computer experience.

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00008)

NEW CALIFORNIA SENIORNET SITE SLATED}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- SeniorNet,
a project designed to involve seniors in the information revolution,
will open a new site in Rohnert Park, California, by March 1990.

One aspect of the site will go on display September 27 and 2 pm
at the Rohnert Park Recreation and Community Center -- an electronic
knitting machine which was donated to the cause by Knit King.
Special interface software now works with an Amiga, but will also
work with a Macintosh and an IBM.

The Rohnert Park site is also expected to dedicate one of at
least five computers to become an automatic phone check-in system.
It will daily monitor 200 seniors with a phone call at a predetermined
time. If a senior fails to answer the phone, police will be sent
to check on them.

There are currently 25 Seniornet sites in North America and Hawaii;
all are supported by tax-free contributions. Apple Computer,
for instance, recently donated $200,000 worth of equipment to the
project. Pacific Bell in the Bay Area has donated $25,000 and is
helping build informational kiosks for Seniornet around the country.

SeniorNet, whose headquarters is at the University of San Francisco,
offers personal computer training to seniors as well as a
computerized conferencing system on Delphi. The cost to access
Seniornet online is $12.60 per hour.

SeniorNet officers can be reached by calling 415-666-6505.

(Wendy Woods/19890623/Press Contact: Shelley Herron,
415-666-6505)


(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

GALACTICOMM BOARDS MAKE TALK CHEAP}
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Tim
Stryker's Galacticomm Inc. is changing the face of the computer
bulletin board movement. Besides selling software, he sells
communication boards which can put anyone at the wheel of a 16-
node board for well under $10,000. While Stryker says 80 percent of his
customers are creating private boards -- customers include the
U.S. Army and Drug Enforcement Administration -- public
Galacticomm boards are proliferating.

Newsbytes interviewed over a dozen multiport Galacticomm system
operators over the last week. They hope to make a
profit from their systems, and say they are already making back
their costs, sometimes in as little as 6 months. Most charge
users 40-60 cents per hour to use their boards, rather than the
yearly subscription fees requested by older boards, and they take
credit cards.

What's most remarkable, however, is where they make their money.
Instead of trading software, Galacticomm users are trading ideas
in an area Stryker calls "teleconferencing" and experienced users
will recognize as a live chat system. The sysop of the Bayline
BBS in Brooklyn, New York told Newsbytes on most evenings he has
15 or more people chatting on his board, and they talk about
anything. Once, someone dialed Bayline and said they were about
to commit suicide -- other users talked him down and intervened.

Galacticomm system operators say they win their business from
CompuServe, which charges $12 per hour for its CB Simulator. Multi-
player games are also a regular feature of Galacticomm boards,
with poker and roulette being among the most popular. Galacticomm
software also offers home shopping, and many system operators say
they're looking for stores to fill their "electronic malls."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

BELL STRIKES WINDING DOWN}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- At this
writing, NYNEX is the only one of 7 Bell companies which is not
close to a strike settlement with its unions, the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Communication Workers
of America. The last unit of Ameritech workers reached agreements
late on August 30, and the last units of Bell Atlantic workers
were close to agreements by September 1. The sticking point in
the NYNEX walk-out remains health care costs. NYNEX wants its
workers to pay more and hold down its insurance premiums. Unions
call that proposal a give-back from a highly profitable company
which would wipe out raises the company has offered to pay.

While most phone customers saw little effect from the walkouts,
except for delays in getting directory assistance, or for
installing new phone systems in some residences and small
businesses, telephone company insiders tell a different story.
Besides exhausting managers and delaying system improvements,
companies have also destroyed the esprit of the workforce by
their adversarial stands. Some calls also didn't go through, but
customers weren't notified -- instead they got busy signals.

Generally, however, companies have forced unions to back down
-- workers will be picking up more of their own health care
bills. The success of the companies in maintaining their systems
during the walk-out, and the prospect for further automation over
the next few years, assures even harder bargaining in 1992, when
the current round of contracts expires. The health care issue
is also expected to spur demands from corporations for national health
insurance.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00011)

HAYES STICKS WITH V-SERIES MODEMS}
NORCROSS, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- Hayes
Microcomputer Products is making a new attempt to get bulletin
board system operators to use its 9600 baud V-Series modems, but
system operators contacted by Newsbytes say the company is losing
ground steadily to the U.S. Robotics HST Dual-Standard model,
which is being sold to bulletin board operators for $725. The
USR product works both to its own proprietary standards and the
new V.32 standard of the CCITT.

Sysops charge that Hayes marketing is further confusing the
issues, which were explained to Newsbytes by a Hayes spokesperson.
The V-Series, she said, works to V.29. Other modems, including
the USR product, work to V.32. The Hayes product, however, also
follows V.42, a new standard for error-control and data
compression approved by the CCITT this year. Hayes does make a
V.32 modem, but only for networks, and the V.32 modem Hayes
makes is incompatible with its own V.29 or V-Series standards at
9,600 baud. Most U.S. modems, meanwhile, support MNP error-
correction. This, says Hayes, makes them incompatible. Yes, say
sysops, but only with Hayes.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Sharon O'Brien, Hayes
Microcomputer Products, 404-449-7691)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00012)

NORTHERN TELECOM, B.C. TEL CONCLUDE DEAL}
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Northern
Telecom Canada and British Columbia Telephone have formally concluded
a deal that will turn some parts of Microtel, a manufacturing
subsidiary of B.C. Telephone, into a joint venture between the
two companies. Northern Telecom acquires Microtel's central
office switching business, including its manufacturing plant in
Brockville, Ontario. It will operate that concern as Brock
Telecom, a NorTel subsidiary.

The companies have formed a joint-venture company, as yet
unnamed. The new company, combining the network management
systems businesses of Microtel and Northern along with Microtel's
Lentronics business, is 51 percent owned by Northern Telecom and
49 percent owned by the B.C. Tel Group. It will be based in
British Columbia.

The plan was first announced as an agreement in principle in
January.

(Grant Buckler/19890901/Contact: Jim Cameron, B.C. Telephone,
604-432-2698; John Lawlor, Northern Telecom Canada, 416-238-7147)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00013)

FINANCIAL TIMES ONLINE IN U.K.}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- The Financial Times-owned
Profile online system, accessible via subscription or via
several European e-mail networks, will include the full text of
the Financial Times starting this week onward in its databases.

Unlike many of the newspaper files on Profile, the Financial
Times files will be available online from 00:01 hours each day,
updated with that issue's data. This is made possible by online
links between the Financial Times' computers and those of the
Profile system.

In parallel with the FT link-up, Profile has launched E-mail
Alert, a clipping service for its direct subscribers.
Subscribers to the Profile service can create keyword files which
run every day on that particular day's issue of the Financial
Times, and have the results sent to the e-mail mailbox of their
choice. The service operates in a similar fashion to the
Electronic News Service (ENS) on Compuserve or Quicknews
on GEnie.

(Steve Gold/19890902/Press Contact: Jenny Bailey Associates -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00001)

HONGKONG NETWORKS INFECTED BY FLU}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Academics are so worried about
the viruses that have infected the university and polytechnic
computers networks that they have joined forces with the Hong
Kong Computer Society and formed a working party to investigate
preventative measures and cures.

The working group has established that the majority of viruses
uncovered so far have originated from the US and the "computer
medical" people in the territory have facetiously dubbed the
infections "The USA Flu."

Reports of PCs losing hard disks are commonplace, many among
the home-workers who allow their offspring to connect to
amateur bulletin board systems and download games.

Insidious worms which progressively creep through networks, and
subsequently files, are not as apparent, but the working group
believes they are coming.

"The problem is that worms are not as easy to identify. The
trouble they cause is gradual and not as dramatic as the hard-
hitting viruses. Often systems people will not recognize a worm
for some time, regarding it as a legitimate software bug or
even hardware failure, " a spokesman explained to Newsbytes.

"We intend to assess the severity of the situation here and
issue guidelines for prevention and cure. As we identify
sources of viruses, we publicize the names of the offending
software."

(Keith Cameron/19890901)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00002)

ONLINE JAPANESE-TO-ENGLISH DATABASE}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 30 (NB) -- With the pace of technological
change occurring at record speed, information on these changes is
in increasing demand, but until now language barriers have kept
most people away from all but their own country's developments.
A new product hopes to change that.

Fujitsu, Fujitsu FIP (for Facom Information Processing), and Fujitsu
America have jointly developed online database software and a new
mainframe-based online system for retrieving technology information,
combined with a machine translation system. Unveiled at the World
Computer Congress in San Francisco, California this week, Scanfile
enables a user to search data by entering English keywords. The
system automatically translates the keywords to Japanese,
retrieves articles written in Japanese, then translates and outputs
the text in English.

Scanfile is based on the artificial intelligence ATLA translation
system, and data transmission technology. Fujitsu says a single
article can be retrieved and translated via telephone lines on
average in about 80 seconds. It requires no knowledge of the Japanese
language to operate.

Expected to be commercially available in 1990, Scanfile currently is
being used online for the VAN (value-added network) service managed
by Fujitsu FIP in Japan.  It can be accessed by any terminal or PC.
The FIP service is the largest value-added network in Japan,
serving an estimated 80,000 users.

(Ken Takahashi & Wendy Woods/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00003)

NEC SPEEDS CHIP DESIGN}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 24 (NB) -- NEC has developed software that
will speed up the process of designing and manufacturing the most
powerful chips on the planet. NEC's technology converts massive
amounts of pattern data required in the design of next generation,
ultra-large-scale integrated circuits, to an electronic beam drawing
system, via its new supercomputer.

In the process of memory chip production, a chip circuit is designed
using a CAD (computer-aided design) system, and a data is
converted to an electric beam drawing in order to produce a photo
masks.

Current conversion requires 200 to 2,000 hours by a minicomputer, the
VAX 8650 of DEC, however, NEC claims to have reduced the time to as
little as one to ten hours with the new software and NEC's
supercomputer, the SX-2.

In the first attempt to combine chip mask conversion software
and supercomputers, NEC hopes to revolutionize the process and the
time it takes to produce next-generation memory chips.

NEC expects to wrap up tests of the system and engage in practical
production by the end of the year.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00004)

HITACHI PLANS 16-MEG CHIP PRODUCTION}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 26 (NB) -- Hitachi will start test volume
production of new-generation 16-megabit DRAM (dynamic
random access memory) chips in 1991 at its Musashi, Japan factory.
Hitachi intends to ship sample chips in 1992.

Hitachi successfully developed two prototype 16-megabit DRAM chips,
each adopting "stacked-method" and "trench-method" in the beginning of
last year. The access speed was the world's fastest -- 60 nanoseconds.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

HITACHI TO BOOST FAST DRAM OUTPUT}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Hitachi will increase
production of its fastest one-megabit DRAM (dynamic random access
memory) chips. The chip, based on its 80 nanosecond version,
performs at 35 nanoseconds with its bipolar-CMOS (complementary
metal oxide semiconductor) technology.

With the introduction of the first processing line at its Mobara
plant, Chiba prefecture, Hitachi will increase DRAM chip
production tenfold from its current ten thousand units a month to
100,000 units as soon as possible.

The bi-CMOS technology is based on the I/O circuits of the
80 nanosecond version of a one-megabit DRAM chip, and has achieved
the fast data access time of 25 to 45 nanoseconds. The data
transmission speed of the chip is 25 megabits per second.

Bi-CMOS is a key technology for higher performance for
memory chips, as well as a emitter coupled logic technology.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00006)

TOSHIBA TO BOOST VIRTUAL SRAM OUTPUT}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 25 (NB) -- Toshiba has decided to increase
production of one-megabit virtual SRAM (static random access
memory) chips to expand the market for them. Toshiba says it
will double current production of up to 250,000 units a month --
to 500,000 a month -- by early 1990.

Toshiba wants to offer the technology to computer makers who
may not realize that compared with dynamic RAM chips, virtual
SRAM has the advantage of low power consumption. Compared with
SRAM chips, they have larger memory capacities and lower production
costs. Toshiba expects the demand will increase in the word
processors and the laptop computer market.

Virtual SRAM is, basically, DRAM but it can retain data for a week
or a month as does an SRAM chip. Toshiba is aiming to catch up
with Hitachi, the top firm in this field.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00007)

HITACHI CHIP SPEED BREAKTHROUGH
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Hitachi has successfully
confined a subatomic particle called a "polariton" which the
company claims can be used in a new chip to vastly increase the
speed of computers.

Hitachi claims that the discovery will lead to ultra-fast
optical-electronic functional devices with a computing speed more
than 10,000 times that of the chips used in today's supercomputers.

Hitachi reportedly has decided to use the polariton, a particle
originally discovered by U.S. physicist J. J. Hopfield in the 1960s,
because it has the features of both electrons and light.

Hitachi will produce a test chip device with polaritons by 1990 and
adapt it for practical use in optical computers by the year 2000.

(Ken Takahashi/19890901)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00008)

3 MEG IC CARD FROM MITSUBISHI}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 31 (NB) -- Mitsubishi Electric has
successfully developed a credit card-sized memory card with the world's
largest storage capacity for its size -- 3 megabytes. The card employs
Mitsubishi's one-megabit DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip,
which is 1.2 millimeter thick, one-third the size and one-fourth the
volume of a current one-megabit chip. Mitsubishi made the new 3.4-
millimeter thick memory card by installing 24 of the DRAM chips
on it. The firm has set the price at mind-boggling 170,000 yen or
$1,200.

Mitsubishi is scheduled to ship sample products within this year
and to start volume production next spring. Mitsubishi plans
to produce 10,000 units per month in the latter half of next year
and 50,000 units in 1991. The card is expected to be used in personal
computers, facsimiles machines, and printers.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00009)

NEW TECHNIQUE INCREASES FLOPPY MEMORY}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Major magnetic materials and
electronic goods maker Tokin Corporation has developed and shipped
a vertical magnetic storage system which enables a floppy disk to
store several times more data than current technology allows.

Tokin employs cobalt chrome for the magnetic body and a magnetic
head, which does not overburden the disk surface.

The new vertical magnetic storage system enables the special 2-inch
floppy disk structured with double stratum to store 3-megabytes of
data, three times that of current disks. With the truck density
higher, the storage capacity will get even larger, the company
claims. As for endurance, it is more than equivalent to current
products, so it is highly practical.

This technology can be applied to a 3.5-inch floppy disk, providing it
with up to 50 megabytes of storage capacity -- a 30 to 50-fold
improvement over current disk storage, according to Tokin officers.

Tokin is planning to make a prototype of the 2-inch floppy disk
in its Tsukuba research center, and ship samples soon.
When demand builds, Tokin will establish a volume production facility
in its Tokin Shiraishi factory, in Miyagi. Tokin promises to set the
disk price at 20 to 30 percent more than current blank media, each
one selling for about 1,000 yen or $7.1.

(Ken Takahashi/19890831/Press Contact: Tokin Corporation,
03-402-6161)


(CORRECTION)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00010)

CORRECTION - SUPERCONDUCTOR BREAKTHROUGH}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- A story reported
as "Dutch Superconductor Breakthrough" has the following corrections.

The sandwich-shaped layers of superconductive compounds are made up of
yttrium-barium-copper oxide, not tritium, barium, copper and oxygen as
had been reported. Additionally, the temperature at which superconductivity
was achieve was 94 degrees Kelvin, not 77 degrees Kelvin.

Dave Blank, principal assistant to Professor Horst Rogalla at Technische
Universiteit Twente said the major advancements made by the Dutch
team after two years of research was that they managed to produce
sandwich-shaped layers of superconductive compounds made of
yttrium-barium-copper oxide. "It is the first time that two layers
of superconductive material can be produced on top of each other
without them making contact," Blank explained. Dutch electronics giant
Philips, a partner in the project, has filed for a patent on the
procedure.

"The layers are 11 angstroms high or contain three crystals on
top of each other. The whole layer is superconductive. We realized
a Josephson junction to make a tunneling effect," Blank told
Newsbytes.

To be able to very slowly build up the layers "atom-per-atom,"
Blank said, their team had developed a totally new sputtering
technique. Instead of shooting ions directly onto the substratum they
are deflected by a copper mirror into a new bundle targeted at the
substratum.

(Wendy Woods/19890830)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00011)

GRID SHIPS CD-ROM LAPTOP}
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Grid Systems has
become the first in the industry to ship a 2-inch tall, half-height
portable CD-ROM drive for use with laptop computers. The model
MXV-101 GRiD/Magnavox CD-ROM (compact disk-read only
memory) drive was developed by the Northern Virginia Systems
Group of Magnavox Electronic Systems.

The CD-ROM drive weighs less than five pounds and retrieves up to
550 megabytes of data from a single 5.25-inch compact disk. The
GRiD/Magnavox CD-ROM drive has the capacity to store up to 275,000
double-spaced typewritten pages or 7,500 typical images.

The drive operates on AC or third-party battery packs, such as those
made by Tandy, according to Grid spokesman Jim Detar.

Because the drive comes with a SCSI (small systems computer interface)
adapter cartridge, it can be used with any Gridcase 1500 Series
laptop computer and theoretically with any SCSI computer,
although it was specifically designed to sit neatly atop the
Gridcase machines.

The cost is $1,900 per kit -- a steep price considering CD-ROM drives
are expected to drop below $500 within six months. But Magnavox
spokesman Bruce Worster tells Newsbytes, "What you're paying for
is the portability aspect, and it does become a functional piece of
the Grid computer. There is a reasonable amount of tooling involved
to arrive at the package we came up with."

At this time Magnavox has the half-height CD-ROM field all to itself.
By the end of the year NEC is expected to ship its own half-height
CD-ROM drive.

CD-ROM drives operate similarly to record players. A laser device
reads tightly packed data bits that have been burned onto
polycarbonate disks. These disks are extremely reliable, with
mean-time-between-failures of 40,000 hours.

(Wendy Woods/19890902/Press Contact: Bruce Worster,
Magnavox, 703-478-4209)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00012)

LOGITECH'S TINY TRACKBALL}
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 SEP 2 (NB) -- The mouse, albeit
standard fare for desktop computing, is out of place in the laptop
world where desk space is usually one's knees. Enter Logitech with
the world's tiniest trackball to replace a mouse. Called Trackman, it's
designed to be operated only by the thumb. The Trackman Stationary
mouse, which will is being sold to computer makers, most notably
Apple Computer for use on its portable slated to be unveiled on
September 20, is also being offered to end-users in October for a
suggested retail price of $139 for the serial version and $149 for
the bus. The devices are designed to work with PC, XT, AT, PS/2 and
compatible systems.

The device requires no wrist or arm movements, ballistic drivers
provide adjustable cursor sensitivity, adding precision for fine
selections and speed for larger documents. As a direct mouse
replacement, Trackman offers guaranteed compatibility with user's
software applications.

Trackman also has three buttons for selections, a hardware default
resolution of 300 dots per inch and it comes with Logitech's
MouseWare utilities.

(Wendy Woods/19890901/Press Contact: Betty Skov, 415-795-8500)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00013)

PI CALCULATED TO 1 BILLION PLACES}
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- Another slice
of the pie for IBM? Just two months after setting a record for
calculating PI to nearly 500 million places, mathematician brothers
Gregory and David Chudnovsky used IBM 3090 supercomputers
and IBM's experimental Scratchpad algebra programming system
to bring the PI championship to New York City's Columbia
University for the second time this year.

Calculations were made under the IBM VM/XA operating system on an
IBM 3090-200 VF which uses two parallel vector processor units,
and under VMS/XA on the larger 3090-600 VF which uses six
parallel processors.

What use is this calculation, you might ask? Well, considering
that the ancient Egyptians built all their marvelous structures
with only a vague idea of the correct value to two decimal
places, it should be obvious that this value won't be useful in
engineering, but this is one of those theoretical calculations
that is used both to test computers and to develop new
programming techniques, and the new results are valuable from
that standpoint.

Additionally, since PI is a transcendental number, that is, one
that can be calculated until it reaches any arbitrary number of
places, it is of special interest to mathematicians. One of the
questions about PI is whether its numbers are randomly
distributed or not.

The algorithm created by the Chudnovsky brothers can be used to
extend the calculation of PI as far as desired and may help
answer this randomness question.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Denis Arvay of IBM,
914-945-3037)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00014)

NEW TECH MAKES VAX-BUILDING EASIER}
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment and Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp.
(MCC) have today announced that they have implemented their
jointly developed tape automated bonding system to speed VLSI
(very large scale integrated) chip connections on DEC's VAX 6000
Model 400 computers.

The new technology was developed jointly through the Austin,
Texas-based MCC R&D consortium formed by 19 member companies
which include DEC, Control Data, NCR, National Semiconductor, and
Motorola.

Although a development like this is unlikely to bring any
significant savings for end purchasers of the system, the older
wire-based method of connecting large-scale integrated circuits
was becoming the limiting factor in building some computer
systems, and this technology may find applications in future
computers using even larger chips than the 224-pin units being
installed in the VAX 6000.

(John McCormick/19890901/Press Contact: Sarah Miller, DEC, 508-
264-5420)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00015)

NEWSBYTES SYDNEY PUTS HEAD IN BAG}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- Always on the lookout
for new technology, staff at the Sydney office of Newsbytes were
intrigued when they received their first biodegradable grocery
bag this week at the local supermarket. The 'Solar Bag' is
claimed to undergo an irreversible chain reaction after just 4 to
5 days exposure to sunlight. After this exposure it degrades into
'safe' particles even in landfill. Well, after we file these
stories, we're going to hang it up by the window, and watch it.
We'll let you know what happens.

(Paul Zucker/19890901)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00016)

OTTAWA RESEARCHERS TEST MULTIMEDIA IN MEDICINE}
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Doctors can examine
X-ray photographs on computer screens using an experimental
multimedia system being tested at Ottawa Civic Hospital. As part
of a cooperative research project involving the hospital,
Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Bell-Northern
Research, X-rays are packaged with radiologists' verbal reports
in a single multimedia file and transmitted to doctors. The
physicians can use personal computers for immediate access to the
information.

The system is expected to speed the delivery of radiologists'
reports. The same file can also be called up on two workstations
at different locations. That allows, for instance, a clinician
and a radiologist to consult by telephone while looking at the
same X-rays.

Major support for the project comes from BNR, the University of
Ottawa and the Telecommunications Research Institute of Ontario
(TRIO). The federally run Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council (NSERC) has also contributed, as have Bell
Canada and Telesat Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19890831/Press Contact: John Hewer, Bell-Northern
Research, 613-763-5342)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BRU)(00017)

SONY UNVEILS WORLD'S SMALLEST CAMCORDER}
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1989 SEPT 1 (NB) -- Sony Vice President
Masaaki Morita has unveiled the company's latest miniature gadget,
the TR-55 video and sound recorder. The $1,800 unit is claimed to
be the world's smallest video camcorder.

In addition to filming, recording and playing back the recording,
the 790 gram unit can also generate titles and complete other
tasks not normally associated with such a small device. As if
that wasn't enough, the TR (short for TRavel) 55 also features a
6x zoom and has a variable-speed shutter.

According to Morita, the TR-55 goes some way beyond the current
crop of 8mm camcorders available in the shops. He estimates that
the TR-55 will sell into markets not previously exploited by
camcorder technology.

Morita notes that the TR-55 camcorder is being launched exactly
10 years after Sony unleashed the Sony Walkman on an unsuspecting
public. To date, Sony has sold more than 50 million Walkmans.

Morita revealed that around 50,000 TR-55 camcorders were sold in
the first ten days the unit went on sale in Japan, such is the
demand. He said that the machine will be on sale in Europe soon.

(Eric Dauchy/19890901)


(EXCLUSIVE)(UNIX)(LON)(00001)

ATARI INTROS NEW MACHINES DESIGNED FOR UNIX}
DUSSELDORF, WEST GERMANY, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- Atari has
unveiled two new 68030-based workstations and an advanced ST
series last week at simultaneous launches in Dusseldorf, West
Germany, and in private showings across North America.

The workstation series, the TTD and TTX, are based around a
16MHz 68030 microprocessor. The TTX is capable of running Unix
v5.3. Both machines come fitted with 2MB (megabytes) of random
access memory, expandable to 8MB onboard, with MIDI and
stereo eight-bit sound channels fitted as standard.

Internally, the TTX features a VME bus with three single Eurocard
slots for expansion, as well as ACSI and SCSI internal expansion
bus systems. The unit comes with twin serial ports. Resolution is
firmware-driven, ranging from 256 colours from a palette of 4,096
in 310 by 480 pixels to 1,280 by 960 pixels in monochrome.

The TTD is a desktop version of the 68030 workstation with
limited expansion facilities. Although yet to be confirmed, West
German sources suggest that the budget machine will not run Unix
as supplied. For Unix v5.3, users will have to look to the TTX, a
tower configuration machine with multiple (three) hard/floppy and
optical drive bays.

Pricing on both TT machines has yet to be confirmed. The machines
are expected to ship before the end of the year.

As soon as Sam Tramiel, the president of Atari, had finished
demonstrating the 68030-based TT workstation in Dusseldorf, West
Germany, he flew back to the US, where he was interviewed on
Genie, the online conferencing system. During the course of the
interview, several facts emerged:

Tramiel confirmed that plans call for a new range of ST machines.
The STE series will replace the existing ST family by early
next year. The STE series will initially come in two
configurations, the 1040STE and the 4160STE.

As the names imply, the machines come with 1 and 4MB of RAM, an
enhanced colour palette (4,096 colours), stereo 8-bit digital
sound and analogue joystick ports as standard.

Pricing on the STE series has yet to be confirmed.

(Steve Gold/19890902)


(EXCLUSIVE)(UNIX)(LON)(00002)

MORE COMMODORE A3000 DETAILS EMERGE}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 SEP 02 (NB) -- More details of the much-
rumoured Amiga A3000 are emerging from Newsbytes' sources. The
unit will, as expected, feature a 25MHz 68030 microprocessor,
along with a 68882 FFP running at other speeds up to 33MHz. The
entry-level machine -- expected to be the only model launched at
Comdex Fall this November -- will come with 4MB of 32-bit RAM,
expandable internally to 8MB.

Commodore will initially target the A3000 as a Unix workstation,
so a large hard drive -- 300MB -- is expected, as well as an
optional tape streamer. Surprisingly, Newsbytes' sources suggest
that Commodore will bundle the existing A1080 and A2024 monitors
with the machine, rather than develop a new unit.

Internally, the A3000 will feature five 32-bit Zorro III slots,
each of which will take 16-bit cards. Externally, the A3000 comes
in an AT-style 'tower' casing.

Availability? Newsbytes' sources suggest mid to late-December '89
on both sides of the Atlantic. The machine will price in around
the $7,000 mark, and come with OS 1.4 and a virtual memory
handler as standard. Watch out for Unix 5.3, X-Windows and a
proprietary window manager bundled as well.

(Steve Gold/19890902)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(ATL)(00003)

DICKENS INTRODUCES TAPE BACK-UP}
NORCROSS, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 21 (NB) -- Dickens Data
Systems announced a new tape back-up system using video
technology to back up 300 megabytes in just 30 minutes. The Model
8200 Cartridge Tape Subsystem can store up to 2.2 gigabytes of
formatted data. Dickens Vice President Ted Davis says the new
drive was introduced because many back-up tapes can only handle
150 megabytes, while most IBM RT systems running Unix today have
300 megabytes. The new cartridge is compatible with the IBM-RT
SCSI Adapter and comes with AIX software drivers supporting a
variety of back-up formats. It retails for $6,200.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19890901/Press Contact: Ted Davis, Dickens
Data, 404-448-6177)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00004)

NEW UNIX BUSINESS SOFTWARE IN UNI-CODE}
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 15 (NB) -- Business
Software Products Inc. has announced the release of the universal
commercially oriented database environment (uni-CODE), a set of
business applications that run in a multiuser Xenix/Unix
environment.

The package provides business software for wholesale
distribution, manufacturing, retail point-of-sale, service and
other industries. It combines 4GL tools with a new concept in
modularized application design that allows full customization of
preprogrammed application modules. The user can set processing
options and use industry specific terminology so standard modules
are instantly transformed into custom vertical packages.
Reseller can sell the general package horizontally or tailor it
vertically.

The uni-CODE database management system is a full-featured
relational database management system. Applications available
include order/invoice processing, quotes, sales leads, production
control, manufacturing, bill of materials,purchasing, accounts
payable and receivable, general ledger, payroll, inventory control
and sales and order analysis. Also available are point-of-sale,
bar code, UPS manifest system and automatic fax transmission.

The retail price of uni-CODE will vary depending upon the number
of applications modules and the number of users. Prices range
from $5,000 to $15,000.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901/Press Contact, Stan Stein, Business
Software Products, 818-772-8484)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00005)

MAI REORGANIZES, OFFERS NEW UNIX COMPUTER}
TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- MAI Basic Four
is reorganizing in an attempt to win back customers lost during
the prolonged losing battle for Prime Computers.

To regain customer and employee confidence and begin recouping
the company's $46.2 million third quarter loss, MAI will
introduce its first Unix-based computer. In the past, all MAI
computers have used a proprietary operating system that has been
incompatible with most software programs on the market.

MAI is also changing its own structure, combining sales, service
and software functions under one executive and using its direct
sales force for only its most fully developed, profitable product
lines. Other products will be sold through dealers and value-
added resellers (VARs).

The company is also creating separate divisions for computers
sold into specific vertical markets with each division being
responsible for its own profit and loss. MAI has also hired back
an executive to improve sales in its Canadian division and the
company is selling half of its international subsidiaries.

Restructuring is also occurring in the financial area of MAI
which the company hopes will boost the price of MAI stock,
selling last week at near its 52-week low. The current price is
$4.375 per share. The company is expected to accept the $55
million cash infusion from MAI Chairman Bennett LeBow's
investment company. Acting MAI president, William Wecksel, is a
long-time investment partner of LeBow's who expects to run MAI for
about a year before a permanent replacement is appointed to the
position. Back in 1985, Wecksel ran the company for a short time
as interim president when LeBow first bought his controlling
interest in MAI.

Although LeBow has indicated a desire to sell MAI in the past,
there is no indication that he is interested in selling the
company at the current time.

(Janet Endrijonas/19890901)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00006)

88 OPEN SETS JAPANESE STANDARD}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- The 88 Open Consortium Japan has
prepared the Japanese BCS (binary compatibility standard) based on
the English version.

The consortium has joined a force to provide perfect compatibility
between Motorola's M88000 RISC (reduced instruction set computer)
chip-based computer systems, launched this February.

The Japanese BCS has been prepared to standardize the interface in
Japanese, and to operate without any difficulty between
different machines of its five member firms, such as Nippon Data
General, Omron Tateishi, Sanyo, and Sony Tektronix.

The products born of this alliance are due to appear this fall.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890829)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00007)

UNIX GROUP SEEKS ASIAN SUPPORT}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 AUG 29 (NB) -- The organization appealing
for the standardization of the System V version of the Unix operating
system, Unix International or UI, has held the third
Internationalization Working Group conference, and discussed the
support of Asian languages, such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

Also, the group discussed further cooperation with X/Open
on the support of the Asian languages. UI is planning to hold the
fourth conference in Taiwan this November.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19890831)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00008)

HONG KONG: NCR ENTRY-LEVEL DATABASES}
HONGKONG, ASIA, 1989 SEP 1 (NB) -- NCR, Fourseas Telecom and Infolab
have teamed up to promote a multiuser relational database
system at $8,000. The move is aimed at the vast small business
market presently addressed by myriads of eager PC vendors.

The configuration is based on a four-user NCR Tower 32/200
equipped with Unix System V and the Informix RDBMS.

NCR's Computer Systems Division Manager Alex Lee says,
"Informix on the Tower is a powerful and flexible DBMS which is
extremely easy to use. New users now have the opportunity to
take advantage of a sophisticated multiuser system at a PC
price."

(Keith Cameron/19890901/Press Contact:Euan Barty, Hongkong 5-
290356)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00009)

PROGRESS SIGNS WITH THORNE IN CANADA}
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 AUG 28 (NB) -- Thorne Ernst &
Whinney has become the 100th Canadian value-added reseller for
Progress, the database and application development software from
Progress Software of Bedford, Mass. The largest chartered
accounting firm in Canada, Thorne will use Progress in Unix-based
distribution and manufacturing applications. Thorne Ernst &
Whinney has 56 offices across Canada, and its information systems
group specializes in turnkey and custom systems. In addition to
Unix, Progress is available for MS-DOS, several Unix-like systems
such as Xenix and IBM's AIX, Digital Equipment's VAX/VMS
operating system and others.

(Grant Buckler/19890830/Press Contact: Peter Vincent, Progress
Software, 416-620-6766)