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/nb920925

Text File | 1992-09-25 | 87KB | 1,913 lines

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

Artisoft Deal With Wollongong 09/25/92
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Artisoft has made
several announcements in the areas of new product introductions and
bundling deals. The new product announcement involves allowing
access between LANtastic based networks and TCP/IP based devices.

Artisoft has reached an agreement with The Wollongong Group under
which Artisoft gets the right to use The Wollongong Group's TCP/IP
protocol stack that runs under Microsoft Windows. Using this stack
and the associated programs that are being developed to be marketed
jointly with the stack, LANtastic users will be able to access all
network nodes that happen to also be using the TCP/IP protocols as
their networking medium.

"As the peer-to-peer network industry matures, we are striving to
meet the market's demand for broader communications across multiple
hardware and software platforms," said Jack Schoof, Artisoft
chairman and CEO. "By entering into this relationship with
Wollongong, we will be able to develop a product which will allow
users to access applications, files, and printers on any VMS, Unix,
or IBM host without additional hardware."

In addition to the protocol stack, Artisoft is planning to offer
a full-featured terminal emulator and several network services that
are common in the Unix arena. These services will include Domain
Name Service (DNS), Telnet, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and FTP
server, Ping, and NFS (Network File System). Conspicuously absent
are any electronic mail system services. When asked by Newsbytes as
to this oversight, Artisoft spokespeople claimed that the company
is not completely sure of all the services that it will offer and
that it is possible that some sort of e-mail support will be
provided although SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is not being
considered at this time.

This latest addition to the LANtastic Connectivity Series will be
called LANtastic for TCP/IP. It is expected to be available this
fall and should retail for a cost of $299 per node.

Artisoft has also announced two new bundling deals. The first is
called the NetMedia Starter Kit and it bundles the LANtastic Network
Operating System, LANtastic for Windows utilities, two Artisoft AE-2
Ethernet adapters with some coax cable, two Artisoft Sounding Board
adapters with their attendant telephone handsets, and all relevant
documentation.

Artisoft is hoping that this package will inspire more sites to try
out the sound capabilities that are inherent in LANtastic. Claiming
that most business users have not explored the possibilities merely
because they don't take them seriously enough, Artisoft is offering
reduced pricing on the bundle as an inducement to try it out. If one
were to buy all of these components separately, one would pay $347
more than under this kit which costs $849.

Finally, the company has created a new bundling arrangement for its
network adapter cards. Twelve of Artisoft's AE-2 or AE-2/T are put
into one package that the company is calling the EtherBasket. The
package price is $2999 which is 17% less than the suggested retail
price of the 12 units if sold individually.

Both bundling arrangements are available now and do not have an
expiration date on them.

(Naor Wallach/19920923/Press Contact: Joe Stunkard, Artisoft,
602-690-3231/Public Contact: Artisoft, 602-293-4000, 800-TINY-RAM)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00002)

Australia: New Time Charged Numbers From AOTC 09/25/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- AOTC (Australian and Overseas
Telecommunications Corporation) is set to launch a new service
specifically aimed at professionals who want an easy way to charge
for telephone call consultations. The new 0052 numbers (0055 is
Australia's version of the US 900 numbers) will allow clients to be
automatically billed for the amount of time they spend on the phone
with the professionals.

The 0052 numbers would differ from the 0055 numbers, which have recorded
messages and/or automatic message recorders at the other end. The system
will allow customers to only pay for the time they use. Charges
can be set at up to AUS$5 per minute (AUS$300 per hour), a rate
which would encompass most professional time charges. The system
would also allow the provider to now charge for phone call advice
they may currently be giving free.

Another suggested use would be for computer bulletin board operators, as
this would allow the billing of customers without the need to establish
credentials and the ability to pay. The service should have
particular attraction to professionals, as AOTC has over 90 percent of
households and almost all businesses as clients, giving professionals a
large potential user base for their 0052 services.

(Sean McNamara/19920925)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00003)

Australia: OTC Wins AUS$4M Intelsat Antenna Contract 09/25/92
PERTH, AUSTRALIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Intelsat has awarded OTC (the
international business arm of AOTC, the Australian and Overseas
Telecommunications Corporation) and AUS$4M contract to extend its
services at the OTC downstation in Perth. The contract will see a
new 9m antenna constructed at the site to service satellites over
the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The antenna will particularly be servicing two geostationary
satellites located at 91.5 and 95 degrees west. Geostationary
satellites have a velocity which matches earth's, allowing them to
stay over the same spot on earth's surface. These satellites will
offer communications services to the whole Southeast Asian region.

The two Intelsat satellites are just a small part of the growing
number of telecommunications satellites which have been (or will
soon will be) put in place to service this region. Countries which
have begun their own satellite services to cater for the region are
Japan, China, India and Indonesia, and others expected to enter the
fray in the next five years include Iran, South Korea, Malaysia,
Thailand and Taiwan.

The expansion of the satellite industry in the region is mainly due
to Intelsat's inability to keep up with demand for circuits. Five
Intelsat 7 satellites are already one and a half years late in
delivery from their manufacturers, Space Systems/Loral, a US-
European joint venture. Loral has not been invited to tender for the
next generation of Intelsat satellites which have been specifically
designed with the Pacific region in mind. The new antenna joins
three existing ones used for work with Intelsat, Inmarsat and
European Space Agency satellites, and will be commissioned in
January 1993.

(Sean McNamara/19920924)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00004)

Australians Help Evaluate ERS-1 Satellite Services & Data 09/25/92
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- A team of researchers from
the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organization (DSTO)
have taken vital roles in the preparation of the European Space
Agency's (ESA) ERS-1 satellite for operation. The DSTO researchers
will meet with ESA officials in Paris to discuss the satellite based
on images received from it in Australia.

The images were received by the researchers via an array of
reflectors on Lake From, north of Adelaide. The ERS satellite is one
of a new breed of satellites which uses advanced radar systems and
traditional optical and infrared systems. "What makes radar remote
sensing so useful is that it can see through clouds, storms, haze,
and in some cases the tops of trees, night and day," said researcher
Hugh Barkley. "We are asking what this new satellite with its radar
sensors can do. We do not have a specific defense purpose in mind.
But if we understand its capabilities, then we should be able to
gauge its commercial potential," Barkley went on to say.

Barkley sees potential uses for the radar data in diverse areas for
both scientific and commercial customers alike. Town planners, for
example, could use the data to plot and predict urban sprawl or to
develop more detailed maps. "The fishing industry could use the
system to chart the location of large fish schools," he said.
Several scientists have been granted permission to use the data from
ERS-1 for varied research. Barkley expects ERS-2 to be much more of
a commercial product than a "scientific plaything," and this will
also be due to the work being carried out to evaluate ERS-1.

(Sean McNamara/19920924/Press Contact: DSTO, phone in Australia
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00005)

India: Dalmias Take Stake In Softek 09/25/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- The bug of diversification
into the IT (information technology) industry has now hit the
Dalmia group of industries, led by Orissa Cement Ltd., headed
by Gautam Dalmia. It has taken a 51 percent stake in the
Delhi-based Softek Pvt. Ltd., a small but one of the most respected
software concerns in the country.

Dalmias has already pumped Rs Rs 10 million into Softek in
the process, and more money is expected to be invested in the
form of operational funds, Softek's director, C.R. Venkataraman,
told Newsbytes.

The agreement signed between the Dalmias and Softek, however,
specifies that for the next few years the former will not
interfere in the day-to-day operations of the company. The
founder directors of Softek will continue to be on the board
and will manage the company, though Gaurav Dalmia will join
the board. There will also be no change in the company's name.

For the Dalmia group, this is its first foray into the field
of information technology. And because of its inexperience,
the Group prefers to work as a sleeping partner for the time
being. But as its associate companies are active in this field
in North America, with their own marketing offices in the US
and Canada, their infrastructure is expected to help Softek
much in its expansion.

In fact, it is the "urge for rapid expansion" and hence, "the
increasing capital requirement" that, according to Softek's
managing director, Diwakar Nigam, has prompted his company to
seek Dalmias' partnership. "Software is no longer a cottage
industry," says he. "To compete in the international market,
a large investments in capital equipment and marketing is
required."

Ironically, Nigam told this correspondent, a few years ago,
how he would like to keep the company as a small team. "Do
you know of a big company of artists? Same is with software,"
he told me then. Such a long road for Softek.

One of the earliest software developing concerns in the country
and claimed to have pioneered the concept of "packaged software"
in the 1980s, Softek's range of products include database,
spreadsheet, word processing programs and powerful compilers,
both for DOS and Unix platforms.

Only last year, Softek entered the export market and achieved
an export turnover of Rs 13 million, not a modest sum for
starters, particularly in the packaged product market. Enthused
by the success, the company is planning a major thrust in this
direction. "We have already negotiated with several companies
based in Southeast Asia, USA, Canada and Germany, and we will
take up offshore development projects for them," said
Venkataraman.

The increased capital will allow the company to make substantial
investments in hardware and product marketing. There is also a
plan to establish a new development facility where two hundred
people can work under the same roof. The company's present
manpower strength of 180 is expected to reach 400 within the
next year, informed Venkataraman.

Softek has registered a turnover of Rs 31 million in 1991-92,
and is sure to reach Rs 25o million by 1994-95, thanks to
additional support from Dalmias.

Softek, in the past, had the distinction of receiving one of
the earliest venture capital fundings in the country, from ICICI
with which it has already settled its account. This dilution in
Softek's stake may lead to the company's going public
in the long run.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920924)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00006)

India: Bangalore Lab Supplies Software for Heathrow 09/25/92
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Claimed to be the first
order in aerospace research and development to be won by an
Indian agency in competitive international bidding, National
Aeronautical Laboratory (NAL), Bangalore, has bagged a R&D
contract from the Civil Aviation Authority of the United
Kingdom.

The Laboratory will develop software for estimation of aircraft
wake vortices. Comprising three stages, the contract is worth
not a big sum, about Rs 1 million, in its first stage. The
software would address the problem of separation distance
between successive aircraft landing in major international
airports such as Heathrow.

Aircraft on landing can produce strong vortices in their wake
which can cause intense buffeting (irregular oscillation caused
by air eddies) for the aircraft that lands next if separation
distances are not adequate. Busy airports of the world have
reported a large number of buffeting incidents and a few major
accidents have also been reported. The project undertaken by NAL
would help define appropriate criteria for separation distances
in such busy airports.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920924)


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

New For PC: Micrografx PhotoMagic 09/25/92
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Graphics applications
developer Micrografx says it will start shipping its newest product,
PhotoMagic, at the end of September.

PhotoMagic, a Windows-based program, includes 250 stock color photo
images, editing tools, and 35 special effects. The 24-bit color
photo images are sorted and filed in categories, such as "Scenic,"
"Travel," "People," "Animals," "Food," Stills," and "Space."

According to Micrografx sales and marketing senior VP Frank Mazza,
PhotoMagic eliminates a common problem with other Windows-based
paint program - it's faster. "We've incorporated a number of
features and styles offering users instant on-screen feedback," says
Mazza.

One of those features is the ability to keep the images compressed
on the original disks. The user can select a desired image using
ImageBrowser. That image is then decompressed automatically from the
diskette and opened in PhotoMagic for editing, paining or adding
effects.

Micrografx says the program will have a suggested retail price of
$149. Street price will probably be under $100, says the company.
System requirements include DOS 3.1 or higher, an 80386 or higher
CPU, a hard drive, 4MB of RAM, Windows 3.1, a VGA display, and a
mouse. The company recommends a Super VGA display for maximum
effect.

In other Micrografx news, the company says its Windows Draw program
has been nominated by the editors of Compute magazine for two 1992
"Compute Choice Awards." The program was nominated in the Best
Desktop Publishing/Graphics software and Best
Illustration/Presentation software categories. This year's winners
will be featured in the magazine's January 1993 issue. The $149
program was first introduced at last year's COMDEX show in Las
Vegas.

(Jim Mallory/19920924/Press contact: Katrina Krebs, Micrografx,
214-994-6247)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00008)

Iomega To Distribute TransferPro 09/25/92
ROY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Iomega Corporation, best
known for its removable media drives, has announced that it will
become the first worldwide distributor of TransferPro, a file
exchange software program from Digital Instrumentation Technology.

TransferPro allows non-network users to transfer files between
workstations and PCs, or workstations and Macintoshes. The program
is available for Sun SPARCstation and Silicon Graphics Personal IRIS
and IRIS Indigo workstations.

Compatible with Iomega's Bernoulli drives, magneto-optical disks,
floppy drives, and SCSI hard drives. Using TransferPro the user can
copy and move files and directories, and initialize Macintosh and
MS-DOS cartridges and disks. Directories can be created and moved,
files can be renamed, and file contents can be browsed.

The company says TransferPro provides a variety of character filters
to simplify file transfer between platforms. For example, the
program will automatically convert the end of line carriage return
in an Apple Computer Macintosh text file to a line feed, which is
used on Unix platforms. File names are also converted to the most
appropriate form for the target platform.

TransferPro users have a choice of a graphical or character based
interface, which can be included in administrative shell script,
running under any windowing environment.

Digital Instrumentation technology , based in Los Alamos, New Mexico,
markets hardware and software workstation products.

TransferPro has a suggested retail price of $349.

(Jim Mallory/19920924/Press contact: Cara O'Sullivan, Iomega
Corporation, 801-778-3712)


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

Microsoft Adds To Publisher Line 09/25/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation has announced it has added two new products to its
Publisher family at Seybold, a desktop publishing conference and
trade show being held in San Francisco.

The new programs are the Publisher Design Pack and Publisher, CD-ROM
Edition 1.0. Design Pack is an add-on package that contains five
additional TrueType headline fonts from Monotype; over 100 clip art
images from various companies; templates; and Microsoft Draw, the
company's entry level drawing program. The company says the fonts
and clip art will also work with most other Windows-based desktop
publishing and word processing programs.

The CD-ROM edition of Publisher includes Publisher 1.0, the
additional fonts, clip art, templates, Draw, and full on-line
documentation.

"The power and storage capabilities of CD-ROM are paving the way for
more complete customer solutions in one package," said Publisher
product group manager, Melinda French.

Microsoft also announced that it will co-sponsor the National
Association of Desktop Publisher's (NADTP) template design contest,
in which participants design a template for use with Microsoft
Publisher in one or more categories. Microsoft spokesperson Karen
Frey told Newsbytes that the deadline for the competition is
October 5. Templates must be designed using Microsoft Publisher,
said Frey. There's no cost to enter the contest.

The best template designs are scheduled to be incorporated into the
next version of Publisher. Prizes will be awarded to the 50 best
designs. The grand prize is a complete desktop publishing system,
including hardware and software and an all-expense paid trip to
Comdex in Las Vegas, where the grand prize trophy will be presented.

(Jim Mallory/19920924/Press contact: Karen Frey, Waggener Edstrom
for Microsoft Corporation, 503-245-0905; For design contest
information: 800-874-4113)


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

UK: Lotus Intros Organizer; UKP 99 To End Of Year 09/25/92
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Lotus
Development has begun shipping in the UK Organizer 1.0, the first Lotus
edition of the Windows personal information manager (PIM)
acquired earlier this year from Threadz. According to Lotus, the
package combines the look and feel of a traditional personal
organizer with the power of the Windows graphical user interface
(GUI).

Announcing the package in the UK, Jay Pandya, Lotus UK's
product marketing manager, said that it will sell for a special
price of UKP 99 until the end of the year, after which it will
cost UKP 119.

"Threadz has already achieved high acclaim in the UK market.
We're delighted to have brought the Organizer into the Lotus
range ad have incorporated features now familiar to users
of Lotus' products for Windows.

Newsbytes notes that, while the Organizer has a number of features
seen in the original Threadz package, several of Lotus' Windows
features, such as Smarticons and mail-enabling have been grafted
on to the main program code.

Like Threadz, Lotus Organizer supports calendar, daily planning
and time management features, as well as the usual "Filofax"
features associated with software of this type. One interesting
feature of the Organizer is the ability to send and receive
e-mail from inside the Organizer using cc:Mail and Notes, two
of Lotus' other packages.

This isn't the first time that Lotus has pitched into the personal
organizer market. Long-standing PC users may recall Lotus Agenda,
a personal organizer from Lotus which was quietly shuffled to the
end of the Lotus catalogue a few years ago. As part of its policy
of supporting existing users of its older software, Lotus is
offering Agenda users the chance to upgrade to the Organizer for
UKP 49. Agenda to Organizer utility software is also available.

The Lotus Organizer runs under DOS on a PC equipped with a hard
disk plus Microsoft Windows. The package is quite heavy on hard
disk storage, needing 2 megabytes (MB) of space, plus a VGA
monitor and a mouse.

(Steve Gold/19920924/Press & Public Contact: Lotus U.K. - Tel:
0784-455445)


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

UK: Microsoft Trade-In Deal For Office 3.0 09/25/92
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Microsoft
is pulling out all the stops when it comes to encouraging
DOS users to "move up" to Windows. The software giant has
just announced it is offering PC users the chance to trade
in any DOS application for a copy of Microsoft Office 3.0
for Windows at a special price.

The price is UKP 395 which, according to Andrew Lees,
Microsoft's product marketing manager, is a lot less than
the standard price for Office 3.0, which normally sells for
UKP 575.

"Our research shows that 50 percent of users are buying more
than one Microsoft application. By supplying Office under this
trade-in deal, we're not only encouraging users to migrate from
DOS to Windows, but we're also giving them the opportunity
to experience the Benefits of Microsoft Office applications
at a fraction of the recommended retail price," he said.

Microsoft Office 3.0 integrates Word for Windows 2.0, Excel 4.0,
Powerpoint 3.0 and a Microsoft Mail client under one single
user environment.

(Steve Gold/19920924/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft - Tel:
0734-270001)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00012)

UK: Tulip Shuffles Portable Pricing; Intros New Notebook 09/25/92
CRAWLEY, WEST SUSSEX, ENGLAND, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Tulip has
shaved 20 percent from the price of its 25 megahertz (MHz)
80386SX-based Vision Line NB 386SX. The portable, which moves down
from UKP 1,395 to UKP 1,095.

In parallel with the price cuts, Tulip has added another notebook
to its range, the NB 386SL, a 25 MHz 80386SL-based machine pricing
in at UKP 1,345. The 2.8 kilogram machine comes equipped with an 80
megabyte (MB) hard disk.

"Our research has shown that portable computers are taking an
increasing greater proportion of the IT budget," said Steve
McCall, Tulip UK's managing director.

"As a supplier of total PC solutions, our strength in the
portable arena must match our strength in the desktop and
floor-standing environment. Providing a full range of portables at
aggressive prices will help to keep Tulip ahead of the
competition when providing total IT solutions to the corporate
market," he added.

Both of Tulip's portables are supplied with 2MB of memory,
expandable to 18MB on the NB 386SL and 8MB on the NB 386SX. The
machines are also provided with a 60MB hard disk on the NB 386SX
and an 80MB hard disk on the NB 386SL.

(Steve Gold/19920924/Press & Public Contact: Tulip Computer -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00013)

Sanctuary Woods In New CD-ROM Deals 09/25/92
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) --
Sanctuary Woods is making a large splash with a bunch of announcements
that relate to their distribution methods for multimedia CD-ROM
programs.

In the most important of these releases, Sanctuary Woods has revealed
an agreement reached with Sony of Canada under which Sony will
bundle a Sanctuary Woods CD-ROM program with each Sony
CD-ROM drive or drive mechanism that is sold in Canada between now
and mid-December. Sanctuary Woods will supply Sony with the Macintosh
versions of their interactive fantasy game The Vampire's Coffin which
is the first in a series of games featuring Victor Vector & Yondo.

In other developments, Sanctuary Woods has announced that it will
be supporting Tandy's VIS format for CD-ROMs in addition to Apple's
QuickTime format and Microsoft's MPC formats. Sanctuary Woods intends
to have its first two titles converted to the new format in time
for the Christmas selling season. Company officials expressed hope
that they would be able to have the CDs in time for display at each
of Tandy's Radio Shack stores during the Christmas selling season.
Sanctuary Woods is also talking with non-Tandy distributors for the
VIS format to ensure wide distribution of their products. Sanctuary
Woods is attempting to convert both The Vampire's Coffin and Shelley
Duvall's "It's a Bird's Life" to this new format.

The company has also announced distribution agreements with
Compton's NewMedia, Soft-Kat, and Educorp. All three
organizations will distribute the company's products to their
respective resellers and dealers.

Finally, Sanctuary Woods is attempting to prepare a line of products
for future releases. The Vampire's Coffin is being converted to the
MPC format with a projected release date of December. The next title
in the Victor Vector and Yondo series is being planned for February
93 in the Macintosh format. It will be called The Dinosaur Egg. And
Sanctuary Woods has a third title in production out of the 20 that
it plans to ultimately market. Each of Sanctuary Woods' titles will
retail for $59.95.

(Naor Wallach/19920923/Press Contact: Michael Beninger, Sanctuary
Woods, 604-380-7582/Public Contact: Santuary Woods, 604-380-7582)


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

Chipcom Shipping Fault Tolerant Controller 09/25/92
SOUTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Chipcom
has begun shipments of two networking components that it claims will
make life easier and less stressful for network administrators
through their inherent fault tolerant features.

The ONline Fault Tolerant Controller Module (Model 5000-RCTL) is to
be used as one of a pair of identical modules placed in one of
Chipcom's 6 slot or 17 slot System Concentrators. Once both units
are installed, one is configured as the active manager and the other
takes on a passive monitoring mode. If the active manager starts
behaving in a manner that is not consistent with its normal
operations, the backup unit will take over control and manage the
network while signalling the network administrator of the detected
problem.

Chipcom is claiming that this level of fault tolerance is unique
to the industry at this time. Most other hub vendors are not fully
cognizant of all the pitfalls and traps that are inherent in taking
on a really fault tolerant architecture, say company representatives.

A second product begin introduced with significant fault tolerant
provisions is the ONline Fault-Tolerant 10Base-T Transceiver (Model
5102P-TPFT). This small module has one AUI connector for cabling to
go to the workstation and two RJ45 connectors. The two RJ45s are
used to connect to the two cables that the signal can go through.

Chipcom has placed special circuitry into the transceiver that will
detect a failure on the main wire and move all network traffic across
the other link. With these transceivers and the proper amount of
controller modules at the hubs, it is possible to minimize the
disruption that would be caused by cabling failures and cabling
failures represent about 80% of all the problems encountered by
network administrators.

Both products are available now. The Controller Module retails for
$1500. The transceivers retail for $495. Chipcom is offering a
special deal to their existing customers. Should one of them wish
to upgrade their controller card to the new fault tolerant
architecture, the customer should buy two of the new controllers
and Chipcom will rebate their account when the older controller
is returned. If a customer chooses to take advantage of this offer,
the cost for the two controllers necessary drops to $1750.

(Naor Wallach/19920923/Press Contact: Christine LeCompte, Beaupre &
Co. for Chipcom, 508-624-6840/Public Contact: Chipcom, 508-460-8900)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00015)

Japan: Multiple Language TV Captioning To Be Developed 09/25/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of
International Trade and Industry (MITI) says it will start
developing a multiple language translation system for captioning
of television programs. The software system will be able to
automatically translate TV programs into the local languages of
Asian countries.

MITI is already developing a multi-language translation
system in cooperation with laboratories in Southeast Asia
including China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. This project
is called MMT (multi-language machine translation),
and the Ministry will spend a total of 20 billion yen ($160 million)
for this project, which will last 3 years.

However, the Ministry think the system will be of great benefit
to Asian communities. The 100 billion yen ($800) project should
result in a system in which the original language of a television
broadcast will be first translated into an intermediary language,
and then translated into the target languages of each country.

Translating broadcasts is extremely bothersome and costly for
TV producers and broadcasters. Also, it takes time, as translations
are done manually.

Japanese computer firms such as NEC and Fujitsu have developed
automatic language translation systems and they have been
applied to scientific or technical text for textbooks and guide books.
It is said a practical system that can translate everyday
conversation may take 10 years to develop.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19920923)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(SFO)(00016)

Review of: Headline Harry And The Great Paper Race, 09/25/92

Runs on: IBM compatibles, 80286 and 8 MHz or higher with 640K RAM

From: Davidson & Associates, P.O. Box 2961, Torrance, CA 90509,
800-556-6141

Price: $59.95

PUMA Rating: 3.75 (on a scale of 1=lowest to 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Naor Wallach 09/25/92

Summary: A game that teaches recent US history and US Geography
in an entertaining and challenging manner.

======

REVIEW

======

Headline Harry And The Great Paper Race is one of the latest in
an expanding genre of educational games that attempt to teach history
and geography in one fell swoop, and attempt to do this in a way that
is fun and exciting to boot! My feelings are that it is very
successful in reaching its goals.

The game box contains both 3.5" and 5.25" diskettes. There is also
a 24-page manual, a catalog of other Davidson offerings, a registration
card, and an offer to subscribe to a couple of magazines at a reduced
rate. The manual is written in the form of a magazine issue and within
its various columns contains all the information that is needed to
play the game and more. I especially liked the Dear Gabby feature that
is an answer and question forum.

Like others in this genre popularized by the Carmen Sandiego
series, Headline Harry wraps an exciting detective chase story line
around the program's real mission. In Headline Harry you are hired as
a Cub Reporter into the Daily Star newspaper. Your editor is Headline
Harry. As the program begins, your paper is in a dead heat with the
competition - The Diabolical Daily run by Marvin Muckracker. Your task
is to get the stories before Marvin's minions do. Should you succeed,
The Diabolical Daily's circulation drops and you get promoted. Fail,
and you get to try that story again.

Unlike some of the more blood thirsty games out there, there is no
chance for you to either kill or be killed. This is a distinct
advantage to those parents who are looking to purchase fun games
that do not involve blood and guts for their children. This game
is meant for 10 to 14-year-old kids and is very appropriate for
that age in the opinion of several teachers to whom I showed
the program.

There are a total of 12 stories that you need to track down. Each of
them is centered in a particular region of the US. However, while
researching the information on the story, you may end up flying
all over. Once a story is assigned to you, you know very little
about your task except for who your opponent will be, where to start
looking, and a vague hint about the nature of the story. For instance,
one of the stories revolves around the Los Angeles Olympics and it
is introduced to you as a story that has to do with great achievements.

You are allocated a certain amount of time to solve the problem before
the Diabolical Daily prints a very distorted version of the story that
you are after. To make things more exciting, you will discover that
there are at least three stories interwoven in the district that you
are seeking and they all sound plausible. You must collect all the
information on your story as well as decide which is really the real
story.

Once you travel to the starting spot, you are placed in a cab and asked
to choose among three or four possible destinations. One of the
destinations is always the airport so that you can fly to another city
in case of need. At each of the other destinations you will be able to
meet with people and talk to them, listen to the radio, read a story,
or gather some other clues. You also have a notebook that you can
record these clues in and a telephone for calling your mother.

Since the Diabolical Daily's reporters are also running around the same
areas as you, you need to keep a sharp lookout for them. They will
frequently drop various objects at different sites. If you spot those
and pick up the items, you are rewarded with a five hour addition to
your timeline while the Diabolical Daily reporter searches around
for the same item. On the other hand, you will frequently encounter
challenges that may subtract time from your quest. These challenges
take the form of trivia questions that also serve to teach you. For
instance, one question is, "Which state was the country's leading
producer of gold prior to the California Gold Rush?"

This game is completely graphical and mouse driven. Each scene that
you go to has different people in a different setting. A hotel scene
shows the lobby with a flower vase and a bee circling around it while
a porter picks up someone's luggage. The picnic scene comes complete
with a trail of ants going from the food to the anthill, etc. The
cab ride is also animated with various scenes depicted out of the
front window.

There are various sources of help available to you should you desire
it. One of the more interesting sources of information is your
telephone conversations with your mother. Do not forget to make
them! Other sources include Harry himself, his assistant Lazar, and
a Dr. Know it all that looks somewhat like Henry Kissinger. Then,
there are the various status displays and help displays that are
available from the menus.

To file a story you will need to identify and note in your notebook
the year, date, place, event, key people, and key words that are
related to that event. The program appears to be somewhat rigid in
the way in which it requires all of these factors, however, it is
possible to have some leeway if you know what to expect. For instance,
it is not an absolute requirement to have each keyword and person
spelled out completely. The program will accept input from your
saved notes. It will also interpret some of your typed words in a very
liberal fashion. In a story about the civil rights movement, the
program interpreted my entry "discrimination" as "racial
discrimination."

If you run out of time before you have all the details in your
notebook, you materialize in Harry's office who then proceeds to give
you the treatment! You are then forced to read the discombobulated
story that the Diabolical Daily printed and get to try that story again.

If you are successful in gathering all the information prior to your
time expiring, you can file the story. A beaming Harry congratulates
you on your success, lets you name and read your very own bylined
story, and after several successes promotes you. When certain scenarios
are completed, you may even get to be the Reporter of the Year and
get honored in front of the press club. Not only that but the Diabolical
Daily's circulation is reduced. Each of the stories can be printed for
you to save for later.

Although I very quickly got into the routine of the game, I still
enjoyed playing it. On several occasions, several of us gathered and
tried working on the game together. It was definitely possible to
do this kind of group activity and it only lent to the learning aspect
of the game. It almost always became a race against time to see if I
could get all the information on the story in time. Even when I
realized the true story right away, and worked on it diligently, I
could not just breeze through the game. All in all I find this game
very appealing and a good investment.

===========

PUMA RATING

===========

PERFORMANCE: 4 The program ran quickly enough so that I was not getting
annoyed waiting for it. This is a neat trick with all the graphics and
animations that compose it. It will also support a Sound Blaster card
for better quality audio although the regular speaker was very legible
and understandable.

USEFULNESS: 3 The game has some minor limitations. For instance, you
are only allowed twelve scenarios. The manual hints at several hundred
but it is not clear how to get them.

MANUAL: 4 Very well written with no typos or errors. Contains all the
information that is needed to play the game.

AVAILABILITY: 4 I found it in several software stores and saw it
advertised in some mail order firms' catalogs. There is also an 800
number of orders and a separate one for customer support. One of the
signs of the quality of this program is that I never needed to call
Davidson while running the program!

(Naor Wallach/19920916/Press Contact: Liz Rich-Reardon, Davidson &
Associates)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(LAX)(00017)

Review of: Smalltalk/V Windows 1.1 09/25/92

From: Digitalk, 9841 Airport Boulevard, Los Angeles, Ca 90045,
tel [phone], fax [phone]

Price: $499.95

PUMA Rating: 3.25 (on a scale of 1=lowest to 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by Linda Rohrbough

Summary: Digitalk's Smalltalk/V 1.1 implementation of the
Smalltalk programming language is a pure implementation of
object-oriented programming and is designed for "software
engineers." The product is fast for prototyping systems for
prospective clients and application development, but might
require some effort to learn for those coming from non-object
oriented programming backgrounds.

======

REVIEW

======

Anyone considering C++ as a programming tool should consider
using Smalltalk. Smalltalk hides a lot of things from you that
are just a hassle, allows you to use third party libraries for
critical functions that need to be fast or are difficult to
write -- like incorporating database functionality -- and offers
fast prototyping that's good enough to show clients.

Two main Smalltalk language vendors, Digitalk and Parkplace
Systems, currently dominate the Smalltalk programming market. I
chose the Windows version from Digitalk to review.

Smalltalk/V 1.1 is an undiluted or pure implementation of
object orientation. Everything in it is object oriented and
there's no way to break the object oriented paradigm.

There are a couple of implications for programmers in the pure,
object-oriented approach. One is it is not suitable for the
"ham radio operator" type of programmer. This is the guy who
likes to fiddle around with all the dials and someone who likes
to memorize hex addresses.

It's also not designed for the "hacker" type of programmer.
This is the guy who doesn't plan a design, but he just fixes
one problem, creates another, slaps in a fix to that problem
that creates another, and just generally hacks at something
until it works.

Smalltalk IS designed for the software engineer who wants to
model, meaning he wants to create a representation of the real
world. Usually this is a representation of a business process,
but it could be anything. This is the type of programer who is
going for the elegant solution to a given problem. This implies
a good, well-thought out design will be developed.

Smalltalk is also suited for exploring approaches to a problem
to see which one is the best. What's traditionally known as the
compile-link cycle is practically nonexistent. It's easy to try
things with it -- you can try it, test it, and go.

The product is also well-suited for prototyping because there
are no walls between the prototype and the finished product.
Smalltalk allows you to develop a prototype to show the
customer and put in just enough detail to get it working. Once
the customer is happy with it, you can take the prototype and
just continue on developing the application. The line between
where the prototype ends and the finished product begins is a
blur. It was a piece of cake to put together a
framework good enough to show prospective clients.

The language has a wide open architecture - the most wide open
language I've ever seen. You can see how it does things and you
can change the way it does things or totally integrate your
ideas into the product.

Normally when you buy a third party product you can tell where
your third party product ends and your application begins.
Worse than that, often you'll have to exit your normal
environment to use the third party product. Since most
graphical environments, such as Windows, allow you to toggle
around between applications, it's not quite as bad as
developing in a straight DOS environment, but it's a
distraction and a nuisance.

The difference with Smalltalk third party applications is once
installed, they become part of your Smalltalk environment. So
every time you launch Smalltalk, it's there and both products
follow the same rules. Third party tools for the
language are so integrated, they simply become
extensions of the language.

In fact, I found that programming in Smalltalk can be thought
of as extending Smalltalk in much the same way the third party
products do. So when you start an application, you ask
yourself, "How can I extend Smalltalk to solve this problem?"

For the product to be really useful and fast under Windows, I
would recommend a third party product for building the user
interface to save time and effort. The one I'd recommend is
Window Builder from Acumen Software of Berkeley, California.
While Window Builder doesn't solve all the problems,
it substantially reduces development time because
you can graphically position objects on the screen without
worrying about the screen coordinates. However, it requires a
$300 investment in addition to the nearly $500 Smalltalk/V 1.1
costs.

Memory management is done by the language itself, unlike C++
programming where you must pay attention to managing memory.
Smalltalk has a "garbage collection" feature that cleans up the
memory for you so you don't have to worry about allocating and
de-allocating memory. This means an entire set of bugs
associated with managing memory allocation are eliminated by
Smalltalk. Smalltalk also handles other similar problems so you
don't have to know as much about the internal architecture of
the PC as you need to know to use C++.

Smalltalk will also allow you to access anything in a dynamic
link library (DLL). So if there's technology you want to get to
like client/server, graphics, special math functions, etc. you
can do it with Smalltalk.

It appeared at first as though Smalltalk/V for Windows didn't
offer any mechanism for doing on-line help. However, Windows
has its own help system, Help Manager, and Help Manager support
is built into the product.

Smalltalk does have its drawbacks. The biggest limitation for
those new to object-oriented programming will probably be
training. Not everyone who can program today will be able to
use Smalltalk because it requires the programmer to understand
how to design and to see the big picture. It's the same kind of
difference as the one between an individual who can do
arithmetic fast in their head and someone who understands
mathematics.

The product's open architecture is also a double edged sword.
It allows you to make changes to the Smalltalk environment
which can result in the product not working at all or working
incorrectly. This is the old you-have-enough-power-to-hurt
yourself scenario, and the best protection against it is having
a backup copy of the product to reinstall.

Also, the documentation for the class libraries for the user
interface weren't clear and left me with a lot of questions. I
found myself with two different implementations of what
appeared to be the same functionality and no distinction
offered by Digitalk of when one should be used over another, or
even why both were offered. Fortunately, Window Builder solves
this problem, which is one of the reasons I recommend it.

One final drawback is there's not as much written material on
the language as I'd like to see. Books on it are rare, but
there is third party support in the way of libraries.

Digitalk itself is attempting to solve the training problem by
offering a tutorial in the written manual and on a disk. The
tutorial isn't an interactive one like you might expect, but
instead is examples of code you can study. The company is also
offering on-site courses for programmers. While the advantages
to being trained by Digitalk could be many, the drawbacks are
it is not in the company's interest to talk openly about
potential problems or fixes until they happen -- and maybe not
even then.

Another source of information, an on-line service headquartered
in Mountain View, California called AMIX, is focusing on
Smalltalk programming and programmers. Formerly owned by
Autodesk, AMIX charges $30 a month for access and it's
reportedly a "swap" where programmers can buy and sell ideas or
even programs. AMIX's organizers told me Smalltalk training
might be offered there and once you've developed applications
you might be able to sell your work or expertise there as well.

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

PUMA RATING

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

PERFORMANCE: 4
You can't get any more object-oriented than Smalltalk.

USEFULNESS: 4
Smalltalk/V is lower priced than other Smalltalk language
implementations and about the same price as C++ compilers.

MANUAL: 2
The documentation is the weakest part. What's there is fine,
but I felt it was incomplete. Digitalk offers examples but I
found myself with a lot of questions about the user interface
that were not answered in the documentation. Window Builder
solved those problems, however.

AVAILABILITY: 3
While the product can be ordered through almost any mail order
vendor who sells programming tools, support for learning and
implementing the language will probably be from a third party
vendor rather Digitalk. While this isn't terribly unusual with
a programming language, Smalltalk's more limited support and
tougher learning curve rated it a 3 here.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920831/Press Contact: Barbara Noparstak,
Digitalk, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00018)

Australia: Merisel Hot List Awards 09/25/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- About 60 Australian
computer industry people gathered at the Museum of Contemporary
Art in Sydney for the second annual Merisel Australia
Hot List awards on Wednesday evening. Merisel produces the Hot
List each month to show how products and vendors are
performing. While it only shows the products Merisel carries, the
list is eagerly awaited each month, with vendors hoping to see
their products at the top. The annual awards go to products that
consistently achieve the best sales results in their category.

Merisel MD Verilyn Smith said that it was a fact of life that
dealer margins had dropped to the point where it was hard to achieve
a 12 percent gross margin, but that by 1994 that figure was more
likely to be just nine percent. She pointed out that her own
company only looks for a net three percent profit, and anything in
excess of that figure is immediately ploughed into winning more
market share.

Merisel expects 73 percent growth this year, with turnover of $76
million. The target for 1993 is more than $100 million. Merisel
distributes to more than 6500 resellers in Australia and 50,000
worldwide. It carries over 10,000 stock lines spread over 20
distribution centres. But on to the awards.

Communication, utility and system: 1st place - Microsoft Windows;
2nd - XTree Gold.

Education and recreation: 1st - WordPerfect 5.1 DOS; 2nd -
WordPerfect 5.1 Windows.

Mac Hardware: 1st - DayStar Digital PowerCache; 2nd -
Kensington TurboMouse

Mac Software: 1st - Symantec Sam; 2nd - Norton Utilities for the
Mac

Hardware (drives, tapes, modems, boards, connectivity): 1st -
Microsoft Mouse; 2nd Colorado Jumbo 120 tape drive

Hardware (systems, printers, monitors, terminals): 1st - Epson
LX400 printer; 2nd Wyse 60 terminal

General business software: 1st - Microsoft word for Windows;
2nd - WordPerfect 5.1 DOS

Most outstanding performer: WordPerfect Pacific.

(Paul Zucker/19920925)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

 ****Bell Atlantic Testing Multimedia Directory 09/25/92
CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Bell Atlantic
said it will field-test a phone directory using CD-ROM
technology early next year. About 300 households will get the
chance to use Philips' CD-I gear, connected to their home TVs, in
the test. The company demonstrated its system at the Electronic
Directory Publishing Conference.

The prototype system uses text, graphics, animation, full-motion
video and sound, under the Compact Disc-Interactive standard
pioneered by Philips. In the test, players will be supplied free,
and disks will contain up to a million residential listings, more
than 300,000 business listings, and about 1,000 display
advertisements, including many with multi-media presentations.
The compact discs for the test will be produced by CapDisc, a
division of Capitol Multimedia, based in Washington.

Spokesman Stephanie Hobbs told Newsbytes that after the six-month
trial, "We will then make a decision on whether we have enough
information and where to go. We want to move forward. The CD-I
technology fit the bill based on focus group meetings we did.
But now we have to see if it works." She added the system is "at
least 18 months from market, maybe longer."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920925/Press Contact: Stephanie Hobbs, Bell
Atlantic, 301-493-3134)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00020)

International Phone Update 09/25/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Profits in Spain
highlighted international telecommunications news.

Telefonica de Espana broke out figures for its international
unit, which manages its Latin American and other holdings outside
Spain. Profits rose almost 25 percent on a pre-tax basis, the
company said. The news is important as Uruguay and other
countries move to sell-off state-owned telephone companies. Since
most US phone companies do not break out international sales on
their balance sheets, Telefonica's numbers are a good indication
that such diversification remains profitable.

The news was welcomed by Compania de Telefonos de Chile, which
has 10 percent of its stock in the form of American Depository
Receipts traded on US markets. It announced it wants to place a
$200 million convertible bond issue with international markets to
finance its 1994-97 expansion plans. Convertible bonds can be
turned into common stock at the discretion of the bondholder.
Telefonica de Espana holds a 43 percent stake in CTC.

Elsewhere, Jordan and Syria agreed to link their telephone
networks, with a cable between Damascus and Amman. The deal is
important because the two countries split over the 1991 Gulf War,
with Syria allying with the US and Jordan taking Iraq's side.
Syria's part in the link may be paid for by a loan from a Kuwaiti
fund. Also, Bangladesh's stock market was hit by a computer
breakdown on September 24 -- fortunately trading had been within
a narrow range.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920925)


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

 ****Clinton Does Email in a Major Way 09/25/92
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- The
Presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Bill Clinton has
taken a page from the Ross Perot playbook and become a major user
of e-mail technology, building a major system based on UUNet, a
network which is part of the Internet.

Newsbytes talked to Jonathan P. Gill of Cambridge, Massachusetts,
who directs the e-mail campaign for Clinton and vice presidential
candidate Al Gore. Gill said that, in addition to a UUNet
account, the campaign also has accounts on CompuServe and America
Online, where it posts position papers and answers comments from
users. Lines from notes posted on those networks have, in fact,
found their way into campaign speeches and press releases.

Gill said the campaign has a number of UUNet addresses, all
ending with clinton-gore.org, and an automatic response system
written by MIT scientists in the Lisp language. Gill said he
began corresponding with field communications director Jeff Eller
in the spring, then met with him at the party's convention in New
York to formalize his participation in the electronic campaign.

By late September, Gill said, he was responding to 100 mail
messages each weekday, and about 50 each day during the weekend.
Gill told Newsbytes he plans to travel to Little Rock soon to
speed-up the process of moving press releases, position papers,
and other documents online.

"I see myself more as an electronic team-builder," Gill adds.
"I'm trying to build a learning organization -- an electronic
organization that's smarter than the sum of its parts, that's
flat and as close as possible to the voters as possible. Governor
Clinton talks about empowering people, and people taking
responsibility for their lives. That's sympathetic to what I'm
trying to do." He said that as the system expands, he expects he
will need a staff to help him, "but right now it's just me."

Gill was a founder of Computer Access Corp., a software company
which developed a text information management program called
Bluefish. Lotus Development Corporation bought the technology in 1987.
"It's principally used by them on CD-ROM, and Ziff Davis uses it
in its Computer Library CD-ROM." Since 1987, he has been an
independent consultant working as Penfield Gill Inc.

Gill also talked about the purpose of the system. "The goal of
the campaign is to get the vote out, and one way is to inform the
voters. We do it with electronic libraries. I want to spawn them
far and wide, to make it easy for people to obtain the full text
of any of our items and read them for themselves," without it
being filtered through a third party. "We have a library in Los
Angeles which prints these files, puts them in binders and puts
them on tables. We have people printing indexes of the file
lists, which they take to local media and other places, asking if
they'd like anything. There are people who are connected to news
services who don't get the items when they're first sent -- and
they don't often get them otherwise."

Because of the Internet, Gill adds, "We've gotten e-mail from
Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, England, Switzerland,
and Holland. We have people working for us overseas, who are
interested in the problem of absentee ballots. They introduced
material we posted to the Internet.

Gill says that the system does have links to the campaign staff
and the candidates, using wireless systems when they're in a bus
or on an airplane. "It's as if I were on one floor, passing
interoffice mail," he said.

I'm going to Little Rock because we want to increase the flow,
quantity and quality, from Little Rock to the networks. And no
one in the headquarters has responsibility to reformat, check and
upload the data. Jeff, who has too many distractions, uploads the
key things to me and I post them, but if I were there we could
provide a richer menu. It's also become clear to the campaign
this is a valuable asset...all sorts of things come in. It's
especially valuable to the speechwriters -- they get more
stimulation."

Gill concluded that, while a campaign can give people the
opportunity for direct interaction with the candidate, it's up
to individuals to take advantage of it. "A lot of people want a
fair amount of direction. The Berlin Wall would still be standing
if the people there waited for campaign stickers, pins and
position papers."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920925/Press Contact: Clinton-Gore Campaign,
CompuServe: 75300,3115; Internet: [e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00022)

 ****FoxPro DevCon Largest PC Database Conference Ever 09/25/92
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- More than
1,800 FoxPro developers rolled up their sleeves and investigated
some of the issues that will affect their development projects,
their clients, and the future of their businesses.

Attendance at the Fourth Annual International FoxPro Developer
Conference, hosted for the first time by Microsoft following its
merger with Fox Software, was the highest ever at a PC database
conference. By contrast, Borland International's Paradox Conference,
held earlier this year, attracted between 1,200 and 1,300 attendees.

Topics covered at the 48 technical sessions ranged from the
nitty-gritty of building menus and screens to future database industry
directions and trends. The conference trade show featured 43 vendors
demonstrating add-on applications and services for FoxPro.

During sessions on the first day, attendees got a look at
Microsoft's Windows for Workgroups, now in beta test. This release
of Windows offers built-in networking capabilities that allow users to
work cooperatively, and will be of key importance to developers
building network applications.

In his keynote, Dr. David Fulton, architect of Microsoft's
Database and Development Tools Division, demonstrated FoxPro for
Windows (currently estimated to be shipping at the end of 1992).

One of the conference highlights was a session by Brian K. Jones
of Oak Ridge National Laboratory titled "Modeling with FoxPro."
Jones demonstrated applications developed with FoxPro, FORTRAN,
and C that the US Military used to control troop and equipment
deployment for the Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations in the
Persian Gulf. The highly complex systems featured stunning charts,
maps, and animated graphical simulations.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates addressed attendees in a closing
session.

(Audrey Kalman/19920925)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00023)

 ****Virtual Reality an Industry "on the Cusp" 09/25/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- In remarks at
Meckler Corporation's Third Annual Virtual Reality Conference and
Exhibition, Robert Jacobson, PhD., principal of Worldesign,
characterized "virtual reality" as a small and intimate industry, low on
capital and personality-driven. "We don't really know what it is we're
doing," he said. "Are we Alexander Graham Bell? Plato?... The '60s
revisited?"

Virtual reality (VR), long a buzz-phrase suggesting different ideas to
everyone who hears it, encompasses a wide range of computer
hardware and software technologies that enable people to interact with
and participate in a "virtual" environment -- that is, a reality created
and represented by computer.

VR appears finally to be on the verge of capturing commercial
interest. Total conference attendance was not available at press time,
but in contrast to the 17 speakers featured at the first annual
conference, this year's event offered nearly 60 speakers on topics
ranging from strategic directions for VR products to the application of
VR in minimally invasive surgical procedures. Perhaps more
significant than increased attendance is the attendee profile. "Even six
months ago, [you could characterize attendees as] 'Cyberpunks'...
Look around -- the business people are here, and they're interested,"
said Tom Coull, president of Sense8 Corporation, which produces
WorldToolKit, a software tool kit for building VR applications.

The gathering momentum is reflected in the number and diversity of
vendors. "Virtual Reality Marketplace 1993," a Meckler publication,
lists 136 companies offering applications from aerospace to
visualization. Nearly 25 vendors exhibited at the trade show
accompanying the conference. Three-dimensional measuring
technology, biological signal processing, head-ported stereo display
technology, and software development kits for designing "virtual
worlds" shared space on the trade show floor.

As in the early days of the computer industry, hardware prices and
capabilities still curb the potential of virtual reality. Most VR
applications require large amounts of processing power, high-
resolution graphics, and expensive add-on hardware devices to allow
users to interact with a virtual world. Several price breakthroughs
highlighted at the show promise to help bring VR applications into the
mainstream. The Global 3D Controller, for example, translates
full three-dimensional input from the user's hand to control 3D
graphics or move the user through a visual environment and costs less
than $100. Global Devices, producer of the 3D Controller, reported
a high level of interest among other vendors in licensing the
technology.

Location-based entertainment -- which includes products such as the
VR-based games located in arcades -- is currently one of the hottest
commercial VR areas. But Jacobson of Worldesign believes the true
potential of virtual reality lies in applications that serve the
strategic information needs of the business world by exploiting
knowledge about how humans interact with their environment.

Meckler Conference Management has scheduled an international VR
conference April 6 - 7, 1993, in London. The next annual Virtual
Reality Conference and Exhibition will take place May 19 - 21, 1993
at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California.

(Meckler Corporation, 203-226-6967)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00024)

Sense8/StereoGraphics Bundle Tools, 3D Viewer 09/25/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Two leading vendors of
virtual reality (VR) products announced at Virtual Reality '92 that
they will bundle their products, offering developers a complete
hardware and software solution at a reasonable price.

Sense8 Corporation's WorldToolKit is a library of C functions that
lets developers rapidly build real-time graphics simulations. The tool
kit is hardware-independent. StereoGraphics Corporation's
CrystalEYES VR is a stereo 3D viewer and head-tracking system that
allows users to view and interact with three-dimensional information
on a workstation monitor.

"Developers need both the software and the input device. By
combining forces, we offer a solution," said James Blom of
StereoGraphics.

The CrystalEYES VR system produces a 3-D image on a projection
screen or computer monitor. CrystalEYES patented eyewear, which
looks like a large, bulky pair of eyeglasses, displays right-hand and
left-hand images alternately at 120 frames per second -- quickly
enough to eliminate flicker. In addition to its virtual reality
applications, the eyewear is used in mechanical CAD, automotive
design, scientific visualization, and mapping applications.

WorldToolKit makes prototyping and development of interactive,
three-dimensional graphics applications relatively easy. For example,
developers at a rehabilitation center used the product to create
software applications that let architects design wheelchair accessible
buildings. With a wired glove and VR goggles, a disabled person can
"tour" the building to test door width and spacing and height of
objects.

The bundled products are available initially on Silicon Graphics
Indigo workstations. They may be ordered directly through Sense8
and StereoGraphics for a total of $7,900, fifteen percent off the
regular list price.

Sense8 also announced that it has ported WorldToolKit to Intel's i860
chip. The i860, a RISC processor with more than one million
transistors, will allow developers to perform real-time texture
mapping on a single i860 graphics board.

(Sense8 Corporation, 415-331-6318; StereoGraphics Corporation,
415-459-4500.)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00025)

 ****Shrink-Wrapped Virtual Reality Developer 09/25/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- VREAM, Inc.
demonstrated its Virtual Reality Development System at Virtual
Reality '92. The product has not been officially released but the
company is currently selling the beta version and will upgrade buyers
to the full production copy when it is released in the end of 1992.

The company bills its Virtual Reality Development System as the first
complete, off-the-shelf, low cost virtual reality (VR) system. The
software runs on a standard IBM PC and requires only a mouse,
joystick, and keyboard for user interaction. High-end input devices
such as head-mounted displays and gloves are also supported. Users
may upgrade hardware for better resolution and performance without
changing the software.

The VREAM Virtual Reality Development system, priced at $1,495,
allows the user to define, enter and interact with virtual worlds. "The
development system is easy enough to use as an end user," said
VREAM President Edward R. LaHood.

The development system displays a grid with a simple menu across
the top and an extensive toolbar at the bottom. Users create objects,
such as cubes, pyramids, or spheres, which they place on the grid and
assign attributes such as color or spin. The development system allows
users to switch easily into runtime mode to explore the world they
have created and switch back to development mode to further modify
it. Files in standard 3D file format (DXF), as well as PCX files, can be
imported.

The VREAM Runtime System, available separately for $89, lets
developers distribute runtime copies of worlds they have created.

(Audrey Kalman/19920925/VREAM, Inc. 312-477-0425)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00026)

 ****"Audible Objects" Have Virtual Reality Apps 09/25/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- At Virtual Reality
'92, Clarity announced the Clarity Sonification Toolkit and demonstrated
the "sonification" of chaos data, predator/prey models, and data from
the Magellan spacecraft's fly-by of Venus. Sonification, or the use of
sound to display data, helps users of information systems comprehend
far more data than they could take in visually.

The data controls the parameters of the synthesized sound; as data
values increase or decrease, sound characteristics such as pitch,
brightness, or speed change accordingly. In one demonstration,
various sounds represented stocks, bonds, and other historical
market data, creating an auditory "picture" of four-and-a-half
years of market ups and downs.

"What am I doing at a virtual reality show?" asked Clarity President
Gregory Kramer. He answered his own question by describing how
the Sonification Toolkit's Audible Objects take virtual reality (VR)
beyond the pre-recorded sound usually used to enhance virtual
environments. "You could create a [virtual] room where the sound
indicates the number of people in the room with you." Or a physician
"walking" through a representation of the human body could take
advantage of sound to absorb more information than could be
displayed visually. Such characteristics as tissue density and cell
structure could be represented audibly.

The software was demonstrated on a Macintosh IIfx. Pricing
information is not yet available.

(Audrey Kalman/19920925/Clarity, 914-424-4071)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00027)

Software Toolworks Signs New OEM Deal With Grolier 09/25/92
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Just a month
after reporting another quarterly loss, for $1.9 million on
revenues of $16.4 million, The Software Toolworks and Grolier
Electronic Publishing, creator of The New Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia on CD-ROM, have renewed and expanded their
exclusive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) marketing
agreement.

Tracy Egan, spokesperson for the company, told Newsbytes that
the previous agreement covered last year's version of the product.
"We had an agreement with them last year and we distributed
their product OEM." The new agreement stands to run for a year,
she said.

According to the companies, under the terms of the new
agreement, The Software Toolworks retains rights to offer
the OEM version of "The Software Toolworks Multimedia
Encyclopedia" to OEMs exclusively worldwide. In addition, the
agreement also provides The Software Toolworks with
worldwide distribution rights for the retail version of the
software called "The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia."

Egan told Newsbytes that, "It is a similar agreement, but in
this case, we're also handling the product retail as well."

The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia is the 1992 CD-ROM
version of Grolier's 21-volume Academic American Encyclopedia,
and includes 33,000 articles (an estimated 10 million words)
and 3,000 full-color and black-and-white illustrations and
photographs.

Bob Lloyd, president of The Software Toolworks, said: "The New
Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia was one of our best-selling OEM
products last year, and we expect the multimedia version with
digitized video, animation and audio capabilities to be equally
successful this year. The terms of our new agreement will
provide a strong base for building our CD-ROM and multimedia
product line."

Three OEM versions of The Software Toolworks Multimedia
Encyclopedia will be marketed: a multimedia version for the
Macintosh, and for IBM users; a DOS version; and a version for
Multimedia Personal Computer PCs.

The suggested retail price for all versions of The New Grolier
Multimedia Encyclopedia is $395.

In August Newsbytes reported that The Software Toolworks
reported a quarterly loss of $1.9 million, compared to $0.9
million or ($0.04) per share on revenue of $16.4 million for the
same quarter in the prior fiscal year.

Sales of the company's Miracle Piano Teaching System quintupled
over what they were the previous year, and software sales gained
21 percent to total $7.7 million in the first fiscal quarter.
International sales jumped 29 percent above the comparable
quarter from the year before.

(Ian Stokell/19920925/Press Contact: Doug Mealy, 415-883-3000,
ext. 520; or Tracy Egan, 415-883-3000, ext. 828, both of The
Software Toolworks)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00028)

HP Targets 1st Qtr Fiscal 1993 For High-End Shipments 09/25/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard is targeting the first quarter of its 1993 fiscal year,
which starts November 1, as the date for volume shipments of
its high-end HP Corporate Business Systems.

The HP Corporate Business Systems include nine models for the
HP 3000 and HP 9000 computer families. The company announced
the new computers in May, and according to the company, by
August, it had received more than 100 orders for the systems.

The company says that it expects to ship a limited number of
units in its fourth quarter.

In May Newsbytes reported that HP had introduced the new class
of reduced instruction-set computer (RISC)-based minicomputers
aimed at business mainframe users. At the time, HP claimed the
new machines would be 80 percent cheaper to own than
mainframes.

HP also said that the minicomputers have the advantages of
requiring significantly less support staff than mainframes, are
air-cooled, use HP's Precision Architecture-RISC (PA-RISC)
technology, and are only the size of the average refrigerator. A
400 transactions-per-second processing speed makes the
Corporate Business Systems more powerful than 90 percent of
the IBM mainframes currently in business installations and
allows the systems to support thousands of users, HP maintained.

Prices for the five mid-range models of the HP 3000 Corporate
Business Systems were listed at between $365,000 and $925,000,
while the four low-end models of the HP 9000 Corporate Business
Servers are priced between $335,000 to $650,000.

(Ian Stokell/19920925/Press Contact: Jim Christensen,
Hewlett-Packard, 408-447-1678)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00029)

New For Macintosh: Adobe Ships Premiere 2.0 09/25/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Adobe
Systems' Adobe Premiere version 2.0 video-editing software for
the Macintosh is now available. According to the company, the
new 2.0 version provides users with Adobe's PostScript
rasterizing technology, a professional feature set, and an
expanded user interface.

The product has a suggested retail price of $695, although the
upgrade is free to registered users who purchased non-bundled
versions of Adobe Premiere software after June 1, 1992. The
upgrade for all other customers is $149.

The company says that Adobe Premiere 2.0 provides "complete
functionality for both on-line and off-line video editing."

Some of the features offered in version 2.0 include: a filmstrip
file for working with movies in the Adobe Photoshop program;
advanced keying for chroma, luminance, alpha channels, that
can isolate areas in moving or still images and superimpose
them on other clips; and special effects including "flying" video,
animated titles, and mesh warps.

According to the company, the minimum system requirements
for Adobe Premiere 2.0 are a Macintosh with a 68020 or higher
processor, four megabytes of RAM and hard disk drive, with
Apple System 6.0.7 or 7.0, 32-bit QuickDraw and QuickTime
software.

When the first version of Premier was released at the beginning
of this year Newsbytes reported that it was an enhanced version
of Supermac's ReelTime, a digital video-editing software product
developed in 1991. Adobe acquired rights to the product in August,
1991 and had worked with Supermac in its continuing development.
The ReelTime software was developed to make use of the Video
Spigot, SuperMac's digital-video capture hardware boards.

(Ian Stokell/19920925/Press Contact: Teri Chadbourne, Adobe
Systems Inc., 415-961-4400)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00030)

EC Considers Levy On Recording Tapes 09/25/92
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Not content with imposing
an anti-dumping level on Korean dynamic random access memory
(DRAM) chip suppliers and considering a similar tax on floppy
disks, the European Commission (EC) has resurrected the old idea
of a recording levy on audio and video tape.

The plan for a recording levy dates back several years and dates
originally from a US and UK proposal of the early 1980s, when
record producers claimed that their sales were hit by the success
of the compact cassette. Now the companies are claiming that
sales of compact disk and pre-recorded video cassettes are being
hit by the "home pirate" brigade.

A discussion paper currently in front of the EC special committee
on recording levies suggests that a special tax on all types of
"blank recording media" be imposed, with the proceeds dispersed
to the music and video producers on a pro-rata basis. The theory
is that the levy would eventually reach the authors, artists and
producers, although EC executives acknowledge that policing the
disbursements could be an expensive hobby.

Interestingly, the EC also proposes that, of a non-EC country
imposes a similar levy, then some form of cash exchange could
take place, introducing the possibility of a globally agreed
recording levy.

The levy could have become a reality two years ago, Newsbytes
notes, were it not for the fact that the UK objected to the
idea, claiming that it would discriminate against visually
handicapped people and would primarily benefit US artists.

(Steve Gold/19920925)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00031)

Ericsson Scores $430M Contract With British Telecom 09/25/92
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Ericsson has secured a
$430 million contract with British Telecom. Terms of the contract
call for Ericsson to supply BT with large quantities of its AXE
digital telephone exchange technology for the next stage of
modernizing the network.

BT already has around five million exchange lines on order from
Ericsson, to the new BT deal is icing on the cake as far as the
Swedish telecoms technology supplier. According to BT, this new
contract will allow the telecoms company to improve the quality
of its service to its customers.

Sources close to BT suggest that the bulk of the extra AXE
technology will be used in the provision of integrated services
digital network (ISDN) technology, which is starting to take off
in the UK. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that BT will
implement a strategy of supplying ISDN-2, its ISDN-2A+1B basic
rate access (BRA) service, to business customers requesting two
or more lines. BT, meanwhile, has not made any comment about the
reports.

(Steve Gold/19920925)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00032)

New Product: Kodak Writable CD Drive 09/25/92
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Just a few weeks
after announcing a major push into the commercial stock photo
market for its Photo CD product, Kodak has announced the Writable
PCD, a CD-ROM compatible, write once system consisting of a
recording drive, disc, and related software.

Photo CD is Kodak's name for its brand of CD-ROM XA, an optical
storage standard which allows publication of sound, text, and
high-resolution images. For about $100 an individual user can
have four rolls of 35 mm film developed and stored on a CD-ROM XA
disc which can be played back through a Philips CD-I (Imagination
Machine) or other compatible player and displayed on a standard
television.

What Kodak announced this week was the commercial recorder system
and blank recording discs which can be used to create new data
discs. The company is also apparently going beyond the
photographic applications by expanding its market into the one-
off CD-ROM recording arena and has cited MCI's use of Kodak
Writable technology to publish monthly telephone bills for some
large customers.

The PCD Writable 200 is a double-speed CD-ROM XA recorder that
produces a full CD-ROM or CD-ROM XA compatible disc in about a
half-hour. The less data being recorded, the shorter the
recording time for these recordable CD drives so a disc
containing only a few images, a limited amount of sound, or only
30-40 megabytes of data would require only a few minutes to
record.

Kodak did not disclose exact prices for the Kodak Writable CD
discs, but did say that the material-only costs of producing a
single disc would be about $25.

The costs of other CD-WO or CD Write Once recorders capable of
recording CD-ROM, CD-I and CD-ROM XA (Photo CD) run about $10,000
for complete packages, including the CD recorder hardware and the
necessary premastering and recording software. Other available
drives include those marketed by Sony (CDW-900), Philips (CDD-
521), JVC (XR-W1001), and Yamaha (301 Series recorders).

The company says that Kodak Publishing Software will come in DOS,
Windows, Macintosh, and Unix versions.

Newsbytes was unable to obtain any further information about
pricing on the Kodak PCD Writer 200 but a customer service
representative did say that the product wouldn't actually ship
until the second quarter of 1993.

The person at customer service number given by Kodak for
information about Photo CD declined to give out any pricing
information and referred this bureau to several press contacts,
none of whom were available for comment before deadline.

(John McCormick/19920925/Press Contact: Cindy Trano, Kodak, 716-
724-1983)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00033)

ROUNDUP: Stories Carried By Other Media This Week 09/25/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief
look at some computer stories carried in other publications
received here this past week.

The September 21 issue of CommunicationsWeek says that IBM has
dropped the contention that mainframe computers are needed to
manage multivendor-distributed networks when the company
introduced the new NetView/6000 management system.

This week's Computer Reseller News tested several companies' 30-
day, "no questions asked" return policy and found that, while all
wanted to know the reason for a return and some used a strong
sell to get the customer to keep the system, they did accept
returns. CompuAdd credited the credit card refund the fastest
(one day after receipt of return), Gateway 2000 came in second,
tied with IBM at five days, PC Brand took 18 days, and Dell
needed 38 days to process the refund.

PC Magazine, dated September 29, carries a preview of Borland's
Quattro Pro for Windows and looks at 20 Windows utilities.

InformationWeek for the 21st of September lists the top 500
information technology users in all areas of business. General
Electric ranked tops in the amount of IT use, AT&T came in
second, while IBM came in at ninth place. Siemens AG, Royal Dutch
Shell Petroleum, and Unilever plc ranked tops in Europe.

September's Reseller World looks at the outlook for optical
storage sales.

Computer Monthly for September reviews Powerbox Systems' Local
Bus 486/50 tower.

ComputerWorld says that the Oracle 7 DBMS will only be delivered
to a few sites this fall and that there will be no new forms tool
set available for three to six more months. This issue also says
that the IBM, Apple, and Motorola chip co-op deal is bearing
early fruit, with the Model 601 microprocessor reportedly being
nearly ready for prototyping three to six months ahead of
schedule.

October's BYTE tests 12 file servers and looks at the four new
low-cost Macintosh computers.

Networking Management for September looks at videoconferencing.

The October issue of UnixWorld evaluates 15 PC-based versions of
Unix.

Workstation News for October has a brief, but very useful,
comparison of just what various benchmark ratings mean and how
computers from PCs through hot RISC machines measure up.

(John McCormick/19920925)


(EDITORIAL)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00034)

Editorial: Pen Computing, Hype Or Computing's Future? 09/25/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 SEP 25 (NB) -- By John McCormick.
As someone who has been following field computing for
many years, I have recently been watching the growing number
of hardware and software offerings for the pen computer market and
was surprised to see a front page story in September's High-Tech
Marketing News which questions whether pen computing is really
catching on.

According to the High-Tech report, more than $450 million has
been spent by the major players to develop hardware and the pen
interface but there has been little in the way of sales in return
for that large investment.

The September 21 Computer Reseller News says that sales figures
for pen computers are misleading those analysts who compare pen
computer sales to the massive but already mature PC market, and I
agree with that view (in fact, most of this editorial was written before
I saw the CRN piece).

Pen computers are not dead; in fact, they are barely out of the
nursery. Certainly we do not yet see them in every briefcase or displayed
in every computer store's window, but that doesn't necessarily
indicate any failure in the technology itself or in marketplace
acceptance.

Pen computing is still a new technology, despite the fact that I
have been covering related handwriting recognition systems for
years. Those early systems were mostly special-purpose "forms" or
data recording computers.

General-purpose pen-controlled computers are just now coming on
the market, and every evidence indicates that they, as well as
special-purpose units, are finding their way into vertical
markets in growing numbers.

As more and more applications programs are developed or ported to
good pen interfaces, pen computers will continue to expand their
presence in the workplace and even make their way into homes.

This is exactly the sort of market penetration we should expect
to see with a new computer technology - after all, PCs first
penetrated the office market because of the invention of the
spreadsheet and then only in accounting departments - back 10
years ago word processing was still being done mostly on
dedicated Wang systems, and it was many years before computers
became today's standard office machines, found on nearly every
desk.

Actually there are quite a few pen computers already in use,
perhaps as many as 100,000, mostly in vertical markets. That
means a $200-million-plus market already - lots of businesses
would be happy to claim that size market in the first year or two
of real marketing efforts.

The fact that the first real success for pen computers has been
in vertical markets is understandable but leads to a
misunderstanding of just how popular they are becoming.

The general public and even most business computer users just
don't see them because most pen computers are out in the field,
in warehouses, or in other specialized niche markets.

Pen computers are perfect for field computing applications but
they haven't been adopted in the general office market yet, so
they remain almost invisible to most users.

I am not recommending that everyone rush out and purchase stock
in pen computer companies; there is no assurance that any
particular one will become dominant or even continue to exist,
but the general field is alive and well and will certainly become
more important as time passes.

Pen computers should quickly find a solid market among those who
are not using portable computers primarily for word processing.

Handprinting recognition can't replace the keyboard for rapid and
accurate text entry, but even expert typists will find them
perfectly suited for most numeric and occasional data entry work
- just the sort of tasks most non-writers use computers for on
the road.

Because pen computers combine the display screen with the data
input area, they can be much more compact than the current crop
of notebook computers which must include room for a complex
mechanical keyboard.

Powerful pen computers could also compete with notebook computers
on a price basis because they don't include all the intricate
mechanical parts of a keyboard. Electronically a pen computer is
very complex, but the major cost of building any computer these
days is mechanical, not electronic.

As volume picks up, pen computers could become less expensive
than notebooks but will probably just approach the same price,
despite the fact that they also lack expensive miniaturized hard
drives.

The ideal portable computer should make its first real appearance
by about 1995. It will be a pen-based computer but will also be
able to handle text input because of an advanced voice
recognition system.

(John McCormick/19920925)