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Text File | 1992-01-17 | 77KB | 1,779 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00001)

Moscow: International Phone Service Expands 01/17/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Nearly every phone in Moscow
now has international dialing capabilities on weekends, in addition
to the night time option, introduced in December 1991. However, long
distance service has tripled in price compared to the last year.

International direct dialing officially starts Saturday, January
18, 1992, according to the Kuranty Moscow daily. Weekday calls
remain operator-assisted for most of the city.

Call to Europe cost 18 rubles per minute (US$0.18), to United States --
36 rubles (US$0.36), and 42 rubles (US$0.42) to Australia.

A Moscow phone authorities spokeswoman confirmed the prices
but was unable to provide further comments.

Meanwhile, the Exchanges Congress, a newly created, powerful independent
business lobbying organization, declared its plans to force the fast
privatization of the Ministry of Communications. This was in response
to the decree of Russian Republic President Boris Yeltsyn which
specifically included communication systems in the list of properties
which should indefinitely belong to the state.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920116)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00002)

New Building In Hongkong To Have Built-In Telecom Backbone 01/17/92
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Hong Kong Telecom and AT&T
Hong Kong have signed contracts with property giant Great Eagle
subsidiary, Shine Hill Development, for the provision and
installation of communications networks in Shine Hill's HK$5,500
million (US$714,285 million) Citibank Plaza development.

Citibank Plaza is the first intelligent business building in Hong Kong
to have the core telecommunications backbone built-in, rather than
installed after tenants move in. The backbone system serves all
floors and individual offices with data and voice services upon
demand. It provides access to satellite and cable-carried data and
information services locally, overseas, and in-building.

The contract signed with Hong Kong Telecom covers the provision and
installation of an electronic intelligent common backbone network,
and a high-speed data transmission network. Hong Kong Telecom CSL
will prewire the backbone network into the building. It will also
provide a digitized video link to facilitate tenants' local and
international video communications. An integrated local and satellite
TV network will give tenants instant access to international news,
financial information and satellite TV programs.

To provide external communication, Hong Kong Telephone will pre-
install an optical fiber riser network with dual exchange connection
to guard against transmission interruption. This tailor-made high
speed data transmission network will be connected to both the
Admiralty and West Exchanges to ensure maximum security and
diversity.

AT&T will install unshielded twisted pair cabling and fibre transport
technology to connect tenants' computer and communications systems,
and allow immediate access to other telecommunications backbone
networks offered at the complex.

AT&T and its partner, Chevalier Data Systems, will install and
maintain the modular, open-system package.

Designed at AT&T Laboratories, AT&T Systimax PDS will enable tenants
to connect the equipment of virtually any vendor.

Dr K.S. Lo, managing director of Great Eagle Co Ltd., said, "Citibank
Plaza is strategically located in Central's banking and financial
center. Our targets are multi-national financial and professional
corporations who demand advanced and integrated future office
services for their efficient business operations."

Simon Krieger, managing director of AT&T Hong Kong, said success in
today's marketplace is dependent on three critical elements: instant
access to and effective use of information technology (IT),
recognition that the customer is king, and the use of value-added
business benefits derived from harnessing IT and all its derivatives.

"Who would have believed, ten years ago," Krieger asked, "that we
would be using cellular phones to call our offices from the foot of
the Great Wall? Who would have believed that we would use our
notebook PCs to finish off that one critical project from the shores
of Phuket? And who, ten years ago, would have believed that we could
send one fax message and have it received in thousands of places at
the same time around the world? And finally, who would have believed
that one building in Hong Kong would have been designed with enough
intelligence to link people together or create new configurations
without ripping up floorboards and carpet?"

Krieger said Citibank Plaza is an outstanding example of how one
traditional business - construction and development - has turbo-
charged its traditional way of doing business by giving its tenants
the standard tools they need to operate business more effectively.

Gus Moore, managing director of CSL, said the intelligent
communications backbone gave the unique capability of instant digital
data broadcasting. "This means that up-to-the-minute- financial
information supplied by leading houses such as Reuters, Telerate and
Viewdata, can be immediately available on as many tenants' terminals
as necessary, at any time."

Moore said multi-floor tenants could easily interconnect their
computer devices by plugging into the network's distribution points
on each floor and share data information interactively, avoiding most
of the hassles of cabling. "Those with video communication needs will
also find the intelligent backbone an asset as they can simply hook
onto the network to obtain a digitized video link for local and
international video communication, as and when necessary."

Lo added, "In other buildings lacking such an intelligent centralized
backbone system, tenants may need to spend several hundred thousand
dollars, or even more, for their own video link and external data
transmission network."

The two towers of Citibank Plaza, occupying an open landscaped garden
on historic Garden Road, is due for completion in March 1992.

(Norman Wingrove/19920116/Press contacts: Betty Leong, Great Eagle,
[phone]; Barbara Parr, AT&T, Tel [phone], Fax +852 840
1068; Ady Leung, HK Telecom CSL, [phone]; HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00003)

Hong Kong: Computer Protocol Acquisition By Datacraft 01/17/92
NORTH POINT, HONG KONG, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Datacraft's recently
completed acquisition of rapidly growing Australian interconnectivity
company, Computer Protocol (CP), has produced a whole that is greater
than the sum of its parts, claims Des Althorp, managing director of
Datacraft Asia.

Computer Protocol, which will continue to operate under that name,
recorded revenues over A$18 million last year, primarily through the
sale of standards-compliant network integration systems that
specialize in protocol conversion.

Robert Baker, managing director of CP, said the Datacraft buy-out
would change the way his company does business. "This will allow us
to concentrate exclusively on what we do best - the development of
any-to-any connectivity products. We will essentially be the research
and development arm for these products serving the Datacraft
distribution network," he said.

CP's success in an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) deal with
ICL in Europe was a significant advance for the company, which until
recently made over 90 percent of its sales in the Australasian markets.

Since April 1991, CP has sold over A$2 million worth of its terminal
server products under the ICL brand name. Terming the sales figures a
big start for a new OEM provider, Baker predicted that within two
years CP would be attributing over 40 percent of its revenues to
overseas sales.

The addition of the CP product line is a crucial element of
Datacraft's Asia-wide expansion strategy, and the OEM deal with ICL
now gives it an important foothold in the European marketplace. "At
the moment, we are generating around 45 percent of our revenues from
Datacraft brand products, including the newly-added CP products,"
said Althorp. "Within 12 months, that figure will be over 50
percent."

Althorp predicted that within 12-18 months, the revenues of Datacraft
Asia would surpass those of the rest of the Datacraft Group. "Given
the relative dynamics of the Asian market versus the home Australian
market, this does not come as a shock. It's fairly obvious where we
should be putting our investment dollars."

Baker said Datacraft and CP would be evaluating the Asian market on a
country-by-country basis, and noted that a number of large customers
in the region already use the company's products. These include
Bancnet in the Philippines, Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong,
Singapore Telecom, Shanghai Bank in Taiwan, Esso Malaysia, Shell
Malaysia and Telekom Malaysia.

(Norman Wingrove/19920116/Press contact: Ron Cattell, Datacraft, Tel
[phone], Fax [phone]; HK time is GMT + 8)


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

Japan: Prepaid IC Card With Remote Checking System Studied 01/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of Posts
and Telecommunication plans to develop an infrared system which
can check data on a prepaid IC (integrated circuit) card, without
the need for the owner to remove the card from his or her pocket.

This system is being designed to check the status of prepaid
cards remotely. Prepaid card holders need not insert their cards into
a machine, but can keep the cards in their shirt pockets
as they go through the ticket gate of train stations, for instance.

The non-contact checking system is equipped with an integrated
circuit, which stores usage records for the card. The machine at
a gate emits an infrared ray to pick up information from the
concealed cards.

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication will begin a study
of the new IC card system in February. It is expected
that electronics firms, Japan railways, and Japan road associations
will join the committee. The actual system will be created in
1993.

The new IC card system will be installed at train stations, the
entrance and the exit of toll roads, and entrances of ski lifts.
The IC card system is designed to alleviate the congestion problem
at the entrances and the exits of these facilities.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920116)


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

Japan: Canon Expands PC Business 01/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Japan's major office equipment
dealer Canon will beef up its personal computer sales force
and the number of its dealer shops across Japan.

Canon, currently a major Apple dealer in Japan, plans to
increase its Macintosh dealerships from a current 20 to 86
shops by the end of this year. Also, Canon wants to increase the
number of its maintenance centers to 105. To implement this plan,
Canon is instructing its maintenance engineering teams how
to maintain Macintoshes.

Canon also signed a dealership agreement with IBM Japan in November
1991, and has started marketing IBM Japan's personal computers.
Currently, Canon is selling IBM computers at its 15 shops. The firm
will increase the number of shops selling IBMs to 80 by training
support staff at each shop.

Meanwhile, Canon has also started selling two kinds of DOS/V-
compatible computers. They are called the AXi/V series, and are
manufactured by Acer in Taiwan. They are equipped with an 80386
chip and an 80486 chip (33MHz). The low-end model costs only
198,000 yen ($1,500).

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920116/Press Contact: Canon, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00006)

Moscow: Relcom E-Mail Net Prices Up 01/17/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Phone price hikes and new taxes
caused Relcom, the biggest independent computer network in the country,
to raise prices 4-fold.

Actual prices have risen 3-fold, but the 28% value-added tax makes the
actual increase more than 400%.

These are the service fees now: registration -- 3000 rubles (US$30);
monthly fee -- 2400 rubles (US$24). One megabyte of information sent
abroad costs 7000 rubles (US$70), but is seven times cheaper if sent within
the country -- the former Soviet Union. The same amount of information
sent within the city of Moscow will cost users 200 rubles (US$0.20). Relcom
offers no dial-up online access and therefore has no usage time
surcharges.

Several network users already complained that prices are unfairly
high and it may be cheaper to bypass Relcom for the mail exchanges with
the West.

Relcom is an 18-month old, fast growing electronic mail network, which
services the Commonwealth of Independent States and serves users in more
than 1000 corporate sites.

The Moscow node of Relcom is the world's second largest site
utilizing UUCP protocols for the electronic mail interchanges. The
largest is at UUNET Technologies in Falls Church, Virginia.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920116/ Press Contact: Relcom, phone [phone]-
2129)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00007)

Sematec Links With Japan, Tohoku University 01/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Sematec, the U.S.
project to develop next generation computer chips, has signed a
basic agreement with Japan's Tohoku University in its first
Japanese alliance.

The basic agreement was signed with the research group, which is
led by Professor Tadahiro Omi of Tohoku University. According to
the Nikkei newspaper, the agreement calls for both groups to
develop highly a integrated next-generation chip element, a next-
generation chip manufacturing device, and materials for an
ultra LSI.

It is said that the Sematec people have already visited Tohoku
University and have seen the semiconductor chip research
laboratory at the university. It is expected that the official
agreement will be signed after the university's international
symposium in May.

Prof. Omi has already developed an ultra clean room to produce
chips in a dust-free environment. He has provided this technology
to major firms such as IBM and Intel, says the Nikkei.

Prof. Omi has also developed a transistor with an advanced
neuro-computing feature, designed to be similar to the functioning
of a human brain.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920114/Press Contact: Tohoku University,
 [phone])


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

AT&T Joins Rush To License Spectrum Cellular Data Link 01/17/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- AT&T has joined
many of its Japanese competitors in licensing the Spectrum Cellular
AXSYS interface. AXSYS links a cellular phone to a laptop
computer modem, making it think it's connected to a regular
phone line.

Other laptop computer makers which have licensed the technology
in recent months include NEC and Toshiba. Oki Telecom, which
sells cellular phones and supplies such phones to AT&T, is
offering a different connection method.

Specifically, the AXSYS link being produced for AT&T is between
its Safari notebook computer and Portable Cellular Telephone
3730. The product will have a retail price of $299, and be
available in March from resellers of the Safari computer,
including NCR representatives and AT&T Phone Centers. Safari is a
joint venture between AT&T and another Japanese company,
Marubeni.

Spectrum, of Dallas, has been a pioneer in cellular data
connectivity, first with a forward error-correcting scheme,
which the industry has bypassed in favor of standards like MNP
10 and V.42bis, and now with its AXSYS connector and other
products.

In other AT&T news, the company's Paradyne unit announced a new
line of Acculink multiplexers, based on a 1990 partnership with
Tellabs. It combines many different types of phone lines onto a
single T-1 trunk line running at 1.544 million bits/second,
allowing for what's called "hybrid networking" between voice and
data at prices starting at $5,906.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920113/Press Contact: AT&T Paradyne, Garrick
Case, 813/530-8221; AT&T, Paul Karoff, 617/574-3198; Spectrum
Information Technologies, Kathy Bachand, 800/FOR-SPCL)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

 ****FCC Approves TV Answer, Prepares for PCS 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The Federal
Communications Commission approved a proposal for interactive TV
and moved to create space on the frequency spectrum for
microwave-based cellular, or PCN services.

By a 4-0 vote, the FCC allocated some spectrum near the VHF
Channel 13, presently unused by the maritime industry, for TV
Answer and potential competitors, who want to offer shopping,
banking, and education services over it. A special box, like a
remote control, tuned to the frequency would provide data
communications, while viewers tuned into the accompanying station
offering programs based on it. TV Answer of Reston, Virginia, had
petitioned for the frequency, calling it "the next logical
generation of advanced television." To viewers, the special
channel will have something of the look-and-feel of the Prodigy
system, except TV programs will be available through it on a pay-
per-view basis.

The FCC will take formal applications for the frequencies in
three to six months and start issuing licenses by the end of
1992. The allocations will be along the same boundaries used now
for cellular telephone systems, meaning there will be 2 licenses
in each of 734 markets.

Also, the FCC agreed to start moving police and ambulance
dispatchers to new frequencies so space can be made for new types
of pagers and wireless data services. Police, fire, and ambulance
services are exempt from the need to move. Public safety
officials had objected to the proposal, as had railroads and
utility companies which also use the frequencies. But over 80
companies have launched experiments with microwave-based
cellular, or PCN services, as well as with new types of paging
and mobile satellite services, using those frequencies. The U.S.
House passed a bill last year to free-up frequencies now used by
the government for such uses, and the Senate will look at that
bill this year. The Bush Administration, however, wants to
auction those frequencies to the highest bidder, while the
Congress prefers a licensing approach based on a "public
interest" test.

The FCC now proposes that companies proposing new services buy
their radio channels from the existing licensees. The PCN
industry may object that this approach favors existing telecomm
players like the regional Bell companies, which could afford to
buy the frequencies, and would only extend their monopolies into
the 21st century while their profits are deregulated. The FCC
proposed a 10-15 year window for purchase negotiations, after
which the new services could bump them off for free. Tax breaks
may also be offered to groups which move off the frequencies, and
it would take a minimum of two to three years for new services to
reach the market.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: FCC Press, 202-632-
5050)


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

BellSouth Wins Unregulated Voice Mail 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- BellSouth's
Southern Bell unit won a major victory as the Federal
Communications Commission ruled that the state of Georgia cannot
regulate its MemoryCall voice mail service.

The FCC action preempts the move by the Georgia Public Service
Commission demanding that Southern Bell to turn over information
on how it priced MemoryCall, at $6.95 per month. Existing voice
mail services had sought the regulation, saying Southern Bell
was using predatory pricing to drive them out of business and
create a monopoly.

The FCC ruled, however, that voice mail is inherently an inter-
state, not an intra-state, service. That means only the FCC can
regulate it. Since the FCC has decided not to regulate such
services, BellSouth is free to go ahead.

But there's still one potential hurdle in the phone company's
way. The Public Service Commission could go to court claiming it
does indeed have the right to regulate MemoryCall. In that case,
BellSouth could use the FCC decision as part of its defense, but
the final decision would be up to the courts, and it could take
months for the case to wind its way through the system.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: FCC Press, 202-632-
5050; Harriett Van Norte, Georgia PSC, 404-656-4537)


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

Motorola Updates Plans for Iridium 01/17/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Motorola's Iridium unit said
it now plans to make its satellite-delivered phone service
compatible with existing cellular phone networks, and raised its
cost estimates.

Iridium is a proposal to launch a series of 77 satellites in low
Earth orbit starting in 1994. The project is designed to offer
satellite-based mobile phone services worldwide.

At a briefing in London, Iridium officials displayed a prototype of
a "dual mode" subscriber handset they said will work with both
local conventional cellular systems and the Iridium system.
Iridium officers also said they would offer capacity on their
satellites to members of the International Maritime Satellite
Organization, or Inmarsat, international consortium. Inmarsat had
said in September it planned to build a similar network, called
Project 21. Inmarsat consortium members will now be able to use the
Iridium network to develop their own markets for hand-held cellular
services to ships and airplanes.

Iridium called itself a complement, not a competitor, to
Inmarsat. When Iridium was first proposed, Inmarsat was called a
partner. The new move was expected to bring them back into the
fold.

Both moves were made in an effort to improve the chances of
getting a worldwide frequency allocation. International telecom
agencies have complained that the proposed system is "too
American," and cellular service providers have long seen it as
competitive with their own offerings. The decisions could also
help the Iridium group raise capital and find allies among
existing satellite users and cellular phone operators. The dual-
mode handsets will first scan for a cellular phone signal, and
only go to the satellite if that's not available, cutting user
costs. Calls via satellite will cost about $3 per minute, while
in the U.S. cellular calls cost about 76 cents per minute, with
each side of the call paying half. Iridium executives said they
can break even with just 800,000 users.

Perhaps more important in the long run was Iridium's announcement
that the cost of its system will be $3.2 billion. The original
estimate was $2.1 billion.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: Shelagh Lester-Smith,
Motorola, [phone]; Mary Jo Manning, for Iridium, 202-944-
5109)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012)

AT&T Offers Voice Activated Cellular Phone Dialer 01/17/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- AT&T introduced a
Voice Activated Dialer for its Mobile Cellular Telephone 3030,
introduced a week ago at the Consumer Electronics Show. The new
dialer features voice recognition technology developed by AT&T
Bell Laboratories and components manufactured by AT&T
Microelectronics. The phone itself is made by Oki Telecom.

The voice dialer is built into a replacement handset cradle for
the new phone, called the AT&T Mobile 3030. The dialer also comes
with a new AT&T-patented directional, voice cancelling microphone
that clips onto a car visor. The microphone improves the accuracy
of the dialer and the sound quality of phone conversations by
effectively reducing background noises such as traffic. The
dialer allows users to program up to 62 different names or
phrases and associated phone numbers into memory. Users can then
"dial" programmed numbers by voice command through either the
hands-free microphone or the 3030 handset. A bilingual feature
allows users to receive the voice prompts in either English or
Spanish. The dialer is also speaker-dependent to ensure accuracy,
and can only be activated by the voice of the person who
programmed a particularly phrase. It will, however, allow
multiple users to program different phrases and numbers.

The products is expected to retail for less than $200, and will
be available mid-year at AT&T Phone Centers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: AT&T, Steven Emery,
201-581-4067)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(ATL)(00013)

Check Technology Enters Brazilian Market 01/17/92
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Check Technology
joined the rush by U.S. computer companies into the newly
reopened Brazilian market by announcing a distribution agreement
for its line of financial document production systems with
Laurenti S.A. of Sao Paulo.

Laurenti S.A. is makes document processing systems for the Brazilian
data processing, banking and check printing industries. The company
has been in business for over 50 years.

Charles Cole, vice president of sales for Check Technology
Corporation said in a press release, "Brazil is the second
largest check market in the world behind the United States and
has substantial business potential for the corporation.
Laurenti has the sales, service structure, and reputation
throughout the country to support a significant increase of
business in Brazil."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: Ian Jaggard, Check
Technology, 612-454-9300)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

DataTimes Adds China Daily 01/17/92
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- DataTimes,
an online system specializing in newspaper archives, said it will
add electronic access to China Daily and other publications from
the People's Republic of China. The new service will mark the
first time any PRC publication has been marketed electronically.

The deal is an exclusive for DataTimes. The new service
highlights a package of Asian news and research sources assembled
by DataTimes after separate agreements with Asian publishers in
Hong Kong and Singapore. The service said the new announcement
gives it "the most comprehensive source of Asian news and
information available through any online information service in
the world."

Other Chinese sources which are part of the deal include China
Daily, the only national English-language newspaper available in
the PRC, and its auxiliary publications Shanghai Focus, Business
Weekly of Beijing and Beijing Weekend.

All are slated to be available for electronic research and retrieval
through DataTimes in early 1992. The South China Morning Post and
its supplement Business Post, both published in Hong Kong by News
Corp. Ltd., will be available through DataTimes before March 1,
based on a deal between the service and NewsCorp., which is controlled by
Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch. DataTimes also offers
electronic access to the Straits Times, published in Singapore by
Singapore Press Holdings and its auxiliary publications Business
Times and Singapore Business, as well as hundreds of other Asian
newspapers, trade publications and news services, including 130
from Japan alone. DataTimes is largely owned by The Oklahoma
Publishing Co., with a minority stake held by Dow Jones & Co.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920117/Press Contact: DataTimes, John
Buckman, 412/471-6348)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00015)

 ****Apple Revenues Up 10%, Powerbook Sales Credited 01/17/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Apple is
crediting sales of 100,000 of its new Powerbook notebook
computers with its announced earnings increase of $166 million,
an increase of 10.3 percent over last year's earnings.

The company reported earnings of $166.0 million ($1.36 per
share) for its first quarter ending December 27, 1991. Earnings
reported for the same quarter a year ago were $150.5 ($1.28 per
share).

Revenues for the first quarter were reported as $1.86 billion,
or 11.2 percent higher than revenues of $1.68 billion reported
a year earlier.

The earnings surprised Wall Street analysts, who had predicted
an average of $1.08 per share increase, Apple said.

Apple says its gross margins were lower this year, 43.7 percent
of sales compared to 51.4 percent last year, but it cut
operating costs by 12.9 percent. John Sculley, chairman and
chief executive officer, said: "During a time of difficult
economic and industry challenges, we have sustained momentum
for our products, while changing our infrastructure to remain
competitive."

"Expense control and cost reduction efforts during this most
recent quarter have resulted in the lowest total operating
expense ratio as a percentage of sales in over six years of
Apple's history," Sculley added.

Apple has most recently announced plans to enter the consumer
electronics market with a line it is calling personal digital
assistants, or PDAs. PDAs are specifically planned for use by
non-computer users and the first ones are expected to be
available late in 1992.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920117/Press Contact: Patty Tulloch, Apple,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00016)

 ****Intel Stock Leaps After Earnings Annc'd 01/17/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Intel
announced a 15 percent increase in its fourth-quarter earnings
after the stock market closed Wednesday, January 15, and
investors reacted, driving the stock up $5 per share on
Thursday.

Intel stock closed Thursday at $61 a share, $5 per share higher
than when the market opened.

Earnings for Intel were up 90 cents per share or $189 million
in its fourth quarter, up 15 percent from $164 million or 80
cents per share reported for the same quarter a year earlier.
Wall Street analysts had predicted an increase to 82 cents per
share.

A recent survey by Dataquest pointed out Intel has passed
Motorola as the number one chip maker in the US, and as number
three in the world. Dataquest said Intel's average annual
compound growth rate has been 32.6 percent.

Intel President Andrew Grove credited investments in research
and development and new production facilities with the
company's leadership in the American market.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920117/Press Contact: Howard High, Intel,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00017)

 ****US Software Sales To Japan Increasing 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The Software
Publishers Association has released figures showing that U.S.
firms sold more than $100 million of personal computer
software in Japan during the first three quarters of calendar
year 1991 -- a 45 percent increase over 1990 sales levels.

The survey of 22 top U.S. software companies shows
that their combined sales to Japan were $116 million.

MS-DOS software is still dominant in Japan, with software for
that operating system accounting for 85 percent of total sales.
This does not include applications software for the Microsoft
Windows graphical user interface environment, which, along with
Apple Macintosh software sales, accounts for most of the
remaining program sales.

By contrast, the SPA reports that MS-DOS applications software
sales in Europe is responsible for only 54 percent of the total
market.

Spreadsheets make up 58 percent of the sales, with programming
tools and languages supplying about 17 percent of sales and
database programs making up most of the largest remaining
category at 11 percent. Word processors from U.S. companies do not
sell well in Japan for obvious reasons.

Japan is a significant market for U.S. software, but not really
large in comparison to total European sales, with German and
Austrian sales alone totaling more than twice as much as sales to
Japan. Other large markets such as the UK and France each
report sales of U.S. software are nearly double that of Japan.

(John McCormick/19920117/Press Contact: Terri Childs, SPA, 202-452-1600)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00018)

 ****China Agrees To Protect US Software Copyright 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- In a surprise ending
to months of bitter wrangling and a recent week of intense
negotiations, Chinese officials have announced a breakthrough in
Sino-U.S. trade negotiations.

The agreement was announced in Washington by Ms. Hills on
Thursday, only a short time before the deadline she herself had
set for initiating retaliatory tariffs if no agreement was
reached on protection of U.S. software and entertainment products
in China. Sanctions imposed on China's imports to the U.S. would
have cost that country $1.5 billion, but China had recently
threatened to retaliate with trade sanctions of its own if the
U.S. carried out its threats.

The Business Software Alliance, an organization set up
by Aldus, Apple Computer, Autodesk, Borland International, Lotus
Development, Microsoft, Novell and WordPerfect, has applauded the
China-US agreement on copyright protection.

The BSA reports that The Memorendum of Understanding (MOU) signed
between the U.S. and the PRC (People's Republic of China) would commit
the Chinese government to raise further the level of protection
afforded under its current copyright law (adopted in 1990) and extend the
protection of that law to foreign works.

"We are encouraged by the announcement made today by the U.S.
Trade Representative that the Peoples' Republic of China has
agreed to take concrete steps to protect computer software by law
and to reduce the rampant piracy which cost the software industry
approximately $300 million in the PRC during 1990 alone," said
BSA Managing Director Robert Holleyman. "The path is now
cleared for the development of the software industry in the PRC."

The BSA reports that China agrees to extend copyright protection to
all foreign works by joining the Berne Convention effective Oct. 15,
1992 (which will protect books, movies, music, and software), the
Geneva Phonograms Convention effective June 1, 1993 (which will
protect sound recordings), and to protect all these U.S. copyrighted
works even before adhering to these conventions
effective 60 days after the signing of this agreement.

This last-minute agreement has allowed the administration to
appear tough on China, yet not aggravate the brutal Communist
dictatorship in Beijing. President Bush, who once served as U.S.
ambassador to China, has long fought to keep special good relations
with China, despite calls from Congress to stop treating the country
with kid gloves.

But China isn't out of the woods on the trade issue yet. Congress
will have two more chances to impose other trade restrictions on
that country if it doesn't live up to expectations on both human
rights (it is widely believed that China uses prison or slave
labor to produce export goods) and other trade problems.

With the political turmoil of an election year here in the U.S.,
and President Bush fighting for his life on jobs issues, it is
unlikely that he can fight as hard this time around for MFN or
most favored nation trade status for the last remaining major
Communist empire, and it was only Bush's strong intervention last
summer that prevented Congress from dropping China from MFN
status.

Democrats are already pledging to fight against renewal of MFN
for China while the countries of the former Soviet Empire are in
such dire economic straits, and they are also looking hard at
imposing trade penalties under the so-called Super 301 bill.

The question of imposing trade restrictions under the Super 301
trade bill, which calls for retaliatory trade barriers to be
imposed against countries that block the import of U.S.-produced
goods, will probably come before Congress in March, while MFN
status will come up toward summer.

Another issue, not directly related to trade, which has many in
Congress incensed and anxious to punish China, is the repeated
reports of China selling weapons such as missiles to Third World
countries.

(John McCormick & Wendy Woods/19920117/Press Contact: Business
Software Alliance, Washington, Lori Forte, 202/737-7060)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00019)

NBI Emerges From Chapter 11 01/17/92
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- NBI, Inc., has
announced that its plan for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the
US Bankruptcy Code was approved by the courts. The company said its
plan received favorable votes from over 95 percent of each of its
classes of creditors, and 99 percent of its common stockholders.

The plan exchanges virtually all of NBI's $50 million of debt for
common stock, leaving the company's only significant debt obligation
$10 million due to the IRS. NBI's Nancy Hamilton told Newsbytes
that was payable over six years. NBI said the effective
date for confirmation is expected to be February third.

NBI, best known for its Legacy word processing program, filed for
protection under the bankruptcy law last February.

In November of 1991 NBI started shipping version 2.0 of Legacy for
Windows. Legacy is a word processing program which includes desktop
publishing features and graphics, macros, grammar checking, color
image processing, document management, and floating frames. The
program carries a suggested list price of $495.

In January of 1991 Wordstar obtained OEM rights to Legacy, which
provided Wordstar with the engine for a Windows-based word
processing application.

NBI President Stephen Jerritts said the company was pleased to be
able to emerge from Chapter 11 less than 12 months after filing
and praised the support the company received from both
creditors and shareholders. Jarrits said the company is in a strong
cash position with about $15 million in cash in the bank.

In addition to developing Legacy, NBI also provides network systems
integration services. Hamilton declined to tell Newsbytes what
percentage of the company's revenue was derived from Legacy.

Hamilton said that NBI does not anticipate hiring any additional
staff. In the past year, NBI cut all but 130 of their 1,000
employees worldwide.

(Jim Mallory/19920116/Press contact: Nancy Hamilton, NBI,
303-938-2808)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00020)

Interactive Media Wins Multimedia Patent 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Interactive Media
Technologies has announced that the U.S. Patent Office will award
the company a patent on its innovative system which allows
control, video, and audio signals to share the same line.

IMTX 8000 is a multimedia control and data system which can greatly
simplify the process of delivering audio and video presentations
for business, home, or school.

Few details of the invention were announced by the company, which
says it will pursue both its own applications and license the
technology to other companies.

Multimedia is a computer technology which lets companies combine
full-motion or stop motion video with data and audio to provide
information or entertainment electronically in the same fashion
that movies and training films have done for years. The
difference with multimedia is that the original information,
often including images and sounds, is created and coordinated, as
well as delivered, using computers.

This allows faster production and the ability to customize
applications quickly.

Consumer electronics applications include sophisticated
interactive games.

(John McCormick/19920117/Press Contact: Karen Blandini,
Interactive Media Technologies, 602-443-3093)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00021)

ROUNDUP: Stories Carried By Other Media This Week 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief
look at some computer stories carried in other publications
received here this past week.

Reseller World for January has a buyer's guide chart of portable
80486-based computers and another on hand-held computers.

The January Technological Horizons in Education looks at how
technology affects the classroom in other countries besides the
U.S.

Networking Management dated January 1992 looks at the
contradictory claims of carriers who promise high security equal
to that found on private networks, with the flexibility of public
networks.

Informationweek looks at how Unisys is striving to return to
profitability.

The combined January/February issue of PC AI looks at virtual
reality and AI in the business environment.

Software Magazine for January provides a look at how the National
Association of Security Dealers is working to improve its
networks.

January 13's Computerworld says Price Waterhouse will replace a
third of its 25,000 286-based PCs with notebooks and 486s and
will likely adopt Microsoft Windows as its graphical user
interface.

January 13's Computer Reseller News says that the 80486 is not
yet ready for prime time.

PCTV this week focused on electronic computer industry
information with demonstrations of Byte's BIX information system
BBS and ZiffNET. Also described were Delrina's Sleuth and
WinSleuth systems analysis and setup software for MS-DOS
platforms.

PC Week for the 13th says OS/2 is impressively powerful in beta
but highly complex, while Windows 3.1 beta version is a good but
minor upgrade without radical improvements.

Communications Week for the week of the 13th contains a user
survey of network outages which says that, while most data
network outages last less than two hours, less than 25 percent of
77 responding organizations reported going a single month without
at least one outage, with the average network going down several
times each month, taking dozens or hundreds of users' stations
with it.

(John McCormick/19920117)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00022)

The Enabled Computer 01/17/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The Enabled Computer
is a regular Newsbytes feature covering news and important
product information relating to high technology aids for the
disabled.

Voice Recognition for the masses - part 2.

This is a continuation of the last column which began our look at
inexpensive voice recognition systems for PCs.

Voice Master Key

The particular recognition board I looked at for this column is
the Voice Master Key made by COVOX and available directly from
that company and through many discount/mail order companies.

My particular evaluation unit came from JDR Microsystems which
also markets complete computers, parts, and selected components
packaged as simple plug-together kits.

Voice Master is a complete $150 hardware and software system that
provides voice recognition capabilities to any MS-DOS compatible
computer with an available half-size 8-bit expansion slot.

You can only define a maximum of 64 different word or sound
combinations in a single menu but that shouldn't pose a major
problem because you can also change command lists using voice
commands, thereby gaining full voice-control access to a maximum
of 256 keyboard macros which can substitute for anything from a
single keystroke to complete paragraphs of text input, or even
activate other macros!

This inexpensive system won't completely replace a keyboard -
nothing will do that yet - but it is far more than the toy you
might assume from its low price.

Whether you use it to control hard-to-remember features of a CAD
system, insert boilerplate paragraphs in your letters, or add fun
to games, this 64K TSR (terminate and stay resident or TSR)
program is very powerful and its limitations are mostly those of
the user or programmer's imagination.

Separate speech template and macro files can be created and named
for the use of different people or the same person when
performing different tasks - for example, use one when word
processing and another when operating X-10 environmental control
modules.

In Use

I will go step-by-step through the process I followed in
installing and setting up speech recognition on my computer to
show any doubting Thomases how simple it is to add limited, but
powerful voice control.

Those of you who buy this system, please don't follow my
directions instead of the ones supplied; there may have been
changes!

Installation of the Voice Master, or VM, was quite easy, although
it did take me too long to locate the page which told me which
wires from the headset went to which connector on the card.

Adding simple color stickers to the expansion card that match the
color coded headset connectors would greatly speed installation.

The documentation is clear enough to allow the vast majority of
first time hardware hackers to install this board with no
trouble.

This package includes an 8-bit half-size card that fits in any
PC, XT, AT, or EISA system and installation usually consists of
opening your computer, inserting the board, closing the computer,
and copying the software to a floppy disk or a hard disk
directory.

I say usually because some users might have to change some
switches to reset the card's "address" which defines the place
the computer looks for the card.

This isn't a difficult procedure and there are only four possible
selections, keeping confusion to a minimum.

The settings made by the factory worked well with my system and
the simplest way for most users to get the board installed
properly is just to stick it in and give it a try.

If there is an address conflict it won't cause any damage, the
system just won't work properly, so you turn off the power,
remove the board, change the address on the card, and try again.

Before turning the power on, you should also take the
surprisingly comfortable headset and plug the red connector into
the top socket on the card and the black one to the bottom
(remember that this might have changed by the time you buy one).

Now, put the headphone on, start the computer, go to the proper
disk and directory, and start the VMKEY.EXE program.

The first thing that happens is that you are asked to hit any key
to start "calibration."

Do this - strike a key; any key on the keyboard!

You wouldn't believe how many times I have gotten calls from
confused new users who can't find the "ANY" key, but this isn't
the place to go into that.

This step is necessary every time you start the computer because
what is happening is that the hardware is listening to the
background noise to electronically eliminate it, so don't talk
for the second or so this takes.

Press both SHIFT keys simultaneously (those with motor control
problems; remember that this is only needed for initial set-up).

You get an easy-to-understand menu that, used with the
documentation, should have most users ready to add their own
voice pattern in a matter of minutes.

Next column continues and probably concludes this session on
inexpensive voice recognition systems.

If you are wondering, the Enabled Computer is sometimes cut into
these small pieces because some systems which carry Newsbytes run
into trouble dealing with large files.

(John McCormick/19920117/)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00023)

 ****French Online Porn Tax Announced 01/17/92
PARIS, FRANCE, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The French Government has
announced plans to impose a special 50 percent surtax on adult
message services on the Minitel online service. The tax is
expected to curtail, and quite possibly kill off adult services
on the online system.

The move could backfire in the government's face, however.
Minitel's original aim of providing every French telephone user
with online directory assistance services (France Telecom no
longer issues paper directories) is acknowledged as being a
success only as a result of the proliferation of the adult
services on Minitel.

Minitel has been a great success in profit terms, in the face of
break-evens and losses among other European online services.
Minitel's sister service, Prestel, in the UK, is losing
subscribers at a fair rate and late last year saw the Micronet
microcomputing arm of Prestel close. The adult sections of
Minitel, essentially an online version of the sleazy magazines
sold on the top shelf of newspaper shops, have been an
embarrassment to the French Government.

Ironically, France is regarded as being one of the most liberal
countries in Europe when it comes to sex-related publications and
commercial activities. Sexually explicit films can be found in
most movie theaters and pornography is freely available on the
country's satellite and cable TV networks.

A total of 28 specific services on Minitel are affected by the
special sales tax. According to a copy of the latest Minitel
directory, there are more than 2,000 sections of Minitel, with
around 40 sections classed as adult. The non-taxed services in
the adult section are less sex-oriented, and more horror and
movie-oriented, Newsbytes notes.

The tax is expected to be passed on in the form of increased
charges to subscribers to Minitel. Most of the sex-related online
services cost around $15 an hour to access. This charge is
expected to rise to $22-50 an hour.

Michel Charasse, the French Government's financial minister,
announcing the imposition of the tax, said that he had decided
against imposing a 34 percent commercial income tax on the
activities of the companies behind the services as a direct tax
to the subscriber is much more effective.

"Freedom isn't threatened. Guys and girls who want to get in
touch with each other can still do so. It's just that the tax
will take away the profits. The services can do this out of the
goodness of their heart," he said with heavy sarcasm.

The online services have few supporters lobbying against the tax.
The subscribers who access the services are unlikely to announce
this fact to the public, and most Frenchmen try to adopt a
staunch catholic attitude towards the services.

(Steve Gold/19920117)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00024)

European JESSI Gets A Boost In The Right Direction 01/17/92
BONN, WESTERN GERMANY, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The German government
has announced plans to change the emphasis of the JESSI European
semiconductor project. The changes stem from an agreement between
Siemens and IBM to jointly develop 64 Mbit chips.

Announcing the JESSI plans to the press, Heinz Riesenhuber,
Germany's minister for technology, said that he intends the JESSI
program to focus much more on the practical issues regarding
semiconductors, such as how to manufacture the chips.

According to Riesenhuber, Siemens and IBM announced last month
that they had solved most of the problems surrounding the
production of 64 Mbit chips. The companies already produce 16
Mbit chips, although in small quantities.

JESSI stands for the Joint European Submicron Silicon project,
and was originally set up in 1989 by several European Community
(EC) member country governments as a means of counteracting
against the so-called Japanese threat. Today, it is supported by
the EC, as well as from specific grants from several European
countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and
the UK.

It is well known in European circles that the EC is less than
happy with the way JESSI is headed. The Siemens-IBM agreement
over development of 64 Mbit chips could have been carried out by
JESSI, were it not for the lack of commercial awareness of the
organization, according to informed sources.

Ironically, JESSI's last major success in persuading a commercial
concern to delegate its semiconductor research and development
was with the Sematech semiconductor research program operated by
the US Government. The agreement, dating back to last September,
meant that JESSI was assured of work for some time to come.

Germany is putting its money where its mouth is. Riesenhuber said
that the German Government plans to invest DM 30 million a year
over the next few years in the JESSI project. This investment
could embarrass other EC member governments into dipping into
their pockets as well, according to informed sources.

(Steve Gold/19920117)


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

 ****News Slightly Better For IBM Canada Than For Parent 01/17/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- While its parent
company announced a revenue decline and an annual loss, IBM Canada
managed to stay in the black in 1991. However, the company reported
a 96-percent drop in net earnings.

Unlike the parent company, IBM Canada saw a healthy increase in
revenues in the year ended December 31. However, the rise was
largely due to a change in the way the subsidiary accounts for
manufacturing and development exports. Without that change, IBM
Canada officials said, total revenues would be "essentially flat."

Like the parent company, IBM Canada said the bright spot in its
business was services, where growth was strong while hardware sales
were weak. Officials at IBM headquarters pointed to 35-percent
growth in service business.

IBM Canada reported net earnings of C$14 million on revenues of
C$6,250 million in 1991. That compared with earnings of C$316
million on revenues of C$4,580 million in the previous year.

The net earnings figure for 1991 included a one-time charge of $127
million for a restructuring that will see IBM Canada shed about
2,000 employees in the coming year. The company has already begun
a program of reductions that includes selling off parts of its
business.

Company spokesman Stan Didzbalis said 1991 was actually "a great
year" for IBM Canada in terms of revenues and exports. Another
factor in the Canadian subsidiary's staying in the black, he said,
was that it "got really frugal" in the latter half of 1991.

The Canadian subsidiary also noted that its exports rose
significantly in 1991, from C$1,840 million to C$3,910 million.

At year-end, IBM Canada employed 12,200 people, with 4,132 of those
working in manufacturing and development.

(Grant Buckler/19920117/Press Contact: Stan Didzbalis, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900 or 800-563-2139, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00026)

EFF Opens Washington Office 01/17/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- The
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has opened a permanent
Washington, D.C. office and Jerry Berman, former head of the
ACLU Information Technology Project, will direct its operations.

EFF was founded in July 1990 by Mitchell D. Kapor, founder of Lotus
Development Corporation and ON Technology, and John Perry Barlow,
writer, lyricist and former cattle rancher, with the stated intention to
"to address social and legal issues arising from the impact on society
of the increasingly pervasive use of computers as a means of
communication and information distribution."

Initial funding for EFF came from Kapor, Apple co-founder
Steve Wozniak, John Gilmore of Cygnus Support and other pioneers of
the computer community. EFF board members now include Kapor, Barlow,
Berman, Wozniak, Gilmore, Steward Brand, author and founder of the
Whole Earth Review, industry analyst Esther Dyson, and Dave Farber of
the University of Pennsylvania.

Announcing the establishment of the office, EFF President Kapor said,
"The creation of the Washington office and the appointment of Jerry
Berman demonstrates our commitment to build a national
organization. It will give the EFF the ability to effectively advocate
policies that will reflect the public's interest in the creation of new
computer and communications technologies."

Berman added, "Our goal is to be the public's voice in Washington on
these issues, and to help create policies that will maximize both civil
liberties and competitiveness in the new social environments created
by digital media. The EFF is hard at work developing initiatives that
will ensure that all present and future 'electronic highways,' from the
telephone network to the National Research and Education Network,
enhance First and Fourth Amendment rights, encourage new
entrepreneurial activity, and are open and accessible to all segments
of society."

Berman, who holds a BA, MA, and LLB from the University of
California, Berkeley, was until December 1991 director of the ACLU
Information Technology Project. Previously he was the ACLU's Chief
Legislative Counsel in Washington, D.C. He is the co-author with
Morton Halperin of The Lawless State: The Abuses of the Intelligence
Agencies (Penguin 1976).

Berman, commenting to Newsbytes, said, "I have joined EFF because I
believe that, in the years to come, it will emerge as one of the leading
civil liberties organizations addressing the issues on the cutting edge
of technology."

Berman also told Newsbytes that the staff of the new Washington
office includes Craig Neidorf, a recent University of Missouri graduate
and the successful defendant in one of the first cases involving
government charges against an electronic publisher, attorneys Will
Miller and Danny Weitzner, and policy analyst Andrew Bleu.

In addition to announcing the Washington office, EFF also released
the following update on its present activities:

"The EFF, through its headquarters in Cambridge and its newly
opened office in Washington, is currently advocating that:

 -Congress establish an "open telecommunications platform"
featuring "Personal ISDN" ;

 -the open platform be created with legislative safeguards
that ensure a level playing field for all those competing
in the information services market;

 -the NREN serve as a "testbed" for new voice, data, and video
services that will eventually be offered over our National
Public Network;

 -electronic bulletin boards be afforded the same First
Amendment protections enjoyed by other media;

 -citizens who use computers for communications purposes be
afforded the full protection of the Fourth Amendment;

 -an Electronic Freedom of Information Act be passed that will
grant citizens access to the electronic version of public
information consistent with the public's right to know; and
that

 -technical means be mandated to insure the privacy of
personal communications carried over cellular and other
radio-based communications systems."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920117/Press Contact:
Gerard Van der Leun, EFF, 617-864-0665 (voice), 617-864-0866 (FAX),
[e-mail] (E-mail))


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00027)

India: General Motors Sets Up Software Subsidiary 01/17/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Hughes Network Systems, a
company of General Motors group, is setting up a wholly owned, 100
percent export-oriented software unit with an equity
base of two million dollars in capital to develop
communications software products for its worldwide network.

The Indian subsidiary, Hughes Software Systems (HSS), expects a
turnover of three million dollars in first year and a cumulative exports
turnover of around $25-50 million in five years.

The parent company, Hughes Network Systems, is wholly owned by Hughes
Aircraft, which in turn has 70 percent equity owned by General Motors.
Hughes Network, marketing its product in over 65 countries, has
accounted for around $420 million of the Hughes Aircraft's
nine-billion-dollar business last year.

HSS plans to train Indian personnel to develop software for satellite
telecommunication, packet-switched networks, digital cellular
telephony, very small aperture terminals (VSAT), telephony earth
station and network management systems. The company will supply
software initially only to Hughes Network, which buys software worth
$30-40 million every year. Later on, it would tap the international
communications software market.

(C.T. Mahabharat, 19920114)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00028)

India: US Firm Buys into Indian Software Company 01/17/92
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Inventa Corporation, a
California-based company specializing in distributed computing software
and graphical user interfaces (GUI), has acquired a majority equity stake
in Ventura Data Systems, a venture capital-aided firm headquartered in
Bangalore.

Renamed as Inventa Software India Ltd., to reflect its new status, the
company will concentrate on off-shore software development projects
for its American parent. Joint software R&D projects are also planned.
According to Muthuswamy K., an approval for a 100 percent
export-oriented unit has already been secured.

Ventura Data Systems Pvt. Ltd. has been providing mostly customized
software systems in the areas of GUIs (graphical user interfaces),
client-server distributed computing environments, and PC-based
networks, over the last five years. Major clients include TTK group
and Asia Brown Boveri in India and Gould, Olivetti, Sequent Computer
Systems and Oracle Corporation in the US. Technology development
and Information Company of India (TDICI) holds a minor equity in Ventura.

(C.T. Mahabharat 19920113)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00029)

 ****Tandy Predicts 2Q Earnings 20% Lower 01/17/92
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Computer seller Tandy
Corporation expects earnings for the FY92 second quarter to be as
much as 20 percent lower than earnings for the same period last year.

The company attributed the lower earnings to the dip in the personal
computer business, as well as to costs associated with the opening
of new stores. Tandy opened a chain of Computer City Superstores
during the second quarter, selling personal computers and related
products at discount prices.

According to John Roach, Tandy chairman and CEO, "While sales of
consumer electronics and other non-computer products increased, it
was offset by the effect of lower pricing on personal computers
through our traditional channels."

Tandy's Philip Bradtmiller told Newsbytes that earnings for the
first quarter were also off about 20 percent from the previous year.
Asked how the report might effect Tandy stock prices, Bradtmiller
said, "It's bound to put some temporary pricing pressure on the
stock." Tandy closed yesterday at 27.875.

Tandy will formally announce its second quarter results on January
21st.

Tandy also announced that, pending board approval, it is
preparing to file a registration statement with the Securities and
Exchange Commission for an underwritten offering of approximately
$400 million of preferred equity redemption cumulative stock.

The company says proceeds from the offering will be used to fund
future purchases of the company's common stock, whether in the open
market, by tender offer, or otherwise.

Pending stock purchase, Tandy said it would use proceeds from the
offering to reduce short-term debt, and for other corporate
purposes. The securities automatically convert into shares of
Tandy's common stock at the end of three years.

(Jim Mallory/19920117/Press contact: Phil Bradtmiller, Tandy Corp,
817-390-3730)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00030)

 ****IBM Reports Revenue Decline, Loss For Year 01/17/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- IBM has reported a
$2.8-billion annual loss and its first year-over-year revenue drop
in 45 years. Revenues at the world's largest computer company
dropped 6.1 percent to $64.8 billion in the year ended December 31,
1991.

Coming close on the heels of the first quarterly loss ever at
Digital Equipment, the announcement left little doubt about the
tough times facing the computer industry.

IBM's 1991 loss was due to two large charges against earnings. The
company took a charge of $2.3 billion after taxes to provide for
the future cost of health care for its retired employees in the
United States. This is a result of new accounting rules affecting
most American companies. IBM also took a $3.4-billion charge to
cover the costs of a restructuring announced late in 1991.

In late November, IBM announced that it would do away with another
20,000 jobs in 1992, in addition to more than that number already
cut. The company also said it would decentralize many operations.

The resulting annual loss of $2.8-billion, or $4.95 per share,
compares to a profit of $6.02 billion or $10.51 per share in 1990.

IBM had before-tax operating profit of $121 million, or $3.69 per
share, in 1991. After-tax operating loss was $564 million. The
company took an unusually large tax bite in 1991, company spokesman
Mac Jeffery said, and will benefit from certain tax deductions in
coming years.

In the fourth quarter, IBM lost $1.4 billion, or $2.42 per share,
as a result of the $3.4-billion restructuring charge. In the fourth
quarter of 1990, the company reported a profit of $2.5 billion or
$4.30 per share.

The company pointed to its services business as one bright spot in
the otherwise gloomy picture, saying services grew 35 percent in
1991. Services, software, financing, and rental businesses now
account for about 43 percent of IBM's revenues, the company said.

The company was cautiously optimistic about the future, saying it
expects improvement as the economy recovers. Jeffery said the
economic situation and the state of the computer hardware industry
were the major reasons for the loss, although "to be honest, a
little bit was us."

Business improved in IBM operations outside the United States in
the second half of 1991, Jeffery said, though not by enough to
offset poor first-half results. He said the combination of
continuing improvement in worldwide operations and the fact that
IBM has put most of the pain behind it by taking restructuring
charges in 1991 mean prospects are better for 1992.

(Grant Buckler/19920117/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM,
914-765-6565)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00031)

 ****Northern Telecom Cutting Jobs At Canadian Plant 01/17/92
LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 17 (NB) -- Northern Telecom will
eliminate 340 jobs at a telephone manufacturing plant here as a
result of a move to new products that are simpler to manufacture.
The cut amounts to about a third of the plant's 1,130 employees.

Northern is switching the London plant over from manufacturing the
older Maestro line of telephone sets to making a new product line
called Vista. The new products are designed for simpler and more
highly automated manufacturing, John Lawlor, a Northern spokesman,
told Newsbytes.

The company said the changes are needed to help it remain
competitive in world markets.

Over the past year, Northern has reduced staff at several Canadian
manufacturing plants, in some cases moving work offshore to
countries such as Malaysia where labor is cheaper than in Canada.

In May, Northern eliminated 118 jobs at its largest Canadian plant
in Bramalea, Ontario, and 136 jobs at another plant in Belleville,
Ontario.

Northern said it hopes to effect part of the latest reduction
through an early retirement plan for which about 175 employees will
be eligible. If all eligible employees accept early retirement,
another 165 people will receive layoff notices May 19, the company
said.

This reduction is completely a result of manufacturing changes and
not related to the weak economy, Lawlor told Newsbytes. He said 90
employees at the London plant were laid off temporarily in June,
but were recalled in August and another 24 people were hired in
October as demand for the Maestro phone sets increased.

However, he said, the Maestro line "was never intended for
long-term life," and is being phased out.

(Grant Buckler/19920117/Press Contact: John Lawlor, Northern
Telecom, 416-238-7147)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(ATL)(00032)

Review of: Reader Rabbit 1, Upgraded Edition for PCs 01/17/92

Runs on: IBM PCs and compatibles with as little as 512K of
memory and DOS 2.0 or higher. CGA, EGA, and VGA graphics are all
supported.

From: The Learning Company, 6493 Kaiser Drive, Fremont, CA,
94555, 510-792-2101

Price: $49.95

PUMA Rating: 3.9 on a scale 1=lowest to 4=highest

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Dana and Robin Blankenhorn, 01/17/92

Summary: A series of games designed to hone pre-reading skills
for pre-schoolers.

======

REVIEW

======

A lot of kids got old PC XTs for Christmas, as their parents
upgraded to more powerful machines. Trouble is, it can be hard to
find even simple software which runs on the old units.

I was ready to toss "Reading Rabbit 1" until I noticed that it
supports CGA graphics, with 4 colors. It can also handle the
newest VGA graphics, a mouse, and standard sound cards like the
SoundBlaster and AdLib units. This flexibility is crucial to
learning games, which must run on a variety of hand-me-down
machines.

The games are designed for kids from 3-6, so I gave our review
copy over to Robin, our 3-year old. Robin is not a typical 3, it
should be noted. She knows her alphabet, sight-reads a few words,
loves books, and has spent a year learning PCs through a program
called "ComputerTots" at her day-care center.

Installation is simple. A 6 can probably handle it unaided. Type
the word "install" from a floppy drive prompt, with the disk in
the drive. The install program checks for graphics, a hard drive,
and a mouse -- there's no list of technical questions to be
answered.

Once that's done the key questions become, can the child work the
program, and does it hold her interest? The answers, after a
little help from daddy, are yes and sort-of. The easiest game to
pick up, called "sorter," presents a 3-letter string with one
filled in, such as "blank-e-blank." Words are offered to the
kid, some of which include the letter in the appropriate
location, others of which do not. Hitting "Enter" or "Return"
adds words to the "good" pile, hitting the "down arrow" key puts
them in the "discard" pile. Screen graphics put the former
collection of words on a conveyer-belt, the latter into trash
can. If 5 correct words are chosen, the "Reader Rabbit" figure
comes onto the screen and does a little dance. If there's a wrong
answer, the rabbit urges the tyke to try again. There are also 3
speeds to the game, so the kid can get more out of the game.

Robin liked "sorter," and was quickly able to play it on her own.
She also learned some of the other games, like "Labeler," which
lets her spell words in response to pictures, and "Word Train,"
which helps her identify letter-matches in words. But as a 3,
with a 3-year old's attention span, these proved less alluring.
Parents will like the fact that this one disk contains a number
of games, all with pleasing graphics, which will challenge kids
throughout the 3-6 age group.

There was one problem in using the program on our slow XT,
however. The program was not instantly ready to accept input, and
didn't request input, either with a beep or a screen prompt. This
meant, for instance, that if Robin hit "Enter" before the program
was ready for it, her input might be ignored, and her "good" word
might wind up in the trash can. She adapted to this quickly
enough, but some tone telling the kid when they can answer a
question would be a nice improvement. Other than that, the
sounds, graphics, and feel of this program are first-rate.

============

PUMA RATING

============

PERFORMANCE: 3.5 Except for a problem in knowing when to answer
questions, Robin had no problem using this program.

USEFULNESS: 4 Fun and educational. If a 3-year old can have fun
with this for a half-hour at a time, you've got a fine product.

AVAILABILITY: 4 Available at computer stores and computer book
outlets everywhere.

MANUAL: 4 When daddy needed the documents, to explain the game
to the kid, they were clear and concise. Directions are also
available on-the-screen by pressing F1 for Help.

(Dana and Robin Blankenhorn/19920102/Press Contact: Sharyn A.
Fitzpatrick, The Learning Company, 510-792-2101)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(WAS)(00033)

Review of: Super Tetris, game for the PC, 01/17/92

Runs on: PC Compatible under MS-DOS or Windows (separate
versions), with a full 640 kilobytes of memory (two megabytes for
Windows 3 version). Novell network-compatible for head-to-head
games.

From: Spectrum HoloByte, 2061 Challenger Drive, Alameda, CA
94501. Phone [phone], 800-695-GAME (orders only), or fax
510-522-3587.

Price: $49.95

PUMA Rating: 4 on a scale 1=lowest to 4=highest

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: John McCormick, 01/17/92

Summary: Super Tetris actually surpasses the original Tetris in
providing an engrossing challenge as well as simple arcade fun.

======

REVIEW

======

Are you one of those whose hand still aches when you think of the
original Tetris?

Super Tetris puts an end to that by allowing you to save games;
that one feature alone would make it a great buy for Tetris fans,
but read on - there is lots more to love in the latest
incarnation of Tetris.

Remember those pleasant but finger-numbing hours trying to fit
the falling blocks into holes at the base?

Then you almost certainly liked Weltris but were probably
disappointed with both Faces and Wordtris, the two rather vapid
attempts by the publisher to recapture the excitement of Tetris.

With those experiences behind me, I was skeptical when Spectrum
Holobyte's latest effort arrived, but remembering the first two
games in the series I quickly tore open the package and fired up
Super Tetris.

Skipping over the two more recent games, this version of the
original Tetris returns to the original concept of plain falling
blocks rather than ones containing portions of images (Faces) or
letters (Wordtris) that attempt to make the game more interesting
but really only make it more complex.

Super Tetris is played on a flat, 2-D playing field like the
original but, in addition to the previous stack of blocks that
the player must fill with falling shapes, this version includes a
below-the-line playing field that also must be filled in and thus
removed before you can move on to the next level.

The game opens with a mixture of above-the-line shapes which
disappear when 10-across horizontal lines are filled, moving the
play area down toward the middle of the screen, and a "well" with
other shapes and holes that move up to fill in when lines above
them but below the center point are eliminated; the object of the
game is to completely empty the well.

Essentially, you are trying to collapse both the top and bottom
blocks toward the mid-line.

This would be a nearly impossible task if it weren't for the fact
that when you fill and clear a line of blocks either above or
below the center line you receive a bonus of falling bombs that
you can direct against any existing shapes.

By strategically bombing the high points that threaten to end the
game when the top area is filled, and targeting sections to open
access to holes in the well, you move and rotate falling pieces
until the bottom is emptied, at which point you are scored on how
many pieces remain in the top area, then move on to the next play
level, taking along those remaining pieces.

Along with the holes, scattered through the lower well blocks are
special bonus pieces whose elimination sometimes results in very
large bonus bomb flocks that can eliminate a lot of existing
squares, but these prizes or buried treasures might instead
eliminate the line they are on, or a section of blocks, sometimes
helping, sometimes hindering your game.

All this sounds a bit complex, but it really isn't. Any old
Tetris hand will be playing in seconds, and anyone new to this
sort of game should learn the basics in a minute or two.

So how is Super Tetris? In a word, it's GREAT!

More interesting than the original, with layers of strategy to
keep up interest, it maintains enough simplicity to be nothing
more than a relatively mindless diversion when you don't want to
tackle its complexity.

There are multiple levels, and you can start out on the more
difficult ones if you want to, a nice change from games that
demand experienced players boringly re-prove their skills every
time.

As the levels increase, the well gets deeper, the hole patterns
more complex, and game play speeds up, but not drastically, just
by a small increment each time.

I see I almost forgot to mention that, in addition to all the
speed and complexity adjustments you can make to tighten up the
game, Super Tetris includes a two-player option, where you can
play two people at the same keyboard in either a cooperative or
competitive game.

You can also play with two computers using a null modem cable or
over a Novell network (if your boss isn't watching).

A suggestion for big-time game players: when you get too
comfortable playing a single-handed game, why not try playing
both parts of a two-player game, with each hand controlling
different, simultaneously falling pieces?

Super Tetris has the same fascination as original Tetris and
produces the same sort of popcorn or potato chip can't-stop-with-
one urge, but fortunately without the added calories.

If you disliked Tetris (and if you did, please drop me a note; I
am trying to locate all ten people who didn't like it), then you
will probably hate Super Tetris, unless your reason was that it
wasn't complex enough, in which case this may be just the game
for you.

Important for real game fanatics, you can enforce a limit on your
game playing either by setting time limits on your game or by
forcing yourself to save a game in progress.

If you loved Tetris, then Super Tetris is a must have!

Super Tetris is another big winner from Spectrum HoloByte.

============

PUMA RATING

============

PERFORMANCE: 4 Games should be compelling if nothing else, and
this one is very difficult to quit playing. Great graphics too,
but if you take time to look at the nice scenes you will miss a
move.

USEFULNESS: 4 It's a game, not a spreadsheet, but Super Tetris
provides everything an action/arcade game should offer - it isn't
even violent!

AVAILABILITY: 4 An 800 order number, along with a powerful
presence in computer stores, makes this one easy to find.

MANUAL: 4 Save the documentation; you need it for passwords to
play the non-copy protected game.

(John McCormick/19920103/Press Contact: Tom Byron, 510-522-3584
or fax [phone])