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/nb921103

Text File | 1992-11-03 | 63KB | 1,394 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00001)

Toll-Free Database Plan Moves Ahead 11/03/92
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Despite moves by
toll-free number owners to slow down the process, the move to
make such numbers portable is moving ahead.

Catalog merchants and others who control a lot of numbers are
concerned about plans to move the numbers into a database,
making them portable by next spring, will happen. They are afraid
that software bugs, inevitable in such a massive undertaking,
could take down their services during the crucial Christmas
selling season.

Some merchants have even gone as far as petitioning the Federal
Communications Commission to delay the start of the change-over
until after the first of the year, which would push completion of
the project back to the middle of 1993.

Right now, long distance companies which manage the numbers
control whole exchanges, like 383 or 484. If a merchant wishes to
change their toll-free service provider, they have to change
numbers.

Bellcore is putting together a database of which firms runs numbers on
each exchange, known as an NXX. The latest move on that front
is Bellcore's announcement that its Service Management System now
holds a record number of 800 NXX-based telephone numbers from
25 different service providers, marking a significant scheduled
milestone in the national deployment of a new 800 database
access service. SMS will administer the new database nationally.
Records include more than 2 million reserved and active 800
numbers as well as customer routing preferences.

Local phone companies will have to download this data into their
own separate databases, in so-called Service Control Points. SMS
is operated by Southwestern Bell Telephone and is maintained and
managed by Bellcore in its temporary role as the 800 Number
Administration and Service Center administrator. A search for a
new national administrator is underway.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: Bellcore, Barbara
McClurken, 201/740-6467)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

SMC Extends Novell's HUBCON For Network Management 11/03/92
HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Standard Micro-
system (SMC) announced a new method to control its
stand-alone Ethernet hub at the recently concluded InterOp show.

This new tool is called Hub Redirect -- a Novell Netware NLM
(Netware Loadable Module) that captures HUBCON commands and sends
them across the network to the SMC hub. Any responses from the
hub to the server are captured by the NLM and translated into
HUBCON-compatible command responses.

Ordinarily, Novell's HUBCON is concerned with communications
solely with any cards that are on-board the server itself. The
program was not designed by Novell to go across the network. Hub
Redirect is essentially an SNMP (Simple Network Management
Protocol) translator. Due to the need for SNMP communications,
there is only one model of SMC's hubs that can use this
capability -- the 3512TPi.

SMC has realized that many of its cards and hubs are in use in
Novell sites. This has led to the decision to develop tools such
as Hub Redirector. SMC's position is that it would rather not
force its customers to purchase yet another network
management station to control their SNMP-based hubs. Rather,
they would like to see existing hardware and software used
more intelligently.

The company is also planning to make this type of support
available for its Token Ring products as well as for more than
just Novell's Netware servers.

Hub Redirect will become available on December. At that time it
will be included in the SMC Network Management Module that comes
as a part of the intelligent version of the 3512TPi. Those who
upgrade to the intelligent version will receive the Hub
Redirector at no charge. Current users who have the intelligent
version can receive the Hub Redirector also at no charge from
either SMC's technical support organization or they can download
it from Compuserve.

(Naor Wallach/19921103/Press Contact: Ellen Roeckl, SMC, 516-435-
6340/Public Contact: SMC, 516-273-3100)


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

New For PC: Treasure Math Storm, Treasure Cove 11/03/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- The Learning
Company (TLC) was so overwhelmed by favorable reaction to the
release of Treasure Mountain, its educational game for the PC,
that it has announced plans to release two more packages in
the range.

"The overwhelming popularity of Treasure Mountain with parents,
teachers, and kids demonstrated to us that the time was right to
introduce additional titles of the same genre for kids in this
age range," explained Bill Dinsmore, president and CEO of TLC.

"Each of the three complementary products focuses on a core
learning skill. Each appeals to children's familiarity with and
their fondness for the characters, the fantasy world, and the
time-tested game style popularized in Treasure Mountain," he
added.

Treasure Math Storm and Treasure Cove are the two new titles to be
added to Treasure Mountain. All three programs share the same
characters -- although they have been renamed Super Seekers in the
two newest editions -- and meet with the same enemy. The Master of
Mischief operates in all three games and children master the
appropriate reading, math, and science skills to defeat him and
his Goobies.

In Treasure Cove the setting is ocean life. The educational focus
is on science but there is a significant amount of ecology and
anti-pollution sentiment as well. Treasure Math Storm is set on
the top of a mountain.

Each of the three games retails for $59.95. The complete trilogy
is available now. The games are targeted at children ages 5-9.
The program are available for MS-DOS computers. The Learning
Company has not made any plans to support other platforms at this
time. However, previous experience has shown that they do support
the Macintosh about a year after the introduction of the MS-DOS
version.

(Naor Wallach/19921103/Press Contact: Sharyn Fitzpatrick, The
Learning Company, 800-852-2255 Extension 5/Public Contact: The
Learning Company, 800-852-2255, 510-792-2101)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00004)

New For Windows: PIM/Fax For Windows Software 11/03/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Two software
companies -- Eclipse Systems and Polaris -- have announced a
marketing relationship that integrates their respective products
to produce a set of Windows management tools.

The alliance brings together Eclipse Systems' Fax 1.2 and
Polaris' PackRat 4.1 into an integrated package that will perform
such tasks as allow users to access fax numbers from PackRat's
phone book and send faxes from a Windows application.

According to San Diego-based Polaris Software's marketing and
sales VP, Carol Clement Foster, personal information managers
(PIMs) and fax software are two of the fastest growing software
categories for computer users who need to manage contacts,
schedules, and business information.

"Now, users can fax customized letters directly from their word
processor using information from PackRat's phone book," said
Foster.

The two companies say they plan joint advertising, cross
merchandising, combined packaging, and a sharing of technology.

Computer users who regularly contact clients use contact
management programs to keep track of company and personal
information, when they last made contact, and when the next
contact is due.

Sophisticated contact management programs allow users to create
letters which can then be sent to individuals or groups. With the
rapid growth of fax machines, letters formerly printed and mailed
can now be faxed.

PackRat automatically annotates the phone book, including a
date/time stamp, whenever a fax is sent. Polaris will distribute
the bundled software, which has a suggested retail price list of
$519. Eclipse Fax supports Class 1, 2, and CAS fax modems, fax
group 3 and 4, and TIFF, PCX and DCS formats. PackRat functions
are accessible from Eclipse menus.

(Jim Mallory/19921103/Press contact: Jessica Chipkin, Eclipse
Systems, 312-541-0260, fax [phone], Carol Clement Foster,
Polaris Software, 619-674-6500)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00005)

 ****Body Waldo Interprets Movement To Computer For Actors 11/03/92
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- The Character
Shop, which demonstrated the digital facial Waldo at the Winter
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this year,
has introduced a full-body Waldo.

So what is a Waldo? For the uninitiated, a Waldo is a system of
sensors attached to a human body, which when transmitted to a
computer, can be used to control the movement of an animated
figure or a robot.

The Waldo logo was originally designed to get a life-like
expression from an animated puppet. Rich Lazzarini, head of The
Character Shop, said he didn't like the traditional technique of
breaking up the character's personality among many people who
each control different parts, so he came up with the idea. Waldos
also have the advantage of making movement appear much smoother
than the programming of a character or robot is able to accomplish.

The Character Shop appears to have made the Waldos much more
practical and much less painful for the user. The Waldo
Newsbytes saw earlier this year had very uncomfortable
looking head gear that was reminiscent of what people who've
recently had brain surgery wear. The current Waldos have fewer
screws and tape and have more molded plastic and cushioned
sensors.

The Character Shop displayed video footage of the company's
work in animating ghost characters from the movie "Ghostbusters
II" using an actor wearing a facial Waldo. The Character Shop
says it has built Waldos for a creature in the movie "The
Unholy," for "Short Circuit II," and most recently for a
character in a Kraft salad dressing commercial.

The body Waldo works in much the same way as the facial Waldo,
as it transmits body movement via cables to a computer, which
then interprets the movements and outputs them as an
interactive video or computer-generated image, or sends
the commands to a robot, puppet or animated figure. If the
person walks, reaches up, or waves his arms, the computer makes
the figure mimic the action.

The company claims it can build Waldos for a single body part
such as an arm and is working on Waldos sensitive enough to
detect an eye blink, using optical technology. The company also
said it is working on the idea of a human controlling an object
that is many times its size.

The facial Waldo is under exclusive license to Simgraphics which
is using it in its real-time character animation systems (PAS
and MIRT).

(Linda Rohrbough/19921103/Press Contact: Rick Lazzarini, The
Character Shop, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00006)

New For Unix: First PC To Unix E-mail Package 11/03/92
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Unipalm has unveiled Mail-
it, which it claims is the industry's first dedicated
Microsoft Windows-to-Unix electronic mail (e-mail) package.

According to the PC to Unix connectivity specialist, Mail-it
conforms to open systems industry standards. In use, the package
allows Microsoft Windows users to send and reply to messages
anywhere on a PC or Unix network. Before the package came to
market, a network manager seeking to integrate a PC network e-mail
system into a Unix system had to rely on expensive and less then
efficient gateway technology, the company says.

"Mail-it is a fully functional and robust e-mail package that has
been developed to fill a distinct need in the market. Before the
package, PC users had to use e-mail packages based on proprietary
protocols and hence could only e-mail other local area network
users or utilize fairly rudimentary links through protocol
gateways," explained Clive Prout, head of Unipalm's marketing.

"The trend towards enterprise networking and integration demands
packages, such as this one, that don't work in isolation," he
added.

Despite the Unix connection, Mail-it is actually a Microsoft
Windows application that uses SMTP (simple mail transfer
protocol) and POP-2 protocols which are fairly common in the Unix
marketplace. The package maintains a full audit trail for
messages exchanged with the Unix environment.

The package, which sells for UKP 450 for five users, requires
Microsoft Windows 2.x. Sunselect's PC-BFS 4.0a, FTP's PC/TCP 2.1
or Novell's LAN Workplace for DOS. At least 1.5 megabytes (MB) of
hard disk space is also required, as is a mail server that
supports SMTP or POP-2.

(Steve Gold/19921103/Press & Public Contact: Unipalm - Tel: 0223-
420002; Fax: [phone]; e-mail on The Internet -
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00007)

Say Goodbye To Bulky UPSs Claims Ondyne 11/03/92
ANDOVER, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Uninterruptible
Power Supplies (UPSs) are not the sexiest of computer hardware,
but they are relatively essential. The problem is that the units
are so bulky they have to sit on the floor -- until now, as
Ondyne claims to have developed a family of UPSs that can fit
"unobtrusively" on the desktop.

Ondyne claims that the new Expert range of UPSs are the smallest
in the world. Three models make up the range, with output ratings
of 250, 500 and 100 volt-amperes. Three more systems will be
launched early in the new year pushing the power capabilities to
3 kilovolt-amperes for use with high-end workstations and
minicomputers.

According to Ondyne, the Expert UPSs act as a highly
sophisticated electric mains controller that has a learning
system built into its software. This, the company claims, allows
the UPS to detect and remember irregularities in the mains
supply.

Power fluctuations tend to occur during heavy power drain
periods on the local power supply, such as first thing in the
morning. The UPS remembers this and can compensate accordingly,
acting as a mains flow control in addition to its power back-up
duties. Details of the power changes can be transferred to the PC
if required.

Three levels of menu-driven user diagnostics are provided for
end users, technical support staff and mains voltage waveform
evaluation. Typical features available to end users include auto
battery test, auto systems test, auto short circuit test and on-
screen information plus warnings.

Technicians, meanwhile, can use the historic records and
oscilloscope facility to check the quality of the mains and the
real time requirement of the connected load, the firm contends.

This technology, surprisingly, is not that expensive. The Expert
250 (250 volt-amps), which measures 27.2 x 10.4 x 15.2 cm, costs
UKP 244. The Expert 500 costs UKP 355 and is intended for use by
386 and 486-based PC users. The Expert 1000, meanwhile, costs UKP
500 and is aimed at users of workstations, such as the IBM
RS/6000 and similar.

(Steve Gold/19921103/Press & Public Contact: Ondyne - Tel: 0264-
366688)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00008)

Maxtor 2.5-Inch Drives For Portables 11/03/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- The growing
popularity of notebook computers has led to increasingly smaller
drives suitable for the new systems available on the market.
Along those lines Maxtor Corp., has introduced two new
2.5-inch disk drives.

The 84-megabyte (MB) 25084 measures 10 millimeters (mm) in
height and weighs 125 grams. The company claims it is the
thinnest and lightest 2.5-inch drive available. The new 25252
offers a formatted capacity of 252MB and an average seek time,
like the 25084 of 12 milliseconds (ms).

According to the company, both drives have a track-to-track
seek time of 2.5ms. The drives feature a rotational speed of
4247 rpm (revolutions per minute) and an average latency of
7.0ms.

Maxtor is targeting the single-disk 25084 at notebook and
pen-based systems requiring "high performance in a very thin
package." The three-disk 25252 is aimed at manufacturers of
high-end notebooks and portable workstations that, according
to the company, "require drives with ever increasing performance
and capacity in smaller, low power packages."

The company claims that the drives are designed for "high
reliability in the rugged notebook environment." The specified
mean-time between failure (MTBF) rate of 350,000 hours is 40
percent higher than any other 2.5-inch product, maintains the
company.

Additionally, it is claimed that the 25084 and the 25252 have
been designed to withstand 15 Gs operating and 150 Gs non-
operating shock, and both drives utilize rugged glass substrate
disk media. In seek mode, both products use only 1.8 and 1.9
watts (W), and in standby/sleep mode, the drives use 0.10W.

In mid-October Newsbytes reported that the company's Singapore
manufacturing and repair operation had been awarded ISO 9002
registration.

Also in October, the company announced it was selling its
Milpitas, California-headquartered SDI subsidiary to the SDI's
own management and Capital Partners, a private investment
firm located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

At the end of June, Newsbytes reported that Maxtor had released
the 340-megabyte (MB) MXT-340 inch-high 3.5-inch Winchester
disk drive. The company claims that the MXT-340 uses the same
components and features and offers the same seek times and data
transfer rates as its parent drives, the inch-high MXT-540, which
provides 540MB formatted storage capacity, and the full-height
MXT-1240, which offers 1.2 gigabytes (GB) of storage.

In April, Newsbytes reported that the company had introduced a
new 128 MB 2.5-inch disk drive for use in the battery-powered
notebook and laptop computer markets.

(Ian Stokell/19921103/Press Contact: Catherine Derr, Maxtor
Corp., 408-432-4461)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00009)

New For PC: Creative Labs 16-bit Sound Card 11/03/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- High-quality
sound is becoming an increasingly popular addition to PCs as
more users begin to take advantage of multimedia products and
more complex applications and games. To address the issue,
Creative Labs Inc., has introduced a 16-bit sound system that
features advanced signal processing technology.

The company claims that the new Sound Blaster 16 ASP is the
"only sound system in this price category to offer CD-quality
sound combined with a DSP."

W.H. Sim, Creative's chairman and chief executive officer, said:
"Advanced Signal Processing (ASP) enables the Sound Blaster 16
to perform complex high speed mathematical algorithms
providing the board with real-time 16-bit hardware compression
and decompression. When new technologies such as time-scale
modification and speech recognition become available, they will
be able to be uploaded onto the board's programmable signal
processor."

According to the company, the Sound Blaster 16 ASP is a
multifunction board that brings the Sound Blaster across
platforms to Windows 3.1, OS/2 2.0, and DOS-based applications.
The board features multiple interfaces: a CD-ROM, MIDI
(musical instrument digital interface), and joystick port.

The Sound Blaster 16 ASP also features 16-bit quality stereo
sound sampling and playback with auto dynamic filtering. Other
features include enhanced four-operator, 20-voice FM music
synthesis, selectable sampling rates from 5 (kilohertz) kHz to
44.1 kHz, a 10-channel stereo digital mixer, tone control,
input/output gain control, and a recording input mixer. A
microphone is also included with the package.

According to the company, the product will be shipped with a
variety of software packages: HSC Interactive, for
multimedia presentations; PC Animate Plus, animation
software; and a diverse group of utilities including a
Windows-based wave editor, Creative WaveStudio, Creative
SoundO'le, a voice and music recording application, and Creative
Talking Scheduler.

The board's suggested retail price is $349.95.

In September Newsbytes reported that Creative Labs said it
would build software drivers so its popular Sound Blaster
multimedia sound card can be used with IBM's OS/2 Multimedia
Presentation Manager/2.

In October Newsbytes reported that Creative Labs and Media
Vision had resolved their reverse-engineering court case with
an out-of-court settlement.

(Ian Stokell/19921103/Press Contact: Benita Kenn, Creative
Labs, 408-428-6600)


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

AT&T Building Pacific Network 11/03/92
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- US long
distance rates have been falling as an excess of call-carrying
capacity becomes increasingly apparent. Such an excess may become
a reality in trans-oceaniac markets within a few years, as giant
phone companies continue to invest heavily in ocean cables.

AT&T has been among the heaviest investors in new capacity. It
recently announced it will invest $402 million in TPC-5, a new
Trans-Pacific fiber cable system that uses optical amplifiers.
The network, which AT&T said will cost a total of $1.12 billion,
will become a complete redundant loop which can correct many
problems automatically.

Such systems are called "self-healing loops." The AT&T network
will link the US with Hawaii, Guam and Japan. AT&T's investment
in TPC-5 gives it a 35 percent stake in the system, but 46 other
carriers from 34 countries are also investing in it.

Bill Carter, executive director of AT&T's international
facilities management, said that trans-Pacific traffic continues
to grow more rapidly than traffic elsewhere, with fax traffic in
particular is growing.

The self-healing aspect of the network is
based on fiber-on-fiber restoration capability. In the event of a
disruption, service will be restored by shifting voice, data and
video signals to a spare fiber, instead of being re-routed to a
satellite, which can result in traffic disruptions of several
hours or longer.

The new cable will also be the first with optical amplifiers,
which boost light signals without first having to convert them to
electrical signals and back to light, as is done in today's
repeater systems. This lets the system send as many as 5
billion bits of information per second over as many as four fiber
pairs, the equivalent of over 1 million simultaneous phone calls,
or 10 times the capacity of other systems.

The southern route on TPC-5 linking California, Hawaii, Guam and
Miyazaki, Japan will be ready for service by the end of 1995.
The entire TPC-5 network will be ready for service in late 1996.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: AT&T International,
Tricia Sieh, 201/326-4224)


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

AllTel Buying Contel's Arkansas Interests 11/03/92
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- If Arkansas
Governor Bill Clinton does win today's election, AllTel of Little
Rock has taken steps to benefit from any increased traffic,
buying all the outstanding stock of Contel Cellular of Arkansas,
for a combination of cash and other cellular interests.

Under terms of the agreement, Alltel would gain operating control
of the Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas Metropolitan
Statistical Area markets, as well as Arkansas rural service areas
1 and 8, as well as Oklahoma rural service area 4.

AllTel, which also owns regular phone systems as well as a
computer services firm called Systematics, that runs computers
for banks and other companies, currently owns a total of 690,000
pops, or potential subscribers, in the state.

A "pop" is defined by AllTel as total market population times
percent of ownership. The acquisition of Contel's Arkansas
operations would add another 496,000 "pops." Combined, the
markets have a total population of nearly 2 million.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: Ron Payne, Alltel, 501-
661-8989)


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

Dun & Bradstreet Delivers Good News To Bush 11/03/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- If President
George Bush is re-elected today, reporters may look for evidence
that the economy was not as bad as Democrats claimed, and find it
in new numbers from Dun & Bradstreet indicating new businesses
are being formed rapidly.

New business incorporations increased 12.8 percent to 58,248 in
June 1992, up from 51,654 in June last year, according to the
the company. For the first six months of 1992, the number of new
incorporations rose 6.9 percent to 344,847, up from 322,570 in
the first half of 1991. The company's corporate economist, Joseph
W. Duncan, said the numbers show "a resurgence in entrepreneurial
activity for the first time in several years." New incorporations
peaked in 1986 at a record level of 702,736 and posted declines
in the following five years.

A total of 39 states reported increases in new incorporations in
the first half of 1992, with six states reporting gains of better
than 20 percent. The sharpest increase was reported in Montana,
up 35.8 percent to 1,096 from 807; followed by South Dakota, up
32.6 percent to 716 from 540; and Michigan, up 30.4 percent to
12,548 from 9,626. According to pre-election polls, Bush was
expected to win in Montana and South Dakota, while his challenger
had a narrowing lead in Michigan.

Of the 10 states to report June year-to-date decreases, the
steepest decline in new incorporations was reported in
Connecticut, down 19.7 percent to 3,606 from 4,492. Governor
Clinton was expected to win there.

Except for New England, increase in incorporations showed up in
every region of the country, with the Middle Atlantic states
posting the greatest increase, up 20.7 percent to 10,183 from
8,437.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: Dun & Bradstreet
Reid H. Gearhart, 212/593-6727)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00013)

 ****New Round Of Computer Access Arrests In NY 11/03/92
GREENBURGH, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- The Greenburgh,
New York Police Department has announced the arrest of three
individuals, Randy P. Sigman, 40, Ronald G. Pinz, Jr, 21, and
Byron J. Woodard, 18, for the alleged crimes of unauthorized use
of a computer and attempted computer trespass, both misdemeanors.
Also arrested was Jason A. Brittain, 22, in satisfaction of a
State of Arizona fugitive from justice warrant.

The arrests took place in the midst of an "OctoberCon" or
"PumpCon" party billed as a "hacker get-together" at the Marriott
Courtyard Hotel in Greenburgh, New York. The arrests were made at
approximately 4:00 AM on Sunday morning, November 1st. The three
defendants arrested for computer crimes were granted $1,000 bail
and will be arraigned on Friday, November 6th.

Newsbytes sources said that the get-together, which had attracted
up to sixty people, had dwindled to approximately twenty-five
when, at 10:00 Saturday night, the police, in response to noise
complaints, arrived and allegedly found computers in use illegally
accessing systems over telephone lines. The police held the 25 for
questioning and called in Westchester County Assistant District
Attorney Kenneth Citarella, a prosecutor versed in computer
crime, for assistance. During the questioning period, the
information on Brittain as a fugitive from Arizona was obtained
and at 4:00 the three alleged criminal trespassers and Brittain
were charged.

Both Lt. DeCarlo of the Greenburgh police and Citarella told
Newsbytes that the investigation is continuing and that no
further information is available at this time.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921103)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00014)

 ****Dell Moves Into Australia 11/03/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- It now seems that Dell
plans to commence selling computers in Australia. For three years
there has been speculation and rumor that the US mail-order giant
would commence direct-selling its IBM compatible machines down
under.

A report in the latest Pacific Computer Weekly (PCW) newspaper
claims that Australia will not only be included in the planned
expansion of Dell into the Asia/Pacific region, but that Dell
Australia would form the spearhead.

Michael Dell registered a company in Australia in 1990, and since
then there appeared to be a number of aborted efforts to hire
local staff and/or come to some distribution agreement with
existing Australian companies. Now it seems that Dell will go it
alone and direct-sell middle order machines into home, business
and government markets. The PCW report says that Dell's launch is
so close it will commence a $1M advertising campaign at the
beginning of December.

Some time ago Gateway 2000 put an insert in several issues of
local computer trade papers, looking for interested resellers to
contact it in the US. Nothing appears to have come from this
despite the determined tone of the appeal.

Australia has never taken to direct-mail PC buying despite
players like DEC. The Australian PC market already carries more
brands per head of population than any country with the exception
of New Zealand.

(Paul Zucker/19920311)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

Maxwell Online Services Renamed 11/03/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- In the year since
British media tycoon Robert Maxwell died, his name and fortune
have both slipped toward oblivion. His US online operations
have taken another step in that direction by renaming themselves
InfoPro Technologies.

InfoPro's services include BRS Online Products and Orbit Online
Products. BRS owns BRS Online, BRS Colleague, BRS After Dark, and
BRS Morning Search, which are being refocused on the medical
market. Orbit will be refocused on patent and patent-related
searches. The company hopes that with improved software and a
redirection of its efforts toward key niches, it can earn a profit.

At its peak a few years ago, Maxwell's operation also owned the
Official Airline Guides and the MacMillan publishing house which,
with nameplates like Que and Howard Sams, holds a strong place in
the US computer book market. The company's new president,
Andrew M. Gregory, comes to the company from Macmillan, and was
formerly an executive vice president with the publishing house.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: Wayne Jackson, InfoPro
Technologies, 703-442-0900)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

Private TV Networks Expand 11/03/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- While the cable
television industry debates the use of a digital compression
standard to pack more channels on a limited number of satellite
transponders, private companies are already using the technique
to create a number of extra private television networks.

Technologies like Scientific-Atlanta's B-MAC and General
Instrument's DigiCypher can expand the capacity of a single
transponder from one transponder to four or more, without a loss
of signal quality. Scientific-Atlanta, for instance, has begun
beaming things like Tavern Television, a special channel
especially for bars, with sports scores, talk shows, and
interactive games. The idea is to make the tavern environment
more unique, encouraging people to drink outside the home.

Most such networks, however, are created for specific companies.
Chrysler has its own network linking its dealers with its
headquarters. The company can hold sales and training meetings on
the network, and collect data on side-channels.

Redgate Communications has created a special-purpose technology
network with satellites, called the Interactive Information
Network. Apple Computer, Lotus Development, and Hewlett-Packard
are among the companies which have recently planned broadcasts on
the network, with Microsoft holding a live introduction from New
York of its new Windows for Workgroups product. IIN links about
1,400 computer industry writers, analysts and consultants with
whomever pays for a show on the system. The company claims the
papers linked to its service combine to have 24.7 million
readers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921103/Press Contact: Redgate Communications,
Bob Nicholson, 407-231-6904)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00017)

 ****Cyber Arts Show Overview 11/03/92
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- The Cyber Arts
Show, held in Pasadena, California, recently was more corporate
and less artsy than in previous years. Some of the home-made look
is leaving the show, and the show was much more about sales and
much less about art than last year.

Art was still there, but booths that once held artists whose
multimedia statement was an old motorcycle helmet with a
Viewmaster in front, Walkman headphones taped inside, and a
Vicks Vaporub Inhaler at nose level were replaced by Edison
Brothers Entertainment who were letting attendees have a turn
at the type of virtual reality planned for the Star Trek mall
attractions announced by Paramount in September.

Cyberarts attendees were lined up to play the Edison Brothers
shoot out game, where two players on round, raised platforms
put on headgear and hold guns that look like laser pistols to
chase each other through Roman columns in a black and white
tiled virtual world. Edison Brothers employees told Newsbytes
this is just one of the games players will be able to choose
from and the actual game itself will have a Star Trek theme
when introduced in the malls.

Autodesk was there demonstrating its Animator Pro and 3D Studio
products, HSC was demonstrating its 3D software for the
Macintosh, Pactel was trying to sell cellular phones, artists
were selling lighted pieces of old circuit boards as jewelry or
wall decorations, and other high-tech trinkets were being
offered. Much more emphasis was placed on movies and animation
than in the past and much less emphasis on sound and music was
present this year compared to last year.

One artist, F.C. Tull, was offering Cyberart "talking"
paintings, a collection of paints backlit and run together on a
28 by 24-inch old circuit board so the circuits visually echoed
through with a voice recognition system on an IBM clone
personal computer. The painting talks using a Covox Speech
Thing with a hidden microphone and the artist said a user could
program the painting to respond to pre-programmed "cue" words
with one of over 1,000 twenty-four second recorded responses.
The paintings were priced at about $3,500.

Show attendees could put a $5 deposit on a card with an
embedded chip which was encoded with their personal address and
information. On the show floor, a group of PCs with slots to
insert the card offered attendees the chance to ask questions;
and vendors could also take the cards instead of asking for a
business card or written information.

A new magazine on disk, "Cyber Rag" from Electronic Hollywood,
was available in monochrome or color for Macintosh computer
users. Electronic Hollywood says the magazine was programmed in
Macromind Director and includes art, animations, editorials and
cyber art reviews for only $6 and edition. The disk was
produced by Jaime Levy, who was at the show and describes
herself as a "hacker chick."

The show was an unusual one as it offered child care for $6 an
hour during the show and from 8 pm until midnight on Halloween
for parents who wanted to attend the Cyberarts Halloween party
held at the Pasadena Hilton and sponsored by Keyboard Magazine.

Conference sessions were also offered during the show with a
lot of emphasis on developing multimedia titles.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921103/Press Contact: F.C. Tull, tel 510-
455-6927, fax [phone]; Jaime Levy, Electronic Hollywood,
213-387-4865)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00018)

 ****Quicktime For Windows Due For November Release 11/03/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Apple
Computer is planning to release a version of Quicktime for Windows
sometime in November. Quicktime is Apple's set of multimedia
extensions for the Macintosh operating system, System 7.

Apple recently announced an upgraded version of the extensions for
Macintosh, Quicktime 1.5, to go with the upgraded System 7.1, was
introduced last month.

The mention of plans for the release of Quicktime for the Microsoft
Windows platform was made by John Sculley, chief executive officer
at Apple at the Macromedia conference in San Francisco, California.
Quicktime is designed to allow the inclusion of multimedia, or
video and sound into ordinary applications such as documents
created by word processing software.

Sculley also demonstrated voice recognition technology, code
named Caspar, which he has demonstrated at other conferences as
well. Apple representatives cautioned Newsbytes that Caspar is
a technology Apple is working on to incorporate in products and
not a product itself. The representatives also said the Caspar
technology is not something users can expect to see in the near
term.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921103/Press Contact: Tricia Chan, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEL)(00019)

New For Unix: 3D CAD Technology From India 11/03/92
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing
Company have introduced GCAD, a multi-view, multi-dimensional
computer-aided design (CAD) package that runs under X-Windows.
The unveiling marks a change of emphasis for the company, which
wants to be known as a technical workstation supplier rather than
a mainstream PC firm.

The software was developed in-house by the company. Retailing for
Rs 55,000 ($1,800), the package includes several features,
including constraint-based construction, tracing, sketching,
intelligent dimensioning and single click hatch. The software can
also support a complete common LISP language environment, as well
as the IGES and DXF standards for data exchange.

The constraint-based construction method allows the user to
directly create the geometry in one step. In GCAD, dimensions are
associative and get updated automatically on editing. Besides a
set of general operations like delete, rotate, move, copy and
stretch, it provides special editing features which allow
trimming and extending operations on entities such as trim, chop,
shorten and lengthen.

A user can group together geometry related to each other and
treat it as a single object. The package allows simultaneous
display and interactions in multiple overlapping windows and
caters to the drafting modelling, analysis and manufacturing
needs. GCAD is supported on 386/486 based systems, Sun SPARC, IBM
RS/6000 and Sony RISC-based workstations.

The company does not, however, expect the package to sell in
great volume right now. "As far as CAD/CAM software is
concerned, Indian users prefer foreign brands," explained Manu
Parpia, vice-president of Godrej and Boyce.

Parpia acknowledges the small market for this type of software
in India but plans to keep his production strong thanks to a
tie-in with Aries Technology in the US. Terms of the agreement
call for Godrej and Boyce to market the Aries finite element analysis
and solid modelling package in India.

With pricing ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 18,000, the CAD/CAM
software claims to reduce dependence on hardware prototypes, so
shortening the design cycle. The package is ideally suited for
predictive engineering. Aries, for its part, will sell Godrej's
GCAD package in the US and Europe. In addition to being a
distributor, Godrej is also a development partner for Aries.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19921103)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00020)

Sega To Release Genesis CD-ROM Adapter In Europe; US 11/03/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Sega Enterprises, the Tokyo-
based games machine manufacturer, has announced plans to release
a CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory) adapter for its 16-bit
machine in Europe and the US. The adapter could be a big money-
spinner for the games giant, as CD-ROM games technology is big
business in Japan.

Known as the Mega CD, the Sega games machine peripheral connects
to the Genesis console. The Mega CD will sell for around $300
with Sega anticipating around 220,000 unit sales over the next
year, once stocks start moving in the US over the next few
months. The European launch of the Mega CD system will be in
March of next year.

In use, the Mega CD system can store as much as 1,000 times more
data than is on each of the Genesis cartridges. This means that
Sega's programmers have, quite literally, gone wild on the
graphics front, adding high-quality voice and sound to its games.
Sega plans to release a number of new Mega CD games in the coming
months -- one of the games is known as "Night Truck," according
to Sega.

Sega is taking its role in Mega CD game development quite
seriously. The company has created a new division, known as the
Multimedia Promotion Office (MPO) which is situated at Sega's
Tokyo offices. The team is currently at the discussion stages
with several major computer manufacturers and electronics
appliance shops regarding the development of third-party add-ons
for the Mega CD system. This marks a change of emphasis for Sega,
which has previously protected its games systems ferociously.

Not that Sega is keeping all its eggs in one basket -- the company
has announced plans to set up a parallel games development
division in California, where its existing offices are located.
The new division will be known as the Multimedia Studio.

As the name suggests, the new division will have a studio
facility which will be used for recording and shooting
pictures for use in the CD-ROM disk-based games.

The Mega CD system is major money-spinner for Sega in Japan.
Since its introduction to the Japanese market in December of last
year, the system has sold 230,000 units. Sega has undertaken a
massive advertising campaign to promote its technology, which
competes head to head with Nintendo's Super NES games console.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921103/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00021)

 ****Microsoft Discounts Macintosh Software 11/03/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- If you buy one of
Apple Computer's Macintosh computers between now and Jan 3, 1993,
you can get a selection of Microsoft software for about 50
percent off.

The deal which Microsoft is offering includes what the company
calls "substantial discounts" on a package deal that includes
either Microsoft Excel 4.0 and Word 5.1 for the Macintosh, or Microsoft
Works 3.0 for the Macintosh.

Although a Microsoft spokesperson declined to tell Newsbytes
the specific suggested list price for the software when purchased
with a Macintosh, Computer City Superstores President Alan Bush
said the discounts represent approximately a 50 percent savings to
resellers.

"That means an exceptional value for customers," said Bush.
Software and hardware retailers set their own prices, which are
usually discounted from the suggested retail price. In the
industry, the actual selling price is known as the "street
price."

Microsoft said that the offer applies to all Macs sold during the
promotion period except the Performa series. "We want to make it
easy for new users to start working with Microsoft applications,"
said Microsoft desktop applications VP, Pete Higgins.

Microsoft spokesperson Russ Dorr told Newsbytes that the
suggested list price for Excel 4.0 and Word 5.1 for the Macintosh
is $495 for each product, while Works has a suggested retail
price of $249. Excel is a spreadsheet program, Word is a word
processing program, and Works is an integrated program that
includes word processing, data base, spreadsheet, charting, and
communications software.

(Jim Mallory/19921103/Press contact: Russ Dorr, Waggener Edstrom for
Microsoft, 206-637-9097)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00022)

New For PC: Microsoft HP Font Set 11/03/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Microsoft has
announced the release of its Microsoft Hewlett-Packard Font Set, a
collection of 35 TrueType fonts that provide HP Laserjet, Deskjet or
Paintjet printers the same TrueType fonts that are resident in the
new Hewlett-Packard Laserjet Series 4 printer.

As with all TrueType fonts, the same font is used for both screen
and printer, giving the user a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you
get) result. Microsoft says that the Font Set is compatible with
any Windows-compatible printer.

For users printing to HP Laserjet Series III, IIID and IIIP
printers, the font set includes a new printer driver that Microsoft
says improves print speeds. Also included is a Flying Fonts screen
saver that lets the user personalize the computing environment to
preclude images from burning into the monitor screen during periods
of computer inactivity. The user selects the font and inputs the
text for the screen message. Length of the text string depends on
the font selected. Periodically the customized message will move to
another screen location.

Font Sets has the same system requirements as Widows 3.1 and will
work with any printer having a minimum of 512 kilobytes of RAM. The
package has a suggested retail price of $69.95 and comes with 5.25-
inch and 3.5-inch high density disks.

(Jim Mallory/19921103/Press contact: Chris Clemens, Waggener Edstrom
for Microsoft Corporation, 408-986-1140; Reader contact: Microsoft
Corporation, 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00023)

New Product: Microsoft BallPoint Mouse For OEMs 11/03/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) can now install a special five-pin outlet on
the side of their notebook computers that will accept Microsoft's
new version of its Ballpoint mouse.

Called the QuickPort Ballpoint mouse the device, which is held in
the hand similar to a pen, eliminates tying up the computer's serial
port. A special "breakaway" feature assures that the plug or cable
will not be damaged if the device is accidentally or forceably
dislodged.

QuickPort Ballpoint mouse also comes with a special driver that
allows the mouse to be disconnected then reconnected without losing
control of the cursor, Microsoft spokesperson Sue Barnes told
Newsbytes. The plug is PS/2 Mouseport compatible, and provides both
mechanical and electrical connections.

The first notebook makers to include the Quickport device are
Toshiba America, and as reported by Newsbytes, Texas Instruments.
Microsoft said it will continue to market its Ballpoint mouse line
for notebook systems without QuickPort.

(Jim Mallory/19921103/Press contact: Sue Barnes, Waggener Edstrom
for Microsoft Corporation, 408-986-1140; Reader contact: Microsoft,
800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00024)

New For PC: Wordperfect 5.2 For Windows 11/03/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation
has announced it will start shipping WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows,
an upgrade for version 5.1 of the popular software program that
includes new tools and features, later this month.

New features include Grammatik 5 from Reference Software
International, and Adobe Type Manager with a selection of fonts
which the company says were created specifically for WordPerfect.
Grammatik 5, a writing improvement tool that checks the grammar,
spelling, style, and punctuation of a document, will be available on
a pull-down menu from within WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows.

Sold as a stand-alone product Grammatik 5 has a suggested list
price of $99. WordPerfect recently signed a licensing agreement
with Reference Software to use Grammatik 5. Reference software
also publishes an electronic version of Random House Webster's
Dictionary & Thesaurus College Edition; Dorland's Electronic
Medical Speller; and Black's Electronic Law Dictionary.

The upgrade also includes QuickFinder, an indexing and text
retrieval feature; electronic mail capabilities; support for object
linking and embedding; and new macros and button bars. Eight new
button bars are included: Layout, Generate, Font, Page, Tools,
Merge, Macros, and Graphics. Clicking anywhere on a button bar with
the right mouse button brings up a QuickMenu of other button bars.
The button bars provide quick access to favorite features, and can
be edited.

The new macros include one that creates custom forms; a
search and replace feature for formatting codes; and a macro that
inserts a US Postnet barcode anywhere in a document. A glossary macro
lets users create abbreviations for commonly used words or phrases.
For example, when the user types in an abbreviation such as
NB, the program will replace this with the longer form of
Newsbytes.

Wordperfect spokesperson Liz Tanner told Newsbytes that the new
indexing feature of QuickFinder will index every word in user-
defined files and build an index file which will occupy disk
space equal to about five percent of the document file size. The
user uses Find Files from a pull-down menu to search an index for
file names by either name of by specific words in the document.
Find Files supports the use of Boolean operators such as "and,"
"or," and"not."

The new e-mail feature can be used to send an on-screen document to
another user. By clicking on the name of a mail package from the
File menu, the user can insert selected text into the message or
attach an entire document with comments. Wordperfect will support
Wordperfect Mail for windows, which is part of Wordperfect Office for
Windows, and other e-mail programs which use the VIM or MAPI
standards. That would include Lotus cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, or Da
Vince e-mail.

Tanner said that the enhanced printer support allows users to
print on multiple paper sizes and use portrait and landscape
orientations in the same document. There's also an envelope macro
that will work with Windows printer drivers, the ability to
select from multiple addresses, and users can position a US
PostNet barcode.

WordPerfect says that Adobe Type Manager (ATM) will ship with 13
additional fonts that were created for WordPerfect. The additional
fonts will also work with any other Windows application that
supports ATM, a Postscript language scalable font technology that
supports Adobe's Type 1 font software.

The upgrade to WordPerfect 5.2 For Windows will retail for $39.95
for disks, an upgrade guide, and documentation for Adobe Type
Manager and Grammatik. A full WordPerfect 5.2 upgrade with complete
documentation will cost $99. The company is also offering users of
competitive word processor programs for DOS or Windows that cost at
$395 an upgrade to Wordperfect 5.2 for Windows for $129 in the US or
$155 in Canada. The new program will be shown at Comdex in Las Vegas
later this month.

(Jim Mallory/19921103/Press contact: Liz Tanner, Wordperfect
Corporation,801-228-5004, fax [phone];Reader contact:
Wordperfect Corporation, 800-321-4566)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00025)

New Products: HP LaserJet 4 LAN Connections 11/03/92
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- With the recent
announcement of the HP LaserJet 4 laser printer, many companies are
taking a look at their product lines with a view towards revamping
them for the new printer. ASP is the first company to actually
announce products that would support the new printer.

ASP has just announced that it will be offering two new lines of
products comprising of 7 new models of devices that are all intended
to assist in the connection of the new printers to local area
networks. The two lines are known as the ServerJet line and the
JetLAN line. The ServerJets are composed of differing numbers of
serial and parallel ports that connect to the printer. The JetLANs
allow for a direct network connection to the printer.

Both new product lines use the MIO port on the printer as the input
side to the printer. Each of the seven devices has some on-board
intelligence to assist it in dealing with the multiple entries and
potential conflicts that could arise from that. The ServerJet have
an on-board buffer so that they can store print jobs on them to
promote the appearance of simultaneous printing for the users. The
JetLANs actually become printer servers from the network's
perspective.

There are two models in the JetLAN line. The JLS100 has a BNC
connector for supporting thin-wire Ethernet connections and will
sport a retail price of $695. The JLS200 has an RJ45 connector for
10Base-T wiring and it also retails for $695.

There are five models in the ServerJet line. The SJ400 has 4 serial
ports and will retails for $395. The SJ500 has 4 serial ports and
one parallel port that can be used as either an entry or an egress
point. The SJ500 will retail for $445. The SJ600 has six serial
ports and will retail for $495. The SJ700 has six serial and one
parallel port and will retail for $595. Finally, the SJ1000 has ten
serial ports and it will retails for $795.

All seven products will be available starting the third week in
November.

(Naor Wallach/19921103/Press Contact: Kristin Keyes, McLean Public
Relations for ASP/415-513-8800/Public Contact: ASP, 408-746-2965)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00026)

Photonics' New Wireless Network 11/03/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Photonics has
developed a new wireless network called Collaborate. It is
intended for use in a conference room environment or similar open
space situation where people get together and bring their
computers with them. It is not necessarily designed for the cubicle
office situations commonly found in work areas.

The Collaborative PC is a network interface card that plugs into your
PC and that uses the Collaborate transceiver as its communications
medium. The Collaborate network is based on a diffused infrared
signal that bounces off any surface in the area. The signal is strong
enough for any devices within a 30 square foot area to respond.

It would take several PCs equipped with Collaborative PC technology
to be brought together into a room or another open area to create
a simple network. Network operating system software would have to
be loaded onto the PCs (like Artisoft's LANtastic) and PC users could
communicate, share files, or use a printer attached to one of the PCs.

Photonics' future plans call for the introduction of a device now
called the Access Point which will be stationery and allow connection
of PCs to the backbone wiring. Another future enhancement is
software that will reside in the access points and will track
users as they move around so that there will not be a
need to log out of a server and log back in when they stop moving.

The Collaborative PC will be available on December 1. Photonics has
established a list price for it of $250.

(Naor Wallach/19921103/Press Contact: Michelle McGlocklin, Miller
Communications for Photonics, 415-962-9550/Public Contact: Photonics,
408-955-7930)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00027)

New For Networks: 3Com Hub For Token Ring 11/03/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- There was at
least one missing component from 3Com's announcement last September
in its new push into the Token Ring market. That missing element
was a hub that would act as the center of the network. This was
especially surprising given 3Com's concentration on the global data
networking market.

The missing element has just been supplied. 3Com has announced the
upcoming availability of its LinkBuilder MSH (Multi-Services Hub)
platform specifically designed to incorporate Token Ring
and Ethernet into a single high-speed hub.

"The introduction of LinkBuilder MSH demonstrates 3Com's
commitment to duplicate our broad-based Ethernet success in the
Token Ring arena by offering a complete Token Ring solution from
desktop to WAN," said Janice Roberts, 3Com's vice president of
marketing.

"The LinkBuilder MSH represents a key step in the roll out of our
overall IBM connectivity strategy outlined earlier this year.
This strategy has been supported by a number of significant
product introductions including Token Ring offerings for our
NETBuilder and NETBuilder II internetworking platforms, the new
line of TokenLink III adapters, and the industry's first
demonstration of APPN at InterOp this fall," she said.

The new hub is positioned close to the top of the line of 3Com hubs.
3Com considers it to be slightly below the LinkBuilder 3GH in both
performance and price but still above the LinkBuilder ECS. The
LinkBuilder MSH represents the entry point to the multiple services
arena in terms of 3Com's network hubs.

The first LinkBuilder MSH is an 11-slot chassis with Ethernet and
Token Ring modules as well as 3Com's management software. The
complete package should be available in the first quarter of
1993. Even though pricing has been set for the product, 3Com
officials were not willing to disclose it at this time.

(Naor Wallach/19921103/Press Contact: Mark Dayton, 3Com, 408-764-
6225/Public Contact: 3Com, 408-764-5000)


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

Oracle Forms European Joint Venture 11/03/92
REDWOOD SHORES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Just six
weeks after posting a $34 million loss for its first quarter of
1993, Oracle has signed an agreement with Datamat Ingegneria dei
Sistemi, S.p.A., to form a joint venture in Italy, called Oracle
Italia.

Datamat has been Oracle's distributor of software products and
services in Italy since June 1982. Under the terms of the
agreement, Datamat will form Oracle Italia in January 1993.
After the new company is formed, Datamat will transfer its
division that currently markets and distributes Oracle software
and services.

According to Oracle, it will purchase 20 percent of Oracle Italia
from Datamat in January 1993 and an additional 60 percent in
May 1993. Oracle is set to pay a total purchase price of
$15,000,000 for 80 percent of Oracle Italia, subject to "certain
adjustments."

Datamat also has the option to sell to Oracle, and Oracle has the
option to buy from Datamat, the remaining 20 percent of Oracle
Italia. Datamat will continue to distribute Oracle products as a
systems integrator and value-added relicensor under distribution
arrangements with Oracle Italia.

Geoff Squire, executive vice president and chief executive, of
Oracle's international operations, said: "Datamat has built a
strong leadership position in the Italian market over the course
of the last ten years. We are excited about combining the
talents and resources of both companies to broaden our efforts
in the Italian market and to significantly expand our position."

In September Newsbytes reported that Oracle posted net losses
of $34 million (24 cents per share) for its first quarter of 1993.
The company said that an accounting change resulted in the
recording of a non-cash charge related to the required change in
accounting for software revenue of $43 million after-tax, which
resulted in the net loss of $34 million.

(Ian Stokell/19921103/Press Contact: Kevin M. Dobbs, Oracle
Public Relations, 415-506-4794)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00029)

Teleglobe Canada, Stentor Sign Agreement 11/03/92
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Teleglobe Canada and
the Stentor consortium of Canada's regional telephone companies
have signed an agreement that guarantees Teleglobe will keep
Stentor's business for 10 years and, in return, assures Stentor
members of predictable overseas communication costs.

The deal reduces the uncertainty facing Teleglobe, whose monopoly
on overseas telecommunications is assured only until 1997. Formerly
government owned, Teleglobe was sold to the private sector in 1987.

Stentor members provide virtually all telephone service in Canada
to date, although they will soon face competition in most provinces
from Unitel Communications, a Toronto-based long-distance carrier,
and two smaller firms.

"Stentor is of course the biggest player on the domestic market and
they deliver more traffic to us than anybody else," said Cindy
Hoffman, a spokeswoman for Teleglobe. Teleglobe is also negotiating
with Unitel, she added.

The deal -- which is only a memorandum of understanding at the
moment -- says that Stentor members will route all their overseas
traffic through Teleglobe. This means all traffic except links to
the United States. In return, Stentor members will be assured of
fixed tariffs for the next 10 years.

Teleglobe also announced its financial results for the third
quarter, ended September 30. The company made net income of C$15.0
million on revenues of C$126.3 million in the quarter, up from net
income of C$7.1 million on revenues of C$105.4 million in the third
quarter of last year. However, Teleglobe lost C$68.6 million in the
first nine months of 1992, due to restructuring charges and
write-downs taken in the first six months of the year.

(Grant Buckler/19921103/Press Contact: Cindy Hoffman, Teleglobe,
514-868-7483)


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

New For PCs: Upgrades To Two CA Accounting Packages 11/03/92
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 3 (NB) -- Computer Associates
has announced upgrades to two of its personal computer accounting
packages, the entry-level Accpac Simply Accounting for Windows and
the high-end Accpac Plus.

Version 2.0 of Accpac Simply Accounting for Windows adds support
for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), which lets users transfer data
among programs written for the Microsoft Windows operating
environment.

It also has some new features meant to make the software more
flexible, such as the ability to enter cash purchases or sales as
singular transactions rather than through multiple journals, and
the ability to enter negative amounts. The company said that the
revision is aimed at making the software fit more closely with the
way many small companies do business.

CA also released an upgraded general ledger module and an all-new
purchase order module for its top-of-the-line Accpac Plus
accounting system.

The big news in the new Version 6.1 general ledger module is
support for true multiple-currency accounting. Ken Bell, Accpac
product manager, said that with freer trade and an increasingly
global way of doing business the need for this capability is
increasing.

CA also added a purchase orders module, acquired from a third-party
developer earlier this year, to Accpac Plus. The company said this
is a complete purchase management system that produces purchase
orders, tracks open orders, and maintains historical reporting and
trend-analysis information.

There is also a new information management tool called DynaView
6.1, which links Accpac Plus data with CA-SuperCalc or Lotus 1-2-3
spreadsheets so users can prepare financial statements, create
reports, and so on.

Bell said Version 6.1 releases of the Accpac Plus accounts payable,
accounts receivable, order entry, and inventory control modules
will be released in 1993, along with an update to the new purchase
orders module.

Accpac Plus general ledger costs US$795, and upgrades from previous
versions are $250. The Accpac Plus purchase orders module is $795,
and DynaView is $249; upgrades are $49. Accpac Plus Version 6.1
runs on an IBM PC or compatible with DOS 3.1 or higher, a hard
drive and at least 640K bytes of memory.

Accpac Simply Accounting for Windows, Version 2.0, costs $199.
Upgrades cost $49. The software works on any PC that can run
Windows 3.0 or higher, CA said.

(Grant Buckler/19921103/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391, fax [phone])