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/1993/NB090893

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(NEWS)(UNIX)(WAS)(00001)

Linkon Intros Low Cost Unix Voice Recognition Fax Board 09/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The integration of fax
and voice mail on networks is a major aim of many businesses -- a
goal which will be helped along by New York City-based Linkon's
inexpensive Faxpeak board for Unix systems. A $3,000 version of the
board using digital signal processor and fax technology will handle
four telephone lines, while an eight-line board is priced at $8,000.

Designed specifically for fax-on-demand systems where users call in
to the company's computer system and request that specific faxes be
transmitted, there is also an S-bus version of the Faxpeak board for
RISC (reduced instruction set computing) chip computers which is
priced at only $1,500.

Although other phone/fax boards are priced in this same range, they
depend on touch-tone responses from callers. Linkon indicates that
their new board actually responds to spoken commands from callers,
making this board unique in its price range.

The Faxpeak board, which connects to high-speed digital
telecommunications lines (T1 or E1) can also be used to send or
receive faxes by any network client.

(John McCormick/19930908/Press Contact: George Dinsdale, Linkon,
212-753-2544)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00002)

Perfected! Adds Functions To WordPerfect 09/08/93
BUFFALO, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- WordPerfect users who
want to teach the popular word processor a few new tricks may want
to look at Perfected!, a WordPerfect add-on from Niad Corporatuon.
The vendor says its software can turn WordPerfect into an address-
file manager, an invoicing and purchasing system, or a financial
reporting tool.

According to the company, Perfected! automates some of WordPerfect's
more complex features, such as tables, mail merging, outlining,
sorting, and macros. According to Niad, it will make it easier for
novice users to put these features to work, and will help more
experienced users do new things with their word processor.

Among Perfected!'s functions is a simplified way of printing
envelopes and mailing labels, as well as facsimile cover sheets.
Also, the software lets users retrieve addresses from an "address
book" maintained in WordPerfect and print envelopes and letters
without retyping the address.

Pre-designed administrative forms are also available, including
expense reports, calendars, and schedules. Like other WordPerfect
add-ons, the software does its tricks by taking advantage of the
word processor's powerful macro capabilities.

Perfected! began shipping in late August in the United States and
Canada, according to Lucrezia Motta, marketing co-ordinator for
Thetis Marketing Group of Toronto, which is marketing the product
for Niad. The list price is US$59.95 or C$74.95.

(Grant Buckler/19930908/Press Contact: Lucretia Motta, Thetis
Marketing Group, 416-470-0868, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00003)

Series III VersaKey Keyboard For PC Debuts 09/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Australian keyboard
manufacturer ACTek has released Versakey III, the latest version of
its intelligent PC keyboard. The company claims that VersaKey series
III has an additional 60 programmable function keys.

One or two sets of keystrokes can be assigned to the extra 60 keys,
automating many tasks regularly performed on the PC. Unlike some
software-based macro recording systems there is no special macro
language and the need to re-assign the same 10 or 12 keys for each
application.

Because the keyboard itself stores up to 30,000 keystrokes, a
typical application could be to place large sections of boiler plate
text behind some keys, for applications such as word processing.

Another suggested usage is to record important and complicated, but
perhaps infrequently used, strings of commands onto keys for jobs
such as month-end roll-over of products like accounting packages.
This could save the monthly hunt for the manual or the scrap of
yellow sticky paper with the command string on it.

The VersaKey III plugs into any 286, 386, 486 or PS/2 PC and
requires no installation. Keystroke settings can be entered manually
or from disk, allowing multiple keyboards to be programmed from a
single source -- such as a corporate user having all keyboards in the
organisation programmed the same way.

(Paul Zucker/19930908/Contact: ACTek Technology Pty Ltd on phone
[phone] or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00004)

Australian Company Unveils Sound Blaster 16 Basic Sound Card 09/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The Australian subsidiary of
Singapore-based Creative Technology has released a new product --
Sound Blaster 16 Basic. According to the company, the card is a
fully upgradeable sound board with compact disc (CD)-quality audio,
inbuilt CD-Rom (compact disc - read only memory) drive controller,
and real-time hardware compression and decompression of sound files
to save disk space.

The card has a suggested retail price in Australia of $299 (US$200),
placing it below the top line 16ASP board, yet offering similar
features. It has an interface connector for the addition of a Wave
Blaster board which offers sampled-wave sound synthesis. It can also
take an Advanced Signal Processing (ASP) option board. As standard
it records and plays back in 8 and 16-bit samples, in mono or
stereo, up to 44.1kHz (CD sound quality) sample rate and has a four
operator, 20-voice OPL-3 FM synthesizer.

All the usual software goodies are included, ranging from games, to
music to text-to-speech converters. And believe it or not, the board
is even compatible with the standard for PC sound boards -- the
Sound Blaster!

(Paul Zucker/19930908/Contact: Creative Pacific on phone +61-2-906
8887 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00005)

Electronic Medical Records Module Shipping 09/08/93
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Medical
Synergies Corporation (MSC) says it is licensing the electronic
medical record module of its PAL/MED software, designed to aid
physicians in avoiding malpractice charges. The company already
markets billing, financial and scheduling modules.

The company claims that the key components of the newest module
include on-line patient medical history, patient care and nursing
notes, lab and x-ray reports, automatic patient follow-up and
recall, and automatic drug interaction warnings. MSC says that the
module automatically evaluates the utilization of each component of
the patient record to ensure completeness. that's designed to
decrease the physician's risk of being charged with malpractice.

MSC says it's targeting small and mid-sized software companies who
already have entries in the medical arena, especially those with
billing and insurance filing packages, and with current system
installations ranging from a few dozen to a few thousand. "Such
companies may find they lack either the time, expertise, or finance
to develop a medical records module," explained Doctor James Palen,
MSC VP of marketing.

Software vendors that license the MSC records package have the
option to private label the package. Specific license pricing
information was not provided, but Palen says the company is
flexible. "To kick-start this strategy, we are giving very flexible
and attractive terms for licensing."

Palen founded his firm, Palcor Corporation, in 1983, and merged with
an Atlanta marketing firm recently to become MSC. Palen claims that
a physician's malpractice insurance premium can run to more than
$100,000 annually, which increases the cost of medical care for
everyone. The National Medical Liabilities Reform Coalition says
negligence claims cost clinicians and patients more than $10,000
million in 1992, and estimates malpractice premiums account for
nearly 20 percent of total medical costs annually.

MSC says that the PAL/MED package will alert physicians to failure
to diagnose an ailment, inadvertent drug reaction, failure to
properly inform the patient about his or her condition and the risks
of a particular procedure, and failure to complete proper patient
follow-up.

President Bill Clinton's health care program estimates savings of
millions of dollars by reducing present health care costs. The
PAL/MED package may be a step in that direction, Newsbytes notes.

(Jim Mallory/19930908/Press Contact: Stacy Imyak, S&S Public
Relations for Medical Synergies Corporation, 708-291-1616; Reader
contact: 314-335-0061)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00006)

Cardinal Intros Multimedia Upgrade Kits 09/08/93
LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- IBM PC and
compatible users wanting to get into multimedia usually turn to all-
in-one upgrade kits to get the necessary hardware. Now Cardinal
Technologies has introduced two new Cardinal Sensory System upgrade
kits. According to the company, the kits are designed for 386- and
486-based systems, and cost $599 for the Cardinal Sensory System I
and $699 for the Sensory System II.

The company claims that the multimedia kits can save users
between $100 and $500 -- compared to retail price tags on Creative
Labs' Sound Blaster Digital Edge/Edutainment CD 16, Media Vision
Pro 16/Fusion Double CD 16, Turtle Beach System's MultiSound, and
other multimedia PC (MPC) upgrade kits.

The company is also claiming that the Sensory System I is the
market's lowest-priced MPC Level 2-compliant upgrade kit to offer
a complete multimedia/CD title pack.

The Sensory System kits feature Cardinal's Digital Sound Pro 16
soundcards with studio MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)
wavetable music, double-speed CD-ROM drives for faster data
access, Windows/DOS multimedia presentation software, and a
number of CD software.

The Digital Sound Pro 16 series was originally introduced in May.
The cards offer 16-bit audio, as well as digital recording and
playback features.

Digital Sound Pro 16 cards are based on a re-programmable digital
signal processing (DSP)-based audio processing chipset from Analog
Devices. Additionally, the Cardinal soundcard in the kit is claimed
to play MIDI music in up to 24 different, realistic, simultaneous,
instrumental "voices" -- through wavetable synthesis, which draws
tones from a library of digitally-recorded samples of actual musical
instruments stored in an onboard ROM chip.

The company also claims that the CD and digital audio tape (DAT)
quality sound, coupled with onboard sampled instruments, can help
transform a PC into a personal music studio.

Announcing the products, Harold Krall, president of Cardinal
Technologies, said: "Because our customers can easily load in new
features as affordable software upgrades to their soundcards, we
help them protect their multimedia PC investment. Today, changing
desktop multimedia standards and new audio product features make our
competitors' soundcards obsolete almost as you buy them -- so why
purchase overpriced MPC kits if they have dead-end sound, inferior
components and boring software?"

The Sensory System I includes: the Digital Sound Pro 16 soundcard;
Labtec CS-150 external stereo speakers; and a Sony CDU-31A-03
double speed internal CD-ROM drive, which features 300 kilobytes
per second/370 millisecond average data access speed. The Sony
drive is CD-ROM XA and multi-session Photo-CD compatible, and
needs no "disk caddy" to load CDs.

Both Cardinal packages include a Voyetra Technologies PC
audio/multimedia software for DOS and Windows-based PCs,
designed to control all the sound-generating capabilities of the
Cardinal DSP 16.

The package also includes a number of CD titles: Compton's
MultiMedia Encyclopedia; "Arthur's Teacher Trouble" interactive
children's book, "Return of the Phantom" mystery thriller, "F-15
Strike Eagle III" flight simulator; "David Leadbetter's Greens" golf,
and "MusiClips."

The Sensory System II includes: the Digital Sound Pro 16 Wavetable
soundcard; Labtec CS-800 external stereo speakers; the Sony
CDU-31A-03 double speed internal CD-ROM drive, and a dynamic
microphone for voice/sound recording. The kit adds Asymetrix's
Compel multimedia presentation and MediaBlitz! sound/image
scoring software.

The technology require at least a 386SX PC with Windows 3.1, at
least two megabytes (MB) of RAM, a 30MB hard drive, and a VGA
graphics card. Both Sensory System kits reportedly comply with the
486 multimedia PC performance demands of MPC Level 2.

The Sensory System I kit is available in volume now, with the
Sensory System II kit to become available by October 1.

(Ian Stokell/19930908/Press Contact: Jim Buhrendorf, 617-246-0444,
Cardinal Technologies)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00008)

Microsoft Offers MS-Workgroup Templates 09/08/93
WINNERSH, WOKINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1994 SEP 8 (NB) -- Microsoft has
announced the availability of the Microsoft Workgroup templates, a
range of 13 modifiable templates for developing workgroup solutions
based on the company's development tools and applications.

The templates were actually announced on August 30 as part of
Microsoft Devcast, a satellite broadcast on that date designed to
show developers how to build workgroup solutions. More than 50,000
developers, solution providers, original equipment manufacturers and
independent sale vendors from Canada, the UK and the US,
participated in the event.

Announcing the UK availability of the templates, Mark Hassall,
Microsoft's workgroup applications product manager, said that they
make it easier for corporate developers to use Microsoft products to
address workgroup needs.

"Microsoft's Workgroup computing strategy is about matching the
right tools to specific customer needs. The Workgroup Templates
allow corporate developers and solution providers to create
beneficial workgroup solutions easily, using the everyday
applications and development tools they already have," he said.

According to Hassall, the templates fall into three categories:
activity management, collaboration and forms-based workflow. The six
activity management templates cover status reporting, customer
tracking, meeting co-ordinator, service requests,m project scheduler
and an expertise planner. They can all be modified using Microsoft
Access, Schedule Plus and the company's electronics forms designer.

There are three collaboration templates, covering the fields of
report consolidation, budget consolidation and expense reports,
These templates can be modified using the new workgroup extensions
to Microsoft Excel and Word.

There are four forms-based workflow templates that allow customers
to automate common paper-based workflow processes, including: supply
order, help desk request, travel reservations and remote queries.

All the templates are available as a package in the UK for UKP 29
though MIcrosoft's resellers. They are also available free of charge
from the Compuserve online service, as well as via the MIcrosoft
Developer Network CD program. Routine technical support for the
templates will be provided by Microsoft, the company claims.

(Steve Gold/19930908/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft - Tel: 0734-
270001)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00009)

Zoo Keeper Teaches Kids About Endangered Animals 09/08/93
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Davidson &
Associates, a company known for educational software, has announced it
is shipping the Apple Macintosh version of Zoo Keeper, a multimedia
software package that teaches children age 6 and up about animals.

The program is a game, with the child as a temporary Zoo Keeper at
"Zoo World" which requires learning about animal habits and habitats
in order to win. As the child successfully completes portions of the
game, the reward is to release an endangered animal back to the
wild. Successful completion of the game can gain a child the
position of Head Zoo Keeper, Davidson said.

The object of the game is to catch villains on the loose in the zoo
who are feeding the animals the wrong food, upsetting the plant
life, and littering the animal habitats, the company said. Animated
animals, "Zoonie the Robot," a walkie talkie, and binoculars, are
available to the player in the pursuit of the trouble-makers.

Photos and sounds of 50 different animals from Zoo Life Magazine and
the television show "Zoo Life with Jack Hanna" are included in the
product. In addition, Davidson says it is donating $1 for each
registration card received to the William Holden Wildlife
Foundation.

The Macintosh version of Zoo Keeper requires a color Macintosh with
a hard disk and 9 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space. The product is
retail priced at $59.95, but a 2-program teacher pack is $79.95, and
a lab pack is $169.95. Site licenses are also available. The product
is also available in an IBM compatible personal computer (PC)
version, the company added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930903/Press Contact: Linda Duttenhaver,
Davidson & Associates, tel [phone] ext 230, fax 310-793-
0601; Public Contact, 800-556-6141)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00010)

Yamaha Releases Multimedia PC For Kids 09/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Yamaha, the musical instrument
manufacturer, has developed what it claims is a multimedia PC for
kids. Known as Kopera, the unit connects up to a regular TV and
costs 350,000 yen. The machine will ship in Japan from December
onwards.

The Kopera unit was jointly developed by Yamaha and Sega Enterprise,
the well-known games machine manufacturers in Japan. The system
consists of a portable PC equipped with picture book software.
However, unlike conventional PCs, the machine no keyboard. Instead,
it comes with a handwriting "slate" and a proprietary pen.

Internally, the machine is equipped with a 16-bit chip and a sound
system. The chip and sound system conform to the IBM multimedia
personal computer standard.

Using the Kopera is simple -- kids just insert the picture book into
the slot provided. Them, as the book moves, it generates sounds. In
the case of the animal orchestra package, the screen shows images of
animals while playing musical instruments through the sound system.

The slightly bad news is that Sega is charging 85,000 ($85) for
every games package that it supplies for use with the machine.

Kopera is actually based on Sega's Pico games unit, which is already
available in the Japanese domestic market-place. Yamaha has
reportedly made some design improvements on the Pico, adding
powerful sound hardware which allows it to be used as an electric
keyboard and (you guessed) a Karaoke system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930908/Press Contact: Yamaha, +81-3-
3214-3930)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00011)

Smart Cards Under Consideration For UK 09/08/93
ST PAUL DE VENCE, FRANCE, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Colin Coxall, the City
of London's Assistant Commissioner, has revealed that smart card
technology is being considered as the basis of a national ID card
system for use in the UK.

Coxall, who is also the chairman of the Association of Chief Police
Officers' technical and research computer group committee, speaking
at a Unisys conference in St Paul de Vence in the south of France,
said that suspects could be much better identified if a smart card
ID system were in place. He added, however, that it will be up to
each individual country to decide whether to accept the cards.

Civil liberties groups are against the introduction of the cards.
John Wadham of Liberty's legal office, said that anyone who does not
conform to the norms of society is at risk from this type of
technology. "Vagrants, travellers or racial minorities would be
harassed to produce their cards and would be the first to be
detained if they could not,' he said.

Wadham noted that tests of "smart card" ID cards have already
started in France and the US. In the Netherlands, regular travellers
passing through Amsterdam's Schipol Airport can apply for a similar
card for rapid clearance through security. The card contains an
electronic image of the traveller's palm print, which can be checked
using a portable reader by security staff.

Coxall is in favour of this type of technology, since every person's
palm print is different. Short of hacking off someone's hand at the
wrist, the chances of the palm print ID card being forged are very
small. "A palm print card could be easily scanned and a person's
identity quickly verified,' he said, stressing that such a card
system may not be made compulsory.

Coxall's comments come just as Leicester University has published
the results of a survey into the viability of ID cards. According to
the University's findings, 78 percent of the British public would
accept ID cards as an aid towards preventing terrorism.

(Steve Gold/19930908)


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

Southwestern Bell Sets Bandwidth Trial, Job Cuts 09/08/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Southwestern Bell will
begin trialing a "bandwidth on demand" technology based on
integrated service digital network (ISDN) standards, in conjunction
with Pacific Bell and AT&T. Manufacturers of equipment using the
ISDN service will be announced later, Southwestern Bell officials
said.

The idea is to offer data capacity in increments of 64,000
bits/second which can be used in place of dedicated circuits. The
trial starts in the fourth quarter and runs through mid-1994. The
standard being used is the Wideband ISDN service of Pacific Bell in
California, which in the trial will be linked using AT&T circuits to
a Southwestern Bell ISDN system in Texas. SW Bell is also doing a
lab trial of Wideband ISDN.

Before all this becomes a commercial offering, of course, price
lists must be approved as tariffs by state regulators. That is
expected to happen next year. Among the uses of fast data
services are videoconferencing, linking Local Area Networks,
connecting to the global Internet, and the transfer of multimedia
files between PCs.

Southwestern Bell also confirmed that it will cut 1,500 managers
from the payroll over the next two years, fulfilling a previously-
announced restructuring. Half the jobs will be cut by the middle of
next month, representing a 12 percent reduction in the management
workforce.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930908/Press Contact: Scott Hilgeman,
Southwestern Bell, 314-235-2043)


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

AST BBS Supports RIP 09/08/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- AST Research has
begun supporting the Remote Imaging Protocol, or RIP, on its
bulletin board service.

RIP was created as a windowing interface for bulletin boards by
TeleGrafix Communications and is now supported by two of the major
BBS software houses, eSoft with its TBBS and Galacticomm with its
Major BBS. AST spokesman Gerry Lynne Baker told Newsbytes that the
AST board uses Galacticomm software.

In order to use RIP, both a board and a user's communications
software must support the protocol. RIPscrip allows integration
of high-resolution graphics without the need for highly
specialized software and the large overhead of most graphical
environments.

To help its users AST is providing RIPterm free of charge, a
terminal program that replaces a user's communications software and
supports RIP. RIPterm software requirements are an IBM-PC compatible
computer with modem, MS-DOS 3.0 or higher, 540KB minimum memory and
an EGA or higher video adaptor.

To obtain a free copy of RIPterm, users can download file
ASTRIPTM.EXE from the AST On-Line! online service (details below).
Alternatively, they can request the RIPterm diskette, PN 507003-502,
by calling AST at 714/727-7641. BBS users also may use other
communications software packages that support the new RIPscrip
protocol, such as QmodemPro v1.5 by Mustang Software Inc. and the
newly announced Telix For Windows by deltaComm Development.

AST On-Line! was established in 1988 and provides a new product
descriptions, software upgrades, technical bulletins, switch and
jumper settings, answers to typical service questions, and service
center locations. A search program called ALEX allows users to
navigate quickly through categories and text. AST has a total of 19
BBS locations world-wide and recently added three additional high-
speed modem lines in the United States to its system. AST's BBS
based in Irvine, receives approximately 2,000 calls per week and has
8,000 active users.

To access the BBS in the United States, users can call 714/727-
4723 for 2400 baud rate or 714/727-4132 for 14,400 baud rate.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930908/Press Contact: AST Research, Gerry Lynne
Baker, 714/727-7959)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00014)

Parental Guidance System Established For Videogames 09/08/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Parental
guidance ratings have long been a fixture on the movie entertainment
scene, but now Sega of America has established a program that
extends the concept into the world of videogames.

Adopted so far by Sega, Sega's third-party developers, and Sierra
On-line, another leading computer game producer, the new program
includes a rating system, a toll-free parents' hotline, a retail
information campaign, and "Everybody Wins, A Message to Parents
about Videogames," a parent's guide written by Scholatisc, the major
educational publisher Scholastic.

The ratings are determined by the Videogame Rating Council (VRC), an
independent committee of experts in the fields of child psychology,
sociology and education. The VRC evaluates games for "young,"
teenage and adult audiences, focusing on basic premise and rules of
gameplay, audio content, and graphical depictions of characters and
background scenes.

The rating classifications include GA for "general audiences," MA-
13 for "mature audiences with parental discretion advised," and MA-
17 for "not appropriate for minors."

The ratings started to appear last month on all new games from Sega,
as well as on new titles created by third-party developers. Of the
initial 82 games to be rated, 90 percent garnered GAs, according to
Sega officials. Seven games were rated MA-13, and only one received
an MA-17. "Jurassic Park," the very first game to be assessed, was
among those awarded a GA rating.

The toll-free hotline number, 1-800-379-KIDS, is staffed by
"professional gameplayers," officials said. Hotline personnel inform
parents about the content and age appropriateness of the games, and
also give tips on how parents can become involved as videogame
players with their children.

The "Everybody Wins" booklet provides "smart-choice" tips on the
rating system, responsible use of videogames, and family involvement
in video gameplaying. The complimentary brochure will be available
to children and parents through retail stores, the toll-free
hotline, and Sega Visions, a magazine produced by Sega.

Videogame entertainment systems can now be found in more than one
out of three US households, officials maintained. "The parental
guidance program offers consumers -- especially parents -- the
information they need to make informed decisions about videogame
purchases. We see the Videogame Rating Council as a positive step in
educating parents on the content and intended audience for
videogames," explained Tom Kalinske, Sega's president and CEO.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930908/Reader contact: 1-800-379-KIDS; Press
contact: Manning, Selvage and Lee for Sega, tel [phone])


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

IBM Holds Its Own In Tough Midrange Market -- Thompson 09/08/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The mid-range
computer market is weak this year, particularly in Europe and Japan,
but IBM expects to do better than its rivals and ship its 250,000th
AS/400 computer by the end of the year. So said John Thompson,
senior vice-president and general manager of the company's
Application Business Systems unit, at a wide-ranging product
announcement.

IBM expects the three new AS/400 models and assorted peripherals and
software it announced Tuesday (Newsbytes, Sept. 7) to help the
midrange line grab more of the client/server computing market.

Thompson said that the overall midrange computer market may shrink
by one to two percent this year. But he added that IBM expects to do
better than that, at least matching last year's sales. To help sales
along, IBM announced a new delivery channel, IBM Direct, to sell
AS/400-related products and services through a catalog and a toll-
free order number.

"Our goal is to establish a new relationship with our customers,
making it easy to buy from IBM, while delivering outstanding service
and support," said Susan Whitney, midrange systems director for IBM
United States. "IBM Direct re-emphasizes our dedication to serving
AS/400 customers, delivering products how and when our customers
want to buy."

IBM is promoting the toll-free number, 800-IBM-CALL, in
advertisements this month in Midrange Computing, Midrange Systems,
News 3X/400, and 3X/400 Systems Management, and in a mailing to
customers.

IBM mails a 72-page AS/400 catalog to more than 110,000 AS/400
customers twice a year.

IBM has retained the Boston-based direct response marketing
agency Bronner Slosberg Humphrey to promote AS/400 sales through
1 800 IBM-CALL. BSH's clients also include American Express,
Federal Express, and L.L. Bean.

Various other IBM products are already sold through IBM Direct.

(Grant Buckler/19930908/Press Contact: Barbara McNair, IBM,
914-642-5357)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00016)

Printers, Storage, Software Round Out AS/400 News 09/08/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The stars of a
long list of products announced by IBM Sept. 7 were the three new
AS/400 computer systems aimed at the client/server computing market
(Newsbytes, Sept. 7). But the company bolstered these with assorted
other hardware and software. Here are further details on those
announcements.

In co-operation with Apple Computer, IBM announced that it will sell
two Apple products as part of its AS/400 Client Series, a product
line aimed at helping the AS/400 work with a variety of desktop
clients.

Apple's Data Access Language Server for AS/400, meant to let Apple
Macintosh users obtain data from AS/400 systems through Systems
Network Architecture (SNA) or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP) networks, will join the Client Series in late
October. It will also continue to be available from Apple.

IBM will also sell Apple's SNAps Gateway. It provides SNA services
to AppleTalk networks. The SNAps Gateway will also be available from
IBM starting in October, and will continue to be sold by Apple.

John Thompson, senior vice-president and general manager of IBM
Application Business Systems, said that the announcements extend the
alliance that IBM and Apple announced in October, 1991.

Prices will vary depending on package requirements, the companies
said, but the SNAps Gateway will range from $1,219 to $3,649
depending on the number of users supported.

IBM also announced a new Workstation Adapter that lets Macintosh
users connect their computers and printers directly to an AS/400.

A new high-speed communications adapter supports local-area
networks (LANs) and other communications at 1.5 million and two
million bits per second, the company said.

IBM also added more main memory to its most powerful AS/400
processors, added more integrated storage to mid-sized systems, and
said it will add new graphical interface functions to Operating
System/400, the AS/400's operating system.

OS/400 Graphical Operations will let users of client computers
running Microsoft Windows or IBM's OS/2 operating system use a
graphical interface to handle AS/400 tasks, IBM said. It will be a
standard part of OS/400.

OS/400 Graphical Operations will be among the first enhancements for
the AS/400 to be introduced under the Technology Preview plan, which
will give selected customers access to new hardware and software
before general release, IBM said.

IBM enhanced the year-old 9337 Disk Array Subsystem with new models
said to provide better support for Redundant Arrays of Independent
Disks (RAID) technology, which makes data more secure by writing it
to more than one disk drive.

"We are selling a lot of these machines," Thompson said, "and
about 50 percent of them use RAID."

Priced the same as existing base models, the new 9337 units will
give as much as 30 percent better performance, the company said.
They will use a new write cache said to speed write performance and
other functions. According to IBM, the new controller makes
available an eighth subsystem disk drive for active storage, to the
high-performance models can now store almost 16 gigabytes (GB) of
data in base mode and almost 14 GB in high-availability mode.

IBM's Pennant Systems midrange printer unit weighed in with four new
printers, ranging from a dot-matrix machine through a high-speed
line printer to laser and light-emitting diode (LED) printers.

The 3916 Page Printer is a desktop laser that printers 300-dot-per-
inch (dpi) output at 16 pages per minute or 600-dpi PostScript
output at eight pages per minute. With a 15-by-21-inch footprint,
IBM said, it can be used in the office or the data center. Due to
ship Nov. 19, the 3916 will be priced from $4,985 to $5,895.

The 3930 Page Printer uses LED printing technology and prints as
many as 30 pages per minute, IBM said. There are four models, two of
which print one side of the paper while the other two print both
sides.

Both single-side and double-side models are available with support
either for Hewlett-Packard Co.'s popular HP-PCL5 page description
language (upgradeable to PostScript) or for IBM's Advanced Function
Printing (AFP) print and presentation architecture. Also due to be
available Nov. 19, the 3930 will cost from $15,550 to $20,930,
depending on the model. The 3916 also supports AFP.

The IBM 4232 Printer is an ASCII dot-matrix machine meant for high-
speed office printing or as a workstation printer for client/server
set-ups and LANs, IBM said. Able to print 600 characters per second
(cps) in draft mode or 100 cps in near-letter-quality mode, the 4232
will print on continuous or cut-sheet paper. It is due to be
available Sept. 30 for $2,595.

Finally, the IBM 6408 Printer is a heavy-duty line printer rated at
as much as 800 lines per minute in draft mode, or about 320 lines
per minute in near letter quality mode. Slated to ship Oct. 1, it
will be priced from $8,995 to $10,495.

(Grant Buckler/19930908/Press Contact: Barbara McNair, IBM, 914-642-
5357)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00017)

Dubai Police To Computerize Population's Fingerprints 09/08/93
DUBAI, THE GULF, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- In one of the most ambitious
fingerprinting plans ever, the Dubai Police have announced they are
computerizing the entire country's fingerprints. The aim of the
project is to digitally store fingerprint records and associated
data from a variety of sources, including the Police's own criminal
records and those of various Dubai Government departments.

According to First Lieutenant Mohammed Al Mari, the officer in
charge of the Police fingerprints section, the aim is to collate on
computer the digital images of almost the entire population of Dubai
and other people known to the Police and the Government.

"Technicians have been chosen to carry out the assignment and the
headquarters has approved the introduction of computers at the
section to upgrade its performance", he said.

Mari said that the project will take several months to complete and
will involve seven staff. "We believe that the project will be very
useful as we have benefited from the experience of advanced
countries," he said.

Mari added that, as the project gets under way, the public will be
told about the database and asked to keep the site burglaries and
other thefts intact so that Police can scan the fingerprints into
the computer system as quickly as possible.

He said that, when the system goes live some time next year, he
expects many crimes that would otherwise have gone unsolved, could
then be solved in a matter of minutes. He claimed that virtually all
cases referred to the Criminal Investigation Department through the
Forensic Laboratory and the Fingerprints Section had been solved.

He added that the Dubai Police had long ago realised the importance
of fingerprints and special attention was given to the section by
the police chief, Brigadier Dhahi Khalfan Tamim and the CID
director, Colonel Rashid Al Mazroui.

As part of the project, he added, specialized courses, are being
conducted to augment policemen's knowledge about this sensitive area
of investigation. He said that the Police were keeping in touch with
new technologies, including eye, sound, lip and smell prints, to be
put to police use in due course it they proved to be successful.

(Steve Gold/19930908)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

Online Book Published As Shareware 09/08/93
OSLO, NORWAY, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Odd de Presno, a Norwegian author,
has released an updated version of his "The Online World" as
shareware on online services and networks like the Internet and
CompuServe. The new version, dubbed Version 1.1 by de Presno, was
released just 30 days after an initial version, in Norwegian, went
to bookstores as a 275-page hardcover. Local print versions are
being prepared for publication in Denmark and Germany.

de Presno, an experienced online hand, deals with the practical side
of using global online information resources, with emphasis on
applications. Services discussed include discussion forums and
conferences, news, databases, shareware and free files. Examples
range from databases to entertainment, while networks and services
covered include the Internet, Fidonet, Usenet, CompuServe, BITNET,
IASNET, and others.

de Presno said that he wishes to emphasize that the book is not
being issued into the public domain. As shareware, he does not waive
any rights or copyrights. The book is distributed as an ASCII text
file suitable for sending to a printer, searching, and reading with
a wordprocessor or a file viewing program. The book is available as
ONLINE.ZIP from Library 14, on the Telecom Forum at CompuServe. Or
it can be obtained using the remote File Transfer Protocol of the
Internet, using standard protocols. For information on that send e-
mail to [e-mail], or LISTSERV@NDSUVM1 on BITNET, and
in the TEXT write GET TOW WHERE.

This will also give information about TOW, a mailing list set up as
an information service. It is used for announcements of new updates
of the book. Members can also use it to report and discuss their
discoveries in the Online World.

Newsbytes e-mailed de Presno directly on his book. He writes that
"Communications costs are falling dramatically in most countries,
and people in far-away places like Vladivostok and Paramaribo are
getting access to the Internet. I want to tell the world about the
new opportunities that this gives us."

"While my earlier books started with an introduction to modems and
communications programs, now is the time to talk applications. That
is what people want to know when deciding whether to get online for
the first time. That is what drives those already online. I've made
applications the core of my book."

"We enter an era where the rest of the world is getting online in
hordes." de Presno's own Kidlink project now has participating
children from 52 countries. "Since things move so fast, updating the
book is important. This makes shareware an interesting complement to
print publishing. It makes it easy for readers to tell me what they
think, and they do. Their feedback helps me keep the book current."

"My first registration came from New Zealand four days after the
initial announcement. Contrast this with print publishing.
Typically, I'll have to wait maybe half a year for my first sale."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930908/Press Contact: Odd de Presno, +47-370-
31378, FAX: [phone] Email, [e-mail].)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00019)

Israeli Cryptography Company Scores Success In Germany 09/08/93
GIVAT SHMUEL, TEL AVIV, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Israel's Algorithmic
Research has installed its Arcrypto PC data security software at a
major bank in Germany. The first stage of the contract, which has
just been completed, called for the Tel Aviv-based company to
install 1,000 units of its software at the un-named bank's regional
headquarters in Germany.

Plans now call for several thousand more units of software to be
installed in individual branches of the bank throughout Germany.
Algorithmic Research claims that the German bank order has already
led to additional orders for Arcrypto PC from customers in Israel
and elsewhere.

Arcrypto PC is based on public key/private key technology that the
company designed itself. The software, which claims to protect
designated information and prevent it from being copied without
authorisation, is also capable of giving authorisation for specific
computer functions to a number of different users.

Algorithmic Research researches, develops, manufactures, and exports
data communication and data security products for personal computers
and mainframe computers.

(Steve Gold/19930908/Press & Public Contact: Algorithmic Research -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00020)

Japanese Ministry Supports Development Of Computer Software 09/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of
International Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced it is planning
to support the development of next generation of software for
computers.

Plans call for the Government-funded ministry to give the money to
Japanese universities and institutions, with the criteria for the
grant being that they must jointly develop software with private
companies.

Under MITI's plan, some 20 to 30 million yen ($20 to $300,000) is
available to assist bona fide educational establishments in
developing software.

So why the decision to support what appears to be an already booming
software industry in Japan? According to MITI, while the Japanese
computer hardware industry is doing quite well, the process of
software development is not keeping pace -- hence the investment by
MITI.

Not that getting the money is going to be easy. According to MITI,
the grants are available to any educational establishment that
creating next generation software and operating systems. In order to
be considered, the firms must attend an evaluation committee meeting
to decide who is the most worthy.

MITI has also been discussing the possibility of lending money -- in
the form of development fees -- to private companies at lower than
normal rates, in order to assist them in getting software
development programs under way.

The subsidized loans plan is expected to be finalized and the
evaluation committee will be set up by the end of this year. The
money will be granted to the appropriate organizations in fiscal
1994, which will start in April 1994.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930908)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00021)

 ****Sharp To Intro DOS-Compatible PDA/Notebook Hybrid 09/08/93
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Sharp is planning
to introduce a new pen-based consumer electronic device which it
describes as a mix between a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a
notebook computer. The PT-9000, expected to be officially announced
in the fourth quarter of this year, has a new acronym -- personal
information assistant (PIA).

Sharp, which manufacturers the Newton Messagepad PDA for Apple
Computer, has decided upon a DOS-compatible Geos graphical user
interface (GUI) for the steno-pad sized PIA. Sharp announced its own
version of the Messagepad, called the Expert Pad, that uses Apple's
Newton operating system technology, but Geoworks boasts the power-
saving Geos operating system won out for use in the PT-9000.

The PT-9000 has not been officially announced, but Newsbytes has
learned the unit will have a detachable keyboard, use 6 AA batteries
for 25 hours of operation, weighs under two pounds, offers an
"instant on" facility, and the entire top portion of the unit is a
screen that can also accept pen-input via an included pen.

The Geos operating system offers built-in software applications
including the Geowrite word processor, forms-based database Geofile,
and the spreadsheet Geocalc. Also included is the software for
accessing the electronic information service American Online, as
well as utilities for file management and games. The Geos operating
system is also compatible with DOS- based personal computers (PCs)
and a connection kit is being developed for desktop computers by Los
Altos, California-based Palm Computing.

Palm Computing and America Online will be familiar names for those
who are awaiting the DOS-compatible competitor for the Messagepad,
the Zoomer. Expected from Casio and Tandy toward the end of this
month, the Zoomer is a direct competitor to the Newton Messagepad.
Geoworks, the makers of the Geos operating system, claim Geos makes
the Zoomer and PT-9000 more attractive to consumers because of its
DOS compatibility and because of all the built-in applications that
come with it.

To encourage software development for the new Zoomer PDA and PT-9000
PIA, Geos is hosting a developer's conference, Monday and Tuesday,
October 25-26, at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, California.
Attendees of the two-day conference entitled, "Geos: The New Profit
Platform," will each receive the Geos Software Development Kit (SDK)
without charge.

In addition, attendees will be treated to a preview of the prototype
PT-9000 and three Zoomer PDA's will be raffled off. Conference
attendees who sign up before October 6 can register for $445, a
discounted price from the regular conference fee of $595, Geoworks
representatives added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930908/Press Contact: Deborah Dawson,
Geoworks, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Geos Developer
Conference Information, 800-524-1857 ext 1214)


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

 ****Microsoft Expands Multimedia Offerings 09/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The Redmond, Washington-
based software giant Microsoft, which has always been a leader in
multimedia, has announced a co-publishing agreement with Byron
Preiss Multimedia which is in the home entertainment market.

According to Microsoft, the venture is a long-term agreement
covering a minimum of six home-user oriented multimedia titles,
starting with the late Isaac Asimov's The Ultimate Robot.

Surprisingly for a Microsoft-involved venture, plans call for the
first title to appear in an Apple Mac version first sometime later
this year, while a Microsoft Windows version won't be ready until
1994.

Microsoft is operating as a distributor for the Byron Preiss
titles, just as it already does for Dorling Kindersley which has
produced Microsoft Dinosaurs and Microsoft Musical Instruments.

Microsoft's multimedia publishing group also has an exclusive
agreement with The Voyager Company which publishes classically
oriented multimedia music titles such as "Microsoft Beethoven:
The Ninth Symphony."

As a personal aside, this reporter knew Isaac through our mutual
MENSA membership and knew of the good doctor's long struggle to
become comfortable with a computer-based word processor, but we
feel certain that he would have loved multimedia in all forms and
would have been happy to see one of his works published by
Microsoft in this medium.

Microsoft was one of the first big software companies to really
get behind compact disc - read only memory (CD-ROM) publishing,
which is essential for most multimedia publishing because of the
sheer size of the associated image and sound files.

(John McCormick/19930908/Press Contact: Karen Meredith,
Microsoft, 206-936-8019)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00023)

Control Data To Sell Acer America PCs 09/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Minnesota-based Control
Data has announced that it will now include Acer America's line of
personal computers in CD's international computer integration
offerings in the US and Canada.

The one year, renewable contract will initially include North
American sales but may be expanded to overseas consulting and
integration operations at a later time. Acer products to be offered
as part of Control Data systems will, according to the report from
CD, include notebooks, desktop, and Microsoft NT optimized
computers.

Acer America, as part of The Acer Group, already has a presence
in 14 countries, while Control Data is a leading international
systems integrator serving government and private business.

(John McCormick/19930908/Press Contact: Charlotte Fransen,
Control Data Systems, 612-482-4857)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00024)

 ****Radio Shack Intros "Green PC" With Local Bus Video 09/08/93
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Radio Shack has
introduced the Tandy 3100, the first Tandy personal computer to
carry the Energy Star logo, and also the first in the line-up to
come with local bus video.

Aimed at small business and home office users, the new 33 megahertz
(MHz) 80486SX-based "green PC" also provides a 212 megabyte (MB)
hard drive, a built-in SoundBlaster audio card, and bundled software
estimated at more than $380 in value.

The computer's compliance with the Energy Star program will save
users money on their electric bill, and the local bus video feature
reduces the time needed to draw and process sophisticated graphics,
officials stated.

According to Tandy, the SoundBlaster card allows easy upgradeability
to a "multimedia PC" with the addition of speakers, a CD-ROM
(compact disc - read only memory) drive, and multimedia software,
the company maintained.

Applications software that comes pre-installed includes Microsoft
Works for Windows, the America Online communications package, and
productivity tools for managing family schedules, personal
finances, and household inventories.

The new PC also sports Windows 3.1, Super VGA graphics, 4 MB of
memory (expandable to 64 MB), three expansion slots, a 3.5-inch
floppy drive, an open device bay, a parallel port, two serial
ports, a 101-key enhanced keyboard, and a two-button mouse.

Priced at $1,299, the new PC is available at nearly 6,600
participating Radio Shack stores and dealers nationwide, according
to the company. A one-year warranty is included in the purchase
price.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930908/Reader contact: Radio Shack, tel 817-
390-3011; Press contact: Ron Trumbla, Radio Shack, tel 817-878-
4969)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00025)

NCR To Sell PCs Direct 09/08/93
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- NCR has jumped on the
direct-sales bandwagon, announcing it will sell 486-based personal
computers and related products through a new "Direct Connect" toll-
free line.

Customers will be able to order 486 personal computers ranging from
desktop and floor-standing workstations to color notebooks, a full
line of peripherals, and networking and communication products. They
will be able to pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express,
certified checks, or purchase orders. Business leasing options are
also available through AT&T Capital Corporation.

According to the company, the order line, 800-637-2600, will be
staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. NCR claims it
will deliver orders in five to eight business days.

Steve Crisman, manager of direct marketing for NCR's Co-operative
Marketing Division, said the toll-free number is meant to complement
NCR's resellers and direct-sales force.

Prices offered through the order number will be high enough to
allow resellers "to make a certain amount of margin," he said,
and on larger sales resellers will likely be able to offer
customers a better price.

Crisman acknowledged that vendors selling direct often causes
resellers some anxiety. "Any time you do things like this," he
said, "people always wonder, `is this going to hurt me or help
me?'"

However, he said NCR expects advertising for the new direct-sales
operation will help spur demand for its products and both resellers
and the company's own sales force will reap some of the benefits.

While NCR will initially sell only 486-based PCs and related
products through Direct Connect, Crisman said it might be
extended to other products in future.

To complement the direct-sales effort, NCR is offering "Techline," a
24-hour, toll-free technical information line staffed by experts,
and a three-year, on-site service warranty for parts and labor,
including the monitor.

(Grant Buckler/19930908/Press Contact: Christine Imwalle, NCR,
513-445-5278; Public Contact: NCR Direct Connect, 800-637-2600)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00026)

Lotus To Offer SmartSuite For OS/2 09/08/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Lotus
Development has announced it expects to ship its application suite
for IBM's OS/2 operating system by the end of September.

SmartSuite for OS/2, which includes all the same applications
offered in the Windows version of SmartSuite except the Lotus
Organizer personal information manager, will be shipping by Sept.
30, a spokesman for the company said.

The applications included in the package are the 1-2-3
spreadsheet, Freelance Graphics, the Ami Pro 3.0 word processor,
and the cc:Mail for OS/2 Workplace Shell electronic mail client
software. Ami Pro 3.0 is due to ship at the same time as
SmartSuite for OS/2, the spokesman said; the other components are
already available separately.

The list price is $795, with an upgrade available for $595. For a
limited time, Lotus will include a free copy of OS/2 2.1 for the
same price.

SmartSuite for OS/2 requires 386SX or higher processor, at least
eight megabytes (MB) of memory, and 23 to 35 MB of free disk
space. 1-2-3, Freelance, and Ami Pro require OS/2 2.0 with
Service Pack or OS/2 2.1, while cc:Mail requires OS/2 2.1. Other
requirements include a high-density diskette drive and an
OS/2-compatible mouse, the company said.

To use cc:Mail, users need a cc:Mail Platform Pack for OS/2
Workplace Shell; users who buy 10 SmartSuite licenses can get one of
these free.

(Grant Buckler/19930908/Press Contact: Pete Bartolik, McGlinchey
& Paul for Lotus, 617-862-4514; Peter A. Cohen, Lotus,
617-693-1283)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00027)

Creative Labs MPC 2 Kits Priced Below $650 09/08/93
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Creative Labs has
introduced what it claims is the lowest priced Multimedia Personal
Computer (MPC) Level 2 standard kits for IBM and compatible personal
computers (PCs). The kits are new versions of its new versions of
its Sound Blaster Edutainment Compact Disc (CD) and Sound Blaster
Discovery CD products.

The company asserts that the new kits are available to consumers at
a street price below $650. Both offer 16-bit audio sound and multi-
session double speed compact disc - read only memory (CD-ROM)
drives. Creative's QuickCD utility for Microsoft Windows is also
included in both kits so users may optimize the performance of audio
CDs.

The differences in the two kits is in the CD titles offered. The
Sound Blaster Discovery CD kit offers Aldus' Photostyler SE Photo CD
software, the Software Toolworks Multimedia Encyclopedia The San
Diego Zoo Presents... The Animals, Where in the World is Carmen
Sandiego Deluxe Edition, and Just Grandma and Me. Retail price of
the kit is $649 with street prices expected to be significantly
lower, according to Creative Labs.

Sound Blaster Edutainment CD 16 includes the Software Toolworks
Multimedia Encyclopedia; Aldus Photostyler SE; Secret Weapons of
Luftwaffe; The Secret of Monkey Island; Loom; Lemmings; Indianapolis
500, The Simulation; and Sherlock Holmes, The Simulation. The kit is
retail priced at $749.95, but street prices are expected to be at
$650 or below, company representatives said.

Creative Labs is also still offering the Sound Blaster Discovery CD
8, which is not MPC Level 2 compatible, but does include the 8-bit
Sound Blaster Pro Deluxe, Creative's CD-ROM drive, and four
multimedia software titles. Again, the price consumers will pay in
stores is expected to be lower than the retail price of $549.95.

In addition, the company has cut the prices on its sound cards,
offering the 8-bit Sound Blaster Deluxe for $115.95 and the 16-bit
Sound Blaster Pro Deluxe for $179.95.

Creative Labs appears to be responding to Apple Computer's recently
announced move into the DOS-compatible MPC market. Apple's Compact
Disc (CD) Multimedia Kit for PCs will retail in the $600 to $700
price range and will also offer a double-speed CD-ROM drive, a 16-
bit sound card from Media Vision, and a choice of 3 software titles
from a list of 31 titles at no additional charge.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930908/Press Contact: Benita Kenn, Creative
Labs, tel [phone], fax ; Michele Janin, Cunningham
Communication for Creative Labs, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00028)

New For Mac: PassPort Producer Pro Multimedia Package 09/08/93
HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Passport
Designs is now shipping Passport Producer Pro, an application aimed
at saving time for animation and multimedia professionals who use
the Apple Mac.

The new software will replace the company's previously released
Passport Producer, a spokesperson told Newsbytes. Although the
earlier product carried a similar name, Passport Producer was a
presentation package only, did not include animation or video, and
was not geared to the professional market-place, she explained.

Passport Producer Pro features an entirely drag-and-drop interface
that greatly reduces the number of steps the professional needs to
perform in creating or changing an animation, she added.

The new product takes a "path-based object" approach to animation.
In addition, users can capture video in QuickTime format, and save
productions as QuickTime files. Live video-in-a-window can be
taken from a camera, videotape, or any other video source,
incorporated into presentations, and played back full-screen.

Users can also incorporate full-motion video from a tape source or
optical disk without digitizing the video into QuickTime. Producer
Pro productions can be output in a variety of video formats,
including NTSC and PAL.

Under the path-based object approach to animation, a QuickTime
movie, an animation file, graphics, text or any other object can
be moved on the screen, either along default paths or user-defined
custom paths, the spokesperson said. Users can control the
acceleration and rate of object movement.

Passport Producer Pro's approach is also time-based, rather than
frame-based, a characteristic that helps productions to remain in
sync, she added. A visual "Cue Sheet" included in the package
provides a timeline for integrating media elements.

"Cues" used in the timeline are media elements from any software
that saves files in QuickTime, TIFF, PICS animation, PICT, or TEXT
files. Each "cue" occupies a single location in a track, and is
matched to a specific time slot.

Multiple cues can be aligned in the same time slot for simultaneous
playback. The Cue Sheet can be printed out in hard copy as an aid
in story boarding, or for reviewing productions with clients.

Visual cues can be synced to a digital soundtrack or Standard MIDI
file, type 0 or type 1. Audio cues can be 8- or 16-bit AIFF or
Sound Designer files.

Passport Producer Pro is able to generate and read SMPTE time code,
and uses the time code to accurately align the various multimedia
elements, the spokesperson told Newsbytes.

The application also provides user-definable buttons for creating
interactive links, "go to" commands, and loops. Further, the
program's use of AppleScript allows developers to link directly to
any of a variety of subroutines.

Users can create a range of different gradient backgrounds and over
40 transitions, as well as special effects that include
transparency and image manipulation for image compositing. The
special effects can be applied to QuickTime, PICS, and PICT files.

Through a feature called Text Cue, the special effects can also be
applied to text. This feature also allows text overlay on to
graphics. In addition, text can be antialiased in real time.
Different characters can be given different fonts, styles and
colors.

Passport Producer Pro also provides internal editors, plus direct
links to popular graphics and QuickTime editors and MIDI sequencing
and audio editing software.

The product provides device control for Sony VISCA, Pioneer Laser
Disc, Videomedia's VLAN, Advanced Remote Technologies (ARTI)
devices, and MIDI machines.

Passport Producer Pro is available now for $1,495. The package is
bundled with two CD-ROM disks: QuikMedia. a package containing
QuickTime Clips, background textures, and Photo CD images, and
QuikTunes, which supplies digital audio and MIDI files. Passport
Designs also offers Producer Pro Player, a runtime program that is
sold separately.

(Jacqueline Emigh/Reader contact: Passport Designs, tel 415-726-
0280; Press contact: Eileen Ebner, McLean Public Relations for
Passport, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00029)

Chipsoft Intros Turbotax Business Series 09/08/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- Chipsoft, the
developers of the Turbotax software product, says it has introduced
the Turbotax Business Series for DOS-based personal computers (PCs).
The company is aiming at the bursting home-office and small business
markets.

New York market research firm LINK Resources estimates the number of
small businesses and work-at-home households in 1991 totaled 14.9
million. IRS data from its Statistics of Income publication show
that for the tax year 1991, approximately 4.4 million businesses
filed returns for a Corporation (1120 or 1120S), 1.7 million filed
Partnership returns (1065), 14.6 million filed Schedule C (business
income/loss) and 2 million filed Schedule F (farm income/loss).

Industry analysts at BIS Strategic Decisions projects more than 39
million Americans will work from home in 1993 due to layoffs forced
by the sluggish economy.

Chipsoft claims its new TurboTax Business Series offers businesses
the ability to complete just one of three tax returns, the
Partnership (1065), Corporate (1120) or S- Corporation (1120S) tax
returns. A Fixed Asset Manager is also available, which can be used
to calculate asset tax depreciation and transfer the depreciation
figures automatically to the 1065, 1120 or 1120S business tax
returns. The TurboTax Personal/1040 edition, sold separately from
TurboTax Business Series, can be used to prepare a complete Federal
1040 return, including Schedules C and F, the company added.

Those that are interested in preparing an unlimited number of
business tax returns have the option of using one of the Turbotax
Pro Series. For people who need to prepare more than one, but less
than 20 tax returns it is more cost-effective to use the pay-per-
return option route, which is $99 for the first return and $24 for
each additional return.

The Turbotax software can pick up financial data directly from
popular small business financial programs such as Quicken from
Intuit. In addition, help for tax questions is available in the
program and the software checks for omissions or discrepancies,
and automatically calculates the return.

Users simply enter the needed information once import the data from
another program and the software moves the information to all the
required areas of the return. The IRS will accept returns printed
ready for the users signature by Turbotax, Chipsoft added.

The Turbotax Business Series package requires an IBM or compatible
PC with one high-density floppy drive, a one hard- disk drive, 640
kilobytes (K) of random access memory (RAM), 520 (K) of user-
available memory, DOS 3.1 or higher, and a Hewlett-Packard (or
compatible) laser printer or Xerox 4045 laser printer with tax
fonts.

Retail pricing on the package is about $100 and Chipsoft says the
product will be available in retail software outlets. Versions for
the Macintosh and Windows operating environments will be available
directly from ChipSoft at a later date. Current users of any
Turbotax or Macintax product will be eligible for special pricing on
TurboTax Business Series, the company added.

Menlo Park, California-based Intuit recently announced it will
purchase Chipsoft at a cost of approximately $225 million. The
merger, which is expected to be complete by mid December, will
be accounted for as a pooling of interests with Chipsoft
shareholders receiving .446 shares of Intuit stock for each
share of Chipsoft stock.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930908/Press Contact: Debra Kelley,
Chipsoft, tel [phone] ext 482, fax [phone];
Information, 800-695-7778 or write Chipsoft, Order Department,
6330 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92121)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00030)

Brussels Branch Of BNP Hit By Computer Fraud 09/08/93
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1993 SEP 8 (NB) -- The Belgian office of Banque
Nationale du Paris (BNP) has admitted it was the victim of a major
computer fraud in June of this year, according to Belgian press
sources.

The AFP news agency reports that a total of BFr 245 million was
taken in the computer fraud, although bank officials have now
recovered the money and Police are holding two suspects.

The two fraudsters used their direct computer access facilities to
request debits from BNP accounts and switch the proceeds into their
own bank accounts with other banks. According to BNP sources,
auditors picked up the fraud when they carried out a routine series
of checks on inter-bank transactions in June.

As soon as the fraud was discovered, the third party banks were
contacted and the money recovered. As a result of the fraud, BNP is
carrying out an internal inquiry into how the frauds occurred and
whether its security systems can be beefed up to prevent a
recurrence.

(Steve Gold/19930908)