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/nb920317

Text File | 1992-03-17 | 53KB | 1,158 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00001)

Jewell Technologies Releases "Juggler" Image File Converter 03/17/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Jewell
Technologies has released "The Juggler," a Windows-based
program that can convert graphics images to other formats. The
program also allows enhancement of the image.

Some of the formats The Juggler can convert to and from include
BMP (the Windows Paintbrush format), CLP (the Windows clipboard
format), EPS, GIF, IMG, MAC, MSP, PCX, TGA, TIF, and WMF. The
program can export files to EPS and HPGL formats, but cannot
import from those formats. While the manual says the program can
also import and export PIC and PCT files, the "read-me" file on the
program disk says that those formats are not yet supported, but will
be available in a later release.

To run The Juggler, you will need Windows 3.0 or greater, an EGA
or higher video card, one floppy drive of either size, a hard disk with
at least two megabytes (MB) of free space, and a mouse. The
manual says a 256 color video capability "is highly recommended."

The Juggler uses a drawing board concept, on which you can place
a number of images. Imagine the graphics artist importing images
created in several different formats, and then arranging them on the
board, combining them with text. Like a physical drawing board, an
image can be left hanging over the edge if room is tight.

Images can also be "dithered." The dithering option gives the user
a choice of four different dithering methods of color reduction. The
present version (1.0) of The Juggler does not support either the
"Floyd-Steinberg" or the "Burkes" methods of dithering, but the
company says they will be included later.

Other user-selectable options include a choice of palettes, the size
of the drawing board, and a choice of modes to use when combining
images on the same screen. The overlay mode controls the way in
which colors of images react with each other when they are
combined. You can change options at any time, but only images
brought to the drawing board after the changes are affected.

The Juggler can import compressed files, de-compressing them
automatically. You can also choose to recompress a file when
saving it. The actual import process is straightforward. After setting
the drawing board options, select the appropriate directory, select
the format, and select the fle you want to open. A "fit-to" box allows
you to select the size at which you want the file to be imported.

Image editing capabilities include "delete," "clip," "cut," "copy," and
"paste." You can also resize the images, and move them on the
drawing board. Images can be mirrored, flipped, and rotated, and
you can also manipulate the attributes of an image.

Images can be enhanced using various tools that are provided,
including assorted shape tools, an eraser, a paint filler, a pencil,
and a curve drawing tool.

The Juggler also includes a feature called "Darkroom," which
provides a means of adjusting the color content, balance, and
shading of images. Brightness and contrast can be adjusted using
a scroll bar, and adjustment of the Gamma value is provided.
Gamma value adjustment influences how different output devices
perceive color.

The Juggler can print images to any Windows-supported printer,
according to Jewell Technologies. Several printing options are
available, including fitting the image to the page, filling the page,
printing actual size, or using user-defined width and height.

(Jim Mallory/19920317/Press Contact: Kandy Lane-Bousley,
Jewell Technologies, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00002)

Rewritable, Optical Disk System With Compression Intro'd 03/17/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Ten X Technology
has introduced what it says is the first rewritable and multi-function
optical disk system to incorporate "real-time" data compression as
part of the system itself.

Ten X claims the system uses an enhanced version of its OCU 300
hardware interface to provide hardware data compression for
rewritable optical media.

According to Liz Davis, Ten X VP of sales: "In many applications,
such as medical imaging and financial data archiving, this product
gives 5.25-inch optical the capacity of 12-inch optical technology,
saving the user time, media, and ultimately dollars."

The company said data compression ratios of two or three to one
are typical when backingup an entire Unix system disk, and
compression ratios over 20 to 1 are possible. Compression also
multiplies the effective speed of the optical drive, since less data
needs to be actually transferred to or from the optical disks.

Daren Appelt, exeucitve VP at Ten X, said that a data compression
algorithm in hardware form is used to provide transparent operation,
with no special software or drivers needed. The product is
compatible with all SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)-based
computers, according to Appelt. The system includes Winchester
hard disk emulation, and a battery backup cache.

(Jim Mallory/19920317/Press Contact: Jennifer Goodnight, Ten X,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00003)

New For PC: Symantec's More Powerful JustWrite For Windows 03/17/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- In an effort
to take more of the lucrative Windows word processor market
dominated by Microsoft Word and the newly released WordPerfect
5.1 for Windows, Symantec has introduced a new version of its
JustWrite package. The company claims that JustWrite 2.0 is faster
and more powerful than the previous version, and includes new
features that simplify the creation of sophisticated documents,
makes mail merge easier, and enhances data sharing capabilities.

The company maintains that, using JustWrite's new "floating frame"
technology, users can place graphic, text, table, and OLE (object
linking and embedding) frames anywhere on the page which can
even span multiple columns, thus creating newsletters with graphics,
proposals with charts, and tables and other sophisticated
documents.

The integrated table editor has also been enhanced with math
calculations, allowing for the creation of tables with simple
calculations directly in JustWrite documents.

One of the new features of version 2.0, called "Quick Paste"
provides a shortcut for moving and copying text, according to the
company. By selecting the text and clicking the right mouse button,
text can be moved instantly to a new location.  In addition, a new
grammar checker contains 5,500 grammar rules to automate
editing and enhance style.

A library facility allows users to quickly access most-often used
graphics, text styles, section formatting, frames, and other
information, allowing for them to be selected by name or from
the graphical preview displayed in the "Library Browser."

Mail merge documents are displayed onscreen before printing,
and merge field information can be inserted in the document by
selecting fields from the tool bar. Also, JustWrite allows for the
merging of data with Q&A, dBASE, Paradox, and ASCII databases
using full query and sort capabilities.

The company maintains that version 2.0 supports both Windows'
dynamic data exchange (DDE) and object linking and embedding
(OLE). The package also features a conversion feature that
imports and exports text and graphics from or to many other word
processing and graphics formats, including Microsoft Word for
Windows 2.0, Microsoft Word for DOS 5.5, WordPerfect 5.1, Lotus
Ami Pro 2.0, WordStar 5.5, and Multimate 4.0.

JustWrite version 2.0 is available now through Symantec's
network of distributors and resellers at the suggested retail
price is $249. The upgrade price is $49.  Users who purchased
JustWrite version 1.0 after January 9, 1992, can request a free
upgrade.

(Ian Stokell/19920317/Press Contact: Terri Sammonds,
Symantec Corp., 408-725-2752)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00004)

Librex Claims First User-Configurable 386SX Notebook 03/17/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 16 (NB) -- Librex
Computer Systems Inc., is claiming that its new Librex T386SX is
the first fully user-configurable notebook computer. The system
features removable hard drives and a PCMCIA industry-standard
card slot for both memory and I/O (input/output) peripherals.

The company claims that the removable high-speed 40 megabyte
(MB), or optional 80MB and 120MB hard disk drives, can be
configured to meet specific applications.

The company maintains that the Librex T386SX is the first notebook
computer on the market to support the recently introduced PCMCIA
standard for memory and input/output devices. This new standard,
which covers add-in memory modules and optional input/output
devices, is analogous to the AT bus slot standard on desktop
computers.

The company claims that a number of peripherals are already
either available or in development for use with the notebook,
including internal modems, fax/modems, silicon hard drives,
and scanners.

The Librex T386SX is powered by the 386SX 20 megahertz (MHZ)
Intel chip and comes standard with 4MB of RAM, upgradable with
plug-in memory modules to 12MB. The unit comes configured with
Microsoft DOS, LapLink Pro communications software from
Traveling Software, and QAPlus from Diagsoft.

The screen is a backlit 9.5-inch VGA (video graphics display)
monochrome LCD (liquid crystal display) with 64 shades of gray.
The unit also supports the LCD screen and an external monitor for
simultaneous display.

The Librex T386SX also includes one serial and one parallel port,
a VGA port, a PS/2 6-pin connector for an external mouse,
an enhanced 82-key keyboard, and the multipin connector for the
detachable floppy drive.

(Ian Stokell/19920317/Press Contact: Peter W. Brown, Librex
Computer Systems Inc., 408-452-1592)


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

Novell Releases Japanese LAN System 03/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Novell Japan, a Japanese
office of Novell in the U.S., has announced a series of new products,
which are related to local area networks.

The software runs on Japanese personal computers and is expected
to be available at low cost. Novell's three new products are intend to
 interconnect Apple's Macintosh and Unix computers.

Under NetWare Lite J, it is said a new type of local area network is
created connecting a maximum of 25 units of personal computers.
According to Novell, a server computer is not required in this system,
making it both convenient and cost-saving. Also, the software comes
on a single floppy disk, making it is easy to install.

The price of this product is still unknown, but it will not be expensive.
The original English version of program cost $99. The program runs
on NEC's PC-9801, Fujitsu's FMR. IBM's PS/2 55, Toshiba's J-3100,
and AX computers.

The other two programs are Netware for Macintosh J and Netware
NFS J. Both programs are intended to interconnect the Macintosh
and Unix computers under Netware LAN.

Meanwhile, Hitachi says it plans to adopt Netware into its own
workstations. Hitachi used to support Microsoft's LAN Manager.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920317/Press Contact: Novell Japan,
[phone])


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

Autodesk Joins Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft 03/17/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Autodesk
has become the sixth member of the Canadian Alliance Against
Software Theft (CAAST), a group of major PC software vendors
formed to fight software piracy. The other five members are Borland
International, Lotus Development, Microsoft, Novell, and
Quarterdeck Office Systems.

Those five companies formed CAAST in December, 1990, saying
they would fight piracy with a program focused on education. The
organization has a continuing campaign to inform computer dealers
and users about the laws on software copying and the negative
effects of copying software.

The group has also worked with law enforcement agencies and
been involved in several software piracy prosecutions. In
December, CAAST settled out of court with computer dealers in
Toronto and Calgary, who were charged with selling unauthorized
copies of DOS, Lotus 1-2-3, dBase, and WordPerfect.

In November, CAAST was involved with the prosecution of a Quebec
City computer dealer for allegedly selling personal computers
complete with pirated software. The group was also involved with
the seizure by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of a bulletin
board system in Montreal, said to be distributing illegal copies of
commercial software.

Autodesk has pursued more than 4,000 reported cases of piracy
of its own products since 1988, company officials said. Its
investigations have led to more than US$7 million in direct
purchases and recoveries. Autodesk is a founding member of the
Software Publishers Association Copyright Protection Fund in the
United States and of the Business Software Alliance.

(Grant Buckler/19920317/Press Contact: Allan Reynolds, CAAST,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00007)

Info Globe Becomes Globe Information Services 03/17/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Info Globe,
the electronic publishing division of the Toronto-based newspaper
The Globe and Mail, has been renamed Globe Information Services.
The move reflects an ongoing broadening of the division's business,
said Douglas C. Hobbs, manager of marketing and business
development.

The Globe and Mail, which bills itself as Canada's national
newspaper, launched Info Globe in 1977. The division's flagship
product is an electronic edition of the newspaper, one of the first
in the world to offer the full content of a daily paper on the
morning of publication.

The electronic newspaper is now about 40 percent of Globe
Information Services' business, Hobbs told Newsbytes. The
company has added a variety of other electronic information
sources, including the Canadian Periodical Index and the full text
of the Financial Times of Canada, a weekly financial paper
acquired from publishing chain Southam.

Globe Information Services will be divided into three business
units. The Info Globe Online unit will provide the on-line
information services on which the operation was built. Globe
and Mail Publishing will put out paper, microfilm, and CD-ROM
publications.

The business consulting arm will help customers create executive
information systems. Hobbs said Globe will act as a sort of
information broker for customers who need electronic information
from various sources. In addition to providing its own on-line
services, he said, the company will negotiate access to services
from other companies and provide a complete package to the
customer.

(Grant Buckler/19920317/Press Contact: Douglas C. Hobbs,
Globe Information Services, tel [phone], fax [phone])

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

AT&T Wins Kazakhstan Order 03/17/92
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- AT&T
said it has won an order to install one million digital telephone lines
in Kazakhstan over the next 10 years.

Kazakhstan is the largest central Asian republic in what used to be
the Soviet Union, and one of the last Republics where leaders from
the Communist era remain in charge. Included in the order are five
digital exchanges in the capital of Alma Ata.

Previously, the company had announced a partnership with the
Ukraine to improve its phone infrastructure and make its digital
5ESS switch there. The Kazakhstan deal will be a simple sale for
hard currency. Currently, AT&T said, Kazakhstan phone calls to
the West must still be routed through Moscow, and no improved
satellite access, which would change that, is part of this deal.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317)


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

Bell Atlantic To Offer Single Personal Phone Number 03/17/92
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Bell
Atlantic Mobile Systems plans to offer Baltimore/Washington-area
cellular customers a personal phone number, which would access
either a cellular line, a paging line, a voice mail line, or a regular
telephone service, as needed.

The technology used for the service comes from AccessPlus
Communications of Bellevue, Washington. Bell Atlantic Mobile
intends to acquire exclusive rights to deploy the technology in
its Baltimore/Washington system beginning early this summer,
followed by the introduction in other Bell Atlantic markets. Bell
Atlantic has not yet selected the name under which it will market
the service.

All calls would be routed through a single computer, which would
handle them in line with customer instructions or an automatic
schedule. Calls can be screened for privacy or immediacy, routed
to voice mail, answered with a pre-programmed message, or
callers may be instructed to call a pager number.

For now, Bell Atlantic is calling this the "One Person, One
Number" system. The monthly charge will range from $15 to $25,
depending on options.

In addition to the AccessPlus agreement, Bell Atlantic has also
agreed to test a personal phone technology called PPS800 from
Motorola, in Pittsburgh. "There's no reason why these and other
technologies might not exist side by side, offering different
services to meet different needs," the company said in a press
statement.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317/Press Contact: Bell Atlantic
Mobile Systems, Karen Ann Kurlander, 908-306-7552)


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

McCaw, TCI Testing Microcell Service 03/17/92
ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- The
nation's largest cellular telephone and cable television firms
have expanded their cooperation, agreeing to join in a market
trial of microcell technology in Ashland, Oregon.

About 200 residents of Ashland, in southern Oregon, will get
pocket-sized phones for six months for use in their neighborhoods.
Four low-power microcells, on standard cellular frequencies, will
handle the service, even inside homes and office buildings.

Microcells are seen as a way for existing cellular phone
companies, including the regional Bells, to serve demand which
might develop for microwave-based PCN systems from
competitors.

The microcells will be linked to McCaw's existing facilities via
TCI fiber cables. The connection to McCaw's larger system will
let the subscribers move outside the area to make or receive
calls. While McCaw claims the test will gather valuable
information on how PCN microwave systems should be deployed
in the future, it will also tell cellular service providers how to
compete with such competition. Test participants can pay either
$19.95 per month plus 20 cents for each minute of calling, or
$16.95 per month and 50 cents for each outbound call.

Previously, the two companies had agreed to coordinate a
test of combined cellular and cable services in Colorado.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317/Press Contact: McCaw Cellular,
Bob Ratliffe, 206-828-8685; Tele-Communications, Lela Cocoros,
303-721-5235)


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

Octel Wins German Cellular Voice Mail Order 03/17/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Octel will
provide the voice mail equipment used by Mannesmann Mobilfunk's
digital cellular system in Germany. The D2 system, under Group
Speciale Mobile, or GSM, standards, is one of two authorized
digital cellular systems in the country, the other of which is
the state-owned Deutsche Telekom.

Octel said the deal is its first in the German market, and
provides for the installation of Octel's Sierra unit. The Sierra
is Octel's largest system and is designed to support services
such as telephone answering, voice mail, call processing, and
audiotex. Mannesmann Mobilfunk will originally utilize the Sierra
to offer telephone answering, or call completion services, to its
D2-network subscribers.  Octel had previously won cellular
contracts in England and France.

The main shareholders of Mannesmann Mobilfunk are: the
Mannesmann AG of Germany, with 51 percent; the Pacific Telesis
Group of the US, with 26 percent; the DG Bank Deutsche
Genossenschaftsbank of Germany with 10 percent; Cable and
Wireless of the UK with five percent; Lynonnaise des Eaux-Dumes
of France with 2.5 percent; and the Central Federal Associations
for the Electronic and Automobile Trades and Industries of
Germany, each with 0.5 percent ownership.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317/Press Contact: Octel
Communications, Barbara Burdick)


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

AT&T Universal Card Marks Second Anniversary 03/17/92
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- AT&T
marked the second anniversary of its Universal Card, a combined
credit and phone card, by dropping its interest rate to as low as
15.4 percent for charter members, and 16.4 percent for others.

The card's interest rate is pegged to the US prime rate and
opened at 19.8 percent.

The AT&T Universal Card is now the third most popular bank
credit card in the country with more than eight million accounts,
more than 12.5 million cards and nearly $4 billion in receivables --
a 130 percent increase in receivables from the previous year.

Since it was introduced, AT&T has lost some business as
competing banks carved out affiliation deals with competitors,
 but that is nothing compared to the assets it has acquired from
cardholders.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317/Press Contact: Bruce Reid,
AT&T Universal Card Services, 904-443-8894)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

Soft-Switch Collaborates With Ardis On E-mail 03/17/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Soft-
Switch will collaborate with Ardis to extend its enterprise mail
networking capability to Ardis wireless data customers.

The integration of advanced radio technology, along with "store-
and-forward" transaction processing via electronic mail will enable
customers to leverage investments in enterprise messaging and
wireless communications to improve customer service and
increase enterprise productivity.  Soft-Switch will use its mail
programming interface, called the Soft-Switch Network
Applications Programming Interface, or SNAPI, to link application
programs via electronic mail and the Ardis wireless
communications system.

SNAPI allows applications on any platform to move information
over a store-and-forward enterprise electronic mail network --
thus making them "mail-enabled."  The key aspect of this
electronic mail transaction processing is that all information
passed between people and applications is stored in an electronic
"mail box" until ready to be used.  This allows creation and
transmission of data without the user being "on-line" with the
application program.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920317/Press Contact: Soft-Switch, Walt
Wilson, 215-640-9600)

(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00014)

 ****IBM Shipping PS/1 Pro To Distributors 03/17/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- IBM has
begun shipping specially configured Personal System/1 (PS/1)
386SX Pro models to the first two distributors chosen for its
Authorized Distributor:VAR program.

Available from Ingram Micro of Santa Ana, California, and Gates/FA
of Greenville, South Carolina, the new PS/1 386SX Pro models allow
value-added remarketers (VARs) to add their own enhancements
and support, IBM said.

IBM has expanded the target market for the PS/1 to include very
small businesses as well as the home and home office market, said
company spokeswoman Sheila Shanahan. She said IBM is
responding to demand from home office customers who said that
"in addition to wanting a product that they could use for the home office...
they also wanted a product that they felt was strong enough, if their
small business ever became a business outside the home, that it had
the ability to run the latest software and so forth."

The Authorized Distributor:VAR program enables qualified VARs to
remarket new, specially configured PS/1s to small businesses. The
new PS/1 Pro models use a 20 megahertz, 80386SX microprocessor,
and come with two megabytes (MB) of RAM, expandable to 16 MB.
The PS/1 Pro offers three AT-bus expansion slots, a 14-inch color
VGA display, and a choice of 80 MB or 129 MB hard disk drive.

VARs will add their own hardware or software enhancements to the
machines they sell.  Gates/FA and Ingram Micro are to recruit and
authorize VARs for this program. There will be no sales minimum or
IBM-imposed renewal criteria, Shanahan told Newsbytes. IBM
announced the program and began recruiting VARs in early
February.

The PS/1 386 SX Pro N81, with the 80 MB hard drive, is priced
at $1,949, and the N31, with the 129 MBdrive, has a $2,149
price tag. Both are available immediately.

(Grant Buckler/19920317/Press Contact: Sheila Shanahan, IBM,
914-642-5407)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00015)

Lotus Offers Free "Switch Kit" For WordPerfect Users 03/17/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) --
For WordPerfect users who would rather switch than fight, Lotus
Development has an offer designed to make switching a bit less
of a battle. Lotus is offering registered users of its Ami Pro word
processing software a free on-line training tool aimed at former
WordPerfect users.

The Ami Pro SwitchKit offers two levels of keystroke help and
training for WordPerfect users. In level 1, if the user enters a
WordPerfect command, the SwitchKit displays instructions for doing
the same thing in Ami Pro, using short numbered steps. Level 2
displays the same information, and also demonstrates how to
perform the operation using a pull-down menu.

The SwitchKit also includes a batch file conversion program that
translates groups or whole subdirectories of WordPerfect files into
Ami Pro format. The translator saves each file with its original
name and a new (.SAM) extension.

The batch file conversion program also converts files created in
other popular word processors such as DisplayWrite, WordStar,
MultiMate, Microsoft Word, and Word for Windows, Lotus said.

The Ami Pro SwitchKit is a memory-resident utility and can be
configured to load automatically at Ami Pro startup. The
instruction window can be placed in any of the four corners of the
screen, Lotus said, allowing users to follow instructions and work
on a document at the same time. It includes a custom SmartIcons
palette for easy operation, and comes with six decorative
wallpaper choices.

At present Lotus offers the SwitchKit only for WordPerfect users.
Michelle Goguen, a spokeswoman for the company, said there
are no official plans to offer similar kits for other popular word
processors, but "Lotus will probably be working on anything that
makes sense."

Registered Ami Pro users can order the SwitchKit, comprised of a
diskette and manual, by calling 800-872-3387, extension 6470.

(Grant Buckler/19920317/Press Contact: Michelle Goguen,
Alexander Communications for Lotus, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00016)

 ****Judge Orders Hacker To Stay Away From Computers 03/17/92
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- A computer
hacker who pleaded guilty to breaking into space agency computer
systems was ordered Monday to undergo mental health treatment
and not use computers without permission from his probation officer.

The 24 year-old man, a resident of suburban Lakewood, was
sentenced to three years probation in what is said to be one of
only five prosecutions under the federal computer hacker law.

The man pleaded guilty last year to one count of breaking into a
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) computer,
after NASA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
tracked him down in 1990. Prosecutors said the man had spent four
years trying to get into computer systems, including those of some
banks.

Prosecutors said the man had gained access to a Defense
Department computer through the NASA system, but declined to
give any details of that case. The indictment did not explain what
had occurred.

In the plea bargain agreement, the man admitted he gained access
to NASA's computers "by exploiting a malfunction...in a public
access NASA computer bulletin board service."

The man was described as an unemployed loner who had spent
most of his time using a computer at home. The prosecutor was
quoted as saying the man needed counselling "on a social level
and for personal hygiene."

(Jim Mallory/19920317)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00017)

Microsoft Intros Toolkit For Visual Basic 03/17/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Microsoft
has introduced its Professional Toolkit For Visual Basic, the
programming system for Windows.

Microsoft said new programming tools and controls in the toolkit
make it easier for programmers to access the newest Windows
technology, including multimedia, handwriting recognition, and
OLE (object linking and embedding). The toolkit also includes a
collection of custom controls that allow programmers to take
advantage of features such as graphing, spreadsheet-like grids,
and graphical three dimensional user interface components.

Visual Basic, released in May 1991, has become a popular
programming tool for Windows. It uses an event-driven
programming model designed specifically for fast Windows
programming. Programmers use Visual Basic to develop new
Windows applications as well as enhance existing ones.

Microsoft said it teamed with six ISVs (independent software
developers) to create the toolkit. Participating in the development
were Crescent Software, Desaware, MicroHelp, OutRider Systems,
Pinnacle Publishing, and Sheridan Software Systems.

"The ability of these developers...to quickly create add-ons for
VisualBasic demonstrates the extensibility built into Visual Basic
and Windows." said a Microsoft spokesperson.

The toolkit has a suggested retail price of $299. Both the toolkit
and Visual Basic together carry a price tag of $495.

(Jim Mallory/19920317/Press Contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


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

 ****MCI Wins $560 Million FAA Contract 03/17/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- MCI
Communications has been awarded a massive, $558 million
contract by the Federal Aviation Administration to implement the new
Leased Interfacility National Airspace Communications System, or
LINCS. The system, which will replace and expand upon the present
FAA communications network, is intended to provide improved air
traffic controller communications between airports and between
control tower personnel and pilots.

MCI is scheduled to begin work on the telecommunications system
this summer and should complete the installation in three years.
To earn the entire $558 million, the company will require the FAA to
take advantage of all the options provided for in the total 10-year
contract.

In addition to pilot-to-ground voice communications, the LINCS
network will carry computer and radar data between the thousands
of FAA installations supporting traffic in United States air space.

Ever since President Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers in the
early 1980s, some analysts have been saying that there are not
enough trained personnel working for the FAA.

The existing communications systems have also been blamed
for some of the long delays experienced at many airports. FAA
personnel claim that the new LINCS system will help smooth out
domestic operations but they also point out that the US commercial
aircraft safety record has been very good, even during the 80s.

The reason FAA stations require such massive communications
capabilities is that aircraft at one airport cannot be permitted
to take off if their destination airport is closed due to poor
weather or other conditions. There is also a tendency to link the
radar systems of airports which are physically close together -
this is why when the radar systems at O'Hare Airport in Chicago
went out for an hour recently nearby Midway also had to shut down.

(John McCormick/19920317/Press Contact: Fred Farrar, FAA,
202-267-8521)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00019)

Australia: AOTC To Trial CT2 Network In Hong Kong 03/17/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- The Australian and
Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (AOTC) is to trial a
second generation cordless telephone (CT2) network in Hong
Kong in partnership with local automation firm Chevalier.

The service to be offered, Chevalier Telepoint, is expected by the
joint venture operation to attract around 25,000 subscribers by the
end of the year, and will be operational from April. The
establishment of the network in Hong Kong will be used by AOTC
to test-run the CT2 network before it makes a decision (due in late
May) on the possibility of introducing a CT2 network in Australia.

The Hong Kong network was expected to be delayed due to a lack
of CT2 handsets, but suppliers have now given minimum supply
commitments which will see the network begun on schedule. The
AOTC/Chevalier has now become one of only two of the four
companies granted licenses to operate CT2 networks in the colony
to secure supply guarantees. The other two companies have
delayed introduction of their services by nine to 12 months while
awaiting handsets.

CT2 works with a combination of a cordless handset and base
stations. Subscribers would have a base station in their home, and
in conjunction with the handset, this would work like any other
cordless phone. However, when travelling, the subscriber can carry
the handset, and if within approximately 200 meters of a base station,
can make outgoing calls. Chevalier Telepoint expects around 1,500
of its base stations to be operational by the launch date, and 4,000
within three years.

(Sean McNamara/19920317)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00020)

Optus Begins Telecom Competition In Australian Outback 03/17/92
GOULBOURN, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- The first length of
optical fiber cable to be laid by Optus was planted in the New South
Wales (NSW) country town of Goulbourn. The cable is the first small
part of what is to become Optus' national network, and marks Optus'
serious entry into the deregulated telecommunications market.

Competition between AOTC (Australian and Overseas
Telecommunications Corporation) and Optus is due to begin in June,
when Optus' cellular mobile services begin. Optus has been quick to
point out the speed in which it has begun cable laying (36 days after
its license was awarded), and the fact that the next generation of Aussat
telecommunications satellites will become operational with the launch
of Aussat B-1 on March 22.

Optus' cable in Goulbourn will initially be only one end of a 60
kilometer (km) cable to Canberra, the national capital. Once testing
and evaluation has been done, the cable will be extended north to
Sydney and south to Melbourne, and this work is expected to be
completed by mid-1993.

By 1997, Optus plans to have the cable stretching from Cairns in
northern Queensland, through coastal New South Wales, down to
Melbourne, then across to Perth - a total distance of 8,000km. Optus'
plans to offer long-distance and international call services by the
end of the year are also on schedule.

(Sean McNamara/19920317)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00021)

Pay TV Enters Australia Through Hotel "Back Doors" 03/17/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Pre-empting the
Australian government's decision on whether to allow the introduction
of widely available pay-television, Cable TV Services, of Sydney,
has begun beaming in CNN International signals to subscribers.
The first to receive the signals were two of Sydney's leading hotels -
the Regent and the Sheraton.

Chief executive of Cable TV Services, George Frame, said at the
announcement: "Technology doesn't wait for governments to make
decisions." Commenting on the 118 groups which have made
submissions to the government (of which Cable TV Services is one),
Frame went on to say that, "everyone has talked about it. We're
doing it".

Australian companies and potential subscribers have been waiting
for an official decision from Canberra, and cables have already
been laid in Sydney's main cities. However, due to the widespread
population (17 million people on a continent the size of mainland
US), satellite technology would be as important as cable
technology in any widely-available service offered to Australian
subscribers.

(Sean McNamara/19920317)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00022)

Papua New Guinea To Use First Digital Exchanges 03/17/92
PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) --
Papua New Guinea's (PNG) telecommunications services will be
greatly improved once two digital exchanges start to operate in
April. The exchanges, in Port Moresby and Lae, mark the beginning
of PNG's Post and Telecommunications Corporation to convert its
network to fully-digital operation.

PNG's telecommunications network currently employs ageing
electro-mechanical crossbar exchanges. The upgrade will see the
introduction of 35,000 additional local lines and a further 11,000 trunk
lines in 28 locations. The exchanges are being supplied by Alcatel
Australia in conjunction with its Belgian sister-company, Alcatel Bell.
Digital services will be offered in remote areas via self-contained
and self-cooled exchanges, with power backup.

(Sean McNamara/19920317)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00023)

Australians To Join European Company Matchmaking Network 03/17/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Australia is to
participate in an EC (European Community) network which aims
to bring together Australian companies and their European
counterparts.

The network, BC-NET (Business Cooperation Network), operates
out of Brussels, and allows companies to submit profiles for matching
with companies with like interests. Since 1988, when BC-NET was
established, 55,000 companies have submitted matching requests.

Australian companies will make their requests via local consultancy
firms, who forward the requests to Brussels. Gareth Evans, Minister
for Foreign Relations and Trade, said at the announcement of
Australian involvement in the network that although Australia
needs to look increasingly to the Asia-Pacific region for trade
opportunities, there is still enormous potential for trade in Europe.

(Sean McNamara/19920317)
(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00024)

DCA Signs Up New Volume Reseller 03/17/92
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Digital
Communications Associates (DCA) has announced that they have
signed a volume reseller agreement with Compucom systems.

DCA maintains a two-tier distribution arrangement. In the first tier are
the distributors such as Merisel, Tech Data, and Ingram Micro. This
tier is responsible for serving the smaller resellers such as local
computer stores.

The second level is where larger resellers fit in. In this level,
the reseller deals directly with DCA and receives preferred pricing
and treatment. Only those resellers who have sufficient volume can
qualify for this tier. Compucom is joining only two other companies
that have achieved the status of volume resellers. The other two
companies are Computerland and Intelligent Electronics.

Under this agreement, Compucom will be reselling all of DCA's
products that are targeted towards the IBM SNA and 3270 market.
This includes the DCA/Microsoft Communications Server,
IRMALAN/EP gateway, IRMAtrac Convertible Token Ring adapter,
IRMA WorkStation for Windows, and the Select Communications
Server.

(Naor Wallach/19920317/Press Contact: Meg Owens, DCA,
404-442-4521)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00025)

AST Ships Color Premium And Advantage Notebooks 03/17/92
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- AST says it has
begun shipping its color Premium Exec 386SX/25C notebook and
the Advantage! NB-SX notebook.

AST has lowered prices on the color notebook over 20 percent,
making it the first to ship a color notebook priced under $4,000, the
company maintains.

The Advantage! is preconfigured with a data modem, DOS 5.0,
Borland Sidekick 2.0 and Prodigy software and will be sold
nationwide at Circuit City, Computer City Supercenters, and
Computerland Express stores, AST said.

The Advantage! NB-SX/25 is has a 25 megahertz (MHz)
microprocessor, weighs 7.3 pounds, includes a 60 megabyte (MB)
hard disk drive, a 1.44 MB 3.5-inch diskette drive, a 2,400 baud
internal data modem, and four MB of RAM expandable to 8 MB. It
also includes one serial port, one parallel port, one external monitor
port, one numeric keypad/mouse port, a fast-charge AC adapter,
and a nylon carrying case.

Not available thorough nationwide retail distribution outlets, AST
says the Premium Exec color notebook has been shipped in limited
quantities to select major accounts since February. The computer
weighs just over seven pounds, is battery powered with a nine-inch
diagonal video graphics array (VGA) color screen at 640 by 480 pixel
resolution, and 16 simultaneous colors. The screen can display up to
256 colors, but at a lower resolution of 320 by 200. The screen is
based on thin-film supertwist nematic (FSTN) technology and
contains two backlit cold cathode flourescent tube (CCFT) panels,
AST added.

The Premium Exec also has a SuperVGA port for an external
monitor and AST said the unit can display on both the external
and built-in screen at the same time for use in presentations.

Two models of the Premium Exec, one with a 60 MB hard disk and
one with an 80 MB hard disk are available, each with 4 MB of RAM,
expandable to 8 MB. The 60 MB hard disk model, 63V/4, retails for
$3,995, while the 80 MB model 83V/4 is $4,295.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920317/Press Contact: Lisa Parkhurst, Ast
Research, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00026)

WordPerfect For Windows 5.1 Users Angry Over Product 03/17/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) --
WordPerfect Corporation, known for cheering crowds of loyal users,
may be in for a tough time. WordPerfect for Windows users said they
are angry to WordPerfect Vice President of Marketing, Andre
Peterson, at a recent demonstration of the product by Peterson
given at a meeting of the Los Angeles Computer Society (LACS).

WordPerfect users are well-known for their loyalty to the product.
However, after the demonstration of the WordPerfect for Windows
product at the LACS, during which Peterson kept commenting that
the audience was a "tough crowd" several WordPerfect users who
had purchased the Windows product stood up and complained
loudly and bitterly about serious problems.

WordPerfect users are trained to use combinations of keystrokes
for almost every operation in the DOS product except the actual
typing of the text. At installation of WordPerfect for Windows, users
are given a choice of a common user access (CUA) keyboard or
a DOS WordPerfect 5.1 keyboard, with the CUA keyboard as the
default first choice. While keystrokes in the DOS WP keyboard
remain the same, keystrokes in the CUA layout are different. Some
unsuspecting users who didn't understand the difference and
understood keystrokes for WordPerfect for DOS would work the
same in the WordPerfect for Windows product have instead found
have unexpected and disastrous consequences in Windows.

One user who described herself as just plain mad said she'd spent
some time on a document in WordPerfect for Windows, then went to
use the WordPerfect version 5.1 block text keystroke Alt-F4 (holding
down the Alt key and then pressing the F4 key) to highlight text to
move it. She said she suddenly found herself out of WordPerfect with
no warning and no opportunity to do a save. She said she was so
angry, she didn't even bother to call customer support.

Peterson blamed Windows saying certain keystrokes in the CUA
keyboard give commands to Windows such as Alt-F4, which is the
command to exit an application without saving and WordPerfect
cannot do anything about it. Another such command is Ctrl-F4, which
in WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS allows the user to move, delete, or copy
text, but in the Windows CUA keyboard, closes down the active
document in an application.

Keystrokes were not the only complaints, however. Another woman
wanted to know why printing was so slow in WordPerfect for Windows.
She said: "I give the print command and I could knit a sweater before
the document actually prints."

Other users complained about the slowness of the graphically-based
WordPerfect for Windows. Peterson said he personally handles that
problem by creating the document in the DOS version, then starting
Windows and doing all his formatting there.

One interesting note, WordPerfect had an interesting promotional
item it gave out to members of the LACS. WordPerfect for Windows
has a feature called the "button bar" which allows users to pull
commonly used commands from the pull-down menus to "buttons"
that perform the command. The buttons are user selectable and can
also be macros the user has written themselves to automate common
tasks.

To commemorate the button bar, Peterson had everyone in the
audience receive a "Button Bar" -- a chocolate candy bar that said on
the package "WordPerfect's Original Button Bar for Windows, Version
5.1." On the wrapper, the button bar had the system requirements for
WordPerfect for Windows, as well as a description of WordPerfect for
Windows under the heading "WordPerfect for Windows Ingredients."
Inside the chocolate was impressed with example "button" icons
from a sample button bar, and a toll-free number, 800-284-5272,
provided on the package for WordPerfect questions.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920317/Press Contact: Andre Peterson,
WordPerfect company, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00027)

 ****Silicon Graphics Had To "Buy" MIPS, Says Dataquest  03/17/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 16 (NB) -- Workstation
manufacturer Silicon Graphics was faced with no alternative but to
merge with MIPS Computer Systems, which can be viewed as Silicon
Graphics buying MIPS, says a Dataquest report.

The merger was imperative as MIPS was moving toward financial
collapse and Silicon Graphics, who is dependent on MIPS' reduced
instruction-set computer chip (RISC) technology, had to make the
merger investment, market research firm, Dataquest, asserts.

In the short term the merger is expected to be a drain on Silicon
Graphics, but in the long term the company's control over the
underlying technology is expected to benefit Silicon Graphics
customers, Dataquest says. Silicon Graphics is following a tradition
established by other major players in the workstation market who
have also purchased the underlying technology for their workstations.
For example, Sun owns SPARC; IBM owns Power RISC; Hewlett-
Packard owns PA-RISC; and DEC owns Alpha.

A further downside to the merger, according to Dataquest, is business
conflicts that might arise within the Advanced Computing Consortium
(ACE) if MIPS processors lose their vendor-neutral technology. As
ACE is looking for a platform to back as a standard, the merger is
likely to affect whether ACE backs a MIPS platform or goes with the
new 586 chip expected from microprocessor giant Intel for Microsoft's
new Windows NT operating system.

Dataquest is implying that Silicon Graphics cannot manage MIPS as a
technology-independent product. If it cannot, the market research firm
asserts the other manufacturers will move away from MIPS, and Silicon
Graphics will lose the economies of scale in hardware and software to
make the technology viable. Dataquest says if Silicon Graphics can
keep MIPS products technology independent, it will be the first to do
so. No other company has proven it can manage both a systems
business and a technology licensing business, Dataquest asserts.

Silicon Graphics however, claims it can manage MIPS as technology-
independent with equal access to the product for other vendors as
well as addressing genuine or perceived time-to-market and design
control advantages it has over other vendors who license MIPS.
Silicon Graphics says it expects to become a $5 billion a year
company who can compete with the mainstream players in the
workstation market, instead of remaining in its traditional niche in
the technical, three dimensional graphics market.

San Jose-based Dataquest decribes itself as a market research
and consulting company that provides services to the high
technology and financial community.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920317/Press Contact: Mary Hand, Dataquest,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00028)

Safeware Offers New PC Insurance 03/16/92
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Safeware The
Insurance Agency Inc., a major supplier of inexpensive computer
insurance, especially for home and small business computer users,
has announced an expanded coverage option which includes a
service contract designated SAFEWARE FIX:IT. The company,
which previously insured against theft, fire, and electrical surge
damage, says that seven out of ten computer users experience
problems every year, but that some warranties are limited to only
90 days.

FIX:IT differs from normal service contracts in several ways. For
one thing, the cost is between five and nine percent of equipment
value, verses up to 24 percent for service contracts. But
probably more important, the Safeware policy includes
comprehensive insurance for such items as theft and power
surge damage, while service contracts only cover mechanical
breakdown. Safeware's policy also covers software.

As for the need to have other coverage, the company claims that
computer theft rose by nearly 36 percent during the recession of
last year.

For more information, contact Safeware, 2929 N. High St.,
Columbus, OH 43202-9979. The Safeware policy is underwritten
by the American Bankers Insurance Company.

(John McCormick/19920317)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00029)

Plasmon Expands Lease System Program 03/17/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- In a move
which the company says will aid its value-added resellers, Plasmon
has expanded its leasing program for write-once and multifunction
optical drives to include complete systems for information storage
and image management.

Plasmon says that there has been a big increase in demand for
optical storage systems, but the state of the economy has put
some contracts on hold because of the high initial cost of
purchasing a complete system. The lease option is expected to
ease some of the economic pressure on government agencies,
as well as legal, medical, and financial sector customers.

All hardware, software, media, service, and support can now be
included in the lease program offered by Plasmon VARs, not just
the optical drive hardware.

Optical storage systems can place file cabinets full of document
images or text on one or two archival-quality discs which cost
only a couple of hundred dollars. At the same time the amount of
storage space is greatly decreased, access to the documents is
greatly enhanced because not only can they be searched by
software and accessed on a local area network, they can be
accessed from a remote site.

(John McCormick/19920317/Press Contact: Brad Lee Brenner,
Marken Communications, tel [phone] or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00030)

Moscow: Fox Software Distributor Announced 03/17/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- The distribution
agreement between Technopolis Company of Zelenograd, near
Moscow, and FOX Software (U.K.), is to be signed soon.

Technopolis Company, along with the Russian New Information
Technologies center, claims to provide complete localization of
the Fox software products, offers a 24 hours-a-day user hotline,
and support seminars

In addition to the already available FoxPro 2.0, company said it
will also launch in Russia FoxPro Unix, FoxPro Windows, and
FoxPro/MAC, later this year.

Technopolis said it will sell for both dollars and rubles, at the
market exchange rate.

Several companies attempted last year to become an agent to
sell Fox software products in former Soviet Union and then in
Russia. Despite the fact that illegal copies of FoxPro are widely
used by database developers in the country, nobody came
through.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920317/Press Contact: Yuriy G. Goron,
Technopolis, fax [phone], e-mail
[e-mail])