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/nb891127

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(NEWS)(APPLE)(WAS)(00001)

FBI QUESTIONS EX-APPLE EMPLOYEE CONCERNING THEFT}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Grady Ward, an ex-
Apple employee, has been subpoenaed in conjunction with an
investigation of the theft of the software used to develop the
Macintosh computer.

Mr. Ward told the press that he had been told by an FBI agent,
identified as Steven E. Cook, that he (Mr. Ward) was one of five
suspects drawn from a list of people who had access to the material.

The agent, according to Mr. Ward, said that the five selected were
considered the most likely to have taken the software and that he
was considered a suspect because he had gone to a liberal college,
had studied briefly at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and was considered to be a
"computer hacker."

Mr. Ward further said that the agent told him that the FBI believed
that the Toshiba Corporation had obtained a copy of the software
and that copies had also reached the Soviet Union. Mr. Ward also
told press that he had told the FBI agent that he was innocent of
the theft but would cooperate with the investigation.

An FBI spokesperson, when questioned on the matter, declined to
comment on a continuing investigation.

The theft of the Macintosh software has been of particular interest in
the computer industry because of the manner in which it was
publicized and the issues it raised. In June, a group identifying
itself as the "Nu Prometheus League" mailed copies of computer disks to
several software developers and computer magazines. The group,
which said that it had taken its name from the Greek god who stole
fire from the gods to man, stated in a letter accompanying the disks,
"Our objective at Apple is to distribute everything that prevents
other manufacturers from creating legal copies of the Macintosh. As
an organization, the Nu Prometheus League has no ambition beyond
seeing the genius of a few Apple employees benefit the entire
world." The letter, published by MacWeek, one of the magazines that
received the software, went on to say that the group's action was
partially brought on by Apple's filing of suit against Microsoft and
Hewlett-Packard for allegedly copying the look and feel of the
Macintosh.

Mr. Ward's interview by the FBI is the second to reach public notice
related to the Macintosh case. Earlier in November, Charles Farnham,
a San Jose, California businessman and Macintosh enthusiast, reported
that he had been visited by two men who initially purported to be
United Press International reporters but later revealed themselves
as FBI agents. Mr. Farnham said that the agents questioned him as to his
knowledge of the Nu Prometheus group but did not inform him that
he was a suspect in the case. It is believed that United Press
International officials have complained to be FBI concerning the use
of its name in the incident.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00002)

NEW PROGRAM ALLOWS MAC TO READ GRAPHICS FROM OTHER MACHINES}
HERNDON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Companies with
several computer types, such as advertising agencies or those in
design work, often run into the problem of graphic file incompatibility --
they can't view an image created on a Targa-16, for instance, on
their Macintosh SE.

A new program may help. PICTure This, from FGM Inc., Herndon,
Virginia, enables graphics files from various computer systems
to be converted into PICT files and consolidated on the Macintosh
where they can be displayed or edited.

PICTure This can take images created in the following formats and
convert them to PICT files: Targa-16, CGM, Dr. Halo CUT, Gem IMG,
Lotus PIC, PCX (IBM PC), Sun Raster (Sun), IFF, RIFF (Commodore
Amiga), GIF, RLE (Compuserve), TIFF, X11 Bitmaps (industry standard),
Macintosh Encapsulated Postscript, and MacPaint.

PICTure This can be used as either a stand-alone application or a
desk accessory. It requires a minimum of one megabyte of memory
and runs on the Macintosh SE/30 or Macintosh II series of computers.

The program is shipping and costs $99.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Michael Morehouse, FGM
at 703-478-9881)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00003)

MACUSER LAYS OFF 11 EDITORIAL STAFFERS}
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- MacUser Magazine
has been forced to lay off 11 members of its editorial staff as parent
company Ziff Communications mandates cost-cutting measures.

The layoffs are all among the monthly magazine's editorial
workers, according to Paul Somerson, editor-in-chief, although
three other people cut from the payroll at the same time were
among the company's 23-person sales staff. There are 36 editorial
staff members remaining at the magazine in such chores as
editorial, artwork and laboratory tasks.

Macuser has the largest paid circulation of any Macintosh-specific
magazine, according to Somerson. Macuser had 275,967 paid
subscriptions as of June. In addition, Macuser recently acquired new
subscribers from MacGuide, a magazine which recently folded.

According to a Ziff spokeswoman, Macuser did not grow in 1989
as quickly as Ziff had hoped, consequently the staff was pared
back to be more in line with other Ziff publications, namely
PC Magazine, which, she said, "has one-third more people but
is putting out two editions per month."

(Wendy Woods/19891122/Press Contact: Jeff Miller, Publisher,
415-378-5601; Ziff public relations, Bev Narrenberg, 212-503-
5106)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00004)

NEW LASER ART AND FONTS FOR THE MAC}
ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Somak
Software has released its first Laser Art and Laser Fonts catalog
for Macintosh users as a supplement to The Somack Collection, a
catalog of shareware and selected commercial software for the
Mac.

The clip art collection has of 36 diskettes filled with
Encapsulated PostScript illustrations that can be printed on a
PostScript compatible printer or imagesetter. Included are clips
for business, real estate, holidays, weddings, sports and
recreation. There are also banners and page ornaments included
in the nearly 500 images in the set.

The font collection comes on 4 diskettes, each containing
PostScript and screen versions of 6 to 13 fonts. According to
the company, type styles range from "conservative to outrageous."
Body type and headline styles are included.

Each diskette (font or clip art) is available for $8.99. The
complete set of 40 diskettes sells for $199 and can be ordered on
CD-ROM for $99. When the complete set is ordered, Somack throws
in a 32-page booklet with illustrations of each image. Some of
the disks are distributed as shareware with their authors
requesting additional fees ranging from $2 to $25.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Robert Eberhardt,
Somack Software, 619-942-2556)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(ATL)(00005)

X.400 CAPABILITY TO MACINTOSH QUICKMAIL}
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Touch
Communications will provide an X.400 gateway for CE Software's
QuickMail for the Apple Macintosh.

The gateway will let QuickMail users exchange messages with any
other messaging system that supports X.400, the international industry
standard for messaging and electronic mail. Touch will market the
resulting X.400 gateway product for QuickMail, mainly to computer
system managers in large companies and the government.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Touch Communications,
Denise Bowden, 408-374-2500)


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

UPDATE - EXTRA T-1 CAPACITY FOR CONNECTING APPLETALK NETS}
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- A device for
AppleTalk networks called the SyncRouter, which interconnects
remote AppleTalk networks using unused capacity on
corporate T-1 links, has been introduced by Mark Doyle,
president of Engage Communication Inc.

T-1 links are specially conditioned lines which can handle
data at up to 1,544,000 bits/second, but many companies
aren't using that capacity because they don't have devices
which can connect to it inexpensively and easily, Doyle says.

SyncRouter costs $1,895, plugs in minutes, and
allows transfers at speeds up to 230,400 bits/second, with
the only limit being the speed of Localtalk. Access to SyncRouter
is transparent to all users, whether they're using Macs or PCs.
It can support up to 1,024 network entries and 250 zones, and is
completely transparent, even TCP/IP packets, encapsulated within
Appletalk packets.

Simply plug the device into a V.35, RS449 or RS232 plug and the
SyncRouter determines which connection to use,
then activates the line. Changing the service type is as easy as
plugging in a new connector.

General Electric has purchased eight SyncRouters to connect
Albany, Croton, New York, and Princeton to the corporate
campus network. At Comdex, Doyle quoted an unnamed
GE manager to the effect that the SyncRouter performs
slightly better than an Ethernet system between Bridgeport
and Fairfield General Electric offices, but at 1/10th the
price.

Doyle's last start-up was called Digital Link, and he also used
to work at Ungermann-Bass. Doyle also says there's a huge
amount of spare T-1 capacity in most corporate networks.

(Dana Blankenhorn & Wendy Woods/19891114/Press Contact:
Mark Doyle, Engage Communication, Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00007)

KODAK UNVEILS PRINTER FOR PORTABLE MAC}
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Kodak will sell
a version of a tiny printer now available for MS-DOS machines,
for use with the Macintosh Portable.

The Kodak Diconix M1500, $699, due out in January, is a battery-
operated, ink-jet printer furnished with the new Adobe Type
Manager software, a product which can build type at any font
size "on the fly."

The unit weighs 3.1 pounds and is roughly the size of a standard
office dictionary. The unit takes standard "C" batteries.

Why has Kodak jumped into the Macintosh market? The company's
Printer Products Division manager, Geoffrey Smith, explains that
it's a matter of timing on a hot new product, ╥In the last 24
months, Apple has made tremendous inroads into
corporate America. The company shipped 500,000 Macintosh
SE systems in 1989, and expects to sell 125,000 of the new
Macintosh portable computers next year. The market for a
printer as compact and versatile as the Macintosh Portable will
be very significant."

For answers to questions, Kodak has set up this toll-free number
for the U.S. and Canada: 800-255-3434.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Margaret Baranowski,
Kodak, 716-253-0053)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00008)

KELLY SERVICES OFFERS MAC-LITERATE TEMPS}
TROY, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Kelly Services, famous
in prior years for the "Kelly Girl" temporary office workers, has
not only added men to the ranks over the years, but also has
added Macintosh-literate office workers to its U.S., Canadian, and
Puerto Rican forces.

In addition to filing and receptionist skills, many temps now
feel comfortable in front of MacWrite, WordPerfect, and
Microsoft Word.

"Many of our customers, primarily on the East and West Coasts,
are requesting 'Mac-literate' temporary employees," says Tom
Anton, executive vice president and chief operating officer of
Kelly Temporary Services. Consequently the firm has taken up
the gauntlet to offer staff with software skills for Macintosh
computers.

Kelly currently offers "hands-on" training, testing and support
on the leading 20 word processing and three spreadsheet
programs for PCs and Macintoshes for its temporary personnel.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Jim Dinsmore, 313-244-
4305)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00009)

WOZ WAY NEW S.J. STREET NAMED AFTER APPLE FOUNDER}
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- The City of
San Jose is naming a small thoroughfare after the cofounder
of Apple Computer.

Woz Way, just south of Interstate 280 in San Jose, will be
shortly be renamed from Provost Street in honor of Steve Wozniak.
Wozniak is getting the street named after him not only because
he founded the currently $5 billion computer company, but
because he's generous with his money.

"He's contributed a lot of money to the Children's Discovery
Museum and to the technology center and both of those
museums are going to be right there," says Callie Gregory, a
spokeswoman for the city.

(Wendy Woods/19891124)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00010)

MACINTOSH PORTABLE LCD SUPPLIER HOSIDEN EXPANDS}
OSAKA, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Hosiden Electronics, best known
as the supplier of the active matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) which
sits atop the Macintosh Portable, will make more of the screens.

The firm has invested six billion yen or $41.4 million to expand
its Kobe plant and is also planning another 10 billion yen or
$69 million investment to build a production line next to the
present line in the fall of 1990.

Hosiden has been known as a consumer electronics parts manufacturer
and sales in fiscal 1988, ended in March 1989, came to 53.4 billion
yen or $368 million. 65.8 percent of the sales were for electric
parts, such as sockets and jacks, and 12.8 percent consisted of audio
equipment, such as microphones. 6.4 percent of sales were attributed to
electromagnetic field products while Apple's LCD accounted for 15
percent of the company's total sales.

Hosiden Electronics began marketing its 10-inch active matrix LCD in
spring this year, and plans to make color LCDs early in 1990. Hosiden
expects to ship 30,000 black and white and color LCDs by July 1990.

Hosiden faces stiff competition in its bid to lead the LCD race. Its
competitors include Sharp, which has invested 27 billion yen or $186
million to establish a line in Nara Prefecture, and Hitachi's $69
million or 10 billion yen Mobara plant in Chiba Prefecture will start
operation in April. The joint venture of Toshiba and IBM Japan will
also start 10-inch LCD output in its Himeji Plant soon.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891122)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00011)

APPLE AUSTRALIA CHOSEN AS BEST SUBSIDIARY}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Apple Australia was
named "Country of the Year" by Apple Pacific, U.S. The local
company was competing against subsidiaries in Canada,
Japan, Hong Kong, and South America. Increased revenue,
financial practices and excellence in sales, service and
support were behind the award.

Local revenues for this year were AUS$302M, up from
AUS$211M last year. A spokesman for the Australian company
said the award highlighted the excellence of one country's
performance against that of all others in the Pacific
region.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00001)

TIME WARNER TO SELL SCOTT FORESMAN
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- Time Warner
will sell Scott, Foresman & Company, a leading publisher of
computer-related books, to Harper & Row for $455 million.

The price is considerably less than the $520 million
that Time paid to acquire Scott, Foresman just three years ago. The
sale, which also includes the educational publishing operations of
Little, Brown, will result in a fourth-quarter write-off of $175
million dollars for Time Warner. Harper and Row, owned in turn by
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, will pay Time Warner $407
million in cash and will assume $48 million in debt.

Although Scott, Foresman, as one of the nation's five largest
educational publishers, has been primarily known for its elementary
school books and college textbooks, it has become one of the major
publishers of computer-related books with recent concentration on
topics relating to the Macintosh computer. It has published
such titles as "The Macintosh Way; The Art of Guerilla Management"
by Guy Kawasaki, "Macintosh HyperMedia Reference Guide"
Volume One by Michael Frase and "PageMaker: Desktop Publishing
on the Macintosh" by Karen Strehlo, currently on the bookshelves.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


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

ATARI'S THIRD QUARTER DISAPPOINTS
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Atari is banking
heavily on the success of several products introduced late this year
to return a smile to its investors' faces. The latest quarterly
report shows net sales for the quarter down $17.4 million from this
time last year ($81.4 million compared to $98.8 million).

Atari took a net loss of $5.4 million for the quarter. Net sales for the
nine months were $253 million compared to $300 million for the
like period last year. There was a net loss of $1.8 million compared
to a net income of $12.1 million for the like nine months last year.
Sales of Atari STs reportedly flattened in mid-year as buyers
anticipated the STE, which was out in September.

The disappointing results are also due in part to a write-off of $10
million directly related to the falling price of dynamic random access
memory chips. But Sam Tramiel, president and chief executive officer,
points to the bright side. "This has been an encouraging yet
difficult quarter for Atari. Towards the end of the quarter we
began shipping many new products which represent our future."

That future lies in the hand-held Lynx game machine; the $400 Portfolio,
a hand-held, one-pound, MS-DOS computer; the STE, the improved
version of the Atari ST computer; and the Megafile 44, a new
removable media hard disk drive.

Atari is also encouraged by the sale of 26 of its money-draining
Federated Group consumer electronics stores to Silo Inc., of
Philadelphia. Another 14 of the stores are also being offered to
potential buyers.

(Wendy Woods/19891124)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00003)

EGGHEAD WILL CLOSE STORES AFTER $4.3 MILLION LOSS
ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- The Egghead
chain of software stores, the nation's largest volume personal
computer software merchant in North America, reports a loss of
$4.3 million this past quarter despite the fact that sales were
up 38-percent. The immediate result will be the closure of 20
of its 206 stores within the next year.

Egghead says for the quarter ending October 14, 1989, sales were
$98.5 million, compared to sales of $71.3 million one year ago.
Sales for the fiscal half of fiscal 1990 were up 44 percent to $220.8
million from $153.4 million a year ago.

So if sales are up, why is there a loss? The company's president
and chief executive officer, Stuart Sloan, explains that the company's
profit margins were lower due to inventory shrinkage, decreased
vendor cash discounts, and obsolescence. Also, there was more
direct selling to corporations which lowered company revenues.

"During the second quarter, inventory shrinkage also improved
relative to the first quarter, reflecting the effects of more frequent
physical inventories, stricter internal auditing procedures, and better
compliance with operational procedure."

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Diane Merz, 206-391-6230)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00004)

CANON TO BOOST LASER PRINTER OUTPUT OVERSEAS
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- Due to a rapidly growing laser
printer market, Canon, one of the largest suppliers to the world,
will accelerate overseas production.

According to the plan revealed by Canon, its French-based subsidiary
Canon Bretagne will boost current monthly output of two to
three thousand laser printers to 20,000 a month by 1992. Canon's
U.S.-based plant, Canon Virginia, will expand its current output
of 20,000 printers by a factor of three within five years.

Canon expects to sell 5.5 million laser printers in fiscal '89, which
ends in March 1990. Almost 90 percent of these are exported to
Europe and the U.S.

Canon laser printers, including its OEM (original equipment
manufacturing) supply to Apple and Hewlett-Packard, comprised 70
percent of world laser printer sales, based on research compiled
on January-through-June sales in the U.S. for 1988.

The figure increased to 85 percent in the same period of 1989 and
is still growing in the July-through-September period.

Currently, Canon is producing 40 percent of its copiers overseas.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891122)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00005)

SUN HAS DIBS ON TOSHIBA'S 4M CHIPS
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- Toshiba, one of the largest
suppliers of computer memory chips, is likely to keep its
position with next-generation, four-megabit DRAM (dynamic
random access memory) because the second largest workstation
maker, Sun Microsystems -- has become a major customer for them.

Toshiba won't say just how many chips Sun will purchase, but
simply acknowledges that the workstation firm will account for
an increase in shipments of four megabit DRAMs. Another market
for the powerful new memory units will be Toshiba's own
J-3100 or T-3100 series computers. A four megabit DRAM
memory board is currently being designed by Toshiba.

Meanwhile, Toshiba will ramp up production a bit more slowly than
originally forecast. The plan to ship one million four megabit DRAMs
per month by March, 1990 has been revised. Toshiba now says
an output of one million units will take place in late summer.
A Toshiba spokesman explained, "We are running the preparation
work to output one million units by March, but production depends
on market demand."

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891122)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00006)

NEC MAKES SRAM CHIPS IN U.S.
ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- NEC has started
full-scale production of 256-kilobit SRAM (static random access memory)
chips in its general-purpose memory factory in Roseville,
California. NEC is the second Japanese firm to produce SRAM chips
in the U.S., following Hitachi.

NEC is currently producing 256-kilobit DRAM (dynamic random access
memory) chips in its U.S. factory with monthly output of five
million units. But demand for the chips is dwindling as the supply
of one megabit DRAM chips increases and the price for them comes
down.

NEC plans to start full production of four-megabit DRAM chips
in 1991. Until then, NEC will gradually shift production
from 256-kilobit DRAM to 256-kilobit SRAM chips, in order to
get the factory into full swing.

The initial monthly output of the 256-kilobit SRAM chips is
expected to be between 100,000 and 200,000 units.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


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

TI TO CUT 1,500 JOBS
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) --  Texas Instruments
has announced it will reduce its workforce by about 1,500 people,
primarily in US locations.

The company will take a pretax charge of approximately $55
million in the fourth quarter of 1989 for cost-cutting actions
and fixed-price program cost adjustments that will result in the
layoffs. TI had reported earlier that cost reductions in its
newly structured Information Technology Group (ITG) would impact
fourth quarter results. About $15 million of the charges are
related to ITG. Most of the remaining charges are semiconductor
related associated, in part, with the closing of an obsolete
wafer fabrication facility in Dallas and the upgrading of other
wafer fabs for logic and linear products.

To lessen the need for involuntary staff reductions, TI will
offer voluntary reduction/retirement programs in selected areas
of the company. Details of these voluntary programs will be
revealed to employees during the next few weeks.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Stan Victor, Texas
Instruments, 214-995-2984)


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

COMPUTER AUTOMATION REPORTS FISCAL YEAR LOSS
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 18 (NB) -- Computer
Automation has reported a net loss of $6,028,000 ($2.54 per
share) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1989.

This breaks out as a loss on continuing operations of $1,411,000
(60 cents per share), a loss on discontinued operations of
$1,947,000 (82 cents per share) and a loss on disposal of
discontinued operations of $2,670,000 ($1.12 per share).
Revenues from continuing operations were $6,399,000.

The company also will report a net loss from continuing
operations for first quarter 1990 ended September 30, 1989. The
exact amount of the loss has not been released to date.

Computer Automation had entered into a letter of intent to sell
its automatic test equipment (ATE) business but the deal fell
through earlier this month. The ATE business is still on the
block.

The sizeable losses have, according to Computer Automation
President George Pratt, severely affected the company's cash
flow. The company's lender is continuing to extend credit under
an agreement that expired September 30 but Pratt has indicated
that it is essential for the company to find additional
financing. Pratt has said that a tentative financing commitment
has been received from a group of private investors and terms and
conditions are currently in negotiation.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: William Osmundsen,
Computer Automation, 714-833-8830)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(ATL)(00009)

DUN & BRADSTREET BUYS MSA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Dun & Bradstreet
has announced an agreement to purchase all of Management Science
America, and its IBM mainframe software applications, for
approximately $333 million in cash.

At one time, in the early 1980s, MSA was the world's largest
software company. This was before Microsoft took the market
lead in the middle of the decade. Today, Computer Associates
of Garden City, New York holds the honor. MSA's one attempt
to get into the PC software business, Peachtree Software, had one
early hit but failed in its attempt to build a brand name on
packaging alone.

In May of 1989, IBM purchased 5% of MSA, which had redirected
its product line under IBM's Systems Applications Architecture,
or SSA. The gain, on its balance sheet is, thus, more than
financial. Combining the old McCormack & Dodge company with MSA
will keep alive crucial mainframe applications IBM can't afford
to lose in the marketplace. MSA earned approximately $10 million
in the first three quarters of 1989 on revenue of $195 million.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: The Dun & Bradstreet
Corp., William F. Doescher, 212-593-6994)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00010)

XEROX CANADA TO PROCEED WITH SHARE CHANGES
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- Xerox Canada
will proceed with plans to change some conditions on its common
shares.

At a special meeting Nov. 15, 94.7 percent of common shareholders
who voted approved an exchange of common, voting shares for non-
voting shares linked to and exchangeable for those of the parent
company. However, one major shareholder, the Ontario Municipal
Employees Retirement Board, objected to the proposal. Though it
abstained from the vote, the OMERB indicated it might try to
block the proposal. Xerox Canada's board therefore reconsidered
the proposal before announcing today that it would go ahead.

The change gives Xerox Corp., which currently holds 79 percent of
the voting shares of Xerox Canada, full voting control of the
subsidiary. In exchange, according to Harry Cogill, director of
public affairs at Xerox Canada, shareholders get higher dividends
and a right to exchange their shares for stock in the parent
company.

(Grant Buckler/19891123/Press Contact: Harry Cogill, Xerox
Canada, 416-733-6410)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00011)

LATEST WANG LAYOFFS UNLIKELY TO AFFECT CANADA
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- Wang Canada says it
is unlikely to lay off more people as a result of the cutbacks
announced by Wang Laboratories President Richard Miller Nov. 9.

In response to inquiries, Wang Canada is giving out a statement
by Steve Trotter, president of the Canadian subsidiary. "With
respect to Wang Canada," Trotter's prepared statement says,
"while we continue to monitor our ratio of revenue- to non-
revenue-generating positions, we are confident that our
restructuring program of September 7, 1989, is achieving our
target for Canada."

On September 7, Trotter announced Wang Canada would cut 65
employees, or about eight percent of its workforce. He said the
company had been planning the cuts since May, but moved faster
because of troubles at the parent company. Some of the cuts are
to be made through early retirement, the rest through layoffs.

(Grant Buckler/19891123/Press Contact: Gay Lynne Potts, Wang
Canada, 416-764-1999)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00012)

COREL PUBLIC OFFERING PROCEEDS
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Corel Systems, maker
of the popular Corel Draw! graphics software, hopes to raise C$20
million through its first public share offering. The company is
offering 2,666,667 common shares at C$7.50 per share. The Toronto
Stock Exchange has conditionally approved Corel's stock for
listing, subject to fulfilment of exchange requirements by
January 21, 1990.

In addition to Corel Draw!, Corel sells interface software for
write-once read-many (WORM) optical drives, called Corel
OptiStar, and is a system integrator specializing in desktop
publishing systems.

According to unaudited figures in the share prospectus, Corel had
net income of C$1.65 million on revenues of C$13.94 million in
the nine months ended August 31. The company is projecting
C$2.47-million net income on C$2.64-million revenues for the year
ending November 30. Based in Ottawa, Corel was founded in 1985
and has 129 full-time employees.

(Grant Buckler/19891124/Press Contact: Jennifer Poulsen, Corel
Systems, 613-728-8200)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00013)

CANADIAN RETAILER STEALS PEOPLE BANKRUPT
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- The Steals People,
a three-store Toronto discount computer chain, is bankrupt.

Michael Creber, a senior vice-president of Peat Marwick Thorne
Inc., which is acting as receiver manager, said the Supreme Court
of Ontario placed the firm in bankruptcy November 3, two days
after it filed for receivership. Receivership in Canada is
roughly equivalent to Chapter 11 proceedings under United States
bankruptcy law. The firm of Doane Raymond has been appointed
bankruptcy trustee. Creber said the stores will remain open while
Peat Marwick seeks buyers or investors. Tenders are being
accepted until December 7, and an announcement is likely early in
the new year, he said. "We're optimistic based on the response,"
he said, "that we will be able to find a resolution."

(Grant Buckler/19891123/Press Contact: Michael Creber, Peat
Marwick Thorne, 416-863-3825)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00014)

STRATFORD PROMOTES MORTON TO PRESIDENT
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Stratford
Software has appointed Alex L. Morton president. He replaced
company founder Adrian J. Robson in that position. Robson will
continue as chairman. Morton was also named a director of the
company, replacing a retiring director, Thomas J. O'Flaherty.

Morton, former vice-president of marketing and sales at Borland
International and former president of Consumers Software in Santa
Cruz, Calif., joined Stratford -- then Bedford Software -- as
vice-president of marketing in October, 1988. He was appointed
senior vice-president in February, 1989.

(Grant Buckler/19891124/Press Contact: Terry McDonald, Stratford
Software, 604-439-1311)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00015)

SEMI-TECH SELECTS AGENT FOR PLACEMENT
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- International Semi-
Tech Microelectronics has chosen First Marathon Capital Corp. as
its agent for a C$35-million private share placement. The
placement, which is subject to regulatory approval, is in line
with Semi-Tech shareholders' previous approval for financing up
to C$65 million. The placement of unsecured debentures is
expected to be completed by the end of November, Semi-Tech said.

(Grant Buckler/19891121/Press Contact: Michael List, Semi-Tech
Microelectronics, 416-475-2670)


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

AUSTRALIA: LAYOFFS HIT PHILIPS, DATAMATIC
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Philips and Datamatic
Holdings have sacked 30 staff each in response to shrinking
profit margins in Australia.

Brian Killin, managing director of communications and
peripherals company Datamatic, said he had been concerned
about making sackings so close to Christmas but it had been
"simply good business management" and that outside jobs had
been found for about half of those sacked.

Bernie O'Brien, marketing manager of Philips, said the move
was part of the redistribution and reformation of previous
activities. All of the Philips reductions were in the
Telecommunications and Data Systems division.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


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

AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER FIRMS FEEL PINCH
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Smaller Australian
computer companies are feeling the pinch as the local
industry catches up with the recent international downturn
in the computer industry.

The local computer maker Cleveland Computers, which turns
over about AUS$10M a year, is in trouble after one of its
major creditors withdrew its support two weeks ago. The
management of Cleveland say they are confident that a
replacement creditor can be found.

Meanwhile, the Computer Clearance Center has become the
latest in a line of PC dealers to go under. The directors
of the company, which has branches in Sydney and Melbourne,
have decided to liquidate the firm's assets.

The multinationals, however, continue to post good results.
This week Digital Equipment Corporation Australia announced
a 30 percent revenue increase for the quarter ended
September 30.

Meanwhile, a separate report by the South Australian-based
distributor Quercus claims that DR-DOS now has 100,000
users in Australia.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00018)

IMAGINEERING BUYOUT CONTINUES DESPITE AUDITOR'S WRIST-SLAP
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Problem-plagued Australian
distributor Imagineering is still to be taken over by the First
Pacific Bank, despite further problems coming to light over the
past days.

Shareholders have unanimously voted to accept an offer
by the bank to purchase a controlling 42 percent interest in the
company. It will buy 20 million ordinary 50c shares at 90c each,
though the stock was trading at around $1.50 earlier this year.
The Asian bank has the option to purchase a further 10 percent.

Doubt was cast over the deal last week when it was revealed that
the auditors would not accept the deferral of a AUS$5M
'advertising loss.' This has resulted in the company posting a
$5.11M loss instead of a more modest $117,000 one. In addition,
the company will have to pay compensation of $3.05M to First
Pacific.

There have been numerous staff cuts over the past year, with an
additional 45 sackings recently. MD Jodee Rich said, "The
retrenchments are due to the tough economic times in Australia at
present." Meanwhile, speculation persists that more software and
hardware manufacturers will withdraw distribution from
Imagineering, at least as an exclusive deal.

Imagineering, Australia's largest PC distributor, has regularly
lost money in its New Zealand branch, with the latest blow coming
from the collapse of Computer Logic in New Zealand, leaving
Imagineering $100,000 poorer.

(Paul Zucker/198981125)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00019)

DELL OPENS FOR BUSINESS IN FRANCE
PARIS, FRANCE, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Dell Computer Corporation has
opened its third European subsidiary operation in France. The
Paris-based operation, which covers 15,000 square feet of office
and factory space, joins the company's existing UK and West
German subsidiaries.

Lee Walker, Dell Computer's president and chief operating
officer, said that the French market for PCs is currently worth
in excess of $3,000 million a year, a market that the company
intends to fully exploit.

"With Dell France, we have extended our coverage into the three
major markets for personal computers in Western Europe," he said.

"We've have structured Dell France to enable it to provide the
full range of services that have made our company successful in
the US and elsewhere. We've assembled a highly qualified,
talented staff and are enthusiastic about the potential of Dell
France to make a significant contribution to the overall growth
of the company," he added.

Dell France is headed up by Phillipe D'Argent, who joined Dell
from Lotus Development, where he was general manager of the
company's French subsidiary. Prior to joining Lotus, he was with
Mattel Electronics and Texas Instruments. He has a total staff of
23, including several other French industries luminaries such as
Bruno Royer (IBM's direct marketing manager); Alain Navarre (ex-
Toshiba); and Bernard Giner (Apple/Apollo)

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Phillipe D'Argent,
Dell France, 78053 Saint Quentin en Yvelines, Cedex, France. Tel:
[phone])


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

HEWLETT-PACKARD WEST GERMANY REPORTS RECORD SALES
BOEBLINGEN, WEST GERMANY, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard
GMBH, HP's West German subsidiary, has reported record sales and
profits for its financial year to 31 October, 1989.

During the year, Hewlett Packard's West German operation reported
sales of DM 3,800 million - up 33 percent on the DM 2,100
million posted last year. Profits, meanwhile, were up 15 percent
to DM 155 million.

The West German company, Hewlett-Packard's largest foreign
subsidiary, is building a new production centre at Boeblingen and
plans to take on an extra 500 staff shortly, boosting its total
payroll to 6,300 people.

(Steve Gold/19891125)


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

NIXDORF: CHAIRMAN KLAUS LUFT RESIGNS
PADERBORN, WEST GERMANY, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Klaus Luft, Nixdorf
AG's chairman, has resigned. No reason for the resignation -
announced last week - has been given, but Nixdorf has been
running through troubled times this past year or so, resulting in
heavy operating losses and staff cut-backs.

Luft joined Nixdorf in 1967 and became chairman in 1986,
following the death of Heinz Nixdorf, the company's founder

The supervisory board for the troubled West German electronics
giant has named Horst Nasko, a board member for six years, as the
company's new chairman.

Despite his sudden departure, Luft's cost-cutting plans, which
included staff layoffs of 1,600 employees, will continue, said a
company spokesman.

During 1987/88, Nixdorf was hit by a combination of falling
demand and increasing production costs, at a time when the
company was committed to investing heavily in new plant and
machinery. The results were predictable -- losses of DM 59.8
million ($33 million) in 1988, compared with profits of DM 330.6
million ($180 million) for the preceding year.

(Steve Gold/19891125)


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

BUSINESSLAND SETS SIGHTS ON FRANCE AND W. GERMANY
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Businessland has announced
ambitious plans to acquire distribution outlets in France and
West Germany. The company is also is working on a joint venture
for retail sales in Japan by first quarter of next year.

Businessland Chairman David Norman said that the deals are in
line with a plan to expand Businessland's activity in countries
where its customers have major business operations, adding that a
managing director and a negotiating team have been in Europe for
some time for talks on acquisition prospects: "Our approach in
going in is to acquire high-end distribution channels," he said.

Noting the company is cautiously expanding beyond its existing
sales operations in the US and United Kingdom, Norman added: "Now
it's time for us to move. With limited resources, you have to
move carefully."

Businessland is a major business computer retailer, with outlets
in the US and the UK, and with interests in high-technology
companies throughout the world. Earlier this year, the company's
US operations became one of the first distributors to handle
Steve Jobs' Next computer.

(Steve Gold/19891125)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00023)

TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS FRANCE SETS UP SHOP
PARIS, FRANCE, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Toshiba's West German
subsidiary has set up new company in France to sell
semiconductors. The new company - Toshiba Electronics France -
expects sales to reach $28.3 million in its first year of
operation. The company will market integrated circuits made in
West Germany by Toshiba Electronics Europe, as well as chips and
video tubes made in Japan.

France's chip market ranked third in the European Economic
Community (EEC) last year, with estimated sales of $566 million,
or 15 percent of the total EEC market-place.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press Contact: John Hill, managing director,
Toshiba UK - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

ATARI SHIPS LYNX FOR CHRISTMAS}
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Making good on
his promise to deliver an alternative to the Nintendo Game Boy
for Christmas shoppers, Atari President Sam Tramiel has announced
volume shipments to retailers of the Lynx, a one-pound, hand-held
video game system originally developed by Epyx. "We'll be operating
'round-the-clock to catch up with the volume of orders," he states
in a press release.

The Lynx, which Tramiel blunted touted as "the most innovative
consumer electronics product since the Sony Walkman," has in
fact, won rave reviews from the press who point to its
state-of-the-art color 3.5-inch liquid crystal display, which is
capable of showing 16 colors at a time from a palette of 4,096.
The sharp resolution and backlighting enable the system to
be used under any lighting condition.

The Lynx comes with an eight-way controller and two sets of
fire buttons. Three option buttons accommodate up to five different
functions. The system also includes volume, brightness and
contrast controls, as well as jacks for headphones and a Lynx port.
Users can also flip the screen 180-degrees to accommodate right
or left-handed play. It can also be linked with other machines for
play by multiple players.

Four action games are bundled on a card which comes with the
Lynx in a package called California Games, but four others, on
16-megabyte game cards, are currently available: Blue Lighting,
The Gates of Zendocon, Electrocop, and Chip's Challenge.

The Atari Lynx costs $179.99 and the game cards range
from $34.99 to $39.99.

The Lynx is in the ring against the Nintendo Game Boy, considered
the hottest seller of the Christmas season. The Game Boy is cheaper --
$90 -- but has only a black and white screen. Another factor in
the Game Boy's favor is its prevalence -- Nintendo claims there
will have been one million of them shipped to retail stores by
Christmas.

Atari expects more game titles for the Lynx after Christmas.
A developers conference in Monterey, California during August
of this year attracted 100 developers.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Ron Stringari, Atari,
408-745-4968)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

NEWSBYTES AVAILABLE ON AUDIO CASSETTE}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Those who
want to keep up with computer industry news but don't want to be
troubled by downloading or reading online may be interested in a new
medium -- audio cassette tape -- a medium ideal for the blind, or
others who cannot access a computer, or for those on the
go and who like to listen to news while driving in the car or flying
off to that important appointment.

Produced by Netherlands-based Publis C.V., Computape provides
selected Newsbytes excerpts in audio format on a weekly basis.
The subscription fee is $170 per year for 25 issues, or $25 for
five trial issues.

The news tapes are distributed in Europe and the U.S. To order
call, in the U.S., 1-800-835-2246, extension 215.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Publis C.V., fax: 31-
3465-73068 or call Wendy Woods at 415-648-2550)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00003)

FRANKLIN SAYS SEIKO DUMPING SPELLING CHECKERS}
MT. HOLLY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- Franklin
Computer says its stock is being hurt by large-scale inventory
sales by Smith Corona Corp. and Seiko Instruments of hand-held
electronic spelling checkers and thesauruses in the U.S.

Franklin makes a more advanced model, but is cutting its prices
anyway and will try to sell a high-quality image.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Morton E. David,
Franklin Computer, 609-261-4800)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00004)

SEMATECH ADDS FLORIDA COLLEGES TO EXCELLENCE PROGRAM}
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- SEMATECH, the
semiconductor manufacturing consortium and Semiconductor
Research Corp. (SRC) has designated certain Florida colleges to
participate in the SEMATECH Centers of Excellence program.

Institutions participating in the research grant include Florida
Institute of Technology (Melbourne), the University of Florida
(Gainesville) and the University of South Florida (Tampa).
Harris Semiconductor, a Florida-based member of SEMATECH will
support the Center by providing process wafers and test
capability for test structures.

Research will focus on the development of a predictive design-
for manufacturing (DFM) system for processes and products that
can be inherently manufactured with high yield. No details of
the research contract's length or value were revealed.

In addition to Florida, SEMATECH has established nine Centers
of Excellence in nine states to provide focus for development of
manufacturing programs within the graduate schools of US
universities. The SRC directs SEMATECH's university research
efforts and oversees the contracts.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Ann Marett, SEMATECH,
512-356-3327)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00005)

LANTASTIC O/S AVAILABLE IN SERIAL/PARALLEL VERSION}
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- Artisoft has
announced the availability of LANtastic Z, a serial/parallel
version of the LANtastic Network Operating System (NOS) converted
for use without network adapters.

LANtastic Z is Artisoft's lowest price network for two computers
with a tag of $199. Users can share data between IBM PCs, ATs,
XTs, PS/2S, 386s and compatibles and can be connected to the
serial or parallel port of a laptop computer to transfer files
between the server and the laptop or vice versa.

The LANtastic Z package includes software, documentation, a 25-
foot cable for serial ports and an 18-foot cable for parallel
ports.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Debbie Daun, Artisoft,
Inc., 602-293-6363 x 215)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00006)

CONSUMERS SOFTWARE ENHANCES E-MAIL GATEWAY}
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) --
Consumers Software has updated the software that links its
electronic mail system, Network Courier, to IBM mainframe mail
systems. Version 2.0 of The Network Courier Gateway for PROFS/CMS
is "for all practical purposes ... a new product," said Michael
Shandrick, a company spokesman.

New features include an addressing capability that lets Network
Courier users create "aliases" or names for addressees on PROFS,
and an import/export utility allowing LAN managers to transfer
files of user names from the local-area network to the mainframe
and vice-versa. The new version also lets Network Courier users
send mail to any PROFS user whether that user's address has been
predefined on the network or not. Finally, Version 2.0 adds an
indirect forwarding feature so that users on a LAN not connected
directly to the mainframe can forward messages by way of another,
connected network.

IBM's sales force is now selling Network Courier and the gateway
product as a result of an agreement the two companies announced
last spring, Shandrick said. The gateway software to run on an
IBM mainframe under the VM operating system costs US$5,000, and
software for each Network Courier local-area network "postoffice"
sells for US$1,000.

(Grant Buckler/19891121/Press Contact: Michael Shandrick,
Consumers Software, 604-688-4548)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00007)

IBM CANADA HONORED FOR COMMITMENT TO BLIND}
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The Canadian
National Institute for the Blind has presented a special citation
to IBM Canada and to its president, John Thompson, for interest
in the well-being of the blind and visually impaired.

At a luncheon Nov. 20, the CNIB honored Thompson and his company for
his and other IBM Canada executives' involvement with its Winston
Gordon Award. The award is given for development of devices or
techniques helpful to blind or visually impaired people. The CNIB
also noted IBM's support for its programs, donation of equipment,
development of speech access equipment for its PS/2 line and
hiring policies.

(Grant Buckler/19891123/Press Contact: Gerrard Grace, CNIB, 416-
480-7590)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00008)

QUANTA TO PUBLISH U.S. WARS SERIES CD-ROMS}
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- In an
exclusive interview with Dan Robillard, Director of Production
for Quanta press, Newsbytes has learned that the first in a
planned series of CD-ROM databases which will document U.S. wars,
will soon be available.

The first disc, Vietnam, will provide color VGA images,
documents, interviews, and statistical data aabout U.S.
involvement in Vietnam from 1946 to 1974.

The database will cost $99 and will first be available in PC
format.

If you ever wanted to see just what CD-ROM databases were
like, but weren't tempted to buy a CD-ROM player just to find
out, Quanta is giving away a floppy demo version of their CIA
World Factbook which, despite the ominous sounding origin, is
just a current geography book covering the countries of the
world.

The $99, 1989 version of World Factbook is just out and
includes 600 dot per inch maps, but you can get the demo just for
writing or calling Quanta Press, 2239 Carter Ave., St. Paul, MN
55108. 612-641-0714.

(John McCormick/19891121/Press Contact: Mark Foster or Dan
Robillard, Quanta Press, 612-641-0714)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00009)

CD-ROMS OFFER GRAPHICS, SOURCE CODE}
SWANSEA, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Comcen has launched two
more CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) add-on packs for PC
users, following the success for its shareware add-on pack for PC
and Mac users launched earlier this year. The add-on packs contain
everything needed to allow users to plug in and go with a CD-ROM
drive system.

The first package - the C Add-Pack - comes with a CD containing
more than 1,000 C source code programs, covering most
applications. Most files are compatible with the Microsoft C of
Borland Turbo C packages.

The second package - the graphics add-pack - comes with a CD with
more than 2,000 clip art items for use with desktop publishing
(DTP) software that accepts GIF, Mac or PIF format files.

Although both the new add-packs are available for the PC only at
the moment, a version for the Apple Macintosh is expected early
on next year. A version for the Toshiba laptop series (compatible
with the Toshiba proprietary add-on bus is also available.

Both add-packs cost UKP 649 ($1,000) for a basic kit suitable for
internal installation in a PC. An external option costs UKP 50
($75) extra for both PC and PS/2 MCA machines. The Toshiba laptop
option costs UKP 150 ($225) extra on the basic kit price.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Paul Fletcher,
Comcen Technology - Tel: [phone]; Fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00010)

DIRECT SOURCE OFFERS SOFTWARE WORLDWIDE TOLL-FREE}
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- One of the
problems with buying software outside of the United States is the
product's price. Software bought in many parts of Europe and
Australasia is typically between 30 and 50 percent more
expensive than the same packages sold in the US.

Because of the high cost of contacting and remitting funds to US
mail order houses, not to mention customs costs and hassles,
however, many computer users are dissuaded from purchasing their
software direct from the US.

Direct Source, a Californian mail order house, has spotted these
problems and is attempting to make life easier for its
international customers. The company has opened toll-free
telephone lines from Australia, France and the UK, with personal
service available during the respective countries' normal
business hours. In addition, the company offers multi-lingual
staff to answer customer's queries and take orders.

Is there a catch? The minimum order value is $150, and payment
must be made in advance by bank transfer or at the time of
purchase using a major credit card, subject to a three percent
handling fee. Freight and import duties are billed direct to the
customer by the courier or air freight company concerned.

Direct Source's promotional material is honest when it comes to
shipping charges and local country customs duties. The company
details the precise elements of tax and duties payable by the
customer, so that prices can be accurately compared.

Direct Source's pricing appears highly competitive, even compared
with conventional US mail order houses. Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.0,
for example, costs $330, compared with a UK/European typical cost
of nearly twice that amount. Wordstar, meanwhile, costs just
$240, compared with a UK price of around $450.

Direct Source's local toll-free numbers are as follows:
Australia Tel: [phone]; France Tel: [phone],
United Kingdom Tel: [phone].

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Direct Source - Tel:
US 805-495-6533; Fax: US 805-495-1858)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00001)

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FINALLY GETS CHIP PATENTS IN JAPAN}
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) --  After waiting almost
thirty years, Texas Instruments has finally been granted patents
for the basic computer chip invented and demonstrated by TI
engineer Jack Kilby back in the 1950s.

The patents relate to the fundamental composition of
integrated circuits including both active and passive components.
TI had originally applied for the patent in Japan in 1960. The
patents, issued October 30 and valid through November 27, 2001,
have been named the Kilby patents.

TI will now negotiate royalties with Japanese chip makers. TI
has refused to speculate on the amount of money these royalties
will net while the Associated Press reported that two analysts
estimated the royalties collected could exceed $100 million annually.
The same report indicated that the Japanese journal, Nihon Keizei
Shimbun estimated royalties could go as high as $600 or $700
million annually based on the size of the Japanese integrated
circuit market.

In another announcement relating to Texas Instruments' activities
in Japan, ground has been broken for TI's research center in
Tsukuba. The new facility will be six stories high and will contain
240,000 square feet. Estimated cost is $40 million. TI already
has four production plants in Japan and employs about 5,000
people in that country.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00002)

MCDONNELL D CHOSEN FOR HUGE AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER NETWORK}
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- McDonnell
Douglas Information Systems has been selected by the State Health
Department of Queensland, Australia to implement a statewide
computer network.

The network will link approximately 14 major Queensland public
hospitals. The value of the deal is said to be $63 million over
a seven year period. Once the network is fully operational,
savings due to improved efficiency in patient administration and
personnel and financial management are estimated to exceed $75
million.

McDonnell Douglas Information Systems, combining the US-based
McDonnell Douglas Computer Systems Co. and the UK-based McDonnell
Douglas Information Systems International won the contract over
competition that included IBM, Digital Equipment and Unisys.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Stanley Goodrich,
McDonnell Douglas Information Systems, 714-566-4172)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00003)

CABLE TV REGULATION IS COMING}
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- It's not the Iran-
Contra hearings, but Daniel Inouye of Hawaii is in the chair
anyway, as Senate hearings continued to reregulate cable
television.

C-SPAN covered the hearings live, and even a panel of
cable industry heavyweights seemed to agree some restrictions are
coming, including penalties to make sure firms who buy franchises
hold them for at least 5 years. Sen. Albert Gore of Tennessee
argued with witness John Malone of TeleCommunicatins Inc., one of
the largest operators, on behalf of satellite dish owners. A bill
will be debated and acted on, one way or the other, in the second
session of the 101st Congress, which convenes in January.

Cable networks will likely fall under broadcast standards
against sexuality, and they may be expected to pony up more for
public access channels, but expect no relief for the bills. One
point little touched on by witnesses is new technology which
could let phone companies offer cable TV and, just as
surprisingly, cable companies offer phone service, by the mid-
1990s.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Dana Blankenhorn, The
Teleputing Hotline, 404-373-7634)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00004)

COMPUTER TO CHECK HANDGUN BUYERS AGAINST THEIR CRIMES}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) --  In a letter to Congress,
Attorney General Thornburgh says that the Justice Department
will begin funding development of a national computerized database
of convicted felons that will allow local gun dealers to ascertain the
presence of any criminal history of potential gun purchasers.

The system announced by Thornburgh is designed as an alternative to
"waiting period" laws which require prospective gun purchasers to wait
up to two weeks while local police agencies perform background
checks.

Thornburgh stated in his letter that, under the state of
current technology and availability of criminal history data, a
complete background check would take at least one month and that
"Such a delay would impose an unreasonable burden on legitimate
gun purchasers, and therefore is unacceptable." Laws of this type
already have been enacted in 24 states and gun control advocates
have proposed a similar measure at the federal level.

Under the plan, the Justice Department will provide $27 million in
aid to state governments over the next three years so that they can
start improving the reliability and accuracy of their criminal record
files. Additionally, extra funding will be sought for the Federal
Bureau of Investigation to improve its own record keeping. While
Thornburgh's letter did not specify a total cost for the project, the
task force that developed the plan estimated that the database will
cost up to $44 million to develop and up to $70 million a year to
operate.

Thornburgh did not specify how long it was expected to take to
develop such a system, although others estimated that it could take
years and gun control advocates charged that such a delay would be
a poor reaction to law enforcement concerns if it were not combined
with a passage of a federal "waiting period law." "This report
removes any excuse for Congress not to pass the Brady bill," (which
calls for a waiting period) said Sarah Brady, chairperson of Handgun
Control, Inc. and wife of former presidential press secretary Jim
Brady, permanently disabled in a 1981 handgun attack on President
Reagan.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00005)

COURT CITES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AS SOFTWARE THIEF}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- A 1987 finding by a
bankruptcy court that the Department of Justice used fraud and
deceit to steal software from Inslaw Inc., a software company, was
upheld by United States District Judge William B. Bryant.

The ruling upheld then-bankruptcy judge George Bason Jr., ruling
that the Department of Justice through "trickery, fraud and deceit" stole
enhancements to a word processing system for U.S. attorneys' offices
that had been developed by Inslaw.

In rejecting the Department of Justice's appeal, Judge Bryant upheld
Bason's ruling that the department never negotiated in good faith to
settle Inslaw's claims that it owned the enhanced software and also
upheld Bason's ruling that Inslaw was the victim of animosity by C.
Madison Brewster, the DOJ official who oversaw the contract, and
other officials of the department. Judge Bryant did, however, reduce
the original award of $6.79 million plus attorney fees by $655,200,
the amount of the software license fee earmarked for maintenance,
saying that the Justice Department should not have to pay for
services that Inslaw did not perform.

Justice Department spokesperson Amy Brown said that agency
lawyers were reviewing the decision while Nancy Hamilton, Inslaw
vice president, said that the company will continue its lawsuit to
obtain punitive damages against the Justice Department.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00006)

IBM BIAS CLAIMS IN AUSTRALIAN TENDER}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Non-IBM computer
suppliers are crying foul about the handling of a major
government contract 12 months before it is to be finalized.

A number of suppliers have suggested the specifications
contained in the AUS$12M tender, which involves the supply
of more than 1200 workstations, was designed to suit an IBM
set-up of PS/2 workstations networked to AS/400 mid-range
machines. Suppliers also say the tender for the Attorney
General's Legal Office Information System will cost smaller
companies too much to bid. A succession of postponements
has also irritated some tenderers.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00007)

AUSTRALIAN MISSING PERSONS DATABASE}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- A report by the New
South Wales state police has recommended that a national
database be set up to help find the 300 Australians reported
missing each year.

At present, each Australian state has a different computer
system with missing persons data. Queensland has an ICL
system, New South Wales uses Fujitsu, Tasmania uses Prime,
and the other states have IBM systems. About 24,000 people
are reported missing in Australia each year, but the vast
majority are found within 48 hours.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00008)

AUSTRALIAN GOVT INVESTS AUS$937M IN COMPUTERS}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The Federal
Australian government spent AUS$937M on computer technology
during the 1988-89 financial year, according to the
Tendernews news service. This figure was dominated by one
$AUS600M contract for the Defence Department which went
to IBM.

Other companies which maintained good sales included Fujitsu,
which dominated Telecom Australia sales with AUS$33M,
followed by Honeywell with $28M. DEC received $20M worth of
business, closely followed by Wang, Control Data, and
Hewlett-Packard, all of which had more than AUS$10M worth of
business. A spokesman for Tendernews said that if all
Telecom Australia's communications hardware were included,
the figure for government spending could be as much as
AUS$3B.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00009)

CHANGES TO AUSTRALIAN SOFTWARE TAX}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The Australian Government
is to abolish sales tax on programs imported by retailers if tax
on the computer media has already been paid to customs.

The change is designed to abolish some of the red tape involved in
importing software. Retailers used to be responsible for the
administrative costs of registering for sales tax exemptions.

For two years, up until last year, all software was taxed
at a flat wholesale rate of 20 percent. This had the
anomalous effect of rasing the price of local software more
than imported packages, as imported was taxed at import
cost while local software was often taxed at retail cost.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00010)

BULL SECURES FIRST CZECH CONTRACT IN 20 YEARS}
PARIS, FRANCE, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Bull, the French government-
owned computer manufacturer, has secured a computer order worth
FF 10 million from Czechoslovakia, the first such contract in
more than 20 years.

The French company said in a statement last week that
Polygraficky Prumysl, the Czech printing group, has ordered Bull
computers for its Prague head office and other factories. The
computers are not powerful enough to fall under the Western
Alliance's Cocom export restrictions, the company said.

The first phase of the contract involves the sale of a DPS 7000-
240, a small mainframe computer, and several dozen Questar-400
workstations. The second phase, scheduled for 1990, includes an
extension of the DPS 7000 and other Questar 400s.

The contract will be financed over a four-year period in cash.
Bull expects to announce further business in Czechoslovakia,
notably from the banking, health and industrial areas.

(Steve Gold/19891125)


(EXCLUSIVE)(IBM)(SFO)(00001)

BORLAND GIVES TURBO BASIC BACK TO ITS CREATOR}
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 27 (NB) -- Borland has
given Turbo Basic, the second most popular programming language
next to Microsoft QuickBasic, back to its developer, Robert Zale,
for an undisclosed fee.

Zale, in turn, has given Spectra Publishing, a division of PC-SIG,
the rights to publish the new version of Turbo Basic (2.0) in
December under the name PowerBasic.

Turbo Basic is a set of program development tools, including a compiler,
interactive debugger, and interactive editor.

Why would Borland give away such a popular product which has, to
date, sold more than 100,000 copies? Newsbytes has learned that the
company has chosen to devote more energies to its business products,
including the new Quattro, rather than programming tools.  Philippe
Kahn, chairman of Borland, simply had this to say in prepared remarks,
"This transaction reflects Borland's commitment to our customers'
needs and our desire to see that they receive continued support for
their purchase." Further explanation was not available at deadline.

Zale was originally retained by Borland in 1985 to develop Turbo
Basic, and it was released in 1987. He says the new version of
PowerBasic will be the fastest and highest performance Basic
compiler on the market. Priced at $109.95, the program is
also available to registered users of Turbo Basic 1.1 for $50
plus shipping and handling.

Contact Spectra Publishing at 1030D East Duane Avenue, Sunnyvale,
California 94086, or call 408-730-9291 for more information.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Jim Adams, Borland,
408-439-1880 or Cindy Kear, Spectra Publishing, 408-730-9291)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00002)

RUMORS OF IBM LAYOFFS BOOST STOCK PRICES}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- Rumor of an
IBM staff reduction from 10,000 to 15,000 employees is credited by
security analysts as responsible for the 1/2 point lift in IBM's stock
price to a close at 100 on November 22nd.

IBM's management has been under extreme pressure to increase its
profits quickly after a sharp drop in third quarter earnings and the
rumored cuts are considered a response to that pressure. IBM
spokespersons have refused to comment on the rumors.

If such layoffs were forthcoming, they would represent
a radical departure in policy for IBM, which has for 40 years
maintained a "full employment," no layoff policy and has
accomplished previous staff reductions by inducing employees to
take advantage of attractive early retirement programs.

While the rumored cuts themselves involve less than 4% of IBM's
387,000 worldwide staff, the anticipated shift in IBM practices
represents a major focus by management on improving the firm's
profit which is presently estimated by analysts to be around
$9.00 a share for this year, a figure significantly below the
1984 high of $10.77.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(EXCLUSIVE)(IBM)(WAS)(00003)

IBM TO REDUCE VDT RADIATION; OTHERS WON'T FOLLOW SUIT}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- International Business
Machine Corporation, while maintaining that there is no evidence
that present radiation emission levels from video display terminals
are unsafe, announced that it had cut radiation emissions in its
newest "InfoWindow" terminals for minicomputers and mainframes
and will make similar changes in future personal computers.

Paul Snayd, manager of IBM's VDT and Ergonomics Office, said that
IBM would not fit existing computers with the lower-emission
equipment because it believed that all its machines were safe.
Mr. Snayd went on to say that  the emission reduction effort came as
a result of customer concern over the issue rather than the existence
of evidence to indicate hazards in the use of VDTs with current
radiation emission levels.

He noted that several recent studies have produced inconclusive
evidence on the health impact of video display terminal
radiation emissions on humans and mentioned study released by the
University of Toronto last week that found no significant adverse
effects on the pregnancy outcomes of rodents exposed to VDT-like
magnetic fields. A federally funded study at New York City's Mount
Sinai Hospital involving 8,000 woman office workers is now
underway in an attempt to determine conclusively the impact of VDT
radiation.

Snayd said that the initial customer request for lower VDT
emission came in 1987 from customers in Sweden and Denmark as a
result of a 1986 conference in Sweden on the health effects of non-
ionizing radiation and that lower emissions have become "an
emerging requirement" in the United States.

Although IBM declined to release information about how many VDT
and personal computer terminals it ships annually, recent Dataquest
estimates put the number at approximately 1.3 million terminals
shipped worldwide by IBM in 1988. Industry sources further
estimate that there are approximately 90 million VDT terminals
installed worldwide with 35 million of those in the United States.

While unions and environmental groups praised IBM's action, other
computer manufacturers did not evidence plans to follow suit at this
time. Nora Rice, a spokesperson for Compaq Computer Corporation
was quoted as saying "We haven't seen a groundswell of demand for
products that have lower emission and we haven't seen evidence
that there's a link between the use of VDTs and various health
concerns," Stan Roberts, Apple Computer manager of hardware
engineering services said, "I would agree IBM's decision is a market-
driven one, not a health and safety one. All the research we've seen
so far shows there's no conclusive evidence," and a spokesperson for
Tandy said that "nothing we have seen would indicate that there is
any problem with any equipment."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00004)

MACROS FOR WINDOWS APPLICATIONS SHIPPING}
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Tempo for Windows
Version 1.0 from Affinity Microsystems Ltd., a macro utility to
record keystrokes, mouse clicks, and mouse drags within and
between all Windows applications, is now shipping.

Tempo for Windows records user actions in a "learn mode" to
create macros that can replay any series of tasks as a single
command. Recording and playback design combine with controls for
loading applications, branching and looping to allow users to
create reliable macros quickly.

Temp for Windows carries a suggested retail price of $99.95. A
special introductory offer of $79.95 is available through January
1, 1990.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Rick Barron, Affinity
Microsystems, 303-442-4840)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00005)

TI INTROS OS/2 VERSION OF CASE TOOL}
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 16 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
announced two new workstation capabilities for its computer-aided
software engineering (CASE) product, Information Engineering
Facility (IEF).

The two include an OS/2 version of the current MS-DOS workstation
tool sets (planning, analysis and design) along with code and
database generation and transaction testing facility running
under OS/2 that will generate COBOL and C code.

With the OS/2 product, increased workstation power is used. The
OS/2 version of the IEF allows the user to merge application
subsets at the mainframe level for subsequent testing before
placing the application into production. The OS/2 Construction
tool set generates COBOL and C for IBM's SAA relational
technologies.  Not only does the OS/2 version bring the power of
code generation to the workstation environment, the OS/2
generation facility allows complete workstation-based application
testing at the diagram level.

Both products will be available in beta version in the US in the
first quarter of 1990 with commercial versions expected to be
released in third quarter. These products complete Phase 1 of
TI's three year plan to expand the IEF architecture. This move
does not signify TI's abandoning MS-DOS. The company plans
continued support of the MS-DOS environment and will provide an
upgrade program for its existing customers.

(Janet Endrijonas/19891124/Press Contact: Bob Bledsoe, Texas
Instruments, 214-997-3857)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00006)

COMPAQ SHOWS FIRST SOFTWARE MIGRATED FROM MINI TO SYSTEMPRO}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation says Fact International Limited of Auckland, New
Zealand has migrated its software system for manufacturing and
worldwide distribution control from a minicomputer to the Compaq
"Systempro" personal computer system.

The system was shown running under the SCO Unix System V/386
operating system and represents a conversion from a Wang VS
minicomputer.

Compaq blurred the line between mini and microcomputers with its
November 6th introduction of the first 386/486 parallel processor-
based Systempro. The system, which supports the "Extended
Industry Standard Architecture" (Extended "ISA" or "EISA"), running
with two 386/33 system boards, has been benchmarked as three
times faster than the Hewlett-Packard 9000 Series Model 835 and
six times faster than the Digital Equipment Corporation VAX Model
6310.

While the Systempro's costs, according to Compaq President
Rod Canion, "are $135,00 less than the VAX and about $68,000 less
than the Hewlett-Packard," its price range from $15.999 to $25,999
mandates the development of sophisticated high-performance
software systems for its success. The rapid migration of Fact's
product is, therefore, extremely exciting to Compaq and that firm's
officials hope that many were listening to the comments of John
Blackham, Fact's chief executive officer, as he explained the reasons
for his firm's rapid migration.

"The price/performance benefits provided by the Compaq Systempro
and SCO Unix were the most attractive reasons for shifting to the
open industry standard architecture. Manufacturing as a market is
increasingly facing pressure to reduce overhead costs. With systems
like the Compaq Systempro, users can significantly lower their
manufacturing costs while retaining all the manufacturing benefits
they've come to know."

Larry Michaels, SCO cofounder and president, said, "Fact has
demonstrated its vision by recognizing the fundamental changes
occurring in the industry and has resolutely implemented a bold
strategy based on that vision. They are the first in their market to
make the move from large proprietary computer systems to more
compact but equally powerful EISA/ISA systems that conform to
international open system standards. Fact has demonstrated its
foresight by taking advantage of this revolutionary breakthrough in
price and performance on a new generation of enterprise-wide
multiuse systems."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124/Press Contact:
Nora Rice, Compaq Computer 713-374-8316)


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

LOTUS INVADES SHOP FLOOR WITH "FACTORY"}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Lotus Development
Corporation has donned a blue collar with the introduction of
"Factory," a "1-2-3" add-in product that allows shop floor operators,
engineers and managers to access real-time factory floor data from
within a Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.01 or Release 2.2 spreadsheet on
personal computers.

Factory, to be available during the first quarter of 1989, will provide
additional functionality to the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet and include
new functions and menu options to enable users connected to a
Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) network to manage and monitor shop floor
activity. Production data can then be captured automatically and
analyzed with all the functions of 1-2-3. Lotus will encourage
application developers, systems integrators and value-added
resellers (VARs) to build applications for statistical process control,
factory data collection, and production monitoring, using the
combination of 1-2-3 and Factory, as well as such devices as bar
code readers and robots.

Lotus Factory, which has a suggested retail price of $795, will run on
an IBM PC/XT, PC/AT or PS/2, Compaq or other fully compatible MS-
DOS systems with a minimum of 640 kilobytes of random access
memory and a fixed disk, and requires MS-DOS 2.0 or higher, Lotus
"1-2-3" Version 2.01 or 2.2, System Integration Specialists
Company Inc.'s "F-MAP/TSR," a MAP Version 3.0 controller board
and a modem.

It will be sold through value-added resellers, and systems
integrators, including the aforementioned System Integration
Specialists Company ("SISCO"), one of the world's leading
suppliers of the "Manufacturing Message Specification" ("MMS")
software necessary to exchange information with computer-
controlled machines such as robots and bar code readers.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124/Press Contact:
Bryan Simmons, Lotus Development Corporation 617 225-1697)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00008)

NIHON UNISYS HAS MORE OS/2 & PM APPLICATIONS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- Leading mainframe maker Nihon
Unisys has entered the crowded workstation market with
OS/2 software which runs under Presentation Manager (PM).

This spring, the firm plans to launch EXOS, a concept which
integrates the operating environments of mainframes and
Nihon Unisys PW Square workstations. The new
applications include word processing software EXWORD, database
software EXLIST, and EXCARD for communications. There will also
be other communications, language, and business programs.
The firm is likely to adopt OS/2 and PM as the operating system
and graphic interface choices for products released through the
90s.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891122)


(CORRECTION)(IBM)(TYO)(00009)

CORRECTION - SUPER DOS LANDS IN JAPAN}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- Newsbytes wishes to correct
a price which appeared in last week's story entitled "Super DOS
Lands in Japan." The price of EZ-DOS, which distributor Lonrho
Pacific claims is fully compatible to MS-DOS, is 9,800 yen or
$67 for the basic OS only and 13,000 yen or $90 for the OS with
GEM 3. (Newsbytes reported last week that the price for the OS
with GEM 3 was $67.) The OS bundled with BASIC utility tools
costs 19,800 yen or $137. The price of the basic OS
is said to be very competitive to the English version of MS-DOS,
made by Microsoft, which is three times higher.

(Wendy Woods/19891116/Press Contact: Lonrho Pacific Ltd.
03-237-7035)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00010)

LOTUS SHIPS DATALENS FOR 1-2-3 RELEASE 3.0}
WINDSOR, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Lotus UK has begun shipping
its Datalens developer toolkit for 1-2-3 Release 3.0, the
company's flagship spreadsheet package for 286 and 386-based PCs.

The UKP 195 package is a set of programming tools designed to
enable third-party developers and corporate programmers to code
connections and/or drivers between their programs and 1-2-3
Release 3.0.

According to Rob Ingram, senior product marketing manager for
Lotus UK, Datalens will allow third-party companies, as well as
serious 1-2-3 Release 3.0 users, to accelerate their development
of add-in applications software and utilities.

"With Datalens, we're providing connectivity tools that help tie
systems together in ways that support end users, departmental
workgroups and corporate computing organizations. It's a key
technology for end users who want better connected spreadsheets
running on PCs today," he said.

To use Datalens, programmers will need access to a C compiler.
Lotus is recommending the Microsoft package (version 5.1), but
Newsbytes notes that most C compilers will work with the package.
Datalens is available directly from Lotus UK, and not via the
company's retail outlets.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press Contact: Jenny Bacon, Lotus UK; Public
Contact: Rob Ingram, Lotus UK; Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00011)

LOW-COST 33MHZ 386 SYSTEM FROM ELONEX}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Elonex has begun shipping
what it claims is a price-busting fully-configured 33MHz 80386-
based PC pricing up from UKP 3,295 ($5,000).

According to Ari Gershuni, Elonex's managing director, the PC-
386V-330 series offers the lowest cost entry to 33MHz power
available today.

The PC386V-330 series centres around a 33MHz 80386 microprocessor
with 25 nanosecond Ram cache and an Intel 82385 cache controller
to deliver high-speed performance. The machine comes in a floor-
standing casing with room for up to seven half-height storage
devices. Two serial and parallel ports are fitted as standard,
along with five AT expansion slots.

The entry-level UKP 3,295 version of the PC-386V-330 comes with
4MB of RAM, high-resolution mono monitor and a 40MB hard disk. A
single 3.5 or 5.25 high-density drive is also fitted as standard.
The package comes bundled with keyboard, DOS 4.1, mouse, MS-
Windows 386 and MS-Works software. A VGA colour option is
available for UKP 300 extra.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Ari Gershuni, Elonex
- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00001)

CANADA ADDS DIRECT DIALING TO U.S.S.R., EIGHT OTHERS}
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Call it another
crack in the Iron Curtain -- starting today, Canadians can dial
their own calls to the Soviet Union.

Teleglobe Canada, the country's international satellite
communications carrier, has begun direct-dial service to the
U.S.S.R. as well as to Iraq, Cape Verde, Mayotte, Mali, the Central
African Republic, the Sudan, Zaire, and the French dependency
of St-Pierre and Miquelon just off Canada's east coast.

The announcement means Canadian phone subscribers now have
direct-dial access to 200 other countries.

(Grant Buckler/19891124/Press Contact: Jacques-Alain Lavallee,
Teleglobe Canada, 514-289-7490)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00002)

SAN FRANCISCO GETS FREE NEWS, WEATHER & SPORTS BY PHONE}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- San
Francisco residents will soon have news, weather, and sports as
close as their touch-tone phones, free of charge. In early 1990, Chronicle
Publishing Company's Newspaper Division will launch Cityline, an
audiotext service with a unique financing scheme -- it will be
supported by advertising dollars.

The interactive information system, hosted by the parent company of
the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, will offer callers the choice
of hearing news, weather, sports, financial information, or stock
quotes, accessed by touch-tone phones.

Unlike 800 or 900 numbers, where the phone company directs dishes
out the revenues generated by calls, this audiotext system relies on
advertiser dollars to stay in business, and is provided at the cost of
a local call to the public. The advertiser's message precedes the
chosen information, and must be heard out before the information is
read. Audiotext Director Jan Calvert tells Newsbytes. "And advertisers
get very targeted ads, directly at those who need stock quotes, for
instance."

The system will be updated hourly by service bureaus, such as those
at Associated Press, or Dow Jones, which have contracted to provide
the information. Announcers will actually read data into the audiotext
database for each update. The hardware, a turnkey system provided by
Brite Voice Systems of Wichita, Kansas, will run out of Chronicle
Publishing's San Francisco offices. The multiline system allows as many
as 120 topics of information to be available and offers 20 hours
of voice storage.

The Bay Area becomes the newspaper division's third Cityline
network. Others exist in Bloomington, Illinois (The Pantagraph)
and Worcester, Massachusetts (Telegram & Gazette). Other major
companies using Brite's equipment include Knight-Ridder, Times-
Mirror, Cox, Hearst, London Financial Times, ABC/Capital Cities,
Ottaway Newspapers, and Hubbard Broadcasting.

To get a preview of the service, you can call the Indiana Citiline
at 309-829-9000.

(Wendy Woods/19891124/Press Contact: Jan Calvert, 415-777-6107
or Brian Schoenthaler at Brite Voice Systems, 316-687-4444)


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

JAPAN: SEGA GAME PLAYERS TO PLAY ONLINE}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Owners of Sega Enterprises'
video games will be able to match their wits against other players
via the telephone lines in Japan, starting next spring.

Sega has designed an online network for its flagship 16-bit video
game machine, Mega Drive (known as Genesis overseas), on which
users will be able to access Sega's host computer to download games
or join others in real-time play.

By the spring of 1990, Sega will be marketing the Mega Modem with
which Sega game players can access this unique online service.
The modem is designed to save communication costs by minimizing
the time needed to connect with the host computer. Within a few
minutes after connect, a prepared cartridge, which will come with
the modem, will automatically store game data, which can be used
and played until the machines are turned off.

In the battle against world video game giant Nintendo, Sega expects this
network will be an important weapon in its arsenal.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891122)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00004)

SPRINT SERVICES WANTS NEW 900 IMAGE, ADDS X.400 LINKS}
OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 23 (NB) -- U.S.
Sprint is anxious to change the image of 900 numbers, where in
the past consumers have paid $1 or more each minute to hear heavy
breathers, slimy talking childrens' toys and now Oakland A's
outfielder Jose Canseco tell us what we want to hear.

Sprint is aiming at the investment community with its 1-900-VIP-RATE
service. You pay $1.75 for the first minute, 85 cents for each
additional minute, and get CD rates, rates on municipal bonds,
the best credit card rates and home mortgage rates. It's for
folks who are thinking of borrowing, or lending.

The company's SprintMail 400 message service was also expanded
with new X.400 message handling service affiliates in Hong Kong,
Malaysia, and Finland, bringing to 13 the number of nations serviced.

Also, US Sprint and Pacific Bell will combine their toll-free 800
number service operations to simplify ordering, billing and
trouble reporting in California. It amounts to an interactive
traffic-sharing scheme between the networks.

On the other side of the competitive fence, Tymnet officially
became BT Tymnet on November 20. British Telecom paid McDonnell
Douglas $355 million for Telenet's competitor in the packet
switch business. BT also owns the OnTyme and Dialcom mail
services, the Payment Systems card service business, and EDI Net,
the electronic data interchange system.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Sprint Gateways, Robin
Carlson, 703-689-5664; BT Tymnet, Barbara Burdick, 408-922-7602)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00005)

THE MCCAW-BELLSOUTH DRAMA CLIMAXING, AND BELL MAY LOSE}
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- McCaw
Communications Chairman Craig McCaw raised the ante for LIN
Broadcasting to $150 per share, from $125. He'll pay that price
directly for 46% of the cellular phone franchisee and
broadcasting company.

Combined with the 5% McCaw already owns, that might give it
the prize, and other shareholders would get written assurances
of a fair price. This new offer could pull LIN away from a deal its
directors have signed with BellSouth, the regional Bell company
based in Atlanta which came in as a white knight in the struggle.

BellSouth is already diluting its earnings, and state regulators
throughout the Southeast would have to approve the whole
transaction -- too high a price and that becomes less likely,
as much as BellSouth might want to stay in.

The Teleputing Hotline, a newsletter on telephone-computer
connection, now thinks McCaw may win LIN, which holds franchises
in New York, LA, Houston, and dozens of places in between.
More important for cellular subscribers, the newsletter asks, is
whether the winner can then connect such a vast, nationwide
system both with other cellular systems and with networks run by
traditional phone companies, like BellSouth. The result could be
a U.S. personal phone number, a number which will follow you,
automatically.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: McCaw, Donald Guthrie,
206-827-4500)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

DCA SELLS NETWORK BUSINESS TO RACAL}
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The attempt
by Digital Communications Associates to get beyond its
dependence on the IRMA micro-mainframe connection product line
officially ended in failure as the company sold its network
communications businesses for $30 million to Racal Electronics of
the UK.

The price could go to $50 million if the former DCA
operations do well starting next April.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Bill Marks, DCA, 404-
442-4520)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

EAST ASIAN SKYTEL PAGING SERVICE IS COMING}
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- MTEL,
which runs the SkyTel satellite paging system in the U.S., will
develop an East Asian version of the system with Singapore Telecom.

The new system will operate on the 931 MHz frequency. The
partners have been talking for months to telecommunications
authorities in Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Turkey, Japan
and Sri Lanka about their plans. No word yet on whether the East
Asian system will connect directly to the North American SkyTel
network, but it's likely, and one-stop worldwide paging shopping
could come sooner rather than later.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

NYNEX STRIKE ENDS BUT EFFECTS LINGER}
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- NYNEX has
finally ended a 3 month strike by its workers after dropping demands for
health benefit cuts in exchange for a cut in wage increases.

Customers have recently been waiting weeks or months for repairs
and new lines, and both sides were losing patience with the
strike.

The computerized network proved its mettle throughout the strike,
and NYNEX did wrest some concessions from its unions that those
who settled didn't get. Of special importance is the direct link
between wages and health benefits, with the former cut to keep
the latter.

Still, union-management relations are expected to remain
strained for some time to come. New York Telephone was cited by
the U.S. Labor Department at the end of the strike for not
telling workers about the hazardous materials with which they were
working. The result of all this is that analysts fairly or
unfairly, will closely compare future NYNEX financial results to
those of BellSouth, which settled without a strike, and the other
5 former Bell operating companies, most of which took just short
strikes.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Communications Workers
of America, Francine Zucker, 202-728-2390)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00009)

AUSTRALIAN ISDN TRIALS START SLOWLY}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- Telecomm Australia
launched the first implementation of its national ISDN
network four months ago, but is still some way off
conducting users trials, according to a number of key
customers.

Users such as banks, computer companies and broadcasters
say trials are being delayed because of problems in
synchronizing networks and the unavailability of suitable
software. While Telecomm is busy claiming that these users
are conducting trials, the users are saying they can't,
because of the problems. Telecomm has told users they can
channel all communications through the one node, obviating
the need for separate phone, fax, computer and video
circuits.

(Paul Zucker/19891124)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00010)

UK: MERCURY OFFERS INSTALL NOW, PAY LATER}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Mercury has begun offering
its potential direct connect (Mercury 2100) subscribers the
chance to spread their service installation costs over a one year
period.

Previously, new subscribers to the direct connect service
had to pay for installation (typically UKP 200 per line for a
minimum 20 lines configuration) in one lump sum.

According to Dave Foot, Mercury's manager of direct connect
services, the annual spread of installation costs is in response
to customer suggestions. Recent network enhancements mean that
the direct connect service is now available almost anywhere in
the UK.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Sue Harley, Mercury
Communications - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00011)

ANDEST SHIPS ERROR-CORRECTED MINI-MODEM PACKAGE}
MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- Andest Communications
has begun bundling Messiter Software's Transsend Plus, the PC
communications package which supports MNP (microcom network
protocol) Class 5 error-correction within software, with its
Worldport 2423 pocket modem.

The addition of Transsend Plus to the Worldport 2423 modem is
being made at no extra charge, meaning the quad-standard
(300/300, 1200/1200, 2400/2400 and 1200/75 bits per second) modem
will continue to retail for UKP 399 ($600).

As well as supporting MNP Class 5 error-correction, Transsend
also supports full VT-220, VT-100, VT-152, Wyse 50 Ansi and
viewdata terminal emulation. According to Malcolm Messiter, the
author of Transsend, the package is almost foolproof: "The
program is very easy to follow. It's driven by pop-up menus to
guide the user, making it almost impossible to get lost," he
said.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: Tony Sellers,
managing director, Andest Communications - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00012)

BRITISH TELECOM - TYMNET ACQUISITION COMPLETED}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1989 NOV 25 (NB) -- British Telecom has
announced that its acquisition of Tymnet, the US-based value-
added network provider, is now complete. Tymnet was sold by the
McDonnell Douglas Corporation earlier this year for $355 million.

With immediate effect, Tymnet will be renamed BT Tymnet
Incorporated and will continued to be headquartered in San Jose,
California. In a statement issued late last week, the company
said it will continue to support all of the original Tymnet
network products and services for shared, hybrid and dedicated
customer applications, including the Ontyme and Dialcom
electronic mail services, payment systems card service business,
and EDI Net, its electronic data interchange system. The
president and chief executive officer of the new subsidiary is
Mark Baker.

According to British Telecom's chairman, Iain Vallance, plans
call for both companies' non-UK and US network operations to be
rationalized and coordinated to make maximum use of the
resources available.

"Tymnet has a good name world-wide; it has a long-established
reputation for meeting customers' needs. British Telecom intends
to build on that fine record. We now have a major foothold in the
U.S. network services and value-added market place," he said.

(Steve Gold/19891125/Press & Public Contact: BT Tymnet - Tel:
(US) 408/922-7602)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00001)

COLOR PLASMA DISPLAY DUE NEXT SPRING}
OSAKA, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- Matsushita Electronics
will begin sample shipment of the world's first multicolor plasma
display units as early as next spring.

The new 12-inch display will have a resolution of 400 by 640
pixels, and will be capable of displaying about 4,000 colors and
16 shades of gray.

A plasma display is a flat display with sharper images than
those on liquid crystal displays. Demand is currently
increasing for the orange-colored plasma displays in office
equipment, such as personal computers.

Matsushita Electronics started serious development on a
multicolor plasma display last year, and showed a prototype
17-inch unit in March of this year.

The price of the new display is unknown, but the firm
promises to price it much lower than a similarly sized
color LCD.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00002)

AT-COMPATIBLES ON TOP, MAC AND PS/2 GAINING - CANADIAN STUDY}
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- The most popular
personal computers among Canadian companies surveyed by IDC
Canada are AT-compatibles. Of 212 sites surveyed by the research
firm, the largest number listed AT-compatibles among their
installed base.

Next were IBM brand-name XT machines, followed by
XT-compatibles, according to IDC researcher Debbie Currey. The
IBM PS/2 line stood fourth.

Apple's Macintosh remained in eighth place, Currey said, but
gained ground nonetheless with 20 percent of respondents listing
Macs among their installed base versus 17.4 percent last year.

Of the companies surveyed, 73.1 percent had definite purchase
plans for the coming year. Eight percent of all sites surveyed
plan Macintosh purchases in the coming year, Currey said.

Respondents said the three most important criteria for hardware
purchase decisions were IBM compatibility, manufacturer's
reputation and ease of servicing. For software, buyers were
concerned most about the vendor's reputation, software
compatibility and the quality of documentation.

(Grant Buckler/19891123/Press Contact: Debbie Currey, IDC Canada,
416-369-0033)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00003)

SOFTWARE SALES RISE HERE AND ABROAD}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Figures released by the
Software Publishers Association, an industry trade organization,
indicate that the United States software industry continues to grow
with international growth presently outpacing the domestic rate.

The Association announced that third-quarter 1989 retail sales rose
domestically 10% from figures in a similar 1988 period to a figure of
$780 million; international sales increased 25% in the same
period. The total growth rate for the period inclusive of both
domestic and international sales was 16%.

The Association also furnished some supporting figures which
showed that software for spreadsheet use was both the largest
seller with sales of $163 million and, with a 39% increase in sales,
the fastest growing category for the period. It also provided figures
showing that sales in software for Apple's Macintosh computer
increased at the rate of 19% while MS-DOS sales advanced 11.2%.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00004)

FRANKLIN TO PROVIDE HAND-HELD ENCYCLOPEDIA}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Franklin Computer
has signed an agreement with Columbia University Press to provide
its "Concise Columbia Encyclopedia" incorporated in a hand-held
electronic reference device.

Franklin presently markets a library of 20 electronic dictionaries,
thesauruses, spell checkers, and language teaching systems,
including "Spelling Ace," "Language Master," "Wordmaster" and
"Electronic Holy Bible.╙

A Franklin spokesman said that the free-text search capabilities
developed for publication of the Holy Bible will be applied to the
encyclopedia project. The user will then be able to search through
the reference work to select information that has not been indexed
previously.

Franklin's announcement is the first to date of a hand-held electronic
encyclopedia and John Moore, president and director of Columbia
University Press reflected, "In 1935, Columbia University made
publishing history when it announced the first one-volume
encyclopedia in English. In 1989, we're delighted to help create
another publishing milestone -- the world's first hand-held computer
encyclopedia."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19891124/Press Contact:
Mindy Savar, Franklin Computer, 609-261-4800)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00005)

PROJECT NOTIFY PROMISES COMMUNICATION IN A DISASTER}
INCLINE VILLAGE, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 24 (NB) -- The best
method of communication during the October 17 San Francisco
earthquake and the earlier Hurricane Hugo was ham radio
or computer bulletin board operators who served as low-priority
message traffickers while regular phone lines were jammed
or inoperational. A new non-profit group has been set up to
serve that need on a minute's notice.

Project Notify, a Nevada non-profit corporation, has been formed
to encourage the use of information science, communication
technology, and personal computers to provide alternative
paths for private communications into and out of areas affected
by disasters. A network of Project Notify volunteers is
being sought to respond to crisis as the "Red Cross" of
telecommunications. Volunteers need battery-powered laptops,
and will amass and send messages to the service's central
database in Nevada. The messages are then picked up by the
regional volunteer who will implement the requests -- a notification
to loved ones that all is fine, for instance.

The organization seeks volunteers and donations. Write them at Project
Notify, Box 8656, Incline Village, Nevada 89450 or call
702-831-2011.

(Wendy Woods/19891124)


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

VOICE MANAGER FROM FUJITSU AIMED AT HANDICAPPED}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Fujitsu has created a
hardware add-on which enables users of FMR series computers
and the Oasys series software to hear their word processed
documents speak back to them.

The system, priced 98,000 yen or $675, including software, is called
Voice Manager. It has a dictionary with 70,000 Japanese words that
can be spoken by either a male or female voice. There is also optional
software with a whopping 140,000 words of Japanese. That runs
100,000 yen or $690.

Fujitsu expects this system will be useful for those who do a lot of
proofreading, and for the visually impaired.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891121)


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

JAPAN: MORE DATA ENCRYPTION URGED TO FIGHT CRIME}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- In direct response to
increasing incidents of computer crime, Japan's Ministry of
International Trade and Industry has established a committee to
investigate the use of ciphers in data used by schools and the
industry at large.

The committee will try to come up with a set of international,
common rules for the practical use of ciphers, including the
coding and decoding of data, which they suggest
could be an effective weapon against hackers, viruses,
and other destructive computer data activities.

The committee will submit a report to MITI by next spring.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


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

HITACHI LAUNCHES 16-MEGABIT DRAM PRODUCTION LINE}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- Hitachi will establish
the industry's most advanced test production line for 16-megabit
DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chips in its Kohfu factory.

Hitachi already is making 4-megabit DRAM chips in quantity
in the same factory. The manufacturing process in the factory,
which will be able to deal with 0.5 micron circuit lines for 16-
megabit DRAM chips, will be complete and start operation next spring.

NEC already introduced a test production line for 16-megabit DRAM
chips, capable of making 0.6 micron circuit lines, a size slightly
larger than that planned by Hitachi. Consequently, Hitachi is expected
to lead the race for the largest share of the 16-megabit DRAM chip
market.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


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

TINY NEW FUJITSU COMPUTERS DUE IN FEBRUARY}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 17 (NB) -- According to Denpa Shimbun
newspaper, Fujitsu will ship a 32-bit laptop with a color LCD
(liquid crystal display) and a 32-bit transportable computer
in February next year, as well as a 16-bit notebook-sized personal
computer as early as next summer.

The new 16-color laptop machine will be fully compatible with the
current R-50LT of Fujitsu's FMR series personal computers, and will
have an 80386 microprocessor running at up to 20 megahertz and
a two-megabyte standard memory expandable to 10 megabytes.
The new machine will also feature standard support for expanded
memory specification.

The new transportable machine will be a high-end version of the
FMR series R-30HX. The embedded microprocessor will be
a 20 megahertz 80386, and the two-megabyte standard memory will
be expandable to 16 megabytes.

The notebook-sized computer will have the MS-DOS operating system
in ROM (read only memory), thus allowing users to make better use
of the 512 kilobytes (KB) of random access and 640 KB of read-only
memory.

The machine will be based on the Poqet PC of Sunnyvale, California-
based Poqet Computer, a company which is partially
owned by Fujitsu. Poqet PC has a 16-bit 80C88 microprocessor,
weighs about one pound, and operates for 100 hours with two
alkaline batteries.

A Fujitsu spokeswoman told Newsbytes that the firm will
release the computers, but has not decided the details.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00010)

NTT'S SOFTWARE TO RUN ON IBM COMPUTER}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 22 (NB) -- NTT and IBM Japan have announced
they will jointly convert NTT's Vision software to run on
IBM computers. NTT claims that this is the first project for NTT
to allow its software to run on other makers' computers. They plan
to complete the software conversion by March, 1991.

NTT's Vision allows users on PCs to access data from maps on a
mainframe. After the conversion to run on IBM's mainframe 4381, the
software will be sold through NTT Data Communications Service.

NTT is currently developing multivendor integration architecture
which ensures easy software programming on different computers
in cooperation with IBM Japan, Digital Equipment Corporation Japan,
Fujitsu, NEC, and Hitachi. The first version of the architecture
will complete in June next year. So NTT intends to convert its
Vision to run on computers of other makers and to allow its
other software programs to run on other makers' computers.

(Ken Takahashi/19891122)


(CORRECTION)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00011)

UPDATE: JAPANESE PC MARKET SHOWS 30% EXPANSION}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1989 NOV 12 (NB) -- With strong demand from the
corporate users, the Japanese personal computer market
greatly expanded in the first half of fiscal 1989.

JEIDA, or Japan Electronic Industry Development Association, reports
the total shipments between April and September topped 774,000 units
and the figure shows a 34 percent increase over the same period
last year.

The report says due to the lack of practical features except game
use, only 63,000 8-bit machines were sold in the January through
June time period, a 30 percent decline. 16- and 32-bit machines
recorded a steep increase; 559,900 16-bit machines were sold,
increasing this category 26 percent. 152,000 32-bit machines
were sold -- 3.6 times the number for this period last year.

The machines priced between 100,000 yen and 200,000 yen
sold 55 percent more than last year. Those priced 200,000 yen to
500,000 yen increase 37 percent. The machines priced between
500,000 yen and one million yen leaped 45 percent. Those between one
million yen and three million yen were up 32 percent over the last year.

Probably due to the popularity of space-hungry software, sales of
larger capacity built-in hard disk drives (HDD) were up. The
computers with 40 megabyte HDDs sold better than those with 20
megabytes. Portable machines priced between 300,000 yen and
500,000 yen, without any more functionality than the smaller
book-sized machines, sharply declined in sales.

Supported by high-performance and portable-oriented consumers,
total sales topped 226.4 billion yen or $1.561 billion, which is an
increase of 40 percent over the same period in the last year.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19891116)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00012)

AUSTRALIA: COMPUTERS TO BEEF-UP BEEF GRADING}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The Australian Meat
and Livestock Corporation is to introduce a computerized
beef grading scheme which it claims will be the most
advanced grading scheme in the world.

Graders will visually assess carcases according to meat
color, fat color, and marbling. The information will then
be entered into hand-held computers, along with information
about fat-depth, carcase weight, and the size of the eye
muscle. The computer will then calculate the estimated meat
yield of the carcase. Details about the equipment to be
used are yet to be decided.

If the scheme works properly, meat buyers will be able to
buy meat of a consistent quality, and this would enable the
development of brands of meat which could be promoted like
cars, cookies, or paint.

(Gavin Atkins/19891123)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(ATL)(00001)

AT&T AND SUN EXTEND PARTNERSHIP TO HARDWARE}
MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- AT&T and Sun
Microsystems announced agreements to use Sun Microsystems' SPARC-
based workstations in selected applications, and a systems
integration alliance. This extends agreements made earlier under
which AT&T helped develop the Sparc chip and Sun agreed to
support AT&T Unix System V.

Under the agreement, AT&T Pixel Machines will use the SPARC-based
(Sun's reduced instruction set chip) workstations as the
front-end for its graphics supercomputing applications such as
visual simulation for training systems, medical imaging and earth
sciences applications. AT&T Network Systems will use the SPARC
in its Total Network Surveillance offering, which helps phone
companies monitor their networks.

The systems integration alliance involves going in together on
major contracts in financial services, government systems and
telecommunications.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: Jim McGann, AT&T, 201-
898-3842; Marty Coleman, Sun Microsystems, 415-336-6543)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(ATL)(00002)

NCR FINDS AN OPTICAL PARTNER, IMNET}
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1989 NOV 21 (NB) -- NCR is working
hard to become the kinder, gentler IBM, with PC and Unix clone
machines and unique alliances. The latest case is Imnet of Pine
Brook, New Jersey, which makes optical image storage systems
so banks can shred checks and keep the records.

Projected sales of the alliance are estimated at $50
million over a four-year period.

NCR had a very successful Comdex, sparked by news it had won
space in BusinessLand stores and a competitive product line. In
the banking market it's taking on Unisys and AT&T in lockbox,
credit card processing, remittance processing, securities
trading, loan servicing and other areas.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19891124/Press Contact: NCR, Patricia Dan,
513-445-4168)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SYD)(00003)

RELATIONAL EYES AUSTRALIAN MARKET}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1989 NOV 20 (NB) -- The Australian arm of
Relational Technology is to change its name to Ingres in a
marketing push aimed to make its database product of the
same name outsell Oracle in the Australian marketplace.

The local subsidiary is gearing up for an assault on the
market and has increased its marketing force 300 percent on
instruction from its U.S. parent. Soon it will launch a
national advertising campaign.

A spokeswoman for Ingres said the local arm is aiming to
achieve 120 percent growth in Australia this financial
year. Last year the company contributed 7.5 percent to the
parent's total revenues after having growth of 100 percent.

(Gavin Atkins & Computing Australia/19891123)