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/1992/NB921020

Text File | 1992-10-21 | 69KB | 1,535 lines

(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00001)

 ****Apple Computer Ships System 7.1, Quicktime 1.5 10/20/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- The long-
awaited Macintosh operating system update -- System 7.1 -- with the
new Quicktime 1.5 multimedia extensions is now shipping, Apple
Computer has announced. The biggest emphasis from Apple is the
inclusion of Worldscript for support of Asian languages, but the
company announced other enhancements as well.

The Worldscript technology enables Apple to offer System 7.1
to its Asian customers who have languages with such large
character sets that two bytes of memory are required for each
character, also known as "double-byte" languages. Specifically
mentioned was Kanji, a Japanese alphabet available now for
System 7.1. Other System 7.1 versions for Asian languages such
as Thai and Chinese are expected to follow between now and the
first of the year.

The international market is important to Apple Computer. In the
company's latest earnings statement, the company said that 45
percent of its 1992 revenue was from markets outside the US.

System 7.1 has other enhancements as well, Apple Computer said. A new
fonts folder is offered for seamless type integration and it holds
all of the user's fonts, regardless of the font format, Apple
said. This makes installation and removal of fonts easier, the
company added.

Also, Apple says it can stop modifying the system software each
time it ships a new model of the Mac and can now offer a drop-in
software module, known as a "system enabler" that enables System
7.1 to automatically support a new Macintosh.

In the past, when Apple offered new hardware, anyone who already
had Macs and wanted them all to talk to each other had to upgrade
and test the rest of the computers with the new operating system.

Now Apple says the instructions, or systems enablers, to take
advantage of the new hardware, will be added as a module to the
current operating system on the newly introduced Macintosh. Then,
when Apple decides to introduce an upgrade to the operating
system, the system enablers can simply be rolled into
the core of the new system.

The System 7 Tune-up is now integrated into System 7.1, and
offers improved memory management, especially in low memory
conditions; simplifies systems administration, and offers
better system stability. The Tune-up will free up 100 to 200
kilobytes (K) of random access memory (RAM), Apple asserts.

In response to customer requests, Apple says it has made the
File Sharing security feature no longer offer "guest access" by
default. Apple maintains this makes the File Sharing security
feature more secure.

The new Quicktime, version 1.5, is bundled with System 7.1.
Apple says version 1.5 will run on any of the four million
Macintosh color-capable computers with a Motorola 68020 or
higher microprocessor with System 6.0.7, System 7.0, or System
7.1, and 2 megabytes (MB) of memory.

The previous version of Quicktime allowed video playback but
the new version of Quicktime offers playback in a window four
times larger than was previously possible. With software only
playback up to 320 x 240 pixels at 15 frames per second can be
utilized on a Macintosh LC II-class computer. If left at the
original 160 x 120 pixels, Apple says the new Quicktime allows
playback at the broadcast rate of 30 frames per second.

Quicktime 1.5 also offers support for full-screen, full-motion
digital video cards; integrated support for the Kodak
Photo compact disc (CD) so users can have their photos
digitized onto a CD; improved compact disc read-only memory
(CD-ROM) and network data handling; 1-bit fast dithering for
playback on monochrome screens such as those on the Powerbook
notebook computer; generic media handlers for creation of new
movie-track types; and closed captioning. The Kodak Photo CD
support requires not only Quicktime, but version 4.0 of Apple's
CD-ROM software.

The Apple Database Access Language (DAL) has been unbundled
from System 7.1 to free memory and to offer simpler set up for
customers who don't need database access in a network
situation. Apple says that DAL will be offered in a software kit
for end users and in-house developers, and will also offer
network protocol adapters, a test application, and installation
and users' guide.

Apple says that System 7.1 will be offered on all new Macs the
company is introducing, including the IIvi, IIvx, Mac Duo System,
and Powerbook 160 and 180 series.

A System 7.1 Update Kit is available to current System 7.0
users as a single-user upgrade for $34.95 from Apple and
includes a 1.4 MB (800K) disk, Quicktime 1.5, and a
update guide.

System 6.0x users will need the System 7 Personal Upgrade Kit
which retails for $99. The Apple At Ease software is included
with this kit for a limited time, Apple maintains. Prices outside
the US vary depending on the country.

Kanjitalk 7, the System 7.1 for the Japanese, is available in
Japan now. A Korean version is scheduled for November 1 release,
the Thai and Chinesetalk (traditional) versions for November 15,
and the Chinese/simplified version is scheduled for release in
January of next year.

Like System 7.0, Apple is distributing Quicktime without charge
via user groups and computer bulletin boards. However, those
sources may charge a nominal fee for materials, labor, and
connect time. Apple will also offer Quicktime on the developer CD
available in November from its developer APDA source.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921020/Press Contact: Nancy Morrison, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact
for System 7.1 Upgrade Kit 800-769-2775)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00002)

 ****Everex Cash Crunch: Subsidiary Sales, Layoffs Planned 10/20/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Everex has
announced it will report losses in the $35 million range this
quarter and says it is negotiating with creditors with whom it
has already violated loan covenant agreements. The company is
blaming the IBM and compatible personal computer (PC) price
wars despite its recently announced price reductions of as much
as 59 percent.

The company said that it owes lenders the amount it's short, or
$35 million, and claims that a cash crunch is forcing it to again
reduce expenses, generate cash, and outsource to Asia the
manufacture of some of its Notebook and Tempo computer product
lines. The company already announced the layoff of 400 employees
in August and another 250 in September, but still expects this
quarter's losses to put it in the red for nearly $30 million for
the fiscal year.

The company says that sales of $110 million will most likely be
reported for its fourth quarter. Everex is also saying its lenders
are willing to renegotiate the company's debt. The company's
major creditors have formed an informal committee to work with
the company in establishing a program for continuing supply of
components and payment of outstanding balances.

Everex President Hal Clark said that layoffs will continue of the
approximately 1,850 employed worldwide, including approximately
1,350 within the United States. Everex also said it will sell off
"non-core" divisions and subsidiaries to raise cash. Venture
Management Associates of Menlo Park, California was identified as
the company Everex has retained to help the company liquidate its
assets.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921020/Press Contact: Bob Goligoski, Everex,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(CORRECTION)(IBM)(LAX)(00003)

CORRECTION: DAK Offers $199 Roland GS Conforming Sound Card 10/20/92
CANOGA PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Newsbytes
ran a story dated September 21 that stated that DAK Industries
was advertising a sound card for IBM and compatible personal
computers (PCs) that might have implied the DAK card conformed to
the Roland GS Sound standard.

DAK's claim, however, was its sound card conformed to the
Roland GS card in the 128 sounds produced. Roland has since
informed Newsbytes the BSR Mediamaster card is not GS
conforming and does not offer identical sound to Roland
products.

Also, Newsbytes incorrectly implied that Roland sound cards were
in the $1,000 price range. Roland has again informed Newsbytes
its sound cards have never been priced in that range.

Newsbytes apologizes for the errors and any inconvenience they
may have caused.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921020/Press Contact: Tom White, Roland
Corporation, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Brian Eggers,
DAK, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00004)

Australia: Exhibition Includes German Computer Art 10/20/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- An art exhibition being held
in Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art until next February
includes a selection of computer art by German artist Christoph
Hildebrand. The exhibition, entitled: "Humpty Dumpty'
Kaleidoscope: A New Generation of German Artists," includes
Hildebrand's "Media Altar: God," which is a modern equivalent of
a Baroque altar piece.

The work features God as a face made up of simple blocks, with
various menus and computer-style palettes for selecting various
attributes of life.

Says Hildebrand, "My work is very much inspired by the technology
as well as using the technology. 'Media Altar: God' comes from
using computers, from the idea of computing." The palettes and
menus show such choices as moral codes, gender, actions,
philosophical and theological ideas and emotions, with many ideas
from life being translated to "computer-speak" (death, for
example, becomes exit).

Hildebrand spent approximately five weeks developing the work, with
around 12-16 hours of work a day. Hildebrand says that he was
hampered by the limitations the technology he used (a lower-end
Macintosh in a Berlin university), as well as the overall restrictions
placed on him by the computer -- restrictions which he compares to the
restrictions of many organized religions.

"Computers and the Church have many parallels. The Church allows
you to do certain things, but it also has restriction, and the
computer has the same thing," the artist said. "It gives you
possibilities to do things, but if you want to do something not
in that framework you just can't do it, it is impossible. And
that is what makes me so angry."

(Sean McNamara/19921020)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00005)

BT Claims Sales Will Suffer Due To Cable TV Phones 10/20/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- In what many are viewing as
a warning to shareholders of potential falling profits, British
Telecom has complained that cable TV phone sales could take away
up to UKP 10 million a week in revenue by the year 1996.

Commenting in the August/September staff magazine, Arthur
Thompson, BT's marketing manager, said that the prospect of
seeing a large slice of its income transfer to cable TV companies
poses an even greater threat than Mercury Communications.

Thompson's comments come as several cable TV companies in
the UK are busy promoting their phone services, which are
linked into subscriber's houses using fiber optic network
technology. As well as carrying several dozen TV signals, the
fiber optic cable can carry as many as three phone lines into a
house in many areas.

Furthermore, because the capital cost of installing the fiber
optic links is defrayed by the cable TV operations, the companies
can offer their phone services at very competitive rates with
little or no installation charges. Most cable TV companies then
use Mercury Communications' network for trunk and international
calls, which are between 20 and 40 percent cheaper than BT's
phone rates.

BT is starting to fight back with a number of revamped discount
schemes, but these tend to favor major subscribers rather than
households with an annual expenditure of UKP 200 or so on the
phone. The cable TV companies are interested in the residential
market as, with little or no outlay, they can cream off healthy
profits from their telephone operations, with Mercury providing
most of the network resources.

Mercury Communications is a UK division of the Cable & Wireless
group. The company specializes in offer competing services to
those of BT's, at rates rather lower than those of its major
competitor.

(Steve Gold/19921020)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00006)

UK: Olivetti PG400 Laser Printer Family 10/20/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Olivetti has launched a new
family of laser printers -- the PG400 series -- with which it
plans to gain a 5 to 10 percent market share within the next 12
months or so.

The PG400 series consists of the three printers initially: the
PG404 for single users; the PG408 for workgroups; and the PG417
for departmental networks. Pricing starts from UKP 699.

Announcing the printers, Dominic Macey, the company's product
marketing manager, said that, with more than a decade of
experience in the printer marketplace, he reckons the new lasers
are some of the best available.

"We currently supply products with all the main printing
technologies, including one of the most successful bubblejet
printers available -- the JP350S. The new PG400 series has been
designed to ensure that Olivetti continues to plan a competitive
part in the laser printer market," he said.

According to Olivetti, the PG404 and 408 both feature a 32-bit 25
megahertz (MHz) processor -- faster than the 10 or 12MHz
processors found in the competition. This fast controller, the
company claims, is matched by a data transfer rate of up to 100
kilobits a second, as compared to 25 KB/sec on competing lasers.

Other features of the PG404 and 408 include an economy mode which
Olivetti claims boosts life by 50 percent, as well as a macro
facility that enables forms, fonts, and logos to be stored. The
PG404 offers a first page print speed of 34 seconds.

The PG404 retails for UKP 699, while the PG408 sells for UKP 999.
Both printers are available now.

The PG417, meanwhile, is a 17 pages-per-minute machine with two
250-sheet paper bins. The printer can be linked straight on to
Token Ring or Ethernet networks using an optional adapter. One
interesting feature of the PG417 is the inclusion of a wide
variety of font options, including 14 bit-map HP emulations and
13 scaleable fonts. Font expansion options include two slots for
HP (Hewlett-Packard)-compatible cartridges.

Pricing and availability on the PG417 have yet to be announced.

(Steve Gold/19921020/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti - Tel: 081-
785-6666; Fax: [phone])


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

New For Macintosh: MacGlobe 1.3 10/20/92
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Many in the
Macintosh community were wondering what Broderbund intended to do
with PC Globe, its acquisition last August. Now an answer has arrived
in the form of an upgrade to the flagship product MacGlobe.

MacGlobe 1.3 is the newest version of the program which is now
being shipped. The main change in the package is that the database
has been updated to include changes that have occurred over
the past two years in Europe and Asia.

According to the company, MacGlobe v1.3 fully accommodates the
breakdown of the USSR into 17 constituent countries as well as
the breakdown of Czechoslovakia. One area that was not changed
was Yugoslavia. This was done because it is unclear what will be
the ultimate result.

All in all there are 18 new countries represented in the program. As
before, the program will show a profile of each country including
maps, graphics, and a collection of statistics. The program
will also show each country's flag and will allow the user to play
that country's national anthem.

The data for the program was compiled from such sources as the CIA
World Factbook and the World Bank Atlas. Data from individual
countries, or groups of countries, can be compared against similar
data from other countries or groups in various graphical formats.
All of the maps that the program displays as well as all of the
graphics that the program can generate can be exported to any
existing desktop publisher, word processor, or graphics package.

MacGlobe 1.3 is sold with a retail price of $59.95. Current users
can upgrade to version 1.3 for free if they purchased the program
within the last 90 days. If a purchase was made earlier, the upgrade
will cost $25.

(Naor Wallach/19921020/Press Contact: Dawn Albertson, Broderbund,
415-382-4637/Public Contact: Broderbund, 415-382-4400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00008)

New For Macintosh: PowerPoint 3.0 Presentation Graphics 10/20/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation says it is now shipping a major upgrade of its
presentation graphics program PowerPoint for the Macintosh.

Version 3.0 for Apple Computer's Macintosh was demonstrated by
Microsoft Executive Vice President Mike Maples at the Los Angeles
Macintosh Users Group meeting last Thursday.

New features include an outline view that allows users to create
and work with the content of their presentation as an outline in a
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format. Outlining provides
full text formatting including font size and style.

Microsoft says it has made drawing easier with a Shape Tool that
offers a palette of 24 adjustable shapes and a freeform tool. View
size can be adjusted from 25 percent to 400 percent, and more than
500 pieces of color clip art are included. The graphing tools are
the same ones included in Microsoft Word, including 3-D graphing
and 84 pre-designed graph types. Graphs can be rotated, and will
automatically pick up the color scheme selected for the overall
presentation.

Powerpoint 3.0 also supports the use of QuickTime's video and sound
features, ad there's a special runtime version of Powerpoint,
allowing presentations to be run without the full Powerpoint
program being loaded. Powerpoint Mac files can now be shared with
Powerpoint 3.0 for Windows users, since the same file format is
used for both versions of the program. Powerpoint for Windows
users can just load the program without any conversion or
translation. There are 35 TrueType fonts provided, and Microsoft
has included 160 templates, for overheads, 35mm slides, and
electronic presentations.

To run Powerpoint, one should be using the System 7.0 or higher operating
system, have at least 4 megabytes (MB) of system memory, a hard disk, and
a floppy drive. Microsoft said Powerpoint 3.0 is compatible with
all output devices supported by the Macintosh.

Suggested retail price for Powerpoint 3.0 for the Mac is $495.
Registered users of Powerpoint 2.01 or Microsoft Office who bought
those products after September 19th of this year can get a free
update to Powerpoint 3.0. Users who bought before September 19th
can get the upgrade for $99 until February 1, 1993. The upgrade
price goes up to $129 then.

In an attempt to attract users of competitive products, Microsoft
is offering a $129 upgrade if users switch from Aldus Persuasion,
CA-Cricket Presents, CA-Cricket Graph, DeltaPoint, DeltaGraph, or
Symantec More.

The company said it also expects to ship Canadian and United
Kingdom versions this month, and French, French Canadian, German
and Swedish versions during the first quarter of 1993.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Press contact: Chris Clemens, Waggener
Edstrom for Microsoft, 408-986-1140; Reader contact: Microsoft
Corporation, 800-426-9400)


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

New For PC: Demographics Database For Small Businesses 10/20/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- DataMap Inc., has
announced the release of MarketPro software for market research.
The company claims that the software makes available to small to
medium size companies demographic information generally available
only to larger firms.

The PC-based software provides demographics for more than 300
metropolitan areas in the US based on US Census Bureau data, updated
with the latest household counts derived from postal delivery
statistics. DataMap merges quarterly post office ZIP+4 information
into its existing databases to upgrade them.

DataMap spokesperson Dianne Runnels told Newsbytes that MarketPro
includes 16 demographic variables, including home value, age, ethnic
breakouts, average rent, average income, the percentage of
households with children under 17, average number of residents in
households on the postal carrier route, and other information
businesses can use to target mailings.

Runnels said that system requirements include a DOS-based PC with
340 kilobytes of memory, a color monitor, a hard drive with 1.5
megabytes of space for the program itself, and enough hard drive
space for the data. Runnels told Newsbytes the data files
occupy one or more megabytes of space, depending on the
metropolitan area purchased.

The price for the program ranges from $195 to $495. The data is also
available by state or region. The user can create lists of ZIP codes
by establishing criteria that meet their needs. For example, a list
of ZIP codes could be produced where home values exceed a certain
value, or where more than a user-specified percentage of homes have
children under 17.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Press contact: Dianne Runnels, DataMap,
612-934-0900; Reader contact: DataMap, 612-934-0900 or 800-533-7742,
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00010)

Large-Scale ISDN Demo Scheduled 10/20/92
GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- The National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has slated a large
scale demonstration of Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN), a telecommunications network standard that allows voice
and data transmissions on the same line.

Plans call for the NIST demonstration to take place during next
month's Transcontinental ISDN Project '92 which will involve a
number of sites.

ISDN is a standard data exchange system for video and multimedia
conferencing, desktop conferencing, local area network to local
area network bridging, image transfer, as well as simultaneous
fax and voice communications.

ISDN has been discussed for years and the government is
apparently now prepared to push the communications standard in a
big way.

The major ISDN demonstration will take place from November 16
through the 20th, connecting NIST offices to the Internal Revenue
Service, COMSAT (Communication Satellite Corp.), Eastman Kodak,
and AT&T's Bell Labs.

Civilian government and military applications will be
demonstrated on the 16th and 17th, but the final three days of
ISDN demonstrations will be open to the public.

For further information and free registration for the event,
Newsbytes readers are invited to contact Dawn Hoffman at NIST.

(John McCormick/19921020/Press Contact: John Henkel, NIST, 301-
975-2762)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00011)

1992 Annual Convention Registration Up 50% 10/20/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- The Information
Industry Association has released information indicating that
this year's convention -- scheduled for the San Francisco,
California Hyatt Regency (Embarcadero Center) from November 15-
19 -- will be by far the largest yet. Pre-registration is running
50-percent ahead of last year's at this time, the organizers have
revealed.

This year's conference sessions include more competing sessions,
which may mean that some attendees will miss out on something
but at least no one will feel that there was nothing presented
which would be useful to them.

In other changes, a half-day interactive workshop on privacy has
recently been added for November 18 and a second information
provider workshop has been added.

The overall theme of the 1992 Convention is "Knocking Down Info-
Walls, Building Pathways to New Markets."

More than 300 people have already registered to attend or speak
at the conference sessions.

The IIA is a 24 year-old trade association which now numbers more
than 500 companies which work in the information creation and
distribution industry.

Individual conference attendance costs $795 for IIA members or
$995 for non-members. There are discounts for small businesses.

(John McCormick/19921020/Press Contact: Susan Goewey, IIA, 202-
639-8262 or Fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00012)

Apple Computer Japan Releases Mac Duo & Lowers Prices 10/20/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Apple Computer Japan has
announced a series of new Macintoshes simultaneously with its US
headquarters. The new products include a Japanese Macintosh
Duo. The actual release will be in November. Also, Apple Computer
Japan plans to lower prices of existing Macintosh families in
parallel with the shipment of the Duo.

Apple Computer Japan has announced six new machines with 14 models.
They include the Mac Duo, which consists of the 32-bit notebook-
type PC the Powerbook Duo and the Duo Dock. The Powerbook Duo can
be connected with the Duo Dock and be used as the desktop
computer. Other new Macintoshes includes the desktop computers
"Mac II vi" and the "Mac II vx." These Macintosh models support
32,000 colors and Kodak's Photo CD. There are also versions that have
a built-in CD-ROM. Other models are the Powerbook 160 and the
Powerbook 180.

Apple Computer Japan has also released Radius Rocketshare, which
supports parallel processing on the Macintosh.

With this new line-up, the company aims to sell 240,000 units of
the Mac, and wants to gain 80 billion yen ($670 million) in sales
(a boost of 33 percent) over the next fiscal year, which runs
until September 1993.

In parallel with the new products, Apple has cut pricing on the
existing Mac family sold in Japan by an average of 20
percent. Example pricings includes the Mac Powerbook 100-40 (40MB
hard disk) which falls from 358,000 yen ($3,000) to 258,000 yen
($2,150).

The price of the Classic II, meanwhile, has also been cut by
100,000 yen ($830). This is apparently in the wake of the
release of lower price PCs from Compaq and IBM Japan. More firms
are likely to follow Apple's lead in cutting PC pricing in the
near future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921020/Press Contact: Apple Computer
Japan, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00013)

 ****DEC Japan Cuts PC Pricing In Half 10/20/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Digital Equipment's Japanese
operation has leapt aboard the price-cutting bandwagon with the
announcement of a range of price cuts, which run up to a maximum
of 56 percent and average out at an impressive 46.5 percent.

Why such savage cuts? According to DEC, the company wants to
compete price-wise with the competition, which now includes the
likes of Apple, Compaq and IBM in Japan.

Example pricing includes the PC 340DXLP, which used to cost
388,000 yen ($3,200), but now costs just 168,000 yen ($1,400).

The price cut war has become very intense recently in Japan. The
ballgame kicked off with Compaq earlier this month when the
company followed its lead in the West with the launch of an
80386-based system at 120,000 yen ($1,000).

Another PC supplier, Proside, meanwhile, pitched into the fray
with an even cheaper 386-based system which cost 110,000 yen
($910). Apple Computer Japan has also just announced a series of
price cuts and IBM is expected to announce its counter-offensive
next month.

Cutting prices doesn't necessarily mean that sales of PCs will
rise forever, of course. That's why DEC Japan has just agreed
with Shinko Shoji, Inotech and Tokyo Electron to jointly develop
a RISC (reduced instruction set computing) system that will drive
the next generation of computers. DEC is investing $500 million
in the project, which should see a 64-bit processor on the scene
quite quickly.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921020/Press Contact: DEC Japan,
 [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00014)

 ****Toshiba Releases World's First 16-megabit Flash Memory 10/20/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Toshiba has announced plans to
release a 16 megabit flash memory chip. The Japanese technology
giant claims that this will be the first commercial product of
its type.

Toshiba isn't resting on its laurels, however, as company
officials have revealed plans to ship a 64 megabit version of the
chipset within a short timescale.

So why the rush for the new technology? Simple -- Japanese
experts predict that flash memory will take over from magnetic
memory in the very near future, so any company that gets its
flash memory chips to market faster than the competition should
succeed.

Toshiba plans to release the 16 megabit chipset by the end of the
year with a retail price of 15,000 yen ($125). This price is
expected to fall to a third (5,000 yen), once the company starts
producing the chips in volume, however.

To put matters in perspective, Intel has been selling a 4 megabit
flash memory chip for $50. Toshiba's equivalent costs $20.
Toshiba officials say they want to get this price down to $10 a
chip in the very near future.

Flash memories come in the form of semiconductor chip, which is
different from current magnetic disk memory. With these flash
memories, the size of personal computers can get drastically
smaller.

Also, the flash memories are expected to replace the hard disks
in the PCs of the future. Toshiba is aiming to get electronic
still-cameras to market in a short space of time, as well as new
products for the notebook and pocket computer market.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921020/Press Contact: Toshiba, +81-
3-3457-2100)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00015)

France Telecom, Cap Gemini Deal In Offing? 10/20/92
PARIS, FRANCE, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- France Telecom is reported to
be considering a technology and equity link-up with Cap Gemini
Sogeti. If the deal goes ahead, then state-controlled France
Telecom would take a 10 percent stake in the private sector
company.

According to Le Figaro, the equity buy-in hinges on permission
being forthcoming from Daimler-Benz, which has a 34 percent stake
in Cap Gemini.

If the deal comes off, and both companies have said publicly that
discussions are in progress, then it would give Cap Gemini a
significant cash injection, certainly enough to enable the
computer giant to recover from the current European recession.

The deal could also force Daimler-Benz to sell its stake in Cap
Gemini, as Daimler is a rival to France Telecom in many
areas. Some experts have suggested that Daimler-Benz may try to
block the deal going through, although this would be difficult to
achieve, owing to the European equivalent of the complex anti-trust
laws in the US.

France Telecom currently seems awash with cash. Only last week
the company acquired a significant stake in Sema, which Newsbytes
notes is a rival to Cap Gemini.

(Steve Gold/19921020)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00016)

Germany: Third Mobile Phone Licence Up For Grabs 10/20/92
BONN, WEST GERMANY, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- The German Ministry of
Posts and Telecommunications has announced it is offering a
licence for the country's third mobile phone network.

Plans call for the third mobile network in Germany will operate
as a digital mobile system, but aimed very much at the
residential and small business user rather than the traditional
executive. The E-Net service, as it is know, will complement rather
than compete with the existing mobile networks in Germany, postal
ministry officials have said.

Two consortiums are understood to be applying for the carefully
regulated licence for the personal communications network (PCN)
service.

The first consortium (E-Plus) consists of 11 companies led by
Vodafone in the UK, Bell South in the US, and Veba plus
Thyssen of Germany. The second consortium (E-Star) consists of 14
firms led by the BMW Group and MAN of Germany, along with GTE
Mobile and US West from the United States.

What's interesting about the bidding for the E-Net network is
that Deutsche Bundespost Telekom (DBT) and Mannesmann, both of
whom already have mobile phone networks operating in Germany,
have been barred from tendering for an E-Net licence in any shape
or form.

This restriction has allowed the two consortiums of E-Plus and E-
Star to enter the bidding, safe in the knowledge that the two
existing players will not subsidize their bids with the profits
from their existing analogue networks. It also raises the
interesting prospect of a gentle price war between the analogue
and digital networks, once the E-Net service becomes operational.

(Steve Gold/19921020)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00017)

UK: Kalamazoo Sponsors Technology Club 10/20/92
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Kalamazoo has announced
it will launch one of the UK's first Technology-Based Training
(TBT) clubs next month in Manchester.

The aim of the club is to use the latest technology to give a
consistently high level of teaching to students at the
club/college, but without the high costs normally associated with
such teaching methods.

According to Kalamazoo, the company is one of the largest private
providers of information technology (IT) training in the country
and the TBT clubs aim to give companies local to the
planned 12 regional centers the opportunity to benefit from
technology-based training.

"It's undoubtedly an excellent method training," commented Gerry
Barton, Kalamazoo's training consultancy managing director, who
added that, because the initial outlay is so high, the TBT club
is the ideal solution for every employer.

"The tendency at the moment is for TBT training equipment to be
used only by large businesses. Our new TBT clubs enable 15 to 20
local employers to join together to share the resources of a TBT
learning centre rather than bear the cost of creating their own,"
he said.

Plans call for Kalamazoo to establish TBT clubs around the UK,
with centers in Birmingham, Chesterfield, Hull, Liverpool,
London, newcastle, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield and Wakefield,
in addition to the Manchester center which opens on November 13.

(Steve Gold/19921020/Press & Public Contact: Kalamazoo - Tel:
021-411-2345)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00018)

UK: Samsung Intros 2 New Laser Printers 10/20/92
SURBITON, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Samsung
electronics has unveiled two laser printers -- the SL1082A and SL1082P
-- that it claims are next-generation units at very low prices.

The SL1082A is an eight pages per minute (PPM) unit that is based
around an Intel i960 10 megahertz (MHz) RISC (reduced instruction
set computing) chipset. The machine features serial (RS232 and
RS422) plus parallel ports with a price tag of UKP 880.

The SL1082P, meanwhile, is also an 8PPM laser that is aimed a bit
further upmarket than the SL1082A, courtesy of a 16MHz RISC
processor and 2MB of memory, upgradeable to 8MB internally.
Switching (including Appletalk interfacing) is featured as
standard on the UKP 1,193 printer.

In parallel with the introduction of the new printers, Samsung
has announced a round of price cuts on its existing lasers -- the
SL1081 is now available for UKP 652, while the SL1081P costs UKP
985.

Both the new lasers are built by Samsung and feature the
company's own laser engine plus dual bin paper handling systems.

(Steve Gold/19921020/Press & Public Contact: Samsung Electronics
- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00019)

Fifth Generation Offers 24-Hour Int'l Support 10/20/92
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Fifth
Generation Systems (FGS) says it is now offering 24-hour toll free
customer service seven days a week for customers in Europe, the
Pacific Rim, and Africa.

Around-the-clock service was previously available only for US
customers. FGS says services will be available in Spanish, French,
German, and Japanese during normal international business hours, and
in English 24 hours a day.

To support the increased technical support, the company has opened
new offices in Paris, France and Dusseldorf, Germany. The company
says the new offices will work with the London and Hong Kong offices
to provide regional support services. Until now, FGS has provided
tech support over a regular toll line into the London office.

Under a program called the International Five Points Pledge, FGS
will also unconditionally guarantee all its products, and offers a
no-questions one year money-back guarantee. Additionally, any
European or African customer buying four FGS products will
automatically get a fifth package at no cost. The free offer does not
extend to site licenses and volume purchases.

The final point of the pledge is that any problem not handled to a
customer's satisfaction will be personally handled by a senior level
executive at FGS.

FGS markets a number of products for Apple Computer's Macintosh,
DOS-based PCs, and systems running under Windows. Included in their
product line are menuing software, security access programs, screen
savers, anti-virus programs, a font organizer, a software print
spooler. The company is best known for Fastback, a backup and
restore program that automates selective backup of a user's hard
drive.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Press contact: Chris Wildermuth, Miller
Communications for Fifth Generation Systems, 310-822-4669; Reader
contact: FGS, 504-291-7221)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00020)

CompuAdd Touch-Screen POS Terminal 10/20/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- About a month from now
if you buy a burger from McDonald's, it may be rung up on a
point-of-sale terminal just announced by CompuAdd Information
Services Corporation (CISC).

CISC is a recent spin-off from CompuAdd Computer Corporation, and
has been approved as a systems integrator for the more than 2,500
McDonald's owner-operator outlets across the US.

The new POS terminal, dubbed the TR5, consists of an LCD (liquid
crystal display) touch screen terminal integrated with a 25 megahertz
(MHz) 386-based PC running point-of-sale software. The system
includes an 11-inch touch monitor, a screen programmed for multiple
menus, an optional magnetic stripe reader for credit cards, and an
attached ink cartridge receipt printer. All the peripherals are
connected via a single cable.

CompuAdd spokesperson John Pope told Newsbytes that the company's
agreement with McDonald's precludes revealing the cost of the
systems or the overall potential value of the deal. Newsbytes has
learned that one other vendor, Olivetti, has been designated an
authorized systems integrator.

Pope said that CompuAdd is negotiating with other companies for use
of the TR5, and expects to be introducing other models of its
point-of-sale system.

Earlier this year Newsbytes reported that CompuAdd has obtained an
order for 28,000 CR5 systems to be installed by Sears, Roebuck &
Company in its stores. The company was also selected initially as
the successful bidder on the multimillion dollar Desktop IV contract
for personal computers and peripherals. That award was disputed by
other bidders and eventually awarded to another bidder.

CompuAdd's initial spin-off company was CompuAdd Express, created in
late 1991 to sell CompuAdd's PCs and peripherals through the mail.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Press contact: John Pope, CompuAdd,
512-250-2000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00021)

Metz Task Manager Users Get Bonus Software 10/20/92
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Metz Software has
announced it is shipping a collection of utility applications to all
owners of Metz Task Manager when they register their product.

Called Metz Task Manager Utility Pack, the toolset for Windows
includes Menu, Freemem, Time, and Widget. Menu is a movable version
of the Metz Launch menu that stays on top of open Windows
applications. Freemem is a utility that checks the availability of
memory and system requirements.

Time is a pop-up digital clock which displays the date and time in a
movable windows. The window stays on top of open Windows
applications. Widget displays information about how CPU time is
used, using a scrolling graph.

Metz Software Director of Sales and Marketing Joel Petersen says the
company relies heavily on feedback from their user group for product
enhancement and development. "The utility pack is our way of
thanking our customers for registering their product," says
Petersen. The company will be displaying its wares at Comdex, the
fall computer trade show held in Las Vegas. Comdex runs November
16-20 this year.

Task Manager 2.0 was released on June 1, 1992 as a replacement for
the Windows Task List. The package works with Windows 3.0 and 3.1
to provide instant access to applications and the files they use
most frequently, Metz spokesperson Ann Revell-Pechar told
Newsbytes.

Once the program is installed, a hot key combination pops it up
on top of the current windows. You'll see a list of your current
tasks, represented by their respective icons. The list is
customizable, and you can choose what tasks to display.

A five-button bar appears across the top of the screen, with each
button launching a different utility. Users can select a
directory, perform file management (copy, move, delete, rename,
print), find files, search for text, or check system status.

The program carries a price tag of $49.95, with a street price
between $30 and $40. Task Manager includes a Launch Pad that allows
users to drag and drop their favorite applications onto customizable
launch buttons. There's also a scheduler feature that allows tasks
such as hard disk backup or electronic mail transfer to be performed
without operator intervention. A task/group window displays a list
of running tasks or items, a run list shows the most recently run
tasks, and a desktop arrangement feature allows the user to
unclutter the Windows desktop.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Press contact: Ann Revell-Pechar, for Metz
Software, 206-282-6242, fax [phone]; Reader contact: Metz
Software, 800-447-1712 or 206-641-4525, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00022)

You Too Can Find Employees By Computer 10/20/92
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- Employers
who place help wanted ads in the newspaper know they will probably
be swamped with applications or resumes. However, there's now an
easier way for employers to look for applicants -- use a
computer.

Using a computer that's equipped with a modem, one can log onto several
database sources that store resumes of job seekers online. All you
have to do is access the service, enter in your search parameters,
and review the qualifications.

Employer services are available on several on-line services,
including GEnie, CompuServe, and Dialog. One company, HRIN,
specializes in human resources information, providing numerous text
files regarding labor relations, affirmative action, benefits and
compensation, and safety and health in addition to helping employers
find qualified employees. HRIN also has information about training
and development, employment and recruiting, administration, systems
and planning, and general policies.

Companies can also list their openings on some of these services.
One of the most widely available online job listing services is
provided by Adnet. It's available on CompuServe, Prodigy, America
Online, PC-LINK, Promenade, GEnie, and BIX. Marketing Director Michael
Boyer told Newsbytes the company offers a number of rate packages,
depending on the number of ads, and the length of run time. Ads
placed through Adnet automatically appear on all seven on-line
services supplied by Adnet.

Many of the online services also list services offered by
contractors. If you need a PR person, a photographer, or a myriad
of other job types on a contract basis, you can check the Home
Office Small Business Forum on GEnie, or its counterpart on
CompuServe.

California employers can use a service offered by Pacific Bell that
allows them to electronically pre-screen and pre-qualify job
applicants. The job seeker calls a number listed in the employer's
printed ad, and responds to a series of questions by voice or by
pressing buttons on a touch-tone phone. Employers dial into the
system, enter a special code, and listen to the responses. If
they're interested, they contact the applicant.

Most on-line services also have a library where qualified persons
upload their resumes. The PR Forum and the Journalism Forum on
Compuserve are examples of this type service.

(Jim Mallory/19921020/Reader contact: Adnet, 800-682-2901)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00023)

 ****More On 911 "Legion of Doom" Hacking Case 10/20/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- In a discussion
with Newsbytes, Sgt. Kurt Leonard of the Chesterfield County, Virginia
Police Department has disclosed further information concerning
the on-going investigation of alleged 911 disruption throughout
the eastern seaboard of the United States by individuals
purporting to be members of the hacker group "The Legion of Doom"
(LOD).

Leonard identified the individual arrested in Newark, New Jersey,
previously referred to only as "Maverick," as Scott Maverick, 23.
Maverick has been charged with terroristic threats, obstruction of a
government function, and illegal access to a computer. He is
presently out on bail.

Leonard said that David Pluchino, 22, was charged to the same
counts as Maverick and an additional count of the possession of
burglary tools. Leonard said that Pluchino, the subject of a 1990
Secret Service "search and seizure" action under the still on-
going "Operation SunDevil" investigation," possessed information
linking him with members of the Legion of Doom.

The Legion of Doom connection has become the subject of controversy
within the online community. Although Maverick has been quoted as
saying that he is a member of the group and that the group's
intent was "to attempt to penetrate the 911 computer systems and
inflect them with viruses to cause havoc," members of the group
have disavowed any connection with those arrested.

"Lex Luthor," one of the original members of the group, told
Newsbytes when the initial report of the arrests became public:
"As far as I am concerned the LOD has been dead for a couple of
years, never to be revived. Maverick was never in LOD. There have
been 2 lists of members (one in Phrack and another in the LOD tj)
and those lists are the final word on membership."

He added, "We obviously cannot prevent copy-cats from saying they
are in LOD. When there was an LOD, our goals were to explore and
leave systems as we found them. The goals were to expose security
flaws so they could be fixed before REAL criminals and vandals such
as this Maverick character could do damage. If this Maverick
character did indeed disrupt E911 service he should be not only be
charged with computer trespassing but also attempted murder. 911
is serious business."

Lex Luthor's comments, made before the names of the arrested were
released, were echoed by Chris Goggans, aka "Erik Bloodaxe," and Mark
Abene, aka "Phiber Optik," both ex-LOD members, and by Craig Neidorf
who chronicled the membership of LOD in his electronic publication
"Phrack."

When the names of the arrested became public, Newsbytes again contacted
Lex Luthor to see if the names were familiar. Luthor replied: "Can't add
anything, I never heard of them."

Phiber Optik, a New York resident, told Newsbytes that he remembered
Pluchino as a person that ran a computer "chat" system called "Interchat"
based in New Jersey. "They never were LOD members and Pluchino
was not known as a computer hacker. It sounds as though they were
LOD wanabees who are now, by going to jail, going to get the
attention they desire," he said.

A law enforcement official, familiar with the SunDevil investigation of
Pluchino, agreed with Phiber, saying, "There was no indication of any
connection with the Legion of Doom." The official, speaking under the
condition of anonymity, also told Newsbytes that the SunDevil
investigation of Pluchino is still proceeding and, as such, no comment
can be made.

Leonard also told Newsbytes that the investigation has been a joint
effort of New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia police departments and
said that, in conjunction with the October 9th 2:00 AM arrests of
Pluchino and Maverick, a simultaneous "search and seizure" operation
was carried out at the Hanover, Maryland home of Zohar Shif, aka
"Zeke," a 23 year-old who had also been the subject of a SunDevil
search and seizure.

Leonard also said that, in addition to computers taken from Pluchino,
material was found "establishing a link to the Legion of Doom." Told of
the comments by LOD members that the group did not exist anymore,
Leonard said "While the original members may have gone on to other
things, these people say they are the LOD and some of them have direct
connection to LOD members and have LOD materials."

Asked by Newsbytes to comment on Leonard's comments, Phiber Optik
said "The material he's referring to is probably text files that have
been floating around BBS's for years, Just because someone has
downloaded the files certainly doesn't mean that they are or ever
were connected with LOD."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921020)


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

IBM Inaugurates US Open Systems Center 10/20/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- IBM has opened
its US Open Systems Center (OSC) in Dallas. According to the
company, the center will offer customers support and services to
help them understand, design, implement, and test open systems.

According to IBM officials, the center will be the company's
channel in the United States for sharing information with customers
about its strategy, products and services, and how it can help
customers put together products from multiple vendors.

Located at IBM's support facility in Dallas, the OSC will begin
working with select customers before the end of October. Among its
initial activities will be: integrating hardware and software from
multiple vendors; briefings on open systems subjects such as
standards, application development tools; and distributed database
design and data access on multi-vendor systems; and custom
services to create open systems for customers.

In the future, IBM officials said, the center will offer proof-
of-concept services and design validation to help customers make
sure their proposed multi-vendor systems will work, as well as
integration software development.

IBM said the center has the latest equipment and application
software from many technology suppliers.

The center will bring together various existing IBM activities
under one roof, said company spokesman Steven Malkiewicz, with a
"new focus on integration" and the goal of providing customers with
a central point of contact. "We're drawing on an infrastructure
some of which is already in place," he said.

About 50 employees are already working at the new center, and IBM
plans to add about 70 more, some of whom will be hired from outside
the company.

IBM already has a similar center in Japan, Malkiewicz said, and
plans to open them in other countries in the future.

(Grant Buckler/19921020/Press Contact: Steven Malkiewicz, IBM,
914-642-5449)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00025)

IBM Launches PS/ValuePoint Line In US 10/20/92
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- The IBM Personal
Computer Company has launched its PS/ValuePoint personal computers
in the United States. The new machines, already on sale in Europe,
are aimed at the middle ground between the entry-level PS/1 series
and the increasingly upscale PS/2 machines.

Jim McGann, manager for value brands at the IBM Personal Computer
Co. North America, described the ValuePoint PCs as a line of
industry-standard machines for a market ranging from small business
to corporations. He said the PS/2 line will focus on "people that
are looking for the latest and greatest advances in technology,"
while PS/1 buyers are expected to be home and small business users
who want a package they can use with a minimum of setting up.

IBM launched four PS/ValuePoint machines. They start with the 325T,
which contains an IBM 386SLC microprocessor running at 25 megahertz
and comes with two megabytes of memory and a choice of 80- or
170-megabyte hard drive.

Next is the ValuePoint 425SX, which is equipped with an Intel 486SX
chip running at 25 megahertz and has eight megabytes of memory and
the same choice of drives as the 325T. Third in the line is the
433DX, which uses a 33-megahertz 486DX chip, has eight megabytes of
memory, and offers either a 120- or a 212-megabyte hard drive.

The top of the line is the 466DX2, which uses Intel's
clock-doubling 486DX2 66-megahertz processor and comes with eight
megabytes of memory and a 212-megabyte hard drive.

All the ValuePoint machines come with five expansion slots and five
bays for storage devices. They all use the older AT bus, or
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) rather than the Micro Channel
Architecture which IBM launched with the PS/2 series.

McGann said that IBM still believes Micro Channel "may well"
become a PC standard in the future, but admitted that at the
moment the AT bus remains the more popular standard.

The PS/ValuePoint 325T will come with the DOS 5.0 operating system
pre-loaded. The other models will come with IBM's OS/2 2.0.

IBM plans to sell the ValuePoint computers in two ways. They will
go through the same dealers that handle PS/2 models, as well as
value-added resellers, said Lyle Hart, business area manager for
value brands. IBM is also expanding its direct marketing effort,
which began with the sale of the PS/2 Models 35 and 40 through a
toll-free telephone number earlier this year.

All the PS/ValuePoint models will be sold through the toll-free
number 800-IBM-2YOU, and through a printed catalog, Hart said,
along with some of the company's ThinkPad portable computer models
and assorted software, peripherals, and other options.

IBM will not publish suggested list prices for dealer sales of the
PS/ValuePoint machines. However, the company did announce its own
direct-sales prices.

The 325T with an 80-megabyte (MB) hard drive will sell for
$1,299. The 425SX with an 80 MB hard drive will cost $1,629, and
the 433DX with a 120 MB hard drive for $1,999. All these prices
include color displays. IBM did not supply a price for the 466DX2
model.

While the PS/ValuePoint machines will not come with the three-year
warranty introduced last month for some PS/2 models, they will
carry a one-year warranty covering on-site service, with a promise
of response within four hours on average. IBM has also beefed up
its telephone support to provide 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week
technical support through a toll-free telephone number.

(Grant Buckler/19921020/Press Contact: Christopher Clough, IBM,
914-642-5372; Public Contact: IBM, 800-772-2227)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00026)

IBM Forms Worldwide Consulting Group 10/20/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- IBM has created
the IBM Consulting Group, an umbrella for a variety of consulting
services in 30 countries. The group will include some 1,500
consultants in the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, company
spokeswoman Roberta Paul said.

The group will deal with 12 areas of consulting, grouped under the
broad headings of management consulting, functional consulting,
industrial sector consulting services, and technology consulting.

The new group will include a number of consulting activities IBM is
already carrying on, Paul said. In addition to the IBM staff
working within the consulting group, the consulting practices will
be able to draw on expertise from anywhere in the company as needed
for specific projects, she added. The goal is "unlocking or making
available a lot of the expertise that exists across the board
within IBM."

The management consulting areas will include business
transformation and information technology strategy and planning
practices. Robert M. Howe, who joined IBM from consulting firm
Booz-Allen & Hamilton about 18 months ago, will head this group and
serve as general manager for the IBM Consulting Group brand.

Functional consulting, headed by former Coopers & Lybrand Senior
Partner Stephen A. Mucchetti, will comprise application
development, end-user systems, networking, and information systems
management.

Industrial sector consulting services will include engineering and
quality management, continuous flow manufacturing, manufacturing
logistics, and international trade management. James J. Stifler, a
vice-president of IBM, will head this operation.

Technology consulting activities will include management
technologies, head by Dr. David W. Low, and image technology, under
the leadership of Vincent L. Yannuzi.

(Grant Buckler/19921020/Press Contact: Roberta Paul, IBM,
914-642-5362)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00027)

Teleglobe Leads Trans-Atlantic Fiber Cable Consortium 10/20/92
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- International
communications carrier Teleglobe Canada, its parent company
Teleglobe Inc., and 20 European and American companies have
announced plans to lay a US$385 fiber-optic cable across the
Atlantic Ocean, more than doubling the trans-Atlantic cable
capacity now in place.

Expected to be in service by the end of 1994, the CANTAT-3 cable
will be able to carry not only digital voice signals but data,
video, narrowband, wideband, and broadband transmissions between
North America and Europe, the backers said.

Teleglobe Canada will contribute US$130 million to the project, and
will have the use of about 35 percent of the cable's capacity.
Company spokeswoman Cindy Hoffman said that is expected to provide
for Teleglobe's trans-Atlantic capacity needs for the next 10
years. Teleglobe Inc. will invest another US$152 million, and will
have about 42 percent of the cable's capacity available for resale.
The remaining backers, led by Deutsche Bundespost Telekom, British
Telecom, Telecom Denmark, and the General Directorate of Post and
Telecommunications of Iceland, will invest US$103 million.

The American backers include Sprint and MCI, each with less than
one percent of the total, Hoffman said. AT&T is not an investor but
has contracted to use "a small amount" of the cable's capacity, she
added.

BCE Inc., the parent company of Bell Canada and Northern Telecom,
has provided financing guarantees in exchange for certain guarantee
fees and a 25-percent interest in Teleglobe's portion of the
operation. Northern Telecom's subsidiary STC Submarine Cables has
been awarded the contract to lay the cable.

(Grant Buckler/19921020/Press Contact: Cindy Hoffman, Teleglobe
Canada, 514-868-7483)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00028)

Pacific Telesis Meets To Discuss Company Breakup 10/20/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- For
Pacific Telesis shareholders, this is the week they hold their
breath. Directors meet this weekend to consider breaking-up the
company into regulated and unregulated entities.

Some analysts claim a break-up would transform the current $43
per share stock into one worth $58 per share, even if earnings
remain flat. That is because the unregulated unit, heavy in
cellular telephony, would win a high multiple from stock-buyers,
while the main phone company would not be hurt much because of
its regular dividend.

For the quarter ending in September the company said it earned
$277 million, against earnings of $275 million a year ago. Sales
were also flat, $2.51 billion against $2.50 billion a year ago.
Profits were hurt by a $56 million refund paid California
ratepayers, but Chairman Sam Ginn said aggressive cost-cutting
helped the quarter exceed expectations.

Regardless of its decision on a break-up, Pacific Telesis remains
under pressure in all its main lines of businesses. Pacific Bell
now finds itself in a shouting match with the state over a
"Lifeline Fund," used to subsidize basic phone service to the
poor. The state is considering new criteria for withdrawals from
the fund, which Pacific Bell is fighting. Harder fights with
state regulators could hurt Pacific Bell profits down the road.

Perhaps more ominous is a decision by the regulators, known as
the California Public Utilities Commission, to lower wholesale
rates for cellular phone service. Cellular Service, a Southern
California re-seller of such services, claims that basic charges
on calls in the Los Angeles area could drop as much as $12 per
month, or 12 cents per minute, because of the decision.

PacTel will fight the change, which will delay the change. But
the decision was unanimous, unlikely to be overturned in the
courts. Essentially, the regulators said that resellers can
operate their own cellular switches and reduce rates to their
customers.

Resellers note that, despite a high market penetration by
cellular operators in Los Angeles, rates remain high, at $45 per
month and 45 cents per minute, in peak hours. By separating
charges for switching and air-time, Cellular Services thinks it
could cut rates to $27 per month and 33 cents per minute. If that
decision goes through, of course, it would first impact PacTel's
proposed unregulated entity.

Finally, Portugal's Telecel cellular operation, in which PacTel
has a 23 percent interest, was switched on nation-wide. Telecel
is the first private cellular operator in that country, and uses
the GSM digital service favored in Europe.

GSM is related to the TDMA scheme endorsed by the U.S. cellular
industry. The Telechamada paging operation, in which PacTel also
holds a 23 percent stake, also began service this week. The news
from Europe, however, highlights the fact that PacTel has still
seen no profits from its international diversification. The only
regional Bell to yet get a real earnings kick from expanding in
other countries has been Southwestern Bell, which owns about 11
percent of Mexico's TelMex phone system.

Overall, while a break-up might mean money for arbitrageurs and
investment bankers, it is not yet clear that PacTel's operations
are making earnings headway, either the regulated or unregulated
side.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921020/Press Contact: PacTel, Susan
Rosenberg, 510/210-3910; Cellular Service, David Nelson, 213/245-
0446)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00029)

Competition To Cable TV Comes Closer 10/20/92
ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- One promise of
the cable re-regulation bill passed over President Bush' veto
early this month was a provision demanding that cable
programmers deal with new direct broadcast satellite companies.
Those companies are now moving forward.

Echosphere announced that construction is now underway on the
first of the seven high-powered commercial satellites it has
ordered from GE Astro Space. The first satellite goes up in the
fall of 1995. The system is designed to deliver hundreds of
channels directly to any household with a special 18-inch
receiving dish and Echosphere converter.

Echosphere also claims it wants standards to prevail in the
compression and scrambling of signals from direct broadcast
satellites, so users could get service from any of the four
companies slated to provide the services. Each Echosphere
satellite has just 16 transponders, so compression, which also
scrambles signals automatically, is absolutely necessary if the
promise of "hundreds" of new channels is to be made a reality.

Echosphere's primary competitor in this area is General Motors'
Hughes Communications unit, whose DirecTv system would use
proprietary technology, locking consumers into it. Hughes awarded
Sony the contract to design and install the direct broadcast
satellite plant for DirecTv, a contract whose value is estimated
at $50 million. DirecTv will have a full-year head-start on
Echosphere, with satellites launching in early 1994 with up to 80
channels.

The Hughes system will be based in Castle Rock, Colorado, and
also offer service to 18-inch satellite dishes. After all DirecTv
satellites are launched, in the middle of 1994, the system will
have a capacity of over 150 channels. But DirecTv's compression
scheme is proprietary, as are its set-top converters. Someone who
buys that system will not be able to use services from any other
direct broadcast service, although the system will be a direct
competitor to cable systems.

Meanwhile, the cable industry itself has begun taking revenge on
its political opponents, using operators' ability to flood their
own local ad slots with attacks. The strategy failed to dent
big majorities in both houses of Congress on the cable bill, but
one supporter of that bill, Democrat Dan Glickman of Kansas,
feels it could cost him his seat. About 10 cable systems in
Glickman's district have been running spots endorsing his
Republican opponent, State Senator Eric Yost, up to 10 times each
day.

Glickman has complained on the basis of "equal time" provisions
to the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Communications
Commission, both of which are considering action in the
controversy. The cable operators say they're just making
editorial endorsements, which are not subject to equal time
provisions.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921020/Press Contact: Gerrie Schmidt, Sony,
201-930-7454; Thomas M. Bracken, DirecTv, 310-535-5027;
Echosphere, Charles Ergen, 303/799-8222x4700; GE Astro Space,
William Shumann, 202/637-4555; Rep. Dan Glickman, 202-224-3121)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00030)

Long Distance Update 10/20/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) -- AT&T has launched a
counter-attack before U.S. regulators in the face of increasing
pressure from arch-rival MCI.

Chairman Robert Allen charged that the FCC is hurting his
company's ability to compete, with requirements that it detail
new services and products six weeks before introducing them, and
continuing price controls. AT&T claims its market share in long
distance market has been hammered down to 60 percent, and it is
no longer a dominant carrier. Allen added that local service
should also be subject to competition, but praised legislation
proposed by Rep. Jack Brooks in the last Congress which would
keep local phone companies out of the long distance market.

AT&T is also meeting MCI in the market, however. It introduced a
new calling plan called "Special Country," which offers a 15
percent discounts on direct-dialed calls to a specific country,
without sign-up or monthly charges. Consumers can also choose to
change the nation subject to the discount as often as once a
month. And subscribers to AT&T's other primary calling plan,
Reach Out America, can also get the discounts.

MCI, meanwhile, bragged it has become the fastest-growing
international long distance firm, based on a study by the
International Institute of Communications. The institute said
traffic from the U.S. to overseas locations doubled between 1991
and 1992, with MCI's traffic growing 35 percent between 1990 and
1991.

The report called MCI the sixth-largest international long
distance company. Sprint, whose market share remains stagnant,
meanwhile, said it will sponsor "On Top of the World," a new in-
flight audio channel on British Airways international flights.
It's an hour-long talk show hosted by David Frost which changes
monthly.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921020/Press Contact: AT&T, Mark Siegel,
908/221-8413; MCI, John Houser, 202-887-3000; Sprint, Darian
Germain, 703-689-7712)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00031)

Spinnaker Account Firm, Chief Financial Exec Resign 10/20/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 20 (NB) --
Spinnaker, a publicly held corporation and makers of the PFS:
line of desktop publishing and word processing software, has
announced that the company's accounting firm and chief financial
officer have both resigned.

Accounting firm Deloitte & Touche were the company's
independent accountants and Spinnaker said the firm was the
signer on its last financial statement for its fiscal year
ending June 30, 1992. E. Ronald Goldfuss resigned effective
October 15, 1992 and has already been replaced by Patrick J.
Burns, who is now acting chief financial officer.

While Spinnaker stock has not been a high dollar item, the
stock has fallen steadily from last January's high of 5 7/8
down to close at 1 7/16 on October 19. Reports are the stock is
still falling and was well under $1 a share.

Spinnaker purchased several product lines from the Software
Publishing Corporation in January of 1991, including PFS:First
Publisher, PFS:First Publisher accessories, PFS:First Choice,
PFS:Preface, and PFS:Easy Start, and the licensing rights to
PFS: First Graphics.

In July of this year Spinnaker announced a new release of
Personal Access, its database query tool, and strategic
alliances with database software vendors Sybase, Ingres, and
Informix Software. The alliances were announced to be aimed at
joint marketing and mutual support activities such as product
bundling and seeding, direct marketing, trade advertising,
trade shows, and seminars.

Spinnaker executives were unavailable for comment on the
announcements and the company says it is seeking a new
accounting firm for its first quarter report, ending September
30, 1992.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921020/Press Contact: Pat Burns, Spinnaker,
617-494-1200)