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Text File | 1992-12-18 | 73KB | 1,633 lines

(EDITORIAL)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00001)

Editorial: A Second Good Reason Children ARE Our Future 12/18/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- By Sean McNamara. Every
so often, I see my peers (in and out of the computer industry)
display a trait which makes me even more adamant in my view
to teach my children as early as possible to use computers --
closed-mindedness.

The children of today and tomorrow have enormous opportunities
opening to them every day, as technology continues its invasion
into out lives. And yet the children of yesterday show how this
hope can go wrong.

When I was a child (not that long ago -- I am 24), computers were a
mystery until my first year of high school. Through the generous
offering of his lunch times, a teacher took 3 or 4 students from our
science class to learn to operate (and program in Basic) the
school's only computer, a TRS-80 (this WAS 1980). That generosity
and my (then) newly found interest in computers has now led to a
career in computers, not just in journalism, but also as a desktop
publisher.

Many of my friends and acquaintances, however, did not have such an
opportunity. Some have entered the computer field anyway, some have
chosen not to, some hold a certain ambivalence towards these
technological beasts, and yet others look on with disdain. And
herein lies the problem for today's children: educators and
officials are yet to fully prepare children for a world sure to be
filled with computers in many forms.

I am not implying this task is an easy one -- it is quite a mammoth
one. There is one thing, however, which must be taken into account
in realizing how important it is to teach children as early as
possible -- their adaptability.

Children learn at an amazing pace, much more readily than their
"hard-wired" adult counterparts. The earlier a concept is introduced
to a child, the better that child is able to use it to full
advantage. My two-year-old daughter had a desire to use our computer
from about 18 months, because I encouraged her to explore it. As
yet, she has not grasped the full idea of cause and effect as it
applies to typing and controlling the cursor, but very quickly (from
watching me) she did learn how to turn the computer on so she could
"use" it.

I learned computing at a young age when, as a 12-year-old,
my mind was still readily able to learn new concepts and
ways of thinking. With further help from the same teacher (and my
father, who bought his first computer in 1982), I was able to tinker
and explore to the point where I had no trouble gaining employment
in 1987 without any formal training. If the children of today (and
tomorrow) are to fully exploit their employment choices, they must
be introduced to computers at the earliest possible level. Many will
chose to enter careers which are not computer-based, but very few
(if any) will be able to totally avoid computers throughout their
life.

With computers becoming so important, and with the need for children
to prepare for this, there are still many schools which are short of
computer facilities in Australia, the US, and many "developed"
countries. In Sydney, we have several technology high schools in which
computers are integrated into all facets of the curriculum, but this
needs to be an all-encompassing program sooner than current plans
allow. Every student should have the opportunity to familiarize
themselves with computer technology -- it is one area where the
trickle-down effect is guaranteed to work. Without the prejudices of
age, children often intuitively develop concepts and operational
guidelines for computers.

A common analogy for this can be found by looking at all the parents
in the world who leave the (relatively) simple operation of
programming their video recorder to their children, who often figure
it out without once referring to the manual.

Another example was given to me by a researcher for a company which
manufactures multimedia and display equipment for computers. When
the company developed a board which would digitize output from an
8mm video recorder, and had adequate video editing software, they
"seeded" several systems in primary schools, expecting the students
to use the equipment for glorified show and tell, and not much more.
However, the students surprised everyone by utilizing the
equipment in projects in imaginative ways, and producing video
productions of quite high quality (amongst other applications),
simply because they weren't told they couldn't. Whenever I think of
this example of childhood ingenuity, I also think about all the
potential computer-competents who are slipping though the system.
Isn't it time we gave THEM a chance to live their potential?

(Sean McNamara/199211217)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00002)

 ****Hatcheries Bar Code Fish, Naturally 12/18/92
EVERETT, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- The Washington
State Department of Fisheries and Intermec have figured out a
clever way to bar code fish in hatcheries so their origin can
be traced. By identifying the fish, researchers hope to be able
to get better information on pollution, habitat damage, and
survival rates.

The method doesn't involve any handling of the fish, but is
done in the hatchery during the embryo state of Salmon. A
calcified element in the ear of fish, called an otolith, shows
daily growth rings. By slightly lowering and raising the
incubation water temperature for brief periods over 14 days,
Intermec has been able to produce in the otolith rings in an
Interleaved 2 of 5 bar code, representing the digit "6," on two
million salmon raised in the Cowlitz Hatchery in Washington
state.

The Interleaved 2 of 5 code was chosen because its more easily
visible to the human eye.

One digit isn't enough, however, and tests are currently being
done with 10 different incubation environments being used to
encode 10 different digits. Intermec says the technique could
be refined so it could be used to uniquely identify fish from
every hatchery, and even sub units of hatcheries.

Intermec, a division of Litton Industrial Automation, says it
has bar coded other animals including, bees and moths. The
company says its business is data collection hardware,
software, systems, services, and supplies.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921217/Press Contact: Kimberly Lombard,
Intermec, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00003)

Laser Disc Game Machine To Debut From Pioneer 12/18/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Tokyo-based major electronics
firm Pioneer will release laser disc-based game machines, jointly
developed by Sega Enterprises and NEC Home Electronics, next
month, according to a published report.

Pioneer's machine will be a hybrid piece of hardware combining
Pioneer's own laser disc player and a game machine. According to
Nikkan Kogyo newspaper, the central processing unit of the game
machine will be supplied by Sega Enterprises.

Pioneer will also reportedly supply its laser disc unit to NEC Home
Electronics, which will manufacture its own game machine based on
its current model. This means there will be two kinds of game
machines -- one compatible with Sega's technology, and one
compatible with NEC Home Electronics'.

The retail list price of Pioneer's laser disc-based game machine
is expected to be around 100,000 yen ($800). According to a
Pioneer spokesman, the machine will be announced in January
at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Actual sales
will begin in March.

The laser disk-based game machine will support digital sound and
analog motion pictures. The sound will be extremely crisp and high
quality. Pioneer's laser disc-based game machine is expected to be
compatible with regular laser disc players, which cost around
70,000 yen ($560). This means regular laser disc software, such as
movies and concert films can be enjoyed with this device.

The size of the laser disc-based game machine will be about twice
or three-times larger than regular game machines.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921217/Press Contact: Pioneer, +81-
3-3494-1111, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00004)

Small Business Administration BBS 12/18/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- "We're from the
government and we're here to help you." That's often perceived as
one of the three great lies, right? Well perhaps, but you may
change your mind if you run or want to run a small business and
decide to give the Small Business Administration's bulletin board
information system a call.

The board can be reached at 800-697-4636 (9600 bps) or 800-859-4636
(2400 bps). The SBA was founded in the 1950s to provide assistance
for people operating or wanting to start small businesses.

Although there have been recent reports of companies suffering
great difficulties because the SBA won't let them renegotiate or
repay loans now that interest rates have plunged, there are also
a lot of people who praise the SBA's programs.

Trying to log onto a toll-free or any government bulletin board
system can often be a real test of your patience -- and your
modem's autodialer, but Newsbytes only had to make one try to
contact one of the many SBA BBS modems during what should be very
busy business hours.

Registering for 120 minutes of free time was very simple and
within a minute we were browsing through menus and happily
downloading files at 9600 baud.

The main SBA BBS menu offers the following choices: General
Information, Services Available, Local Information, Outside
Resources, and Quick Search Menu.

(Capitalized words indicate actual BBS menu entries.)

Choosing "Services Available" brings up these options: Overview
of SBA Programs, Business Development, Financing Services,
Government Contracting, Opportunities, Legislation and
Regulations, Small Business Facts, and Small Business Minority
Program.

Taking a look at the possibly lucrative Government Contracting
area lets the user read or download a number of articles relating
to the SBA's Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR).

SBIR provides guidance to businesses wanting to obtain research
grants from Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce,
Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of
Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of
Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, National
Aeronautics & Space Administration (misspelled on BBS), National
Science Foundation, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Other sections on the SBA BBS provide information on diverse
topics such as: Locating Sales Opportunities, How to Get on
Solicitation Mailing Lists, Preparing Bids and Proposals, Prime
Contracting Assistance, Subcontracting Assistance, using the
Procurement Automated Source System (PASS), obtaining a
Certificate of Competency, Natural Resources Sales Assistance
Program, and Determination of a Small Business (who qualifies).

(John McCormick/19921217/Press Contact: SBA voice operator, 800-
827-5722)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00005)

New For PC: Earthquest's Time Treks For MS-DOS 12/18/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Earthquest,
a developer of educational family-oriented programs, has
introduced an MS-DOS version of its Time Treks for the Macintosh.

The game-playing, the references, and the interfaces are identical,
reports Earthquest claims.

Meanwhile, Earthquest's traditional Macintosh orientation has
changed somewhat. While it took over two years for the company to
translate its first product from Macintosh to MS-DOS, Time Treks
for MS-DOS appeared 6 months after the Macintosh version. Newsbytes
was told that this was a conscious decision by Earthquest to shift
focus. The company expects to ship the next product in
both Macintosh and MS-DOS versions simultaneously and afterwards, to
ship MS-DOS versions first. Company officials told Newsbytes
that they've recognized that the MS-DOS world is larger and offers
more monetary rewards. The company has hired its own set of MS-DOS
programmers and intends to further expand that staff while leaving
the Macintosh staff at the same size or slightly smaller.

Time Treks for MS-DOS is available now. It retails for $59.95 in the
consumer version and $89.95 in the Educator version which has
additional materials and course descriptions. There are also Lab Packs
available for $269.95 and Earthquest has expressed a willingness to
negotiate site licenses with schools and other educational
institutions.

(Naor Wallach/19921217/Press Contact: Sandra Savage, Earthquest,
415-321-5838/Public Contact: Earthquest, 415-321-5838)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00006)

Report Lists Who's "In" And "Out" Of Retail Channels 12/18/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Channel marketing
has released names of the "In" and "Out" group of IBM and compatible
personal computer (PC) manufacturers, meaning what brands are
offered or "in" and withdrawn or "out" of the retail channels
this year.

Channel's retail market report, "Who's In, Who's Out and Who's
Still Around," lists PC manufacturers who started in the retail
channels in 1992, but pulled out; the manufacturers who came
into the market for the first time; and the In/Out/In crowd,
meaning those who came in, left, and came back.

David Goldstein of Channel Marketing said the turmoil in the retail
channel, such as those listed as In/Out/Ins is something his
group hasn't seen before, and 1992 was the first time for it.

For example, the ESP computer brand was first marketed by CMS
and Trigen, but then CMS pulled out, so Trigen formed a new
company with another partner and put the ESP brand back in the
retail channel. Also Emerson pulled out of the retail channel,
but another company offered Emerson licensing money to use the
name, so the Emerson brand is back in.

Companies out of the retail channel include: Goldstar,
Magnavox, KLH, Smith Corona, Emerson, Samsung, Sensor, Tandon,
Wang, PC Brand, and Everex. In for the first time are: Canon,
CMC, Leading Edge, EasyData, EiSys, Apple, Compaq, NEC, AT&T,
and Hewlett-Packard.

The In/Out/In brands include: ESP, Laser, PC Partner, and
Emerson.

Some companies remain in the retail PC market, such as Packard
Bell, Acros/Acer, AST, and IBM. Also Channel Marketing says
Sony, Panasonic, Epson, and Toshiba are companies to watch in
1993.

While the company says unit sales for PCs will continue to
soar, Channel Marketing is also predicting just as much turmoil
in the retail channel during 1993.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921217/Press Contact: David Goldstein,
Channel Marketing, tel [phone] ext 214, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(WAS)(00007)

MacTV Schedule December 21-31 12/18/92
MARLOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- MacTV, the
daily one-hour satellite computer product news program broadcast
every day on Galaxy 6, Channel 22 starting at 8 a.m. Eastern
time, has supplied the following schedule for first part of
December. Some shows are also broadcast on the Mind Extension
University cable channel.

Previously broadcast programs are available at $9.95 plus $3
Shipping.

Monday, December 21

QuickTime - Introduction to this communication software;
VideoShop: Overview - The QuickTime movie editor, and more;
Premiere 2.0 - Make high-quality digital movies on the Macintosh;
Superpaint - Another easy paint and draw program; Wallpaper -
Creating, displaying, editing, and saving desktop patterns

Tuesday, December 22

Mac Project Pro 1.0 - Tells about presentation features and
resource management; PC Exchange - Gives your desktop any needed
DOS/Windows files; FontStudio 2.0 - Change existing typefaces or
create new ones; Photoshop 2.01 - Image editing software;
Prograph 2.5 - Use icons and symbols to develop custom applications

Wednesday, December 23

PowerPrint - A myriad of printer options for the Macintosh;
PowerPad - More cursor key and function PowerBook add-ons;
Rival 1.;1.9x - Quick virus protection; HyperCard - Macintosh's
personal programming; FileMaker Pro 2.0 - Updated version allows
easier file retrieval; Image Assistant - Customize, improve,
and/or retouch your images

Thursday, December 24

Nisus Compact - Compact word processing; CPU - More PowerBook
utilities; Inline Sync - Use to synchronize/update files between
two Macintoshes; LanRover/L - Macintosh/PowerBook dial-in server;
BookView Imperial - Put more color into your PowerBook;

Friday, December 25

Excel 4.0 Spreadsheet - Learn all about the program; Claris Resolve
1.1 - Gives you the basics and other capabilities; Lotus 1-2-3
for Mac - The much-awaited Macintosh version; Excel 4.0 System 7 -
Snappy System 7 software; Microsoft Excel 4.0 - Learn-as-you-go
tutorial

(John McCormick/19921216/Press Contact: Wayne Mohr, Executive
Producer PCTV and MacTV, 603-863-9322)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00008)

January Windows/OS/2 Expo Plans Expansion 12/18/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Following
the enormous success of Microsoft's Windows platform, the
organizers of the Winter Windows and OS/2 Conference are
anticipating a record-breaking 20,000 attendees at the fourth
annual expo at the San Jose Convention Center, January 20-22,
1993. More than 200 software and hardware vendors are
scheduled to appear on the exhibition floor.

In place of last year's "Fast Tracks" will be "Solution Seminars,"
90-minute sessions which teach attendees how to solve a
particular computing problem. Two examples are, "Installing and
Configuring Windows 3.1 and OS/2 2.0," and "Creating Multimedia
Presentations."

According to the organizers, the conference program now starts
off with two full days of pre-show tutorials, instead of one. The
12 full-day tutorials take place Monday and Tuesday, January 18
and 19, and feature sessions by Brian Livingston and Christine
Comaford.

The will also be a Corporate Decision Makers' Summit, to be
chaired by Carole Patton of the Mendham Technology Group.
The summit will feature IBM's Cliff Reeves and Lucy S. Baney,
Microsoft's Doug Henrich and Mike Fritz, Marty Palka from
Dataquest, and Jonathan Yarmis of the Gartner Group.

With the addition of a new track, "Installing and Configuring," the
January conference program now features seven tracks, featuring
a total of 40 practical sessions taught by such notables as Frank
Ingari, Jeff Tarter, Christine Comaford, J.D. Hildebrand, Amy Wohl,
and Jesse Berst.

Michael Shrage will deliver a keynote address which calls for
"business to focus on people management rather than information
management -- and to view technology as a means to encourage
and support productive relationships between people." Schrage,
a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and ComputerWorld and a
research associate at MIT, is the author of "Shared Minds: The
New Technologies of Collaboration."

Fred Langa leads a Plenary panel session, entitled "Who's Papering
Over GUI Cracks." Gordon Eubanks of Symantec delivers the
Developer's Keynote, called "Software Development in a
Multiplatform World."

The show floor will feature The Multimedia Test Drive Center,
which will allows showgoers to sit down and experience
multimedia on the PC. The Multimedia Showcase, will provide
three days of presentations by developers of multimedia products
for the PC -- complete with sound and special effects.

The show will also feature the Corporate Applications Contest, a
competition for corporate developers. A panel of industry editors
will evaluate applications developed by corporations for their
internal use, judging the applications' overall effectiveness in the
corporate environment.

Like last year, the Windows & OS/2 Test Drive Center will be a
main exhibit floor feature. In the center, more than 60 computers
are loaded with the latest applications.

Gail De Lano, spokesperson for the show, told Newsbytes that
for the general public there is a $30 fee for registering on-site,
with the fee covering the whole expo, but not the seminars and
tutorials. "If you pre-register you can get a pass that gets you
into the show" she said. "That is not to the conference part of
it, that's to the show part of it. The tutorials are extra."

According to De Lano, the Solutions Seminars are $69, if you
pre-register. The price goes up to $99 on-site.

(Ian Stokell/19921218/Press Contact: Gail De Lano,
408-761-1953, Shepherd Merrill Communications Group)


(CORRECTION)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00009)

Correction: Microsoft A/O Opening In Moscow 12/18/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 DEC 19 (NB) -- Newsbytes has erroneously
reported that Microsoft is to open the subsidiary in Bucharest,
Romania, early next year. Company plans are to open a
Budapest, Hungary office at that time. Newsbytes regrets the
error. The corrected story is as follows.

After months of speculation, Microsoft has announced it has registered
its first wholly owned subsidiary, Microsoft A/O, in Russia. The new
company has a registered capital of $5,000.

To date, most of Microsoft's products have been sold in Russia through
third-party companies. That situation may change, as it has done in
other East European countries where Microsoft has got a foot in the
distribution door. Microsoft officials have said that the company
plans to invest several million dollars in the Russian operation.

Industry observers, however, suggest that it could take some time
before the software giant generates actual profits from its Russian
operations.

Microsoft A/O is headquartered at 14 Staraja Basmannaja St, Moscow and
will be headed by Robert Clough, a Californian University graduate who
was formerly a business development manager with Nantucket's
operations in Moscow.

Plans call for the new company to service the needs of all the
republics within the former Soviet Union, including the Asian and
Baltic republics.

Announcing the formation of the new company, Bernard Vergnes,
Microsoft Europe's president, said that there are no plans -- for the
time being at least -- to open any further subsidiaries in Central
Europe. This would appear to exclude the company's Hungarian operation,
which opens for business after Christmas.

Vergnes was speaking at a two-day presentation at the
Balchug-Kempinsky hotel, a plush site in downtown Moscow. According to
Jurgen Stranghoener, Microsoft Eastern Europe's director, the
relatively low capitalization of the new company does not suggest that
Microsoft will not put money into the operation. Plans call, he said,
for the software giant to continue to invest in the Russian
market-place and for it to support the development of the software
industry in the country for the coming years.

Clough, Microsoft A/O's managing director, said that the new company
officially came into being on December 1 when it was first
registered. Plans call business to start in early January, with
Microsoft taking on another nine staff early in the New Year,
complementing the two (including Clough) already on the payroll.

Clough is wasting no time when it comes to getting the show on the
road. A new price list for the company's complete range of products
has been issued and distributor orders will be accepted for delivery
from the beginning of January. Among the many products on the
company's price list are international versions of Windows, DOS, and
Works for DOS.

The new prices could spell the end for many profitable software import
operations in Russia. Pricing has been set in rubles, which
could cause a long-term headache for Microsoft in that cheap Russian-
sourced versions of its software could -- in theory at least -- be
exported to other Central European countries. Microsoft claims it can
handle the potential problem.

Microsoft is working on a number of local language editions of its
software, including Windows 3.1, Word for Windows, Works for Windows
and Excel for Windows.

The news contradicts previous reports that a Russian version for
Windows 3.1 would be available in November, 1992. Some Microsoft
sources had suggested that a swathe of Russian language editions of
Microsoft software would ship in the first quarter of 1993 -- that
suggestion now looks to have been over-optimistic.

Microsoft officials said they are also speaking with Apple about the
localization of Microsoft Excel for the Mac. This comes as something
of a surprise as some sources have indicated that there are barely
2,000 Macs in active use here in Russia.

Microsoft is wasting no time when it comes to new country operations.
Last month saw new subsidiaries open in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Plans
are in hand for a new company to begin operations in Budapest, Hungary in
January.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19921215/Press Contact: Microsoft Moscow, Dmitry
Kartsev, phone [phone]; fax [phone]; Paul Robson,
Microsoft Germany, phone [phone] )


(NEWS)(IBM)(MOW)(00010)

Russia: Latest Borland Software Available 12/18/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- The Russian subsidiary of Borland
International has announced availability of the Borland Pascal with
Objects 7.0 and Turbo Pascal 7.0 for Russian buyers.

Both products will be shipped in early January, although the company
already accepts orders. No final price in rubles was announced.

Local observers report that both Borland and Microsoft, while
selling competing software development tools on the Russian market for
rubles, claim to be setting ruble prices based on "market
appreciation, not the official exchange rate." The effective rate
for most Borland products is approximately 60 rubles per dollar,
while Microsoft compilers are being sold at 90 rubles per dollar
on average.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19921217/Press Contact: Borland AO, phone [phone]-
9201)


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

ROUNDUP: Stories Carried By Other Media This Week 12/18/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief
look at some computer stories carried in other publications
received here this past week. Please note that there have been
some delays due to major winter storms.

Federal Computer Week for the week of the 14th looks at how the
editors think the government will spend its computer money in
1993.

December's Software Magazine takes a look at two top venture
capitalists who have funded the growth of the software industry:
Jacqueline Morby of TA Associates and Arthur Patterson of Accel
Partners.

Telephony dated November 30 looks at the changes coming due to a
move toward the use of broadband communications.

Informationweek for the week of December 7 says that a "Euro
Premium" means that the prices of US software sold in Europe
are as much as double the US price; this is especially true in
France. The cause? Not tariffs, but possible price-gouging by
some vendors.

Communicationsweek for the week of the 7th says that IBM is
looking to a simpler frame-relay link to increase sales.

December 7's Computer Reseller News offers a sneak preview of MS-
DOS 7.0 even before 6.0 hits the market.

Computerworld for the week beginning the 14th of December tells
the tale of woe at Borland as competition from Microsoft causes
Philippe Kahn to lay off 350 workers.

December's Technological Horizons in Education explores the use
of computer-generated graphics in education.

(John McCormick/19921218)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00012)

Fed Computing: The Outlook For '93 12/18/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Although we were
unable to spot a single laptop computer being used at the recent
Clinton/Gore economic teach-in, virtually no one believes that
the new residents of The White House and the Vice President's
official home will need to be taught what a mouse is. Many
computer companies see this dramatic change from the last
administration as boding well for the further computerization of
America.

With Senator Gore's interest in the country's high-speed computer
communications infrastructure and the entire administration's
bottom-line concerns, we can expect The House Government
Operations Committee to fare better this time with the
procurement reform bill put forward last year by Committee Chair
John Conyers, Jr. (Dem-Minn.).

What else can we expect to see happening in Washington next year?

First of all, the Postal Service is feeling the financial pinch
and cutting back on research and development funding. In fact,
the Congress is so upset with USPS financial performance that
there is some inside-the-Beltway talk about changing the
semi-autonomous unit back to a strictly federal agency under
full Congressional control.

Defense spending levels will probably grow slightly despite or
perhaps even because of the inevitable consolidation of some
departments which will require more computerization.

Federal Computer Week (December 14 issue) reports that Computer
Sciences' President Milton Cooper sees some downward pressure on
information technology budgets, "But it's still a very healthy
budget and a healthy business for a company like ours."

Although some minor changes can still be made in the fiscal year
1993 budget by the incoming Clinton administration, the monies
already appropriated for 1993 will closely reflect year-end
spending totals.

Civilian agencies will accordingly spend about $15 billion on
computer technology and services during 1993, while the Pentagon
will have about $10 billion to spend exclusive of "black"
projects -- spending which does not show up on published budgets
in any detail.

Since a growing percentage of military computer expenditures are
thought to involve intelligence-oriented and therefore secret
missions, it is becoming more difficult to gauge the size of
either the DoD or civilian information technology budgets.

Back on the civilian side, the Treasury Department's IRS tax
modernization project continues on track, while the Department of
Transportation is in the midst of a 20-year project to upgrade
the air traffic control system.

NASA spends a lot of money on computer technology but many
insiders see that agency losing some funding growth momentum in
future years because of budget constraints and the enormous
deficit.

A Gallup Poll published in the December 7 Computer Reseller News
reports that government offices are well ahead of lawyers
offices when it comes to computerization, with the average having
three times as many PCs as the average same-size legal office.

The same survey shows that word processing and spreadsheet
software are the most popular government applications -- about
what might be expected -- but it also shows that, contrary to what
taxpayers may think, price is a very important factor when
deciding what software or hardware to purchase.

(John McCormick/19921218/Press Contact: Julian Epstein, House
Government Operations Committee, 202-225-5051)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00013)

 ****Phone Overcharges Total Millions 12/18/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- In an investigative
report published in Communicationsweek dated December 7, Reporter
John Mulqueen says that clerical and other errors on their
telephone bills are costing many companies a great deal of money,
sometimes millions of dollars.

According to the report, companies such as Jericho, New York-
based Tele-Review and other independent account review companies
have been finding major discrepancies between actual
telecommunications usage, and bills, saving their clients millions
of dollars.

One New York brokerage company found that it has overpaid $5.8
million between 1984 and 1989, while Communicationsweek reports
that the New York City Department of Housing recently received a
$1.7 million refund from New York Telephone and the refund would
have been even larger but the statute of limitations had expired
on earlier overcharges.

Since some auditors have determined that nearly half of their
client's phone bills contain significant errors, telephone bill
auditing may just become a growth industry.

Although a lot of book work is presently involved in cross
checking bills, it is reasonable to expect that more companies
will begin using computers to dial the majority of routine
telephone calls so automatic reconciliation will become possible.

Many computer programs like QuarterDeck's DESQview already offer
modem users a simple way to automatically dial any telephone
number displayed on a text screen, few record those calls but
industry observers see this as a growth area in software
utilities, one which could also spur the growth of low-end modem
sales as a simple way to gain auto-dial capabilities.

As any home telephone user knows, telephone billing errors are
not restricted to New York Telephone, or to large business
operations.

But where home users and small businesses normally only encounter
minor long-distance charge errors for a couple of calls, larger
companies, schools, or government agencies which lease high-
performance lines, can face large bills for lines which they
stopped using years ago because, as modem technology improved, they
no longer needed the special high-quality lines to move data.

As some companies have found to their distress that the order to
remove the leased line may have been ignored due to bookkeeping
errors or they may still be paying bills for leased lines which
were actually removed but which were never deleted from automated
billing programs.

(John McCormick/19921218/)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00014)

Canadian Distributor Looks Southward 12/18/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Computer Brokers of
Canada, a national computer distributor, is opening a subsidiary
to serve the United States. CBC Computer Corp. will be based in
Memphis, Tennessee.

The new operation is building its strategy around rapid delivery,
which partly accounts for the choice of Memphis as a home base, a
spokeswoman for the company said. CBC will work with Federal
Express, the international delivery service, which is also based
in Memphis. "They're right there, they're next door," the
spokeswoman said, so CBC will be able to take orders for
computers until late in the evening and have the machines
delivered the next day.

Another piece of the fast-delivery strategy is the decision that
replacements for defective machines will be shipped out right
away, without waiting for the original unit to be returned.

The US company is in the process of signing distribution
agreements with vendors, but the spokeswoman said no names will
be released until January. In Canada, CBC handles products from
such companies as Canon, Citizen, Goldstar, Lexmark, Mitsubishi,
Novell, and Samsung.

With the Canadian operation doing well and a solid management
team in place, the spokeswoman said, CBC President Nir Shafrir
considers it a good time to turn his attention to the US
market. The belief that the North American economy is beginning
an upturn is also a factor in the timing of the move, she added.

(Grant Buckler/19921217/Press Contact: Joe Tersigni or Andrea
Dimock, Dutton Advertising for Computer Brokers of Canada,
416-250-5665; Computer Brokers of Canada, 416-660-1616, fax
416-660-1099)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00015)

GE, Delrina Sign Agreement 12/18/92
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- GE Information
Services has announced an agreement with Delrina Technology Inc.
of Toronto, under which GE will offer Delrina's PerForm Pro forms
management software as an optional companion to its BusinessTalk
System 2000 global communications and information management
system.

The forms software will make it easier for users of BusinessTalk
to exchange structured information, such as expense reports,
purchase orders, or field service requests, said Egan Skinner, a
spokesman for GE. Users will be able to create and fill out forms
with PerForm Pro, then transmit them within a company or between
companies using BusinessTalk 2000, Skinner said.

Doing the whole process electronically will "eliminate a lot of
wasted effort," Skinner said.

BusinessTalk 2000 works with the DOS operating system, with
Microsoft Windows, and with Apple Macintosh computers. Delrina
PerForm Pro runs on Windows, with client software modules
available for DOS and the Macintosh.

(Grant Buckler/19921217/Press Contact: Vivian Kelly, GE
Information Services, 301-340-4494; Josef Zancowicz, Delrina,
416-441-3676)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00016)

Update To IBM's AIX/ESA Due In February 12/18/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- IBM has
announced it will deliver an update to its mainframe Unix
operating system in February. Advanced Interactive
Executive/Enterprise Systems Architecture (AIX/ESA) Version 2
Release 2 provides large file system enhancements and conformance
to several new standards, IBM said.

AIX/ESA Release 2, which is meant for IBM Enterprise System/9000
mainframes, is built on the Open Software Foundation's OSF/1
Release 1.1 version of Unix, with IBM enhancements to work with
the ES/9000 machines.

IBM said the new release supports file systems of 500 gigabytes,
as opposed to previous limits of two gigabytes. The new release
also improves performance through disk striping and asynchronous
input/output (I/O), which allow I/O operations to proceed at the
same time as other processing, IBM said. Also, the release adds
support for the extended data caching functions of the IBM
3990 Storage Control Unit.

AIX Windows Environment/ESA has been upgraded to support Release
1.1.4 of the OSF/Motif user interface and Version 11 Release 5 of
the X-Window System. In addition, Release 2 has features to let
application developers reach worldwide markets without rewriting
applications to support different languages.

Release 2 complies with portions of the X/Open Portability Guide
Version 4, and IBM said it intends to obtain XPG4 branding for
AIX/ESA in the future.

IBM said AIX/ESA Version 2 Release 2 will be generally available
February 26, 1993. Current users will receive the new release
automatically. Charges for new users are determined by the size
of the processor. Monthly license charges for new users begin at
$1,315, while the one-time price is $63,120.

A company spokesman said the company does not release specific
figures on the installed base of operating systems software, but
sales of AIX/ESA have gone "according to the plan so far." IBM
launched the software, its first Unix offering for its large
mainframes, last April.

(Grant Buckler/19921218/Press Contact: Ed Trapasso, IBM,
914-642-5359)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00017)

Lotus To Close Plant, Cites Distribution Changes 12/18/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corp. has announced it will close a software
manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico, citing a move by large
customers to electronic distribution and buying license packs.
The Lotus Development Caribe Inc., operation will close in May.

The seven-year-old plant in Caguas, Puerto Rico, produces
shrink-wrapped boxes of Lotus 1-2-3, Freelance Graphics, Ami Pro,
and other Lotus software products for the North American market.
It is one of two serving North America; the other is in North
Reading, Massachusetts.

Lotus officials said software sales to users are shifting from
shrink-wrapped boxes to license packs and electronic
distribution. That means fewer of the copies of software sold are
complete packages with manuals and boxes.

Company spokesman Richard Eckel agreed that the closing probably
signals a trend, and that vendors of business software will
probably shrink their packaging operations in the next few years.
"It's clearly a trend in corporate America in large size
accounts," he said, though he added that there is still
significant demand for shrink-wrapped software among stand-alone
PC users.

When Lotus Caribe closes its 74,000-square-foot plant in May,
remaining production will transfer to the company's manufacturing
and distribution facility in North Reading. Eckel said the North
Reading plant was the larger of Lotus' two North American
packaging operations.

The company promised generous severance packages and outplacement
services to the 100 full-time and 30 part-time employees at
Caguas.

Lotus also has manufacturing facilities in Dublin, Ireland, and
Singapore.

(Grant Buckler/19921218/Press Contact: Richard Eckel, Lotus,
617-693-1284)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00018)

Bill Clinton's Team Using OnTime For Networks 12/18/92
SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Preparing for the
transition of power, and all of the ceremonies and events that are
associated with it, can be a royal pain. Just think of the amount
of people, equipment, places, and times that have to be coordinated
on inauguration day!

Bill Clinton's staff has set up a committee made up of 300 people
who are solely concerned with coordinating inauguration day activities.
Within that committee, one group's sole function is to coordinate
the comings and goings of the different people who claim some
familial connections with the President-elect. This staff has chosen
to use a network with a group scheduling product from Campbell Services.

OnTime for Networks was selected by the transition team, they say,
because it is easy to use and has handsome print-out options.
OnTime for Networks has an unique print-out of a daily calender,
a feature which particularly caught the eye of Dunkin Ritchie,
head of Office Automation for the Inaugural Committee. The
printout places the day's events on one third of a sheet of
paper, a to-do list on the second part, and notes on the third.
The reverse side of the page can be used to print out standard
calendar pages for a look at the rest of the month at a glance.
This page can then be folded in three and slipped unobtrusively
into a pocket.

Mr. Ritchie saw the program in use at a trade show earlier in the
year and liked feature as well as the ease of use of the program.
Other parts of the transition team are also using OnTime for Networks
in their efforts due to Mr. Ritchie's recommendation.

(Naor Wallach/19921218/Press Contact: Craig Settles, Successful
Marketing Strategies for Campbell Services, 510-644-3837/Public
Contact: Campbell Services, 313-559-5955)


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

MCI Prepares For 800 Portability 12/18/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- For MCI, May Day of 1993
will mean 800 Portability. On that date companies will be able to
take their toll-free 800 numbers with them as they change
carriers, and the second-largest long distance company is trying
to increase its market share as a result.

MCI's hope is embodied in a survey it sponsored from the American
Communications Group of Herndon, Virginia. The survey showed that
five in six decision makers think portability is a "good idea,"
and half plan to review their service options when portability
goes into effect. There are an estimated 1.3 million 800 numbers
in use in the United States, MCI said. Only companies presently
using an 800 number were included in the survey, conducted
November 16-24, 1992. The margin of error is plus or minus 4
percent.

One way to increase share is with new services. The company
announced 800 Answering Service, an enhancement to its MCI Card
calling card, which lets cardholders set up a number for
receiving messages by pressing "*3" on the main card menu. It
costs just $2.50 per month, plus 15 cents per minute for both
sending and receiving messages.

For business customers, MCI signed a deal with Octel, which will
offer discounts on its products to those companies which sign up
for toll-free service from MCI and buy an Octel voice processing
system to handle the call. Discounts are highest during the
three months after May Day. Internal and customer service
applications are among the targets here. Octel said its systems
let callers access multiple information sources on a single call,
and allows for transfers of calls between people. The system also
supports fax service too.

Following self-congratulatory releases by its rivals, AT&T and
Sprint, MCI announced it too has signed a contract to join the
TAT-12/13 cable network under the Atlantic. The new network,
due for completion in September 1996, will be a "self-healing"
loop with redundant fiber and software allowing for automatic
rerouting of calls. It will also have more capacity than all the
current Atlantic cables combined.

MCI International announced that Computer Mail Services has
delivered an improved version of its M-Bridge gateway between
LAN-based MHS systems and MCI Mail. The new product also adds new
support for Internet, mail "nicknames," dating, and managing time
intervals for automatic connections to MCI Mail at up to 9,600
bits/second.

And finally, MCI's store in Arlington, Virginia is offering kids
a chance to call and see Santa Claus. The two-hour demonstration
at the Pentagon City Fashion Centre, between 11 AM and 1 PM, is a
demonstration of the MCI Videophone, an English-designed unit
that competes with AT&T's Videophone. The MCI unit will carry a
price tag of $750, half AT&T's price.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921218/Press Contact: Alan Garratt, MCI
International, 914 934-6484; MCI 800, Melissa Robinson, 202/887-
2762; Public Contact: 800-444-1616; MCI, Kate Fralin, 703-415-
6941; Computer Mail Services Mitch Green, 313/352-6700; Public
Contact: 313/352-6700, FAX: [phone])


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

Bell Atlantic Says Cable Act Violates Constitution 12/18/92
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Bell Atlantic
says the Cable Act of 1984 violates its rights under the First
and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.

The act prohibits phone companies like Bell Atlantic's C&P Telephone
unit from competing directly with cable firms. So C&P and a newly
formed Bell Atlantic Video Services Company filed suit in US
District court in Alexandria, claiming the prohibition violates
its rights to free speech and its right to control its own
property.

Defendants include the United States, the Federal Communications
Commission, and US Attorney General William P. Barr,
responsible for the 1984 Cable Act's enforcement. Bell Atlantic
said, if it succeeds with the suit, it could deliver video
services to about 60,000 customers in Alexandria using the video
dial tone, common carrier network that C&P Telephone plans to
provide in that city during the next several years.

Spokesman Larry Plumb told Newsbytes, however, that Bell Atlantic
is not using the suit to tie up its own lines for its exclusive
benefit. "We'd do a platform open to all comers. If we win the
case, it could be, you could dial under that network, and get our
services or those of other companies."

Earlier, Bell Atlantic announced a deal with FutureVision of
Pennsylvania, which will sell video services in a similar network
Bell Atlantic is building for its New Jersey Bell unit in Toms River,
New Jersey.

Jones Intercable is the present cable operator in Alexandria, and
Plumb said Jones would be welcome to offer its services on the
Bell Atlantic system.

"We think this is a very straightforward case," Plumb added. "We
anticipate a decision within a year. Assuming appeals, the whole
process could take 2-3 years. It's important to note that while
this is based on today's technology, we don't anticipate dollar
one coming in from video for 4-5 years. This is a future revenue
potential from the business point of view."

The suit, and its arguments, follow a decade of similar arguments
from Republican Administrations. Outgoing FCC Chairman Al Sikes
has often urged that phone companies be allowed into cable,
saying competition should replace rate regulation. His FCC also
gave phone companies like Bell Atlantic power to offer a "video
dial tone" last summer.

Also, Reagan-era courts have begun returning in recent years to an
old interpretation of the Fifth Amendment which concentrates on the
rights of property-holders, not criminal defendants. The precedent
here is a recent South Carolina case in which the court held that
environmental regulations against beach erosion were an illegal
"taking" of property rights from a man who wanted to build a house
on the beach.

The suit also comes at a time when cable and telephone executives
are urging cooperation in order to create a 21st century
telecommunications infrastructure that will make the US more
competitive. Such an infrastructure is a major goal of the
incoming Clinton Administration and Vice President-elect Al Gore.
Cable and phone executives say that, if they cooperate, they can
bring high-end capabilities to 80 percent of the population by
the turn of the century, but if they're locked in turf battles,
nothing may be done.

In a press statement, assistant general counsel, John Thorne,
hinted at his company's line of argument, noting that the Supreme
Court has ruled that video programming is protected by the First
Amendment. "The government bears the burden of showing a
compelling governmental interest for restricting protected
speech, and in this case there is no way that they will be able
to carry that burden." But the suit comes the same day the FCC
announced record fines against Infinity Broadcasting, a radio
network, for non-obscene but indecent statements made by deejay
Howard Stern.

Consumer groups, meanwhile, may come into the suit against Bell
Atlantic, on the argument that a company which owns the
infrastructure should not own programming, and out of fear that
phone customers could wind up subsidizing cable investments. But
cable operators already own cable programmers, and despite the
recent Cable Reregulation Act there have been no moves to force
divestment yet. Congressman Edward Markey, who chairs the House
subcommittee on telecommunications, and who might be the next FCC
chairman, also opposes letting local phone companies own cable
operations within their home regions.

In other news from Bell Atlantic, the company announced that it
now has a seamless network between Philadelphia and New York,
meaning callers can roam throughout the network more easily,
without entering as many codes when they travel from area to
area. The new cellular technology is similar to the Signaling
System 7 scheme used in the wired phone network, but is known as
Interim Standard 41. The Bell Atlantic seamless network will have
to compete with Comcast's participation in McCaw's North American
Cellular Network, turned on December 18 in Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921218/Press Contact: Bell Atlantic Mobile
Systems, Karen Ann Kurlander, 908/306-7552; Bell Atlantic, Larry
Plumb, 703-974-2814; CONTACT: Comcast Metrophone, Melissa
Nichols, 215-975-5123)


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

Sierra Offering Sprint Ads On Games 12/18/92
OAKHURST, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Sierra On-Line
said Sprint will sponsor and advertise inside "Space Quest V:
The Next Mutation," one of Sierra's new computer games scheduled
for release early next year. The arrangement is the first of its
kind for the computer game industry.

The Sprint logo will appear on high-tech communications equipment
used by Roger Wilco, the main character featured in the game,
as well as the game's demo, which is scheduled to run concurrently
in retail software outlets throughout the country. Sprint will
also use Sierra games as giveaway premiums in its own promotions.

Meanwhile, the company said a potential net loss estimated by
Wall Street analysts to reach $2.5 million for the year ending in
March is "not unreasonable," despite earlier predictions of
profits. As a result, the company is deferring some development
costs on new video games to spruce up the balance sheet. But the
company is going to increase marketing funds going to its online
games network, The Sierra Network, which lost $3.5 million to
$4.5 million during the year. The company said the network can
break even with about 50,000 users, and President Ken Williams
says he's encouraged that the network already has about 27,000
users. The extra money is aimed at reaching the 50,000-user
break-even target more quickly, although the increased spending
may mean larger losses in early 1993. Williams also noted that
for December 8, Software Etc., listed many of his products on its
best-seller list.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921218/Press Contact: Eugene G. Heller, for
Sierra On-Line, 310-208-2550)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00022)

Police Computer Is New Kind Of Baby Monitor 12/18/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Computers in police
cruisers carry messages about burglaries, robberies and other
criminal activity. But once in a while a message comes across that
is good news.

That's what happened recently in Austin, Texas when computer screens
in cruisers across the city flashed the message "It's A Boy!" The
message was the culmination of what was anything but routine for
senior police officer, Michael Pollard, as he cruised his district on
routine patrol. Pollard was patrolling near some apartments in
northeast Austin earlier this week when he heard a radio call that a
woman was about to deliver a baby. He rushed to the scene to see if
he could help the 22-year old woman, who said she had ben ignoring
her labor pains all day. "I thought it would go away," the woman
told officers later.

When she finally decided to walk to her mother-in-law's home nearby.
She didn't make it, and Pollard helped deliver the child about 10
PM. Pollard said he was grinning from ear to ear after the delivery.
"It was the biggest thing that ever happened to me out there. I hope
to do it again some day," he said.

"I'm sure glad the officer was there because my mother-in-law was
screaming. It was scary," said the mother. Pollard said she was
"all nervous and shaking, so I tried to calm her down and teach her
breathing techniques." Paramedics arrived in response to Pollard's
summons just as the baby emerged.

Pollard said his mind flashed back to when his own son was born
eight years ago. "It's one of those things where you see it once,
and it just stays with you, kind of like riding a bike."

It was then that other officers who had been monitoring the
situation on the police radio learned of the birth, as dispatchers
flashed "It's a Boy!" on the cruiser's computer screens.

(Jim Mallory/19921218)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00023)

Target's Touch-Screens Kiosks Sell Gift Certificates 12/18/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Eight Target
stores in Minnesota now offer a computerized touch-screen service
center that enables customers to buy gift certificates for Target
and eight other retail stores, restaurants and services in the
state.

Called Target Service Express, the self-service kiosks have been
installed in Target stores in Bloomington, Mankato, Minneapolis, and
St Paul. The system accepts most major credit cards, and can issue
the certificates in amounts from $10 to $100. The computer also
prints a personalized gift certificate and a greeting card. There is
no charge for a target certificate, and a $1.50 charge for
certificates honored by the other outlets participating in the
system.

Buyers can choose from department stores Dayton's, Hudson's and
Marshall Fields, as well as Cub Foods, the Children's Theatre
Company, General Cinema Theatres, the Guthrie Theater, Minnesota
Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and United Airlines.
Several trendy restaurants and bars, including Bakers Square,
Figlio, Kincaid's, and Pronto Ristorante and Caffe, participate in
the program. The unit also dispenses special Target coupons and
product information.

The kiosks are a product of The Gift Certificate Center, Inc. (GCC),
and are installed in 32 Twin Cities locations, including the Target
stores. GCC guarantees customer satisfaction for both the gift
giver and the recipient, saying the certificate can be returned by
the buyer for a full credit card refund. Certificates can also be
ordered through a toll-free number operated by GCC.

GCC spokesperson Lloyd Oliver told Newsbytes the system issues a
specially designed three-part form which has a receipt at the top of
the form, the customized greeting card with some text entered by the
buyer, and the gift certificate at the bottom. Oliver said the
machine is equipped with a card reader which reads the magnetic
strip on the buyer's credit card to record the charge.

(Jim Mallory/19921218/Press contact: Lloyd Oliver, GCC,
612-672-8600; Gift Certificate Ordering: 800-765-4438)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00024)

 ****Magazine Reports FTC Will Move Against Microsoft 12/18/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Business Week
magazine, in its December 28th issue, says FTC investigators have
concluded that the software company has engaged in anticompetitive
actions. The magazine also reports that the investigators are
preparing recommendations as to how to proceed against the company.

According to Business Week, the recommendations being prepared by
the agency's investigators could include breaking up the company,
altering the way its software is sold to computer makers, or
isolating the divisions from each other. The latter move, if
adopted, would effectively have each division operating as a
separate entity.

Business Week says the investigators focused on Microsoft's
"aggressive tactics" including the way it licenses its software to
computer makers. The company reportedly has 95 percent of the
operating systems market for personal computers powered by Intel
microprocessors. The magazine also claims that the report alleges
that Microsoft has unfairly used its dominance to gain an edge in
development of such software applications as word processing
programs and spreadsheets.

Rival software companies have complained publicly and apparently to
the Federal Trade Commission that Microsoft uses "predatory
practices" in selling its operating systems. The operating system is
the software which provides basic functions such as file management,
and is the foundation from which applications such as word
processing programs run. Allegations have also been made that
Microsoft dumped software at prices designed to drive other
companies from the market.

When contacted by Newsbytes late Thursday, a Microsoft spokesperson
would only say "No comment."

(Jim Mallory/19921218/Press contact: Christine Summerson, Business
Week, 212-512-2882)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(ATL)(00025)

Review of: Hayes Optima 144, a fax-data modem 12/18/92

From: Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc., P.O. Box 105203,
Atlanta, Georgia, 30348; 404-441-1617; Fax: [phone]; BBS:
404-446-6336 or 800-874-2937

Price: $519.00

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

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Dana Blankenhorn

Summary: This is a top-flight modem from a top-flight company.

======

REVIEW

======

The Hayes Optima 144 is not at the top of the company's line -- a
line called Ultra includes an X.25 PAD. But it's the fastest
modem you can buy which runs under an internationally recognized
standard, V.32bis. The Hayes product also supports the V.42bis
standard for online error correction and compression, as well as
the Class I fax standard, which operates on an extension to the
Hayes AT command set and allows you to -- finally -- buy third-
party software for your fax board.

I tried the Hayes Optima on every conceivable data speed, with
a number of different computers. The unit worked every time.
While some other modems I've tried had trouble with GEnie's
2400 bits-per-second access, the Hayes worked both at the
slowest and fastest (9600) speeds. (On a Macintosh we had to
disable XonXoff, as it does hang up some high-speed transmissions
during Xmodem transfers, but we're told this problem is normal
for high-speed modems and Macs and not unique to Hayes modems.)
It is also Bell 103- compatible, meaning it even works well with
my favorite Chicago editor whose computer operations still require
300 bits-per-second access.

In the past I've used internal modems exclusively, but since
Hayes sent the external version this year, I tried it. I found one
big advantage -- the flashing lights tell me when a file transfer
in the background is ending or hung-up, even if my software is
keeping quiet about it. During the holiday season, the flashing
red lights also add a Christmas touch to the office.

The product comes with two free software packages -- Smartcom EZ
and Smartcom Fax. Neither is a high-end package, but they do the
job unless you have your own favorite.

I can't say enough good things about Hayes support, either. The
operators have never heard a stupid question -- at least they
won't admit to having ever heard one. And the online support,
which sports a toll-free line for out-of-towners, is also among
the best in the industry. The support people always seem to be
there, and I never had to wait to talk to a technician after more
than a few minutes on hold.

You will pay more for a Hayes modem, but given the excellent
support and quality of the product, it's worth it.

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

PUMA RATING

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

PERFORMANCE: (4.0) It performed flawlessly.

USEFULNESS: (4.0) This modem will be useful to call virtually any
online service or BBS you currently call.

MANUAL: (4) Manuals provided are detailed and written well.

AVAILABILITY: (4) Available in a store near you.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921219/Press Contact:Beth McElwaine, Hayes,
404-840-9200)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00026)

 ****DCA Purchases Avatar 12/18/92
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Digital
Communications Associates (DCA) is in the process of purchasing
Avatar of Hopkinton, Massashusetts for $8 million.

DCA spokespeople have told Newsbytes that this is a strategic
purchase intended to help DCA reach its goal of becoming the premier
provider of cross-platform connectivity products and network services.
DCA says Avatar products and future technology complement and enhance
DCA's current and future product plans.

Avatar makes a wide range of mainframe to micro products and has
a strong Macintosh product line for this purpose. DCA intends to
take the next 60 days to evaluate each one of the Avatar products
and decide whether to continue making and supporting it. This
evaluation process starts today.

DCA and Avatar staffs are being informed of the purchase today.
DCA will be closing down the Avatar facilities in Hopkinton
and in Santa Clara, California and consolidating the operations
in DCA's facilities in Georgia and in San Jose, California.

DCA indicated to Newsbytes that several of Avatar's sales offices
around the country will also be closed and merged with DCA offices.
DCA will be offering Avatar employees the option of moving to new
locations. However, the company expects that some employees will
choose to decline that offer and will opt for severance pay and
outplacement assistance.

All Avatar offices will remain open until March 31, 1993.

DCA and Avatar have agreed on certain goals for the products and
on a formula under which DCA will pay additional sums of money
to Avatar shareholders in case those products exceed the
goals set for them.

Avatar is a privately owned company. DCA and Avatar will be informing
all of the investors in Avatar of this purchase. DCA expects the
purchase to be completed before the end of this year.

DCA will be paying for Avatar out of its cash reserves which have
averaged between $50 and $100 million every quarter. DCA has no long
term debt of any kind.

DCA has set up a hotline for those Avatar customers who have
questions or concerns about the merger. The number is 404-442-4546

(Naor Wallach/19921218/Press Contact: Kerry Stanfield, DCA, 404-442-
4519; Clair Pratt, Avatar, 508-435-3000/Public Contact: DCA, 404-442-
4000)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00027)

US Electronics Jobs Down, But Some Segments Up 12/18/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- The
American Electronics Association (AEA) chairman says he has
concluded that the electronics industry was still in the grip of a
"severe and persistent recession" in the third quarter of 1992.
However, two segments of the industry are showing growth.

The AEA reports 24,000 electronics industry jobs were
been lost in the US in the third quarter and for the year so far
79,000 jobs disappeared.

Arnold N. Silverman, AEA chairman and chairman of ICOT
Corporation, said in a prepared statement: "Although we are
starting to see some early signs of business improvement in our
industry, many companies are still experiencing lackluster
sales performance. Small companies, the engine of US job
growth, have been among the hardest hit by this recession."

The good news is two industries increased in the third quarter,
consumer electronics and computer programming. Prepackaged
software and consumer electronics employment both show growth
in comparison to 1991 figures.

Overall, the AEA said domestic employment in the US electronics
industry fell to 2.311 million, or 1 percent below the June 30,
1992 level of 2.335 million.

Compared to the industry's peak month, August of 1989, the
total jobs lost number 289,000, an 11.1 percent drop. Of that
total, 99,000 jobs were lost between September of 1991 and
September of 1992, a drop of 4 percent from the September 1991
total of 2.41 million jobs.

Job losses in the first quarter of 1992 totalled 40,000 and the
second quarter 15,000.

The AEA says it bases its estimates on data provided to it by
the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics and maintains the right
to revise the figures if necessary. The Santa Clara,
California-based group says it represents 3,000 companies
throughout the US and has been in existence for 50 years.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921218/Press Contact: John Hatch, American
Electronics Association, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00028)

Cypress, AMD Settle Patent Dispute 12/18/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Cypress has
settled its four-year-old suit with Advanced Micro Devices by paying
the company $4.25 million. A cross-licensing arrangement was also
part of the deal. In the suit, AMD alleged Cypress infringement of
an AMD patent on the "macrocell" concept used in many of
Cypress's programmable logic devices (PLDs).

John Hamburger, spokesperson for Cypress, told Newsbytes that
"AMD granted Cypress licenses....covering our 22V10 PLD and the
29116 16-bit processors. And Cypress has granted AMD a license
covering CMOS (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor) output
bumper technology." Additionally, he said that Cypress had agreed
to pay AMD an "undisclosed" royalty fee for "past and future use."

The $4.25 million payment was "a separate deal," Hamburger
said. "We paid the $4.25 million as a settlement for the 'alleged'
infringement of this patent on the macrocell concept which is
used in the 22V10 and other products."

Cypress says that the 22V10 is a user-programmable logic
circuit widely used in computation and communications
equipment, while the 29116 is used as a microcontroller.

W.J. Sanders III, AMD chairman and chief executive officer, said:
"AMD is committed to vigorous protection of its intellectual
property rights. We are pleased that the settlement between
AMD and Cypress upholds the validity of the 22V10 patent.
Today's agreement recognizes the importance of mutually
beneficial cross-license agreements on intellectual property
rights."

Cypress and AMD say that the agreement will terminate three
separate lawsuits between the two companies, including two
patent infringement suits in the federal courts and a contract
dispute in the California Superior Court.

Cypress CEO T.J. Rodgers said, "It is a win-win deal. As the
dispute unfolded, we would have had to endure four trials, two
initiated by each side, which would have cost Cypress $1 million
each, not counting the possibility of an adverse judgement and
subsequent damages. AMD also wins by avoiding the plaintiff's
higher litigation cost, in addition to receiving our settlement
and our reaffirmation of their macrocell patent. In the future,
Cypress will also enjoy AMD's protection of its patent against
potential foreign and domestic infringers."

Hamburger emphasized that, "By settling this, it essentially
re-affirms, from our standpoint, the macrocell concept. (It also)
protects Cypress, as well as AMD, against possible infringement
by foreign competitors."

Lawsuits seem to be part of business for semiconductor
manufacturers. In July, Newsbytes reported that Cypress had won
a suit against Texas Instruments. In that case, a federal district
court jury ruled that a Texas Instruments patent covering a
method for testing programmable logic devices was not valid.

(Ian Stokell/19921218/Press Contact: Pat Verderico, 408-943-
2754, John Hamburger, 408-943-2902, Cypress Semiconductor
Corp.)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00029)

 ****Cypress To Cut 400, Move Some Jobs Overseas 12/18/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- In an effort
to reduce manufacturing costs even more, Cypress Semiconductor
Corp., has decided to move manufacturing operations out of
San Jose, resulting in another 400 job losses in the area.

The company says that it managed to reduce costs by transferring
75 percent of its assembly and test operation to its facility in
Bangkok, Thailand. Because of that, it will now transfer the rest
of its production to Bangkok over the next six months. This the
company says, will enable "further cost reductions and facility
consolidations at its San Jose site."

John Hamburger, spokesman for the company, confirmed to
Newsbytes that the company will be cutting 400 jobs in the San
Jose, in addition to the 300 that went with the company's
previous restructuring, involving the move offshore.

In terms of when the cuts take affect, Hamburger told Newsbytes
that, "they have already begun. However, the number of people that
will leave before the end of the year is actually very small. Most
of the cuts will take place in the late first-quarter going on into
April or so."

Also, the company said that, due to the "quick ramp-up and
40 percent capacity utilization of its new, six-inch Minnesota
wafer fabrication plant, it will absorb all the production
wafer fabrication currently being run it its original five-inch
San Jose plant." In short, the company is closing down its San
Jose wafer fabrication plant and moving it out of state.

According to Cypress, its wafer production will then be
performed "exclusively" in its Texas and Minnesota plants.

Said Cypress CEO T.J. Rodgers: "We knew we would have excess
wafer fab capacity when we bought the Minnesota plant at a
bargain price in 1990. However, the quick ramp-up of that plant
makes the production of five-inch wafers in our oldest San Jose
facility unnecessary. With all our production in Texas and
Minnesota, the company will move exclusively to more productive
six-inch wafers."

The future though looks pretty bad for the company's San Jose
workers. Said Rodgers, "We believe the California production
phase out will return Cypress to the performance levels our
investors expect. These actions will reduce our employee base
by about 400, in addition to the 300 associated with our prior
shift of plastic assembly to Bangkok. Our headcount will therefore
be reduced by mid-1993 to about 1,240, as compared to the peak
of 1,945 in the fourth quarter of 1991. This workforce reduction
will improve productivity dramatically."

In answer to a question concerning what will be left in San Jose
once the restructuring is finished, Hamburger told Newsbytes that:
"The largest number of employees will still be employed in San
Jose. About 900 people. It will include our corporate headquarters,
which includes all of our administrative, finance, sales and
marketing, and infrastructure."

Production is the main area of change, he said. "We are moving
the production to our two production facilities in Minnesota and
Texas, and our back-end assembly test and mark off-shore to
Thailand. However, what we are doing is essentially 'beefing-up'
our R&D facility here. That will be a major area of focus....(we
will be)...focusing on the development of next-generation
technologies and processes."

(Ian Stokell/19921218/Press Contact: Pat Verderico, 408-943-
2754, John Hamburger, 408-943-2902, Cypress Semiconductor
Corp.)


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

Centel Shareholders Approve Merger With Sprint 12/18/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 18 (NB) -- Centel announced
final results on its proposed merger with Sprint, indicating that
43,235,168 shares, 50.5 percent of those outstanding shares,
approved the merger. That means, since the Justice Department
has announced it will not object, the deal is basically done.

The results end a year-long saga in which Sprint first made a bid
for Centel, Centel put itself out for public bid, then Sprint
came back with the highest offer for the whole company. In the
deal, Centel shareholders will get about one-third of Sprint,
although Sprint has far more than two-thirds of the new group's
total revenues.

Centel Chairman Jack Frazee will become president of the new
concern, with current Sprint Chairman William Esrey remaining as
chairman. Centel's management team is highly rated, Sprint's less
well-regarded, so it will be interesting to watch how the two
groups mesh. The deal will provide Centel shareholders with 1.37
Sprint shares for each Centel share they own.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921219/Press Contact:William K. White, 312-
399-2735)