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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00001)

Simons Receives Norbert Wiener Social Effort Award 10/06/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Barbara
Simons is the 1992 winner of the Norbert Wiener Award for
Social and Professional Responsibility issued annually by the
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR).

The CPSR said that the award will be officially presented at the
CPSR's annual meeting banquet, Saturday, October 17th during the
group's annual two-day conference in Palo Alto, California.

Simons, a researcher employed by IBM since 1980, received a
Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California,
Berkeley in 1981. She has served with the CPSR and served as
chair of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Committee
on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights and was elected
secretary of the ACM in 1990.

She was the co-founder of the University of California,
Berkeley, Computer Science Department Re-entry Program for Women
and Minorities and chaired a session on federal funding of
science at the 1989 meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. Simons was the principle organizer of
the 1985 debate on the Strategic Defense Initiative entitled
"SDI: How feasible? How useful? How robust?"

Stanford professor and CPSR board president, Eric Roberts, said
of Simons, "In addition to her active research career,
Barbara has worked for years to ensure that computer science
benefits all of society. She has been centrally involved in
projects to increase participation by women and minorities in
computing, in defending human rights of computer scientists, in
developing research policies that are more responsive to
society's needs, and in alerting the public to the dangers of
high-tech weapons systems."

CPSR says the Norbert Wiener Award was established in 1987 in
memory of Norbert Wiener, originator of the field
of cybernetics and a pioneer who examined the social and
political consequences of computing. Wiener authored the book,
"The Human Use of Human Beings," and was noted for pointing out
the dangers of nuclear war and the role of scientists in
developing more powerful weapons shortly after Hiroshima.

Past recipients of the Wiener Award have been: Dave Parnas,
1987, in recognition of his efforts to oppose the SDI; Joe Weizenbaum,
1988, for his emphasis on the social context of computer
science; Daniel McCracken, 1989, for his organizational efforts
against anti-ballistic missile (ABM) deployment during the 1960s;
Kristen Nygaard of Norway, 1990, for his work in participatory
design; and Severo Ornstein and Laura Gould, 1991, in
recognition of the years they spent creating the CPSR.

Founded in 1981, the CPSR is a national, non-profit, public
interest organization of computer scientists and
other professionals concerned with the impact of computer
technology on society. The group has offices in Washington,
D.C. and Boston as well as a main office in Palo Alto,
California.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921006/Press Contact: Nikki Draper, Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility, tel [phone], fax
415-322-3798)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00002)

CD-ROM Expo: Chinon Series 435 Drives, Previews 535s 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- At the CD-ROM
Expo, Chinon gave a sneak preview of the 535 CD-ROM Series, a
line of CD-ROM drives to be introduced at Fall COMDEX. The firm also
made an official announcement of its 435 CD-ROM Series.

Available now, Chinon's 435 Series for the Mac and PC offers such
features as dual CD-ROM/CD-Audio, a headphone jack with variable
volume control, a built-in audio jack, dip-switch termination, and
daisy-chain connection of up to seven drives, said Kate Francis,
product support representative. Access time is 350 ms, and data
transfer rate is 350 kbps (sustained).

The 535 Series, shown in prototype form at the Boston trade show,
will bring new dual-speed and multi-session capabilities, Francis
revealed. Further, the data transfer rate will be raised, and
access time and CPU usage will both be reduced, she told Newsbytes.

"Access time for the 535 models will be below 280 ms, and the data
transfer rate will probably be 256 Kbps or better," she claimed.
Initial CPU usage will be below 8 percent, in comparison to the
40 percent usage rate of leading competitors, she added.

Chinon's 435 Series is comprised of four models. The top-of-the-
line model, the CDC-435 for PC or Mac, boasts a 12-function audio
remote control unit with buttons for play, pause, stop, fast
forward, reverse, random play, repeat single track, repeat all, and
intro only. The intro only button plays the first part only of an
audio track or tracks.

Other members of the 435 family include the CDX-435 for PC and CDA-
435 for Mac, two external drives without remote control
capabilities, and the CDS-435 for PC, an internal CD-ROM drive.

All models in the 435 Series offer a SCSI interface, and the PC
versions comes with Microsoft Extensions. Prices are $895 for the
CDC-435, $845 each for the CDX-435 and CDA-435, and $695 for the
CDS-435.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006/Press Contact: Jeffrey Swartz or
Anthony Daly, Daly-Swartz Public Relations for Chinon, Tel 714-361-
6888).


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00003)

CD-ROM Expo: 8,900 Titles On A Single Disc From Phoenix 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- At CD-ROM Expo,
Phoenix Publishing has introduced a DOS-compatible CD-ROM disc that
supplies 8,900 titles for a mere $69.

Along with Version 3.0 of its CD-ROM shareware, the Buffalo, NY-
based company also announced a new distributor. A recently signed
contract with Phoenix gives Super Computer Products (SCP), Orlando,
FL, exclusive responsibilities for all sales of Phoenix CD-ROM
software to end users and small dealers.

In an interview on the show floor, Chris Young, SPC's president,
told Newsbytes that Version 3.0 contains nearly 700 megabytes
(MB) of data in 28 different program areas. Also included are a
dozen different .GIF areas, containing almost 900 images.

Many of the programs provide day-to-day necessities. Disk, DOS,
file, print, keyboard, and print utilities are all present, and so
is software for word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing,
graphics, virus protection, and games. But many specialized
programs are also incorporated, ranging from speech synthesis and
voice recognition, to Pascal, dBASE, Lantastic, and CAD
(computer-aided design).

Young told Newsbytes that all programs and .GIF images are easily
accessible by a highlight bar. As many as ten .GIFs can be viewed
in slide show format, he said. Images are available of men and
women, cartoons and cars, and wildlife and outer space. Other
image areas include modern and traditional art, places, fantasy,
and Star Trek and Star Wars.

Every program and .GIF image is from after January 1, 1990, Young
emphasized. No installation process is required. A one-word
command initiates the product. Files zip and unzip automatically,
preventing the need for PK.ZIP or other compression/decompression
software.

Enhancements in Version 3.0 include the ability to unzip multiple
files simultaneously, and to unzip and copy a file at the same
time. The disc is also newly equipped with instant online help,
available from any function area.

The files in Version 3.0 will also be available from BBSes
(bulletin board services). According to Young, SCP will market the
disc to BBS sysops (systems operators) as well as to end users.

But, he asserted, for users who want the full benefit of the disc,
the $39 purchase price is well worth the expense. "Can you imagine
how long it would take to download almost 9,000 titles?" he asked.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006/Press and Public Contact: SCP, Tel
407-352-1228)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00004)

CD-ROM Expo: Texel's 12 Drives Plus Software Bundles 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- At CD-ROM Expo,
Texel America announced a dozen PC- and Mac-based CD-ROM hardware
and software bundles: six for consumers, two each for the
education and business markets, and three for multimedia.

According to Robert Tatar, vice president of operations, the
bundles match the content and number of CD-ROM titles to the
capabilities of various Texel drives. "Our high-end Multimedia
bundles feature more titles than any multimedia package sold today,
while our entry-level consumer bundle is priced below similar
offerings," he asserted.

Priced at $499, the entry-level DM-3021 Consumer Bundle 3B1 offers
Texel's standard-speed, DM-3021 internal CD-ROM drive, along with
a single CD-ROM caddy, Labtec LT-95 stereo headphones and four CD-
ROM titles. Aimed at the home market, the titles include Nautilus'
Multimedia Magazine on CD-ROM - Introduction; PC-SIG's Library --
11th Edition; and Software Toolworks' Game Pack II and World Atlas.

At the extreme opposite end of the bundle spectrum is the DM-5024
MultimediaPro Bundle MMPRO, targeted at users who are highly
serious about multimedia. Priced at $1,499, the advanced package
is based around the double-speed, triple-caddy DM-5024 external CD-
ROM drive in a special black case. Also included are the Labtec
AM-10 Compact Disc Cleaning System, four multimedia peripherals,
and 11 CD-ROM discs.

In addition to Software Toolworks' Game Pack II and the PC-SIG and
Nautilus titles, the discs in the DM-5024 bundle include Software
Toolworks' World Atlas Multimedia, Autodesk's Multimedia Explorer,
National Geographic's Mammals: Multimedia Encyclopedia, and
Microsoft's Publish It. Also incorporated are two volumes from
Compton -- Family Encyclopedia and Wild Places - Multimedia plus a
pair of disks from Broderbund: Just Grandma and Me - Multimedia
and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (Deluxe Edition).

The multimedia peripherals for the DM-5024 bundle encompass the HD-
55 stereo headphones from Senneheiser, plus additional items from
Labtec: the CS-550 Amplified Stereo Speakers, with an adapter, and
the AM-20C Deluxe Microphone.

All 12 bundles offer Texel's Music Box Audio Utility with a
digitally mastered music CD. The six education and eight business
titles also incorporate the PC-SIG and Nautilus software, but add
other titles geared to their respective audiences.

For the education bundles, the extra discs include Mammals:
Multimedia Encyclopedia, Multimedia Explorer, and Family
Encyclopedia, together with Compton's USA State Factbook.

Business users receive Multimedia Explorer, Publish It!, and
Multimedia Explorer, along with The American Business Telephone
Directory, Symantec's Q&A 4.0 database management software, and two
offerings from Software Toolworks: Reference Library and Business
and Economic Atlas.

Each of the four categories provides a range of sophistication in
CD-ROM drives, number of caddies, and multimedia peripherals.
Consumers are given a choice of standard-speed or double-speed
drives. Bundles for the other markets are based on double-speed
drives only.

The drives can be ordered with SCSI host adapters for connection to
IBM-compatible AT-compatible or Micro Channel PCs, or with an
interface kit for the Macintosh, a machine that boasts a built-in
SCSI adapter.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006/Press Contact: Susan Sherman, Texel,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00005)

CD-ROM Expo: Multilingual Multimedia Disc For Mac 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- At CD-ROM Expo,
the Audio Visual Group released a multimedia title with
an international orientation for Apple Computer's Macintosh.

Available now, the new Multiple Media Tour is equipped with an
interface that supports six separate languages. For $379, a user
speaking any of these language gains access to over 1,500 multimedia
resources.

QuickTime movies, Macromedia Director-based animations, and 22 KHz
sample sound effects and music are some of the resource categories
covered. Clip art, icons and bullets, tiles, borders, frames,
stone and wooden buttons, and photographic and original design
backgrounds are the others.

The interface to the new disc is accessible in Japanese, French,
Spanish, German and Italian, as well as English.

Also at the show, the company announced two other discs for
upcoming availability. One title, a Windows version of Multiple
Media Tour, will ship before the end of the year, according to
officials.

The second title, slated for delivery in spring of 1993, is Media
Maestro, an entirely new title. Officials said that Media Maestro
will offer more than 240 royalty-free musical selections in both
MIDI and digitized audio formats.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006/Press and Public Contact: Audio Visual
Group, Tel [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00006)

New For Macintosh: Microsoft Intros Works Version 3.0 10/06/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation has announced it is now shipping Microsoft Works for
Macintosh Version 3.0. The package was first introduced in late
1986, and according to Microsoft, it has become one of the top
five best selling Mac programs of all time.

Buyers of the new Works version will also be able to become members
of Club Works. The membership, which is free by sending in the 3.0
registration card, gets one special pricing on programs from various
companies including Aldus, Adobe, and T/Maker "to enhance the
functionality of Works 3.0," says Microsoft.

Microsoft product manager, Dennis Hevlin, told Newsbytes that club
members can get Click Art from T/Maker for $19.95, Business Typeset
from Adobe for $49, and Aldus' Superpaint for $65.

Club Works members will also be able to purchase one copy of any
Microsoft Macintosh application at a special price, Microsoft
spokesperson Karen Fry told Newsbytes. Hevlin told Newsbytes that
club members will be able to purchase Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Excel, or Microsoft Power Point for the same price as the upgrade
cost to current owners. They do not have to already own the
program to purchase at that price.

Other member benefits include new product information, seminars,
training and user group activities.

Works includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database, drawing and
communications modules. Works 3.0 for Macintosh has a suggested
retail price of $249. Frey said that owners of earlier versions
will be able to upgrade to version 3.0 for $79. Academic pricing
is also available for qualified users. The company said that
language-specific versions for the Dutch, French, French-
Canadian, German, Italian, and Swedish-speaking market will be
available by year-end.

Resellers are also getting a special deal on Works. If they order
three copies of Works For Macintosh, they'll get the fourth copy
free. Hardware resellers are also being included in the promotion,
being offered a free copy of Works 3.0 to pre-install on any
Macintosh computer they sell.

The company is also offering training materials. "In and Out Of The
Classroom" is a guide designed to help educators train students in the
basic use of Works for the Mac, and "Growing Your Business" is an
informational tool designed to help entrepreneurs and small business
owners develop their businesses by taking advantage of specific
tools and features in Works. Both guides are available directly from
Microsoft, and include both the manual and software for $10.

(Jim Mallory/19921006/Press Contact: Karen Fry, Waggener Edstrom for
Microsoft, 503-245-0905)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00007)

Microsoft Sound Clips For Windows 10/06/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Microsoft has
announced a product for Windows users that can cheer up your humdrum
work life. Called Microsoft SoundBits, the three separate collections
feature audio clips from Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters,
classic Hollywood films, and musical instruments.

To use the SoundBits, users attach the digitized sounds to
Windows events, such as starting and exiting Windows programs,
error messages, or resizing windows. "SoundBits is a fun, new
series of products that let users customize their computing
environment," explained Microsoft consumer division's vice
president, Susan Boeschen.

Three separate collections are available, each carrying a $39.95
suggested retail price. "Classic Cartoons" includes one-liners
from The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and Scooby-Doo. "Classic
Hollywood Movies" can have Humphrey Bogart saying "Play it again,
Sam" when you open an application, or lines from Grouch Marx, Cary
Grant, or characters from "The Wizard of Oz." "Musical Sounds From
Around The World" include instrumental sound from everything from a
harmonica to African drums or Andean pan pipes. Microsoft says you
can even mix and match sounds from different SoundBits collections.

SoundBits comes with its own control panel for easy sound selection
and customization. Microsoft spokesperson Karen Fry told Newsbytes
that SoundBits is expected to ship in late October.

System requirements include Windows 3.1 or later; a 286-based
personal computer or better; a megabyte of RAM (random access
memory); one high-density floppy drive; a hard drive with at
least 2MB of available space; and a windows-compatible audio
output device (a sound card or equivalent built-in sound
capability; an audio driver for Windows 3.1; a mouse; and
speakers or headphones.

(Jim Mallory/19921006/Press contact: Karen Frey, Waggener Edstrom,
503-245-0905; Reader contact: Microsoft, 800-426-9400; 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00008)

Microsoft Wants A Mouse Under Your Christmas Tree 10/06/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Christmas may seem
like a long way off, but the folks at Microsoft have been thinking
about holiday promotions for a long time.

The software giant has announced three lower-priced mouse products
with expanded hardware interface options and a special holiday
software package. The Microsoft Mouse will be available in either a
standard PS2 mouse port version or a nine-pin serial version for a
suggested retail price of $109. The nine-pin serial mouse comes with
a 25-pin adapter.

The PS/2 mouse port version of the BallPoint mouse will have a
suggested retail price of $149. The standard mouse has carried a
price tag of $125, while the BallPoint mouse was priced at $179,
Microsoft spokesperson Michelle Bowman told Newsbytes.

Bowman said that the lower prices will be retained after the
holidays. By utilizing the standard PS/2 mouse port version which
accesses the pointing device port, users will still have their
standard serial port available for other serial devices.

Microsoft says as an added holiday promotion the three products will
be bundled with the Trivial Pursuit Daily Planner for Windows from
Amaze, Inc. The 365-day PC-based planner offers six trivia questions
for each day of the year. The software is a $69.95 retail value,
and is included with the mouse products at no charge.

Steve Shaiman, systems, peripherals and accessories general manager,
said that both the Mouse and BallPoint Mouse have been extremely
popular since their introduction. "With the continued acceptance
of Windows, the demand for our products has enabled us to improve
manufacturing efficiencies and ultimately pass on cost savings to
end users," he said.

The new mouse products are immediately available. The Daily Planner
will be available through the end of December, or until supplies are
exhausted.

(Jim Mallory/19921006/Press contact: Michelle Bowman, Waggener
Edstrom for Microsoft, 408-986-1140; Reader contact: 800-426-9400 or
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00009)

 ****Radio Shack Offers Factory-Direct Delivery 10/06/92
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Radio Shack has
announced that beginning this month it will start shipping
custom-built personal computers direct from the factory.

The program applies to Tandy's new OMNI Profile 486 series, systems
using the Intel 25 megahertz (MHz) 486SX through the 66 MHz 486DX2
microprocessors. A complete system is available for less than $1,700
including 4 megabytes (MB) of system memory, a 120MB hard drive,
accelerated Super VGA video, and a Super VGA color monitor.

MS-DOS 5.0 and Microsoft Windows 3.1 will be installed prior to
shipment. All systems include a one-year parts and labor warranty
and a 30-day money-back guarantee good at any participating Radio
Shack store nationwide. The warranty can be extended to two years
for an additional $99, which includes 90 days of toll-free
telephone support.

A Tandy spokesman told Newsbytes the OMNI line uses a 145-watt
power supply, and comes with two serial and one parallel port, one
mouse and one keyboard port. The mouse and keyboard ports
automatically sense whether a mouse or keyboard is connected, and
adjust accordingly, making the ports interchangeable.

Ordering is easy, says Tandy. A potential buyer visits their local
Radio Shack store and selects the exact system they want. Store
personnel phone the order directly to Tandy's US factory, where the
order is confirmed while the customer is still in the store.

System options include memory expansion up to 40MB, external
secondary cache from 64K to 256K, IDE hard drives from 107 to 340MB,
a choice of floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, tape back-up systems,
and a choice of peripherals such as modems and printers.

Tandy says that within two days of the order's acceptance, the
system is built, tested, and shipped directly to the customer by
second-day air. Radio Shack operates almost 7,000 stores nationwide.

(Jim Mallory/19921006/Press contact: Fran McGehee, Radio Shack,
817-390-3487)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00010)

 ****Microsoft: Gates Speaks Out About FTC Investigation 10/06/92
WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Amidst the hype
surrounding last week's announcement of Microsoft's upcoming
network-ready Windows for Workgroup operating environment, a few
telling comments may have passed without notice for many readers.

Readers of Newsbytes will have probably heard how the company
showed a working version of its Access database (which used to be
called Cirrus and has had more code-names than Italy has had
governments), talked about its Windows-based version of the
FoxPro database, and showed several new third-party Windows
products designed specifically for Workgroup for Windows.

But to long-time Microsoft-watchers, one of the most interesting
comments came from chairman and co-founder, Bill Gates, when he was
asked to comment on recent reports that the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) was about to reveal unfavorable findings in its
18-month investigation of the company's trade practices.

This speculation came in a BusinessWeek magazine article and
prompted discussion in some quarters that the FTC might
eventually force an AT&T-style split-up of the world's biggest
software company.

Gates dismissed suggestions that the comments came from a member
of the FTC staff, whom he says have a code of ethics that
prohibit them from commenting on any active investigation. He
said that he understands that FTC staff are still putting
together their field reports and have not yet filed any findings
to FTC commissioners -- and that it was far too early for them to
have any conclusions based on preliminary interviews.

He was also asked about the famous 1991 internal memo in which he
revealed his fear of a "nightmare scenario" where all his
competitors -- including IBM and Apple -- were clubbing together
against Microsoft. Gates said that, when he writes this year's
memo, which he says will be composed during one of two "Think
Weeks" he has per year to retreat and consider the company's
strategic future, he will have similar warnings.

"There is always a risk that people will come up with a way to
write programs much faster than us," he said. "[In such a memo] I
would also continue to point out the legal situations we are
involved in -- although I would minimize those in terms of
likelihood of risk. And I would talk about the problems facing
a large company, Can we keep moving at the fast pace we have
done -- where we compete with small companies that do excellent
work."

(Geof Wheelwright/19921006)


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

UK: Wordperfect's Dataperfect 2.3 For DOS 10/06/92
ADDLESTONE, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Wordperfect has
announced a new version of Dataperfect, its menu-driven relational
database software. Version 2.3 for DOS will be available later
this quarter, probably in November, in the UK.

As with earlier versions, Dataperfect 2.3 will sell for UKP 399.
Upgrade pricing to users of v2.2 and earlier will be announced
shortly.

According to Wordperfect, Dataperfect 2.3 includes several
enhancements which the company claims allow users to organize,
share, and access data more easily. Enhancements include a new
menuing system, a quick merge define report option, diagnostics
and order utilities, as well as phone dialing capabilities and
an optional transaction log facility.

As with all of Wordperfect's latest releases, networking is a
major feature of this version of Wordperfect. New networking
features include the ability of several network users to create,
edit, and run reports at the same time.

There are two utility packages supplied with Dataperfect 2.3 -- DP
Diagnostics and DP Order. DP Diagnostics scans database files
and, if errors are detected, they can be read to the screen
or a disk file. This allows users to correct any errors in
databases which would normally have caused problems with the
main program.

DP Order, meanwhile, allows users to organize and re-order report
and panel lists for specific databases. In use, the utility
allows the most frequently accessed reports and panels to be
placed at the top of the on-screen list for faster access.

(Steve Gold/19921006/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect
Corporation - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00012)

UK: Smart Card News Newsletter Debuts 10/06/92
BRIGHTON, SUSSEX, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Smart Card News has
released a monthly glossy newsletter of the same name. The
first issue of the newsletter, datelined September, has just
been mailed out to subscribers.

According to Jack Smith, editor of the publication, the
newsletter aims to plug a gap which other newsletters are not
filling.

"We're looking to cover all those issues that our readers want
covered. Obviously there's the ongoing problem of card fraud, but
there are many other issues involved, such as retailer training
and levels of fraud generally," Smith told Newsbytes.

Pricing on the newsletter starts at UKP 375 for UK subscribers
or UKP 395 for an international subscription. So what do readers
get in return for their money? A monthly newsletter that claims to
be the best on the market, with full color printing, claims
Smith.

The first monthly issue includes several pages of news, plus a
report on Bull's smart card technology as shown aT Smart Card
Expo '92 recently. There is also an explanation on how the Sky TV
satellite TV card system works.

(Steve Gold/19921006/Press & Public Contact: Smart Card News -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


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

UK: Compulink Information Exchange Available Via ISDN 10/06/92
SUTTON, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- After several weeks
of testing, the Compulink Information Exchange (CIX) has opened
up four 64,000 bits-per-second (bps) data channels for its new
ISDN (integrated services digital network) access.

According to the online service, two ISDN-2 service links, each
with two data channels, are now operational on 081-399-3468. For
technical reasons, each 64,000 bps channel has a speed limit of
38,400 bps. According to the service, the full high speed access
speed of 64,000 bps should be available later this year.

In parallel with the launch of its service via ISDN, the online
service has teamed up with BT and Dataflex to offer Dataflex's
portable ISDN (integrated services digital network) adapter for
UKP 425 -- UKP 174 off the normal retail price.

"We'd been looking at getting ISDN access into CIX for some time,
but with Dataflex's and IBM's help, we've been able to get our
subscribers online to ISDN facilities with the minimum of fuss,"
explained a spokesman with the company.

(Steve Gold/19921006/Press & Public Contact: CIX - Tel: 081-390-
8446 (data); 081-399-5252 (data))


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00014)

Borland Adds 4 Execs, Plans Conference 10/06/92
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- In an
effort to bolster its international InterBase operations, Borland
International has announced the appointments of four new executives.

At the same time the company has also announced plans for the
Fourth Annual Borland Database Conference (BDC) to be held
May 16-19, 1993, in San Diego, at the San Diego Convention
Center.

James C. Fleming has been appointed vice president of InterBase
worldwide sales, and Anthony J. Bowden has been given the
position of vice president of InterBase European operations.
Additionally, David Ashworth has joined as the general manager
of InterBase United Kingdom operations, and Steven Husk will
serve as the regional manager of InterBase European strategic
accounts.

Karan Eriksson, vice president and general manager of Borland's
InterBase Division, said: "During the last nine months Borland
has greatly expanded the InterBase direct sales force. These key
management additions to the InterBase sales and marketing team
will greatly strengthen our worldwide presence and provide the
structure necessary to capitalize on Borland's growing
momentum as a top RDBMS supplier."

Fleming will be responsible for the management of all InterBase
sales efforts. According to the company, he will supervise
domestic and international sales teams and will also work to
sell InterBase into major accounts, value-added resellers, original
equipment manufacturers, and systems integrators.

Tony Bowden will be based in London and will be responsible for
all InterBase European business activities. He will also manage
teams of InterBase European sales, marketing and support
representatives based in London, Paris, and Munich, said the
company.

According to Borland, the planned Fourth Annual Borland
Database Conference (BDC) is "designed to increase users'
theoretical and working knowledge of Borland's database
products, and provide a forum for dialogue between Borland
and its customers on products and strategy."

The four-day conference is set to include seminars on the
dBASE and Paradox relational database management systems.

The company maintains that also featured at the BDC will be
InterBase, Borland's Unix- and VAX/VMS-based relational
database management system designed to meet the needs of
"online complex processing," and ObjectVision, the application
creation tool for Windows that creates and connects dBASE
and Paradox databases. Object-oriented programming will also
be featured.

(Ian Stokell/19921006/Press Contact: Allison Niday, 408-439-
4691, or Greg Cornelison, 408-439-4863, Borland International
Inc.)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00015)

National Semiconductor Offers 3 Million Depository Shares 10/06/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Three
weeks after posting net earnings for its first quarter 1993 of
$21.9 million, National Semiconductor is offering 3,000,000
depository shares, each representing 1/10 of a share of the
company's $32.50 convertible preferred stock, at a price of $50
per depository share.

According to the company, shares of the $32.50 convertible
preferred stock can be swapped at any time into shares of
common stock of the company at a conversion price of $14.175
each. This is equivalent to a conversion rate of 3.53 shares
of common stock for each depository share, and is subject to
adjustment.

National says that cumulative dividends will accrue on the
convertible preferred stock at a rate of 6.5 percent per
annum, or $3.25 per depository share. All depository shares
are being sold by the company.

The depository shares will be traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol "NSM PrA." Goldman, Sachs & Company
and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., are acting as representatives of
the underwriters for the offering.

According to the company, the net proceeds of the offering
will be used by the company for "general corporate purposes,
including capital expenditures and working capital."

The company maintain that its capital expenditures budget
for fiscal 1993 includes continued expansion of its Arlington,
Texas and Greenock, Scotland facilities and modernization of
assembly and test facilities in Asia.

In September, Newsbytes reported National Semiconductor
earnings for its first quarter of 1993 at $21.9 million (17
cents per share) compared with losses of $168 million
($1.64 per share) of the same quarter last year. However, the
quarter a year earlier did include a restructuring charge of
$149.3 million.

At the time, the company said that, overall, its North American
original equipment manufacturer (OEM) orders increased and
offset the seasonally weaker orders from distributors. Japanese
orders increased the most while North American orders were only
slightly below the normalized fourth quarter.

European orders, meanwhile, were up slightly, and Southeast
Asian orders declined seasonally from the fourth quarter, but
improved over the first quarter of the previous year.

(Ian Stokell/19921006/Press Contact: James R. Foltz, National
Semiconductor Corporation, 408-721-5693)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00016)

Hongkong: ICL Unix Desktop Server 10/06/92
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, OCT 6 1992 -- ICL's recently announced DRS 6000
Series 200 Level 240 model high-performance Unix desktop server is
now available in Hong Kong.

Designed for maximum scalability and flexibility, the Level 240
offers advanced functionality, and is especially suited to
commercial environments such as architecture and civil engineering
according to Garry Scarborough, ICL's marketing manager in Hong
Kong.

"The Level 240, which is highly competitive in terms of
price/performance, offers a balanced combination of processor,
memory and disk storage, and can support from one to twelve active
users," Scarborough told Newsbytes.

Based upon SPARC/RISC architecture, the new system operates under an
implementation of Unix System V Release 4 -- said to be the first
truly open version of the Unix operating system. It is capable of
running the system building tools, 4GLs and programming languages
available for other models in ICL's popular DRS 6000 Series 200 range.

Scarborough said that the Level 240 server came in a compact
desktop cabinet with a single SPARC processor rated at 40 MHz. It
constituted the entry level to the DRS 6000 Series 200 family.

Capable of performing at 29 MIPS (million instructions per
second), the system features two internal hard disk drives: one
of 600MB (520 MB formatted), and one SCSI system disk, and as
much as 96MB of RAM. It also features a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.

Additional features on the motherboard include an M-Bus SPARC
reference MMU (memory management unit) interface to six pairs of
SIMM (single inline memory module) slots; SCSI controller logic
with external ports for five auxiliary storage devices; two RS232C ports;
one Ethernet 10-Base 2/5 port; one Centronics printer port; and an S-
Bus SPARC industry standard interface to five I/O adaptor expansion
slots.

Scarborough said that the Level 240 package required the addition
of at least 16MB of memory and one CMT unit as a mandatory
external device for a minimum hardware configuration.

He added that the DRS/NX 6000 SVR4 Operating System Version 6 Level
1 will be pre-loaded on the Level 240's fixed disk, but had to be
ordered and licensed separately.

(Brett Cameron/19921006/Press Contact: Garry Scarborough, ICL, Tel:
[phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00017)

Data General CLARiiON Storage Device Family 10/06/92
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Data General Corporation has
announced and demonstrated its CLARiiON family of high
performance, open storage systems for Unix systems-based servers.
According to the company, the CLARiiON range of disk and tape
arrays are compatible with IBM, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard,
Unisys, and ICL platforms.

CLARiiON disk arrays offer storage capacity of 2.5 GB to 24 GB in a
footprint of only 2.7 square feet and contain up to 20 3.5" SCSI-2
disk drives (500 MB or 1.2 GB). The use of commodity drives ensures
low cost. RAID technology reads and writes data to multiple
drives in parallel for much higher data transfer rates than
traditional storage.

"Data storage requirements will grow dramatically in the next few
years as current desktop applications take advantage of imaging,
voice and video," said Daniel Ng, regional marketing manager for
Data General Asia North.

"The availability of low cost, high capacity storage that fits
under a desk will accelerate this growth. The CLARiiON system's
high performance, high availability, small size and low cost will
change the way people think about storage in the 90s," he added.

CLARiiON disk arrays also feature automatic recovery/fail over
in the event of component failure. RAID technology ensures the
data is still available to the user.

Every major component in the CLARiiON disk array is customer
maintainable. The power supply, fans, storage control processors
and drives, can all be replaced while the system is powered up
by customers, eliminating downtime, the company claims.

CLARiiON is billed as a total storage solution for Unix servers.
Customer installable, it comes completely packaged and ready to
run. Data General provides the necessary tools and software in an
interface kit which includes the I/O adapter card, software
cables and documentation.

To complement the CLARiiON disk arrays, Data General has also
introduced the CLARiiON Tape Array. This deskside system contains
five 3.5" 4mm DAT tape drives and a storage control processor to
deliver fail-safe back-up storage. Each of the 4mm DAT tapes can
store up to 5 GB of compressed data. The system can transfer data
at up to 6 GB/hour.

Prices for the CLARiiON disk array family start at $33,600 for an
entry 2.5 GB system, $55,200 for an entry 6 GB system, with add-on
2.5 GB stripes priced at $24,000 and add-on 6.0 GB stripes priced at
$40,800. The CLARiiON Tape Array is priced at under $36,000 and
will ship in the spring of 1993.

The new CLARiiON systems carry a standard 90-day warranty for parts
and labor. Due to the high reliability and user-replaceable
features of CLARiiON modules, Data General provides a three-year
warranty on all CLARiiON system parts.

Volume shipments for Sun and IBM systems will be in November, 1992.
HP, Unisys and ICL will ship in early 1993.

(Brett Cameron/19921006/Daniel Ng, Data General Asia North tel: +852-
582 3888;HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00018)

New For PC: Meca, Prodigy Bundle 10/06/92
FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Meca Software
and Prodigy Services have announced a new "Financial Connection"
bundle that pairs Meca's Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money
software with a membership kit for Prodigy's online information
service.

Now available, the combination of the personal financial planning
software that carries a suggested retail price of $79.95 and the
online service that has a sign-up fee of $49.95, is expected to go
for less than $50 "street price," a spokeswoman for the companies
said.

Customers will receive one free month each of the Prodigy service's
bill payment service, BillPay USA, and its stock and mutual fund
database, Strategic Investor. These normally cost $9.95 and $12.95
per month respectively, with an additional charge of $3.50 per 10
bills paid over BillPay's basic limit of 20 per month.

Customers who sign up for BillPay USA on an ongoing basis will also
receive a $10 cash rebate, officials said.

According to the two companies, users can take advantage of Prodigy
to get the latest stock quotes and financial news from Dow Jones
News/Retrieval, and also obtain information from leading financial
experts.

The latest version of Managing Your Money, the just-announced
Release 9.0, also lets Prodigy users, as well as users of other
online services, import stock and bill-payment data directly into
Managing Your Money.

The new release also offers new investment management electronic
links. They include: QuoteLink, a feature that automatically
updates investment portfolios and tracks any pricing index through
Compuserve or Dow Jones News Retrieval Service; Market Watch, a
feature that monitors prices at user-defined intervals to keep
portfolios current; and Price Alarm, a feature that warns if a
target price or stop loss has been reached via SkyTel pager,
on-screen notifications, by printer or fax.

The Financial Connection bundle is being marketed and distributed
by Prodigy for DOS only. Meca Software will provide technical
support for Managing Your Money. The offer has no fixed expiry
date, the spokeswoman said, but will not likely go on forever --
"my guess is it's primarily a fourth-quarter promotion."

(Grant Buckler/19921006/Press Contact: Connie Connors, Connors
Communications for Meca and Prodigy, 212-995-2200)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00019)

X/Open Intros Open Systems XPG4 Spec; Business Guide 10/06/92
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- X/Open
Company Ltd., has announced its next generation of open systems
specifications, XPG4. NCR has been quick to announce support of
the specifications.

At the same time, the company has introduced the Open Systems
Business Case Guide, which, according to X/Open, is "a guide to
assist organizations in establishing a business case for open
systems."

X/Open claims that XPG is the "only single, integrated set of
open systems specifications created to deliver interoperability,
applications portability, system compatibility and usability."

The company says that there are twice as many open systems
specifications in its portfolio than in its its XPG3 predecessor.
The specifications also include a set of pre-packaged open
systems specification groups, called profiles, designed to make
it easier for large commercial and government organizations to
buy open systems.

Twenty-two components have been included in XPG4, all of which
can be separately branded by vendors. According to X/Open, the
components fall into seven different technical areas: operating
system and languages, data management, user interface, general
interworking, mainframe interworking, PC interworking, and
media.

The company expects the XPG4 profiles to ease open systems
procurement for users while adding to the benefits of open
systems, as they will serve as a "shorthand" which people
will use when preparing an RFP/RFQ or when interacting with
open systems suppliers.

The company claims that over seven billion dollars of open
systems procurements today rely on X/Open's XPG as the primary
specification guide. Since introduction of the first XPG3 branded
products in June of 1990, the growth in the number of XPG3
branded products has doubled each year, claims X/Open.

NCR Corp., has already announced support of the X/Open XPG4.
Said NCR President Elton White: "Our commitment to open
systems and standards organizations such as X/Open is a key
enabler to NCR's vision of the 'New Way of Computing' -- getting
people the information they need to manage their businesses,
when and where they need it."

According to X/Open, its Open Systems Business Case Guide is
designed to provide a means for information technology executives
to evaluate information technology (IT) alternatives, identify the
areas in which open systems can make a positive impact and help
build a business-related case for open systems. Its purpose is to
assist IT executives in building this business case for their own
organization through a business impact analysis.

The guide is divided into three sections: the first section
provides the methodology and tools used to identify the
business value of open systems; the second provides an
example of such a business case; and the third provides real-world
examples of companies that have adopted open systems.

X/Open was founded in 1984. It is a worldwide, independent,
open systems organization dedicated to providing a
unified path to open systems specification and implementation.

(Ian Stokell/19921006/Press Contact: Elizabeth Chaney, Regis
McKenna, 415-494-2030, for X/Open)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00020)

Add-on For Disabled Users Of Macintosh Powerbook 10/06/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- People with
disabilities may be able get greater access to Apple Computer's
Powerbook laptop computer if an overlay product, called Ke:nx On:Board,
is ever made commercially. A prototype was shown last month in
Brisbane at Datech '92, the conference and exhibition of the
Paraplegics and Quadriplegics Association.

The device was shown by Spectronics, a company sponsored by
Apple Australia as the special needs technology center in the state
of Queensland. It consists of a membrane keyboard that sits above
the Powerbook as a sort of amplified keyboard that requires minimal
dexterity to use.

Full keyboard use is available, as well as an area that mimics
mouse control. There's also a single-touch control for functions
like screen-up, and menu-open. On:Board is also customizable to
suit different users. The keyboard can be re-programmed for
applications such as a talking board for people who can't speak. It
could have icons which represent different words. Users would
include sufferers of cerebral palsy, stroke, and visual impairment.

To suit poor coordination, "dead" space can be added between
active key areas so that false key entry is minimized. The
Powerbook and overlay fit well on a wheelchair tray so they can be
used "on the move" rather than restrict the user to a fixed location.
The entire system price is expected to be around AUS$5,000 or
US$3,500.

Another product demonstrated at the exhibition was Co-Writer
which works with any Macintosh software. The software predicts
what the user is typing, thus reducing keystrokes. It can also
speak back the words to assist users who have visual impairment.

(Paul Zucker/19921006/Contact: Spectronics tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

Brite Voice Creates Voice Processing Niche 10/06/92
WICHITA, KANSAS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Brite Voice has
succeeded in creating a niche for itself in call processing
systems used by phone companies and newspapers to deliver
audiotex services. It won't give up that niche to voice mail or
voice processing vendors like VMX without a stiff fight.

Laurie Gooding, market research analyst for Brite Voice, told
Newsbytes in an interview that recent competition from such
vendors has "stimulated competition, forcing Brite to add
enhancements to existing products." She said that the market, not
vendors, are driving the market, especially "more educated"
customers.

"Categories that developed in separate platforms are merging,"
she acknowledged. "We're developing integrated solutions that
didn't exist before." But she insisted that her company's
strengths remain. "Audiotex applications will remain our
strength. And we have a high reputation for customer support and
product quality. Customers come to us to add new capabilities."

Most new competitors in Brite's market base their offerings
either on telephone switches and PBXs, private switches sold to
businesses, or on large computer systems like the Digital
Equipment VAX or IBM mainframes.

Brite's system, however, is based on PC technologies, which
Gooding says offers the firm many potential sources of hardware
supplies. But she acknowledged the growing importance of software
in deciding who wins the coming battle. "Since the technologies are
developed on separate fronts, the vendors providing the basic
building blocks are selling tool kits instead of line cards," she
said, saying she agrees with a Dataquest study expecting a merger
between telephone switch and computer technology by the year
2010.

Gooding expects some of Brite's biggest competition in the near-
term to come from Digital Equipment, which sells VAX-based
composing equipment to many of Brite's newspaper customers. "DEC
is getting into the newspaper market, where we've sold voice
processing equipment and they've sold mainframe equipment for
composing. Now they're selling the intelligent newspaper, adding
voice mail and processing to their platform, because customers
are looking for integrated solutions."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921006/Press Contact: Laurie Gooding, Brite
Voice Systems, 316-652-6500)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00022)

LodgeNet Adds Interactive Games To Pay TV 10/06/92
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- LodgNet,
which offers pay television systems for the hotel and motel
industry, is adding the interactive games of NTN Communications.
The games will be sold under the "LodgeNet Remote Challenge"
logo, and should be available in 8,000-9,000 rooms by year-end.

The first game to be offered is a quiz show-style trivia
competition played via the television remote control. Five
possible answers per question are shown on the television screen.
Players have 30 seconds to enter an answer via the remote
control.

Points are earned for correct answers, and higher scores are
awarded to players who answer quickest. Hotel guests are
automatically charged on their hotel bills at a cost of 75 cents
per each 15-minute game played. Since the games are tabulated
instantly, guests in hotels across the country could play against
one another, in real-time, at a cost comparable to a video arcade
game. NTN games including "QB1," a football game, is available on
GEnie.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921006/Press Contact: Jenny Roelle, for NTN,
310/473-4147)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00023)

 ****Internet Seeks Federal Data Access 10/06/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Perhaps the most
closely watched bill in Congress next year should be the
successor to this year's HR 5983, a compromise measure passed by
the House Administration Committee September 23 which would
improve electronic access to US government information.

For a number of years, the government has been seeking to offer
data like Securities and Exchange Commission filings and
Department of Commerce data by electronic means. Some types of
data, most notably the SEC filings, have become subject to
auctions in which private companies get first rights to resell
the data, earning large profits. Other types of data, like the
Commerce Department statistics, wind up on government-sponsored
bulletin boards which, like other public boards, request small
payments from users.

The new bill would substantially broaden public access to federal
information systems and databases. Public online access would be
provided to such documents as the Federal Register, Congressional
Record, and other information and publications under the control
of the federal agencies.

A feasibility study would be done on the subject of adding access
to existing federal information networks, and using networks such
as the Internet to disseminate all this information. Unlike previous
bills, like HR 2772, the new bill does not absolutely require Internet
access to government documents. And the electronically disseminated
data is limited to documents published by the government's
Superintendent of Documents.

The original bill, which could have opened broad access to
government documents via the Internet, was watered down by
Republican opposition. Internet experts support the new bill, but
may make a new push for the original legislation if Democrats win
the White House and increase their House and Senate majorities in
the November elections.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921006/Press Contact: Mark Boolootian,
Email on The Internet: [e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00024)

Canada: IBM's Own Clone Company Adds New Models 10/06/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Expercomp Services,
IBM's very own clone-PC company in Canada, has expanded its Ambra
line upward with new models based on Intel 486 chips.

Expercomp is a wholly owned subsidiary of IBM Canada but sells its
PCs with the Ambra nameplate. The machines are meant to appeal to
buyers who are more interested in lower prices than in the cachet
of the IBM nameplate.

The new Ambras are built on Intel 486SX and 486DX2 chips. They are
additions to the low-profile Sprinta line and to the larger-cabinet
Hurdla family. There are a total of seven configurations.

The new models start with the 25-megahertz (MHz) 486SX-based
Sprinta, which costs C$2,199 with a 100 megabyte (MB) hard drive,
keyboard, mouse, color monitor, and 4MB of memory. The 486SX
Sprinta is also available with a 200 MB hard drive, a
spokesman for the company said, and a machine with a 50 MHz
486DX2 chip and a 200 MB hard drive rounds out the new Sprinta
offerings.

There are four new Hurdla models, which offer six expansion slots
instead of the Sprinta's three. Machines based on the 25 MHz
486SX processor are available with a choice of 100- or 200 MB
hard drive, and there is also a 33 MHz 486SX machine with a
200 MB hard drive. Finally there is the top-of-the-line
model, which has a 66 MHz 486DX2 chip and a 200 MB hard
drive and lists at C$3,959. All these models have 4 MB of
memory as standard equipment.

The 486SX models can be upgraded to the DX2 processor, Expercomp
officials added.

The new machines also come with a new Ultra VGA, low-radiation,
non-interlaced, VESA-compatible display.

The new models are due to be available through retailers across
Canada by the middle of November, the spokesman said. Two major
distributors -- Merisel Canada and Hartco Enterprises -- are
handling the Ambra line in Canada.

Expercomp launched the Ambra line in Canada at the end of August
with a range of 386-based machines. The company has described its
products as "credible clones."

Ambra PCs are also sold in Europe, but IBM in the United States has
said it has no plans to sell the computers there. Instead, IBM is
expected this month to launch a new range of ValueLine PCs that
will carry the IBM name but be priced lower than the existing PS/2
line.

(Grant Buckler/19921006/Press Contact: Gene Diamond, Goodman
Communications for Expercomp, 416-924-9100, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00025)

 ****CD-ROM Expo: 1st Multisession Photo CD Drive 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 0CT 6 (NB) -- Toshiba, the
latest vendor to announce a multisession drive for Kodak's Photo
CD, expects to be the first to come to market with such a device,
Newsbytes has learned.

Toshiba plans to release its multisession entry on October 19, said
Richard P. Conrad, district sales manager for Toshiba's Disk
Products Division, speaking with Newsbytes at CD-ROM Expo, where
the product was displayed last week.

Conrad told Newsbytes that the roll-out of the product, an upgrade
of Toshiba's single-session Model 3301 drive, will come just two
weeks after Kodak's launch of a major ad campaign for Photo CD this
week.

Multisession Photo CD drives enable access to multiple rolls of
film on the same disk, letting the user take better advantage of
the voluminous storage capacity of CD-ROM, according to Larry
Zimmer, manager of business development, CD Writable Products, for
Kodaks' CD Imaging Division.

Prior to Toshiba's announcement, Philips, Sony, and Pioneer had all
stated intentions to ship multisession drives, but Toshiba's
expected release date is the soonest, Zimmer told Newsbytes.

Users who have single-session versions of Model 3301 will be able
to obtain factory upgrades of the drives, said Jeff Jewell, a
technical support specialist for Toshiba.

But Toshiba's other single-session Photo CD drive, the Model 3201,
is not upgradable, Jewell told Newsbytes. Prices have yet to be
announced for either the multisession version of Model 3301 or the
upgrade.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00026)

CD-ROM Expo: Multimedia Encyclopedia On American Indians 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Facts on File has
announced that it hopes to ship next spring "The American Indian:
A Multimedia Encyclopedia," the company's first new CD-ROM title
since the introduction of the highly successful News Digest CD-ROM
five years ago.

Norman Mitgang, director of computer services and electronic
publishing, told Newsbytes that Facts on File is definitely
planning to release a DOS version of The American Indian in April
of next year, and is weighing whether to prepare a Windows version
for shipment the same month. "We also hope to come out with a
Macintosh edition in the spring of 1993," he added.

In a demonstration for Newsbytes at CD-ROM Expo, where the product
was introduced, Mitgang stressed the historical accuracy of the new
volume, along with its multimedia capabilities.

According to Mitgang, the disk is based mainly on the Smithsonian
Institute's Handbook of North American Indians. Cesare Marino,
Ph.D., a research ethnologist for the Smithsonian's printed work,
was hired by Facts on File as a paid consultant to the CD-ROM
project.

Mitgang told Newsbytes that the new online encyclopedia consists of
four sections: History, Who's Who, Tribes, and Legends. The
content incorporates 250 original documents, more than 1,500
photos, maps and drawings, and 25 minutes of authentic American
Indian songs. The songs are linked to illustrations of Native
American dances.

The documents include treaties and written accounts of Indian
legends, as well as letters from such sources as Sitting Bull, Jim
Thorpe, and US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
and Andrew Jackson, continued Mitgang. Some of the documents can
be viewed in original handwritten form.

The drawings come from a four-volume hard copy encyclopedia on
Native Americans previously produced by Facts on File, a company
that is also a book publisher. All documents and photos are
courtesy of the National Archives, and are copyright free. "When
we finish the disk, we will donate a copy to the Archives,"
noted Mitgang.

The documents vividly depict the rapid changes in relations between
Native Americans and the US government in the 100 years between
the 1790s and 1890s, he pointed out.

A letter from George Washington, for example, shows the attitudes
of US officials in the 1790s. "We must treat the Indians with
respect," wrote Washington. But over the course of the next
century, officials moved on to grant permission for settlement of
the Indian lands, to wage war against Indian tribes, to make
treaties, and ultimately to break these pacts.

Mitgang told Newsbytes that Facts on File decided to develop a disk
on Native Americans after reviewing its book sales to see which
titles are most popular among readers.

"In my own opinion, our CD-ROM volume offers even greater value
than a hard copy encyclopedia," he commented. Access to
information is faster with the disk, the format is more intriguing,
and the price of $295 compares quite favorably against that of a
multivolume printed tome, he explained.

Facts on File continues to publish the CD-ROM version of News
Digest, a work the company has prepared in printed form for
the past half century, according to Mitgang.

Designed for DOS, the News Digest CD-ROM was recently enhanced
with novice-to-expert search levels. The latest edition of the
News Digest disk is priced at $695, and covers the years 1980 to
1991.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006/Press Contact: Norman Mitgang, Facts
on File, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00027)

HP Intros NewWave 4.1 10/06/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- A little over
six months after shipping version 4.0 of its NewWave desktop
manager for the Microsoft Windows environment, Hewlett-Packard
has introduced version 4.1.

According to the company, HP NewWave 4.1 is twice as fast as
version 4.0 and offers better integration with DOS and Windows
3.1. The company also claims it is faster to install and easier to
use because of its desktop features.

The new version features 32-character file names, file folders
and file drawers, as well as fast-finder and full drag-and-drop
operations. It also has a task-automation feature, or Agent, that
schedules, records, and automates tasks.

HP claims that opening objects on the desktop in HP NewWave
4.1 is up to 40 percent faster than it was in 4.0, and opening
folders is 60 percent faster. Additionally, emptying the waste
basket is twice as fast, and copying objects is 30 percent faster.

HP NewWave 4.1 also offers a new "Quick Install" feature to
automatically install DOS and Windows applications onto the
HP NewWave desktop. During this installation process, NewWave
4.1 automatically places the DOS and Windows applications'
attached files in a folder and names the folder with the source
path of the files.

HP NewWave 4.1 allows users to work on multiple objects within
the same application. Users can switch among opened objects
by clicking on the opened icons on the desktop. Users can create
new objects from within other objects automatically, and new
files can be created from within an application and they can then
be saved with new file names.

HP NewWave 4.1 runs on any MS-DOS-based computer with an
Intel 80X86 microprocessor running MS-DOS 3.2 or better and
Microsoft Windows 3.0 or better. It occupies seven megabytes
of hard disk space.

The NewWave product is named in a suit filed by Apple Computer against
HP and Microsoft. The suit alleges the two companies copied
Apple's Macintosh user interface. However, Microsoft and HP
claim the "infringing" displays were neither originated by
Apple nor covered by a 1985 agreement between Microsoft and
Apple. In August, Newsbytes reported that the suit had virtually
been settled in HP and Microsoft's favor.

(Ian Stokell/19921006/Press Contact: Kevin Schofield,
408-720-3006, Hewlett-Packard Co.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00028)

IBM, KnowledgeWare Expand Marketing Alliance 10/06/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- IBM and
Atlanta-based software firm KnowledgeWare have expanded their
marketing alliance, which covers the joint marketing of
application development software.

The two companies have extended an agreement that began in 1989,
under which both firms market several of KnowledgeWare's products.
KnowledgeWare was one of IBM's original three business partners for
AD/Cycle, a framework for application development tools.

IBM and KnowledgeWare have now agreed to expand their marketing
agreements to include all of KnowledgeWare's Application
Development Workbench (ADW) products. They have also agreed that
KnowledgeWare will integrate the ADW tools with IBM's
workgroup-based application development environment when it is
commercially available.

The workgroup development environment's information model is
expected in 1994, IBM spokeswoman Karla Feuer said, though parts of
the package will appear over the coming year.

IBM officials said the extended agreement will give AD/Cycle
customers a tightly integrated line of tools to address each part
of the application development life cycle, from business model
development through application generation to redevelopment of
existing software systems.

KnowledgeWare's Application Development Workbench products include:
ADW/Planning Workstation, ADW/Analysis Workstation, ADW/Design
Workstation, ADW/RAD Workstation, ADW/Documentation Workstation,
ADW/Cross System Product Enablement Facility, ADW/Construction
Workstation-MVS, ADW/Construction Workstation-400, ADW/Construction
Workstation GUI, ADW/MVS, ADW/Inspector, ADW/Pinpoint, ADW/Recoder,
ADW/Maintenance Workstation, and Flashpoint.

(Grant Buckler/19921006/Press Contact: Karla Feuer, IBM,
914-642-5473; Kim Addington, KnowledgeWare, 404-231-8575)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00029)

 ****FBI Wiretap Suit Discussions Due At Conference 10/06/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- The Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)'s suit against
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be one of the
issues discussed at the annual two-day conference October 17th
and 18th at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

Newsbytes asked Washington CPSR representative David Banisar
about the FBI suit. Banisar said the CPSR has filed a request
under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for specific
information about why the FBI needed such legislation and was
turned down in the allotted 10-day answer period. So the group
has filed an appeal which it expects will take at least two
years to answer, Banisar said.

CPSR says the FBI proposal, which would have to be voted into
law by Congress, would redesign the telephone network to make
wiretapping easier. Banisar said proposed FBI legislation would
have the FBI and the National Security Agency (NSA) involved in
setting technical standards for the computer and communications
industry. Also, CPSR officers wonder how much the proposed wiretap
outlets would cost private industry and are concerned that the
FBI proposals imply that all companies, individuals, and local
area networks would have to be tap-able.

FBI spokesperson Nestor Michnyak told Newsbytes that the
changes from analog to digital technology mean the FBI will no
longer be able to tap communications lines using current
methods, especially over optical lines where 1,000 calls may be
transmitted at a time. "The telephone company or someone is
going to have to figure out a way so we can get to one
particular number without interrupting the rest of the traffic
on the line," he said. The FBI doesn't want further access, just
the same access it has always enjoyed under the current analog
system, Michnyak added.

Michnyak said that the proposed FBI legislation was sent to
Capitol Hill and sent back already once. However, the legislation
is being sent up again soon, though Michnyak said the current
proposal does not have a sponsor yet.

In terms of the CPSR suit, FBI representatives refused to
comment. However, discussion of the CPSR suit and the technical
details in depth will take place at the conference.

Banisar said a screening and discussion of film clips from the
movie, Sneakers, which deals with these same issues, will take
place at the conference as well. Panelists who will be present to
discuss the issue are: Joan Feigenbaum, Technical Staff,
Computing Principles Research, AT&T Bell Labs; John Gilmore,
founder of Cygnus Support; and Dave Banisar, CPSR Policy
Analyst.

Other issues for discussion at the conference include:
Teledemocracy & Citizen Participation: Beyond the Electronic
Town Meeting; Everything's Digital! Media Convergence: Hope,
Hype or Hell?; and Envisioning Technology Policy in a
Democratic Society. President of Interval Research, Dave
Liddle, will be the keynote speaker on the topic "Computing in
the 21st Century."

The CPSR describes itself as national, non-profit, public
interest organization of computer scientists and other
professionals concerned with the impact of computer technology on
society. The group, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, has
offices in Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts. More
information about the conference is available from CPSR directly.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921006/Press Contact: Nikki Draper, Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility, tel [phone], fax
415-322-3798; David Banisar, CPSR Washington, tel [phone],
fax [phone]; Nestor Michnyak, FBI Public Affairs, 202-324-
3691; Public Contact, CPSR, tel [phone], e-mail
[e-mail].)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00030)

Canada: Report Critical Of NovAtel 10/06/92
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- A report by the
provincial auditor of the province of Alberta, which lost C$566
million on its involvement in NovAtel Communications, is critical
of the cellular telephone maker's former management and board of
directors as well as of provincial procedures.

The report by Donald Salmon, auditor-general of Alberta, speaks of
"unwarranted optimism" in the company's business projections, poor
management information systems, and lack of expertise on the part
of directors.

NovAtel was fairly successful in making and selling equipment for
cellular service operators, the report notes. That part of the
company's business was sold to Northern Telecom last year. However,
NovAtel never made money on its subscriber equipment business
(portable and in-car cellular telephones), a market the report
notes is "dominated by multi-national companies with huge
resources."

The subscriber equipment losses eclipsed NovAtel's profits on
systems, putting the company in the red throughout the eight years
of the province's involvement.

"The Company lacked strategic direction, adequate budgeting and
sound management information systems," Salmon's report says. "These
deficiencies indicate that the Company was poorly managed."

NovAtel began as joint venture of Alberta Government Telephones,
the provincially owned telephone carrier that has now been sold to
the private sector and renamed Telus, and Nova, a private company.
Nova sought to sell its half-interest in 1988, and AGT bought it.
That, the auditor says, was one of the key mistakes.

Another mistake was the failure to conclude a deal with the German
firm Robert Bosch, which came close to buying a half-interest in
NovAtel in 1990. Bosch withdrew its offer late that year, after
NovAtel that instead of its previously projected C$16.9 million
profit it would lost about C$4.1 million that year.

Other errors were NovAtel's attempt to compete head-on against
multinational companies in the cellular subscriber equipment
market, and its decision to make large loans to some customers to
help them apply for cellular service licenses.

Last year, after buying NovAtel from AGT to prevent its troubles
from interfering with sale of the phone utility to the private
sector, the province finally sold the company. The systems business
went to Northern Telecom, the subscriber equipment business to Hong
Kong-based Telexel. The province kept some buildings and land --
and some liabilities.

In hopes of making sure something similar doesn't happen again, the
auditor makes five recommendations. Directors of provincial
agencies and Crown-controlled organizations should be selected
strictly on the basis of expertise from a short list prepared by
the Public Service Commissioner. All such organizations should be
required to produce annual budgets.

Third, the Public Accounts of Alberta should include the financial
statements of all provincially controlled agencies and
organizations and their subsidiaries. When results are
significantly worse than budgeted, the Public Accounts Committee
should examine the reasons.

Finally, the report says, the definition of a Crown-controlled
organization should be widened so that these recommendations would
apply to organizations in which the province holds an interest of
50 percent or more.

(Grant Buckler/19921006/Press Contact: Alberta Auditor-General's
Office, 403-427-4222)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00031)

Cellular Data Wins Second Cellular Packet Deal 10/06/92
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Cellular Data,
which wants to put 2,400 bit/second packet cellular service into
the narrow frequencies between cellular calling channels, has won
its second affiliation agreement.

Westinghouse Electronic Systems and Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems
said they will bring the concept to the Baltimore, Maryland area.
Earlier this year Cellular Inc., said it would try out the
technology in Colorado.

Westinghouse spokesman Maria Trintis emphasized to Newsbytes that
her company considers this the start of a national roll-out. "The
service will be expanded to the Washington, D.C. area quickly,"
she said, and agreements with other cable operators will be made
to make it a nationwide offering.

The two companies said that they would buy CDI equipment and
install it in Bell Atlantic's network. The capacity would then be
re-sold on a bulk basis to Westinghouse, which will market it to
companies. Westinghouse's plan is to integrate the service with
software and hardware, enabling shippers to track the pick-up and
delivery of time-sensitive cargo and payloads in the Baltimore
area. Other applications include computer messaging, delivery of
stocking data to warehouses, monitoring of alarms, monitoring
stock of vending machines and other security applications.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921006/Press Contact: Westinghouse Electronic
Systems, Maria Trintis, 410/765-3721; Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems,
Karen Ann Kurlander, 908/306-7552)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00032)

 ****Cable TV Veto Overridden 10/06/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- A bill to reregulate
cable television rates in the US will become law, the
objections of President George Bush notwithstanding. The US
House and Senate both passed the bill over Bush's veto by the
necessary two-thirds majorities.

It was the first Bush veto to be overridden, and comes just one
month before a US general election and during polls which show that
Bush is trailing Democratic candidate Bill Clinton. The Senate, where
Bush pinned his hopes and lobbied hard, voted first, and passed
the bill 74-25. The House, where Democrats hold a large majority,
then followed 308-114. Later, Bush blamed lobbying by major
television networks for his defeat.

Both votes were carried on most US cable systems through the C-
SPAN channels, as were the debates on the bill. Sen. Albert Gore,
a prime mover of the bill for 6 years and now the Democrats' vice
presidential nominee, was in Washington for the Senate vote. He
then returned to Florida and appeared on another cable network,
CNN, where, with Gov. Clinton, he offered instant analysis after
the House vote.

On the show, "Larry King Live," Gore said the most important
provision in the bill is a requirement that cable programmers
sell their wares at fair rates to competing technologies. He said
he got involved in the issue after learning that satellite dish
owners in his own state of Tennessee were being charged five
times more for the same programs as cable operators were paying.

Since then, the cable programmers, which are in large part owned
by cable system operators, have tried to avoid dealing with
direct broadcast satellite companies like GM-Hughes' DirecTV as
well. The bill allows the competition to move forward.

The provisions which drew the most heat, however, were those
requiring that the FCC define "reasonable" rates for basic
service. These basic services include local programming, the C-SPAN
channels, and other government and public-access channels. The
bill also has a provision requiring that cable operators pay local
broadcasters to re-transmit their programs, just as they pay
national cable channels for re-transmission.

The National Cable Television Association hit hard on this in ads
on member cable systems, charging that provision, and the costs
of regulation, would result in higher bills for consumers. That
was also the argument advanced by President Bush in his veto
message.

Consumer groups said after the vote that the bill's passage could
lower rates as much as 30 percent, the difference between rates
in competitive and non-competitive markets. The cable industry,
however, continued to maintain the result will be higher prices,
and some industry analysts said that the impact will only be
less-rapid price increases than what would have occurred had there
been no regulation.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921006/Press Contact: Peggy Laramie, NCTA,
202-775-3629)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00033)

Cry For Standards In Electronic Info Market Ignored 10/06/92
DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- A cry for
standards in the electronic information industry was raised at
the Defining the Electronic Consumer Conference held in Del
Mar, California recently, but it appears the technology producers
may not be listening.

Delivery of electronic services to consumers hasn't
standardized and it doesn't appear the methods within each type
of delivery will standardize either. Digital computerized
telephones, cable television interactive hook-ups, digital
cellular interactive television, optical scanning wands
connected to telephones, compact discs, and computers equipped
with modems were all presented as various ways products and
services could be presented to consumers.

The search is for the "killer application," that big electronic
money maker that consumers will fall all over themselves to buy.
However, Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications
and co-sponsor of the conference with Jupiter Communications,
showed views of the near future in the form of magazine
advertisements about home shopping and electronic buying going
as far back as 1942.

Those who would like to or are using electronic services to
bring their products to consumers, such as J.C. Penney and USA
Today, were crying for standards. Susan Bokern, associate
director of USA Today, said it is difficult for a developer to
keep up with the latest platforms for delivery of information
and even more difficult to know where to invest time and
resources.

Bokern cited the fact that there are eight different formats for
compact disc (CD) alone: Apple's, Tandy's, Sony's, Commodore's
CD-TV, and Philip's CD-I. New players such as Sega and NEC are
also expected to introduce new formats.

Mark Walsh, vice president of membership buying service US
Order, said his company is unable to decide what platform is
going to dominate. Walsh said US Order has put "chips on many
roulette numbers" hoping one will come out the winner.

US Order's strategy seems to be the only reasonable choice
given the apparent unwillingness of the hardware vendors to
cooperate in the development of standards even within a
platform. While each vendor will admit that consumers won't
have four telephones for various services and stacks of boxes
on their television sets, each believes their platform will
dominate.

From the Scanfone, where consumers use a scanning wand passed
over printed bar codes in a book to order good and services, to
interactive television from TV Answer, to the AT&T Smart Phone
with a touch-sensitive screen, each technology provider believes
its technology will be the winner.

Bill Battino of market research company Coopers & Lybrand said
no one industry has a single answer. He believes newspaper
information providers will align with telephone companies, and
cable companies, which are being held back by large debt loads,
will eventually align with wireless services in the long term.

Battino said what consumers will choose for their electronic
information will depend on what information is important to them,
and no one platform will dominate the electronic information market.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921006)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00034)

 ****CD-ROM Expo: Warner Teams Interactive TV With CD-ROM 10/06/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- CD-ROM alone
isn't enough to drive the multimedia market to success, and for
that reason, Warner New Media is also working on interactive TV,
said Stan Cornyn, president of the entertainment giant, speaking
last week at CD-ROM Expo.

"Time Interactive," Warner New Media's first interactive TV
project, is now on laser disk, but will later be aired over a fiber
optic cable TV network, stated the company chief. The Time-Life
subsidiary is also mulling the idea of an interactive TV dating
service, he added.

"You here in this audience would probably call [the dating service]
"Love Connection 2.0," he told the large crowd of computer and CD-
ROM aficionados, with the same wit he displayed throughout the
one-hour presentation.

Warner New Media is now testing interactive TV in Brooklyn and
Queens, New York, noted Cornyn. In the future, the company will
pour great resources into the cable TV medium, while continuing to
create CD-ROM discs, he explained.

The side-by-side development of interactive TV and CD-ROM will
ultimately usher in an era of "post-digital technology," in which
the public is exposed to new titles over interactive TV, and can
then purchase copies of the discs for use at home, he predicted.

Cornyn, a former guru for Warner Brothers Records, likened this
dual scenario to the way audio titles are first aired over radio
stations, and then sold as records, tapes or CDs in retail stores.
The practice of showing movies in theaters, and later releasing
copies to video stores, was another analogy he raised.

"Ultimately, you'll be able to go to the equivalent of a
Blockbuster Store, and get your own copy of an interactive video
title. Or better yet, you'll be able to order it right over the
air," he remarked. The home CD-ROMs will probably have extra
features over the broadcast interactive TV programs, he added.

Warner New Media's "Time Interactive" project is being jointly
conducted with Time Magazine, said Cornyn. "It will come out as a
CD-ROM title, but right now it's still interactive TV," he stated.
The TV edition is equipped with buttons that let the viewer fast
forward through the program, much as a magazine reader can skip
over pages that aren't of interest, he emphasized.

Other buttons allow for branching. Airing an edition on the Berlin
Wall as an example, Cornyn demonstrated how viewers can branch off
from the "talking heads" into video segments that show what else
was happening in the world the week the Wall went up.

One snippet contains footage of the famous home run battle between
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Another tells viewers that in
Berlin, Wisconsin, residents were spending their Saturday nights at
a local dance hall.

Another branch of video depicts Berliners of today reflecting on
the tensions between East and West that were present when the
barrier was built.

The development of interactive TV is essential for two reasons,
stated Cornyn. First, cable will give needed exposure to both CD-
ROM and multimedia, he said. "CD-ROM is still a mystery to the
general public, which has never seen this stuff and cannot find it
in stores," he commented.

Second, CD-ROM currently has technical limitations that stand in
the way of its use for multimedia. "CD-ROM is a compatibility
nightmare," he asserted. In addition, the medium is slow in access
time, and too low in bandwidth for full-motion, full-screen video.

"You'll get these little squares of video, often dolled up with
elaborate frames or control panels," he noted.

Cornyn illustrated the size of the current video window in an
airing of "Funny" that took place during a series of short demos of
CD-ROM discs already released by Warner New Media.

"But we will continue to make discs, [because] in the mean time, we
are learning," concluded Cornyn. "We are learning when and why
people want to lead, and also when and why they want to be led.
And we are learning to love our experiments on disc, stumble though
they may. And I must say I love by `Magic Flute' and `Desert
Storm.'"

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921006)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00035)

 ****Trial Date Set In New York "Hacker" Case 10/06/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- At a conference held
in United States Federal Court, Southern District, Judge Richard
Owen set April 12, 1993 as the date of the trial of five New York
City "hackers" indicted on July 8th for various alleged
telecommunications illegalities. In the initial indictment, the
word "hacker" was defined as "someone who uses a computer or a
telephone to obtain unauthorized access to other computers."

The accused, Mark Abene, also known as "Phiber Optik;" Julio
Fernandez a/k/a "Outlaw;" Elias Lapodolous a/k/a "Acid Phreak;"
John Lee a/k/a "Corrupt;" and Paul Stiva a/k/a "Scorpion," were
charged in the original indictment with being part of a
conspiracy intended to allow the members of MOD [the name of the
group] to "gain access to and control of computer systems in
order to enhance their image and prestige among other computer
hackers; to harass and intimidate rival hackers and people they
did not like; to obtain telephone, credit, information, and other
services without paying for them; and to obtain passwords,
account numbers and other things of value which they could sell
to others."

Some individuals of the group were charged with specific
crimes including the illegal access of computers belonging to
Southwestern Bell.

Since the indictment, attorneys for the defendants have been
reviewing evidence obtained by the Secret Service and the FBI
through court-authorized wiretapping that is purported to
substantiate the allegations. At the most recent court
appearance, the attorneys requested an extended period of time
for the discovery process because they had only recently been
furnished diskettes containing information obtained through the
inception of computer communications and, according to a defense
attorney, the material "runs somewhere between 20 and 50
megabytes."

When asked by Judge Owen for a definition of a megabyte, United
States Assistant Attorney General Stephen Fishbein informed him
that a megabyte is a million bytes and that a "byte is a piece of
information." Owen then asked if Fishbein was really going to
present all that information to a jury, saying, "That would really
byte the jury." Fishbein said that only that portion of the
material that actually showed the existence of illegal activity
would have to be shown but that the defense attorneys might wish
to examine all of the intercepted material.

Owen then scheduled January 3rd as the date for filing of defense
motions, a date in February for government response and April
12th as the actual trial date.

Marjorie Peerce, attorney for Paul Stira, told Newsbytes, "I can't
comment on the details of the case but Mr. Stira looks forward to
the date he can tell his story in court."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921006)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00036)

 ****Intel Offers Peek At P6, More About P5 10/06/92
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 6 (NB) -- Every so often
someone from Intel slips and offers a peek into chips out on
the horizon. Craig Barrett, vice president of Intel, said at a
Dataquest Semiconductor conference in Monterey, California this
week that the P6, the Intel microprocessor out on the horizon
beyond the "soon to come" P5 chipset, will be completed within the
next 18 months.

Intel's next microprocessor chip, the P5, has been put off for
release until first quarter of 1993 and is reported to feature
more than three million transistors. Barrett revealed that the P6
will have some 10 million transistors.

Intel likes to keep information about its planned
microprocessors under wraps during development for obvious
reasons. However, the company has said the P5 will be able to
perform 4 to 10 times faster in floating point calculations
(also known as math coprocessor functions) than the 33
megahertz 486 DX chip and has a super scaler design.

Intel isn't talking much about the P6, but those curious about
the P5 may find Michael Slater's Microprocessor Forum speech
will offer more technical detail. Slater, a technical "guru" at
Intel, has annually offered a technical address about the
newest Intel microprocessors at the Microprocessor Forum. This
year's event is scheduled for October 14 and 15 at the Hyatt
Regency Burlingame in San Francisco, California.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921006/Press Contact: Nancy Pressel, Intel,
tel [phone], fax [phone])