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/NB111893

Text File | 1993-11-18 | 68KB | 1,500 lines

(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00001)

Comdex - PCI Local Bus Design Guide Approved 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- The Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) Special Interest Group (SIG) announced
at Comdex that it has approved a design guide that will enable the
development of PCI-based multimedia devices that are hardware
platform independent.

The PCI SIG, which owns and manages the PCI local bus specification,
was formed in June of 1992 when the PCI local bus was announced.
The SIG offers membership to any member of the industry and
promotes an open, non-proprietary standard for implementation of
local bus technology. The standard is analogous to a plan to build a
highway which designates how many lanes will be built and in
which direction each lane would go.

Local bus is an architecture to tie together the central processing
unit (CPU) and the PC's peripheral devices. As newer devices and
technologies such as full motion video have been developed, the
standard expansion bus has become the bottleneck to efficient
performance of the new devices. The local bus is seen as the
answer to these problems by bringing the peripheral functions
closer to the processor. For it to be widely accepted a standard is
necessary.

The SIG says it has approved a design guide that will meet that
need for standardization and expansion. PCI expansion is defined as
allowing up to four functions to be integrated on a single add-in
card, and a cardtop connector is also being evaluated. PCI can be
used as a secondary bus on an expansion card for professional
quality multimedia applications.

The SIG says it has approved a licensing agreement that allows all
PCI SIG members open and royalty free access to any patent claims
necessary to implement PCI-compliant products.

(Jim Mallory/19931118/Press contact: Mike Basiley, PCI SIG,
503-696-8450)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00002)

Comdex - Video Compression Technology Booming 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Video compression
was a hot topic of discussion at Comdex, the computer industry's
annual fall trade show. That is because the emerging market for the
technology is a multi-billion dollar business that ranges from
interactive video for educational purposes to video clips in kiosks
to show short excerpts of MTV titles as a sales tool.

Other applications include archiving film, providing on-line
instructional manuals, broadcast and cable television, and video
conferencing. One of the problems the industry faces is the variety
of compression "standards" or methods that currently exist. There
are at least 11 algorithms presently in use that vary widely in the
quality of the finished product and the hardware needed.

Compression is increasing in importance as more uses are found
for storage of data on CD-ROM disks because the products that it
usually applied to -- still and moving images and sound -- require
huge amounts of disk space in uncompressed form.

To further compound the problem, new algorithms are continually
evolving, improving the quality of the images by a factor of two
about every six months. Another disadvantage, according to Gene
Haigmere, VP at Horizons Technology Inc., is that, "People
who are not video experts are defining the future of video
standards." The variety of playback equipment available to the
home consumer further acerbates the situation.

As the technology continues to evolve, television and cable viewers
can expect to see localized commercials aired using a technique
called "digital commercial insertion." DCI allows national
advertisers to target audiences down to the ZIP code level, and is
expected to be a cheaper way to advertise.

(Jim Mallory/19931118)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00003)

Comdex - Future 500 Cable TV Channel System DIscussed 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- In the not too distant
future there will be 500 cable television channels to choose from.
What we do not know is what will be offered on all those channels.

That is also what a few hundred people attending Comdex,
mostly people involved in the production or delivery of all that
programming, wanted to know. So the Comdex organizers put
together a panel to shed some light on the subject.

What they found out was that the television, video games,
and personal computers that presently reside in our home will
likely merge into still another form that will be far more
interactive. Additionally, remote control devices will get
smarter, but simpler to use, and will add a point-and-click
capability. Also, offerings will be far more interactive.

Regarding television, the panel, which included Dr. Gerald
Bennington, CEO of Denver-based X'Press and Patrick Ford of
Microsoft, said that users will be able to call up a menu from
which they can select time-delivered TV (a ballgame or game
show at 6pm, for example) or pick a pay-for-view movie to be
shown at a time specified by the viewer.

Another feature, according to Dr. Bennington, will be the ability to
browse the currently running programs on other channels without
interrupting the viewing of what is presently on the screen. The
viewer's home security system - and perhaps lights, heating, and a
picture of who is at the front door - can also be expected to be
controlled from the TV set. Stock portfolio prices can already be
viewed on a TV set for those willing to pay for the service.

Ford says the market for more interactive video applications is
going to mushroom in order to meet the nearly insatiable demand
by the public for new titles. Microsoft says the number of licenses
for its Microsoft CD ROM Extensions For Windows have tripled in
the last quarter.

Some experts predict that the price of MPC-capable personal
computers will continue to drop. Ford estimates prices for a basic
MPC-compliant system will be as low as $1,000 or perhaps even
less in 1994.

(Jim Mallory/19931118)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00004)

Comdex - "Doing Business On The Internet" Book Intro'd 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- A new book, titled
"Doing Business On The Internet," was introduced at Comdex. The
book by Mary J. Cronin provides tips and insights into the way the
world's largest information highway is now being commercialized,
despite its campus and government roots.

The report, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold (ISBN 0-442-
01770-7, $29.95) offers strategies for connecting a company to
the data and users it wants to reach. Case studies include Internet
usage by Motorola, Intel, and Rockwell International.

Firms are not only exchanging electronic mail but are sending back
and forth huge chunks of code, graphics and other megafiles when
linked on the Internet to T3 or high-speed networks. For example,
technical support personnel at IBM and Apple are using these
high-capacity lines to send parts of programs back and forth.

Cronin told Newsbytes there are over 100 large corporations
regularly using the Internet for commercial purposes.

Although the main advantage of the Internet is that it is cheap,
security issues remain a problem for users. Set up as the best
way for universities and the government to share information, it
is inherently less secure than private network services, unless
a company finds a way to encode its messages.

A rich and seemingly boundless array of information sources
is also on-line through the Internet, including government
data, financial and statistical databases, Treasury rates,
employment statistics, international business information,
and demographics.

The trouble, says Cronin, is that businesses will receive this as
"raw" data and must interpret it themselves without the help of
intermediaries.

Before the Internet is more widely used, however, Cronin suggests
universal interfaces are necessary. Currently, users must navigate
through a virtual "Tower of Babel," and learn commands necessary
to access information on diverse systems, all with different menu
structures.

CIX (commercial Internet exchange) or ANS (advanced network
services) providers, set up to be the intermediaries in a
company's links through the Internet, are increasingly taking
the effort to offer training and support for their users as a
result of these navigating complexities.

For companies trying direct sales through the Internet, she said,
there have been problems. A company may send out "junk mail" to
advertise its database on the Internet, in order to attract
potential customers. Those kinds of messages are frequently met
with hatred by Internet users. "There is ultimately the realization
that people don't want junk mail. (The companies) get 'flamed'
(angry messages sent to them) if they continue," she explained,
noting that there are cultural barriers to doing Internet business.

(Wendy Woods/19931118/Press Contact: Mary Cronin e-mail
[e-mail]; or Myra Sincoff, 212-254-3232 ext 426)


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

Comdex - New Interactive CD-ROM Magazine Demo'd 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- A demo
version of a new and interactive multimedia magazine was
being demonstrated at Comdex, called substance.digizine.

The user interface is designed so the smaller-than-full-screen
video playback offered by Video for Windows is part of the overall
design. The content of the first issue is cyber-punkish and
featured interviews with heavy metal Grammy award winner Trent
Reznor, of the band Nine Inch Nails, and Jim McKay, co-founder of
C-OO Film Company, known for creating "anti-ads" in the form of
public service announcements as well as independently produced
videos.

Published in compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) format,
the magazine's publishers claim that the substance is truly
interactive, because it is never the same twice.

The publishers, Substance Interactive Media of San Francisco,
California, are offering a demonstration issue for $10.95.
Substance.digizine requires some high-end hardware in order
to run, including 20 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space on at least
a 486SX running at 25 megahertz. It also needs a 256 color video
graphics array (VGA) display, 4 megabytes (MB) of RAM, a 16-bit
sound card, a double speed CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1 and Video
for Windows.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931118/Press & Reader Contact: Mark
Behm, Substance Interactive Media, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


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

Comdex - $50,000 Wooden Custom-Made PCs Displayed 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- For $50,000
you too can have the solid mahogany portable computer of your
dreams. At Comdex, Westcomp Systems of Germany was
demonstrating computers with keyboards and cases hand-made
from solid hard woods, The painstaking process takes two
months per computer to complete.

The Mahogany unit is a briefcase that opens to reveal a screen
built into the top and a gold-plated 3.5-inch drive with ports
in the bottom. The keyboard is also made from fine wood, but
the keys themselves are plastic. A smaller desktop unit made
from teak is also available.

Each computer is custom built to the users individual
specifications, including the hardware inside. Weight is not a
consideration and Helmut A. O. Weber, the company's owner
said the computers are quite heavy when completed.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931118/Press Contact: Helmut A. O. Weber,
Westcomp Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Comdex - Wordperfect Intros Main Street Software 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Wordperfect
has rolled out its new Wordperfect Main Street software line
at Comdex. The program offers 28 software titles in the small
and home office, personal productivity, entertainment, and
infotainment categories, and will be available in several
languages

Following the initial release in the first quarter of 1994,
Wordperfect says it will eventually having more than 50 titles
in the line by the end of next year.

"With the current erosion of PC prices and increased growth to more
than 33 million computers in home and small offices, the consumer
software market is the fastest growing segment in the world," says
Jeff Mallett, senior director, Wordperfect consumer products
division. Mallett cites a Software Publisher's Association report
that predicts sales of consumer software will reach the $1.5 billion
mark by 1996.

Products to be initially released in the Main Street line include:
Wordperfect Works for Windows, the Macintosh, and DOS;
Letterperfect for the Mac and for DOS; ExpressFax+ for Windows;
Random House Webster's School and Office Dictionary for
Windows and the Mac; ClipArt Premium Collection on CD-ROM
for Windows and the Mac; ClipArt for Home for Windows and Mac;
and ClipArt for the Office for Windows and Mac platforms.

In the personal productivity category are Personal Information
Manager for Windows and Grammatik 5 for Windows, the Mac, and
DOS. Education titles include: Wallobee Jack and the Bingi Burra
Stone on CD-ROM; Wallobee Jack and the Thai Sun on CD-ROM; Kid
Karaoke and the Kid Karaoke Additional Song Pack for Windows and
Mac; and ClipArt for Kids.

The company also says 11 Disney titles will be available for the
German, Austrian, and Swiss markets and might be made available
for other European countries in 1994. Disney titles reportedly
will include Mickey's ABC's, and Beauty and the Beast. No US
distribution for the Disney titles was mentioned.

The infotainment titles will not be announced until next year.
Several of the Main Street products were being demonstrated
at Comdex. Wordperfect Main Street products will have
suggested retail prices from $29 to $149 in the US.

(Jim Mallory/19931118/Press Contact: Blake Stowell,
Wordperfect Corp., 801-228-5063)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00008)

Comdex - Midisoft Intros Presentation Partner 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Multimedia
software developer Midisoft Corp., has unveiled Presentation
Partner, a package meant to simplify the creation of multimedia
presentations.

It is the latest of nine products for the Bellevue, Washington,
company, which started in 1986 as a creator of audio applications
using the musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) standard.

Presentation Partner is designed for business computer users who
want to create multimedia presentations but lack the time and
expertise of professional multimedia developers and do not want
to hire outside producers to do the work for them.

The software is not meant to compete with existing presentation
software, said Ron Risden, president of Midisoft. Instead, it works
with those packages.

Working with a presentation graphics package such as Aldus'
Persuasion, WordPerfect Presents, or Asymetrix's Compel,
Presentation Partner asks the user a series of questions to
determine the sort of presentation to be created, and then builds
the presentation. For instance, a user can specify a traditional,
modern, or "fun" look-and-feel for a presentation.

"In a real way, Presentation Partner takes my place," said Chris
Brown, a multimedia production consultant with San Francisco-
based Interrobang who worked with Midisoft on the package's
design.

For those who do not already have presentation graphics software,
Presentation Partner comes bundled with Super Show and Tell, a
package from AskMe Multimedia.

Due to be available in the first quarter of 1994, Presentation
Partner will have a suggested retail price of $149.95. It requires
a PC with a 386 or higher processor, at least four megabytes of
memory, a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a Super
VGA graphics card, Windows 3.1, a Windows-compatible sound
card, and a mouse.

(Grant Buckler/19931117/Press Contact: Chuck Robb, Midisoft,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00009)

Comdex - Frye Adds Wide Area Support To Distrib Pgrm 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Frye Computer
Systems Inc., has added support for wide area networks (WANs) to
its system for distributing and updating software electronically.

Frye announced a Wide Area Network Distribution (WAND) module
for its Software Update and Distribution System (SUDS). The SUDS
software is designed to let organizations with many computers
attached to a network send out new software or updates to
existing software, electronically.

Microcomputer managers find this kind of capability useful because
it saves them the trouble of going from PC to PC installing or
updating software, and because it helps ensure that all users in an
organization are using the same version of a package.

The new release extends SUDS, which allows for software
distribution over a single local area network (LAN), so that it
can also distribute software over WANs.

Russell Frye, president of the company, said users can set up a
variety of different distribution lists to send each software
package out to the desired users. "You can pick exactly who you
want it to go to," he said.

The software is written for Microsoft Windows, but will also
support OS/2 clients, Frye said. It requires Novell Inc.'s NetWare
LAN operating system. Frye also said that most of his company's
customers are Fortune 500 companies with "tens of thousands"
of personal computers.

Due to be available in December, the WAND module will cost
$1,495 per server and must be installed on every server on the
distribution list.

Frye also said it updated SUDS itself with several new features,
including: distribution lists that can be saved for later use; a new
procedure type that provides a menu of procedures; alarm options;
master procedures that let users consolidate sub-procedures; the
ability to re-try user-defined procedures when they fail; and more
detailed information on procedures that have been run.

(Grant Buckler/19931117/Press Contact: David Seuss, Frye
Computer Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00010)

Comdex - Fast Growth For Multifunction Office Products 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Thanks partly to
Microsoft's At Work software, office machines that do several
jobs are expected to be a major growth area in the next few years,
Comdex/Fall attendees were told.

Barry Tepper, an industry analyst who covers multifunction products
for BIS Strategic Systems in Norwell, Massachusetts, said he
expects sales of multifunction office machines to grow from
119,000 units last year to about 1.3 million in 1997.

Multifunction office machines include any device that does the job
of any two or more office machines, usually facsimile machines,
printers, and photocopiers.

Speaking in a conference panel on future office systems, Tepper
said Microsoft At Work -- software designed to allow communication
and data exchange among office machines, and provide a graphical
user interface for controlling them -- could be "a major enabler"
for this market.

Another panel member, Michael Ahern, product manager for At Work
at Microsoft in Bellevue, Washington, said that while digital
technology has grown more common in office machines, few
machines today have the ability to receive or send data digitally
from or to other machines. This will be one of the functions of At
Work, he said.

Ahern said Microsoft expects facsimile machines using At Work to
come to market first, followed by telephone systems, digital
copiers, and personal digital assistants. He said Microsoft is also
showing a computer printer with the At Work software at Comdex.

Tepper said that while multifunction devices will be a growth area,
there are some problems to be resolved. One concern facing vendors
is to whom the machines will be sold. Most companies today have
different people in charge of buying computer equipment and office
machines, so vendors are not sure who to approach to sell, for
instance, a combination fax machine and printer.

A big concern for potential buyers, he said, is the "eggs in one
basket" issue, which really has two parts: reliability and
contention. Users worry that if the single machine breaks, they
will lose all their functions at once. They also worry that people
will have to wait to make copies while a machine is printing, or
vice versa.

Garry Waddell, manager of system products at Ricoh Corp., a maker
of office equipment in Caldwell, New Jersey, said vendors do have
to make choices about priorities in designing these machines. For
instance, he asked, should someone who wants to make a photocopy
have to wait while a multifunction machine finishes a print job, or
should the person be able to interrupt the print job and have it
resume when the copies are finished.

(Grant Buckler/19931117)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00011)

 ****Comdex - Lotus Previews 1-2-3 4.0 For DOS 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Visitors to
Comdex/Fall were offered a sneak peek at the upcoming next release
of Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 spreadsheet for DOS. 1-2-3
release 4 for DOS will again unify the two paths the spreadsheet
took with the introduction of release 2, which could run on older
XT-class computers, and release 3, which offered three-
dimensional (3-D) spreadsheets and other added features.

Release 4 for DOS will need at least a 286 processor with one
megabyte (MB) of memory to run, and will need 1.5MB of memory if
its full graphical interface is to work, Jon Chait, product
manager, told Newsbytes. Lotus plans to continue selling 1-2-3
release 2.4 for DOS to accommodate users whose machines do not
have the horsepower to handle the new release.

The new release, due to be available in the first quarter of 1994,
has a highly graphical look-and-feel and adds some features
formerly only available in the Windows version of the package.

The Version Manager, technology which lets users store multiple
versions of the same worksheet with different sets of data, has
been added to the DOS version with the new release. It works much
like the Windows offering, but lacks some capabilities designed for
work groups, such as the ability to capture a user's name or ID and
record who has made what changes.

Lotus is aiming 1-2-3 4.0 for DOS at individual users, while the
Windows software is intended to provide features for work groups,
Chait said.

SmartIcons, which had already been brought to versions 2.4 and
3.4 for DOS from the Windows version of 1-2-3 where they first
appeared, have been reorganized in the new version to make them
easier to use, a Lotus demonstrator explained. Lotus has also
improved the help function in this release to make topics easier
to find.

The software's tools menu has been expanded to provide access to
functions that, while they were in the software before, were harder
to get at. The tools menu now provides access to add-in software,
as well.

Borrowing an idea that several vendors of 1-2-3 add-in packages
had tried out some years ago, Lotus has built electronic sticky
notes into the software. Users can attach small yellow notes to any
worksheet cell. These notes can be hidden, or popped up when a user
wants to look at them.

Fine-tuning in the new version includes such improvements as the
fact that if a user enters a label beginning with a digit, release
4.0 will recognize it as a label rather than assuming it is a
number and then returning an error message because there are
letters in the entry. A user can also now enter a number with a
leading dollar sign and 1-2-3 will recognize it as a numeric value
-- and format it as currency.

New worksheet tabs let users move to any page of a multi-page
worksheet file by clicking on the right tab. And a live status bar
provides added status information at the bottom of the display.

The software is expected to have a list price in the $495-$595
range and a street price of about $350, Chait said. Upgrades from
versions 2.4 and 3.4 are likely to be $129.

(Grant Buckler/19931117)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00012)

Comdex - Computer Assoc Intros Database Query Tool 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Joining several
other vendors who offer tools to let personal computer users
obtain data from local and remote databases, Computer Associates
International Inc., has unveiled a query tool for Microsoft
Windows, called CA-Visual Express.

Marc Sokol, vice-president of product strategy at CA, said the new
software is designed to let end users create their own queries to
retrieve data from popular databases on personal computers and
larger systems. It also allows information systems professionals to
set up complex queries for users, and to control end users' access
to data.

CA-Visual Express works with databases that support the widely
used structured query language (SQL), Sokol said, but it can also
draw out data from certain other popular formats, including the
mainframe VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) format. The
software also supports Microsoft Corp.'s Open Database
Connectivity (ODBC) standard, and comes with ODBC drivers for
20 database products.

Users can define their queries on a point-and-shoot screen in which
they pick database fields from a list. Visual Express also supports
a query-by-example format for defining queries. Professionals
defining queries to be used by less technically knowledgeable users
can set them up to prompt the user for certain information so a
given query definition can be used in different ways.

The software incorporates CA's QbyX query software and its Caret
report writer, and the Watcom SQL database server from Watcom
International Corp., of Waterloo, Ontario.

Visual Express is in beta testing now and is expected to be
available in the first quarter of 1994, Sokol said. The suggested
retail price is expected to be $495, though this is still subject
to change.

(Grant Buckler/19931117/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00013)

Comdex - Inex Demos Beagle Computer Prototype 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Inex
Technologies brought in a single prototype version of a new,
portable computer with a 1950's science fiction look which
company officials say they plan to equip with just about every
portable electronic gizmo available.

Code named the Beagle, the gray, elongated oval-shaped case
opens up to reveal a pen-based computer with built-in speakers,
a camera, a television, a cellular phone, a keyboard, and a
printer. One of the most unusual features of the Beagle are the
silver rabbit-ear antennae on top for television reception,
that can retracted and folded down to lay against the case for
travel.

The non-working prototype model was on display under a glass
cover in the Inex booth. Cami Rogers, a sales representative
for the company, told Newsbytes working prototypes of the unit
are planned for next year's Comdex and Inex is talking about
shipping the Beagle in 1995.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931118/Press Contact: Cami Rogers, Inex,
800-783-4639)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00014)

Comdex - Deneba Offers 10,000 "Free" Graphics Pkgs 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Deneba Software
is giving away 10,000 copies of its graphical software package
Canvas for Windows to Comdex goers. Each person who watches
the company's demo gets a full version of the award-winning
graphical software, formerly only available on the Macintosh.

Deneba has been developing and marketing Canvas for Apple
Computer's Macintosh platform for over six years, but this is
the company's first attempt at a Windows graphic product. The
Macintosh version has been called the top choice of graphics
professionals and has numerous awards to its credit, claims
the company. The Windows version includes a host of features
and built-in functions that cover art, science, and even technical
drawing applications.

Company officials claim Canvas' claim to fame is that it is the
first Windows program to integrate vector "drawing," where
images are treated as objects, with bit-map "painting" where
each picture element (pixel) on screen is separate.

There is a catch -- the software is a special version that
automatically shuts down on December 15, 1993. Users who
wish to continue to use the software, normally retail priced at
$399.95, can upgrade for $99.95. Other interested users who
have any other graphics program may also get the upgrade price
as well, company officials added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931118/Press Contact: Douglas Levy,
Deneba Software, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00015)

Apple Japan Replaces President 11/18/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Apple Computer, Tokyo, has
replaced its president. Shigechika Takeuchi left the company early
this week. Reportedly, recent slow sales of the firm triggered his
resignation.

Shigechika Takeuchi assumed the position in 1988. Under his
leadership, Apple Computer Japan was able to raise sales
almost ten-fold during his time as president. One of Takeuchi's
major achievements was the "localization" of the Macintosh
platform, as well as the localization of Apple's Tokyo office,
which now reportedly conforms to the way business is
handled in Japanese society.

Takeuchi's official reason for resigning is his desire to find new
challenges. However, some reports link the resignation with the
executive changes at Apple US headquarters.

Five years ago, Shigechika Takeuchi was appointed by former
Apple head John Sculley. Apple Computer Japan's annual sales,
up to September, went down sharply. John Floisand assumed the
presidency of Apple Computer Japan on November 15.

Apple Computer Japan has been trying to survive a fierce
personal computer price war in Japan. The firm's products must
compete with low-cost DOS/V-compatible PCs, as well as with
multimedia PCs from NEC and Fujitsu.

As a result, Apple Computer Japan has recently cut the price
of its notebook computers by an average of 30 percent.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931118/Press Contact: Apple
Computer, Tokyo, 81-3-5411-8715)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00016)

Japan - Apple Kanji/Canon Display/Windows NT Update 11/18/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Apple Computer's Japanese
version of System 7 Pro will debut next year. Canon's extra-thin
computer display for IBM PCs is set to ship, and introduction of
Microsoft's Japanese Windows NT has been delayed.

Apple Computer, Tokyo, has announced that it will ship the upgrade
kit of Kanji Talk 7 Pro, which is the Japanese version of System
7 Pro, around the first quarter of 1994. The price is still
unknown. The upgrade kit does not include Kanji Talk 7 itself,
but does include AppleScript 1.1, Japanese PowerTalk 1.0,
QuickTime 1.6.1, and Kanji Talk version-up module 7.1.1.

Meanwhile, Canon is preparing to release the firm's latest FLC
ferro-electric liquid crystal display for IBM PCs in July 1994.
Canon's FLC is only seven centimeters thick. It is a color display
and supports very clear screen mode at 1,280 by 1,024 pixels.

The device is 15-inches in size and the company is planning to
create a 21-inch color display by 1995. Canon is also planning
to create a version for the Macintosh and NEC's PC-9801. The
FLC can be used for high definition televisions.

The only concern at present is the price. The PC version will cost
around one million yen ($10,000).

Meanwhile, the release date of the Japanese version of Windows
NT has been delayed. According to Microsoft, Tokyo, it was initially
set for a December. However, due to some revision of the program,
the release has been put back to January, 1994. Microsoft has
already given a test version to Japanese application developers.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931115/Press Contact: Apple
Computer, 81-3-5411-8715; Canon, tel [phone],
fax [phone]; Microsoft, 81-3-5454-8000)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00017)

 ****NAFTA Clears Biggest Hurdle 11/18/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Despite the fact that
President Clinton's arm-twisting team was publicly wringing its
hands over every vote up to the last minute, when it came to a
final vote in the US House of Representatives, NAFTA (North
American Free Trade Agreement), was a relatively easy win for
the Administration which needed 218 votes and eventually got
234 "yea" verses 200 "nay" votes.

NAFTA supporters say that the agreement between Mexico, the
US, and Canada (the latter two already have a similar agreement
between them) will increase trade and benefit US workers,
because it will reduce or eliminate tariffs in three five-year
stages. The largest tariffs are imposed by Mexico on imports.

NAFTA opponents point to the ten-to-one wage disparity and lax
enforcement of environmental laws and say these will result in
many factory jobs going south of the border.

Others argue that the truth probably lies between the two, with
some low-skilled jobs moving south and high-skill jobs remaining
north of the Rio Grande, resulting in more exports and more
imports for all three countries.

For the computer industry there is little doubt that NAFTA will
increase sales and probably jobs in the US. This is because it will
result in lowered tariffs between the US and Mexico, and because
that country will still have a relatively high import tax on
European and Asian computer systems.

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Gates praised
NAFTA, saying, "President Clinton showed tremendous leadership
and played a vital role in educating the country about NAFTA's
benefits. A majority of the House of Representatives recognized
that the agreement represents a historic opportunity for the
nation in terms of opening the Mexican market to US exports
and building a stronger US economy in the long run."

NAFTA will also strengthen copyright and intellectual property
rights in Mexico and that too will lead to more US and Canadian
sales to that country. Proponents also say that the most important
impact of NAFTA is that it will encourage other Western
Hemisphere countries to join in with the northern three in
forming the world's largest trading block (370 million
consumers) to counter existing Asiatic and European blocks.

As President Clinton travels to Seattle, Washington, today to
attend the Asian-Pacific trade talks, the White House says that
NAFTA's passage will strengthen his position as he tries to open
up Asian markets to US goods. Japanese Prime Minister Hosakawa
said of the affirmative NAFTA vote that it was good for Japan-US
trade relations because it showed that Washington was not leaning
toward protectionism.

NAFTA has also passed the House just one month before the
last "final" dead-line for the seven-year-long Uruguay Round
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and many
Washington observers see this as an important lever to encourage
those countries which are balking at opening up their markets,
such as France, to sign GATT. The agreement would provide a
NAFTA-like open trade framework for more than 100 countries
around the world.

NAFTA opponent and former presidential candidate Ross Perot had
earlier promised legal action in an attempt to block NAFTA's
implementation if it passed and last night he stated that his
supporters would work to remove those Congressmen who had
voted in favor of NAFTA from office.

NAFTA still has to pass the Senate, but that is seen as an easy
vote for the President and the pact is expected to take effect on
January 1, 1994. However, Perot pointed out in a press conference
that there would be more sustaining NAFTA votes in 1994 and 1996.

While Mexico's president supports NAFTA, north of the border, the
newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien says that he
will not sign the treaty until certain agreements are reached on
energy, government subsidies, and product dumping.

(John McCormick/19931118)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00018)

 ****Scientific Atlanta Adds Phone To Cable TV 11/18/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Just as the Baby
Bells are getting a foot-hold in the cable industry, the
pioneering telecommunications company, Scientific Atlanta, has
announced a development which may put cable TV providers into
the telephone business.The announcement involves allowing users
to make and receive telephone calls over their cable TV
connection, instead of needing a separate telephone line installed.

Adding telephone to cable TV is seen as a major step in helping
to make TV interactive by providing an integrated feedback
mechanism, but it will also eliminate the need for local
telephone wiring, which is currently used to make long distance
connections, a major source of income for the local telephone
companies.

About 40 percent of all long distance charges are actually paid
to the local phone company for connecting the user to the long
distance network provider, a fee structure which many consumer
advocates see as outrageously high and which would be eliminated
by customers who opt to use the new Scientific Atlanta system.

Of course cable operators may continue to demand a similar fee,
but the chances are that connection costs will drop for both
cable users and those who continue to use standard telephone
wiring, because many users will for the first time have an option
as to which technology they will use.

(John McCormick/19931118)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00019)

 ****Comdex - MIPS Shows Fast R4200-Based PCs 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- At Comdex, MIPS
Technologies and its partners are demonstrating newly developed
notebooks, PC upgrade boards, and workstations based on MIPS' new
R4200, a microprocessor billed as faster and less costly than the
Pentium, Alpha, or PowerPC 601.

The new MIPS platforms, and the reference designs that made
them possible, were announced at a press conference headlined by
speakers from MIPS and three hardware allies: NEC, ShaBlamm!
Computers, and Deskstation Technology,

Tom Whiteside, president of MIPS, told journalists that MIPS has
created four R4200 reference designs: a notebook designed for
high performance; a notebook designed for long life; a desktop PC
designed for high performance; and a low-cost desktop model.

R4200-based notebooks and desktop PCs, running Windows NT,
are on display at Comdex in the MIPS booth, with an additional
notebook in the NEC booth, Whiteside said.

"We're very well positioned," he added. New benchmarks show that
PCs based on a 150 megahertz (MHz) R4200 MIPS processor runs
202 percent faster than 60 MHz Pentium-based PCs, 297 percent
faster than PCs with an Intel 80486 DX-2 microprocessor, and 34
percent faster than Alpha AXP-based PCs when the systems are
running Windows NT, he asserted. The MIPS chip can also run Unix,
he noted.

Further, the R4200 costs one-tenth as much as the Pentium, and
consumes one-tenth the power, according to the MIPS president.
Already, about 150 independent software vendors (ISVs) have
committed to support the new MIPS chip, said Whiteside. "And
around 100 of these ISVs represent (major companies)."

In addition, two chip foundries -- NEC and Integrated Device
Technology (IDT) -- have licensed the R4200 technology from MIPS
and are now manufacturing the new chip in sample quantities. NEC is
calling its product the MR4401-75, while IDT's product is dubbed
the Orion R4600.

"We're producing the chip at lower cost and lower power consumption
than expected," said Dave Corbin, director of marketing for NEC,
The MR4401-75 is ideal for use in notebooks, as well as in game,
set top, and many other devices, he added.

Don Peterson, president of Desktop Technology, told the journalists
that the MIPS 4400 offers greater performance than either the
Pentium or the PowerPC 601, the only PowerPC chip shipping in
volume quantities up to now.

DeskStation Technology is using the MIPS chip for the Tyne Series,
a new family of RISC (reduced instruction-set computer)-based
workstations that is similar in size to a 486-based PC. Models in
the Tyne Series will be priced at under $3,000, according to
Peterson.

"If any of you believe that PowerPC will offer a more compelling
platform, nine months from now, I'll eat your hats," Peterson
remarked.

Sheblamm! Computing is employing the chip on an upgrade board for
486-based systems aimed at providing installed PCs with
workstation-level performance, said Tom North, company president.
North also noted that Sheblamm! is the acronym for "Sizzling Hit
Accelerator Board Highly Affordable MIPS Microsoft Windows NT."

The four reference designs for MIPS 4200 announced this week
will complement existing reference designs for MIPS-based PCs,
according to Whiteside.

In addition to notebook and desktop PCs, the new MIPS and
derivative core products are aimed at use in hand-held and other
consumer products as in embedded applications such as laser
printer controllers, X-terminals, and communications devices.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931118/Press contact:  Steve Schick,
MIPS, 415-390-2573)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00020)

Comdex - SCSI & IDE Controllers For PCI & VESA Buses 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Acculogic has
announced five new SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) and
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) controllers at Comdex, including
one product in each of these categories for the newly emerging
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.

PCIpport, a new, full 32-bit PCI-bus master, supports the
increasingly popular fast and wide SCSI-2, as does Acculogic's
other new SCSI controller, VESApport.

The company's new IDE controllers are the sIDE-2/PCI, for PCI
local bus systems; the sIDE-4/VL, for VESA (Video Electronics
STandards Association) VL-bus systems; and the sIDE-4/HP, for
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus systems.

The PCI bus controller supports up to 10 megabyte-per-second
data transfer with the enhanced IDE drives that are just starting
to come to market, and also speeds performance of standard IDE
drives by 20 to 500 percent, said Michael P. Zachan, president of
Acculogic.

Acculogic, a company formed in 1989, started out in the memory
board business, and then moved on to produce SCSI and IDE
controllers, Zachan explained, in an interview with Newsbytes at
the Sands Convention Center. Over the years, the vendor has based
new product entries on needs created by new bus technologies,
Zachan told Newsbytes. "Right now, for example, the PCI bus is
just hitting the streets."

Acculogic now markets the widest available range of SCSI
controllers, IDE controllers, and memory boards for ISA, EISA
(Extended Industry Standard Architecture), VESA VL, and PCI
architectures, the company chief asserted.

EISApport, a previously released full 32-bit EISA bus master, also
supports fast and wide SCSI-2, according to Zachan. EISApport is
priced at $599.

Acculogic's new PCIpport is slated to ship in January. Pricing is
$449 for PCIpport/40, a version that includes CorelSCSI software,
and $349 for SPIpport20, a version sold without the software.

Acculogic's other new SCSI controller, VESApport, is expected to be
available next month at prices of $479 for VESApport/40 (with
CorelSCSI software) and $379 for VESApport/20 (without software).

Acculogic's new sIDE-2/PCI is scheduled for delivery in December at
a price of $55. Acculogic's sIDE-4/VL and sIDE-4/HP are already on
the market, at prices of $138 and $85, respectively.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931117/Reader Contact: Acculogic,
800-234-7811; Press Contact: Mike Kilroy, Les Goldberg Public
Relations for Acculogic, 714-545-3117)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00021)

Comdex - Sony Shows Multimedia Line 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- At Comdex,
Sony is highlighting its broad range of multimedia products for
title creation through desktop and mobile viewing.

In a press briefing, company officials gave journalists an in-depth
guided tour, showing off and elaborating on offerings that included
Sony's CD Authoring Workstation, desktop and portable playback
platforms, high resolution Trinitron monitors, and a desktop
videoconferencing system based on the new PCS-V2 audio/video
peripheral.

The CD Authoring System is a complete system for creating
instructional manuals, training applications, and other titles in
CD-ROM, CD-1, CD-ROM XA and EBG (Electronic Book) formats,
Sony representatives said.

The workstation is based on Sony's CDW-9000 CD Write Once drive, a
double-speed write once subsystem that lets multimedia developers
produce, prototype and premaster CD applications for low-volume
distribution, beta testing, or input to a mastering and replication
facility.

Titles can be played back on a family of CD-ROM drives that
includes the newly announced entry-level CDU-33!, plus two other
portable drives that are similar to the CDU-33A but provide a SCSI-
2 implementation and 256 kilobyte (KB) buffer.

Desktop playback mechanisms demonstrated for the press included
the Desktop Library and Multimedia CD-ROM Player. The Desktop
Library system incorporates a double-speed CD-ROM drive, shielded
Sony speakers, and a 16-bit sound board.

The Multimedia CD-ROM Player integrates a CD-ROM drive supporting
the CD-ROM XA standard, a PC-compatible microprocessor, a LCD
(liquid crystal display) panel, and a speaker, keyboard and cursor.

Also in the booth at Comdex, Sony is displaying a variety of new
titles for the Multimedia Player, including a Real Estate Multiple
Listing Service demo disk, additional custom titles for vertical
market applications, and the IBM Multimedia Studio's new Mescon
Group Business Series.

Sony also showed the journalists a series of 14-, 15-, 17- and 20-
inch monitors, including the newly launched Multiscan 17e. The
Multiscan 17e is designed to automatically adjust image geometry
and sharpness across a continuous range of scan frequencies, to
produce the consistently high quality images otherwise found only
in single-scan video board/monitor systems.

The 17e "green" monitor, which is compatible with both Macs and
IBM-compatible PCs, also supplies an energy-saving power
management system that meets both EPA (Environmental
Protection Agency) Energy Star and VESA (Video Electronics
Standards Association) DPMS guidelines.

All monitors in the Trinitron series offer a vertically flat
screen, lack tinting, and an anti-reflective coating, features
aimed at reducing ambient light reflection for a picture that is
easier on the eyes.

The final stop on the booth tour was Sony's PCS-V2, a tool for live
computer-to-computer video and audio communication. The new
product brings together a color video camera, microphone and
speaker into a single unit that fits on top of a desktop computer
monitor.

PCS-V2 must be integrated with video software, a codec and
transmission path for video communication capabilities, according
to Sony. The system can be used with most types of computers or
workstations.

At Comdex, the system is being shown in a PC system incorporating
Sony's new SBX1793-01/21 video input module with Tseng Labs'
VIPER image video processor integrated circuit.

As they listened to the description of the new desktop
videoconferencing system and its components, members of the
press were captured on camera. The journalists could view
themselves taking notes and asking questions in a monitor on
top of the PCS-V2.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931118/Reader Contact: Sony, 2010
930-7669; Press Contacts: Manny Vara, Sony, 201-930-7005;
Marily Young, Technology Solutions for Sony, 415-617-4524;
Barbara Hagin, Technology Solutions for Sony, 415-617-4523)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00022)

 ****Comdex - 7th Level's Tuneland Multimedia Cartoon 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- At a penthouse
suite in the Mirage Hotel, Newsbytes got a tour of 7th Level's
"Tuneland" multimedia cartoon, from vice president and former
Pink Floyd saxophonist Scott Page.

The demo of "Tuneland" debuted at a props warehouse on November
15, at a party attended by, among others, Linda Ronstadt, Michael
Milken, Quincy Jones, and Newsbytes.

Page explained that it is based on a graphics "engine" written in
Assembly language, designed to get the most performance possible
from Microsoft Windows. The technical team was headed by Robert
Merrick, who had previously headed the group responsible for the
graphics engine in IBM's OS/2 2.1.

Beyond its speed -- in the demo we saw 13 individual elements on
a single cartoon screen singing and dancing independently of one
another -- the engine is really important because it is designed
around Hollywood post-production terms and techniques, Page
explained. The images are also anti-aliased, meaning they are as
good or better than those on Saturday morning TV. In "Tuneland,"
narrated by Howie Mandel, Kids can use a mouse to click on dozens
of elements in any picture, and see multiple sound-and-motion
effects on each one.

"Think of the database of characters and backgrounds you can
build, and the ability to re-use them," he said. 7th Level hopes
to license its engine to all the major studios, so they can build
a mass market of interactive products quickly. "Tuneland" itself
will be distributed in music stores and discount stores like Wal-
Mart, as well as computer stores like Comp USA, when it is
released in January, at an expected price of $49.95.

The story of the company is nearly as interesting as the product.
Page, Micrografx co-founder George Grayson, and music producer
Ezrin, whose credits include albums by Peter Gabriel, Rod
Stewart, Alice Cooper, and Kiss as well as Pink Floyd's "The
Wall," first got together to create the "Grand Scientific Musical
Theater" at last Comdex' Micrografx Chili Cook-Off. It was a
fund-raiser for the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, combining multimedia software and rock music.

All three saw in this the potential of a grand marriage between
Hollywood and Silicon Valley, but Micrografx turned the business
plan down. So Grayson quit the company he founded and decided to
use Hollywood funding to start the new firm, 7th Level. The deal
was nearly closed when the three heard from Milken. He shared
with them a vision it turned out they all had in common, namely
that multimedia could revolutionize education. He also brought
in Merv Adelson, co-founder of Lorimar Telepictures, in on the deal.

The result is a new company with high credibility among
Hollywood studios. Among 7th Level's other managers are veterans
of MTV, Micrografx, and Coleco, makers of the Cabbage Patch
dolls. Page says that, while 7th Level will use its graphics
engine to produce other CD-ROMs, including one based on the old
"Monty Python" show, the real hope is it can be licensed to the
other Hollywood studios to create a new industry. "People say
computers aren't as good as television, but that's not true,"
said Page. Time will tell if he is right.

(Dana Blankenhorn/199931118/Press Contact: John Bevilacqua,
7th Level Inc., tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00023)

Comdex - Notes From The Sands Expo Center 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- The big players
in computing have huge booths at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Smaller players buy lesser booths at the Sands Expo Center.

A quick tour of Sands started at UPS' booth, where a new method
of bar-coding, called Maxicode, was on display. Maxicodes can be
read much faster than regular bar codes, and can hold the entire
Statue of Liberty inscription on two thumb-print sized blocks.
Dots in each block carry meaning based on their distance from
four circles, like bulls-eyes, in the center of each graphic.

A regular bar code holding the quote from Emma Lazarus would
stretch two feet. UPS also introduced a new, smaller hand-held
computer for its couriers, the DIAD II, which can accept
signature input, and showed off a plaque from McCaw Cellular
showing its record use of cellular services for transmitting data
between couriers and central computers.

Samtron, a unit of Samsung, gave Newsbytes a quick tour of the
state-of-the-art in monitors. The latest models are all Super VGA,
and carry power management features as standard. The high-end
models for the Macintosh and Windows retail at $1,099. Nearby,
Goldstar offered similar wares. Another new advance, shown
by spokesman Dain Percifield, is a set of controls as extensive
as those found on regular TVs.

Rockwell's newest innovations are smaller than ever. It is a
complete line of Type II PC Cards under PCMCIA standards covering
multiple wireless and wired protocols. Included are the Mobitex
and Ardis packet radio standards, the CDPD packet cellular
standard, and global positioning satellites.

Supporters of the products include America Online, Boca Research,
Cardinal Technologies, Delrina, BellSouth's MobileComm unit, and
Hayes' Practical Peripherals unit. Rockwell has also licensed the
wireless data patents of Spectrum Information Technologies,
meaning modem makers who use Rockwell chip sets are safe from
that patent litigation.

(Dana Blankenhorn/199931118/Press Contact: Julie Seymour,
Rockwell, 714-833-4379; Dain Percifield, for Samtron,
212-704-8252; UPS, Monica Spigelman, 201-512-4982)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00024)

Packard Bell Gets $30M From Congress Financial 11/18/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Chatsworth,
California-based Packard Bell, a maker of low priced business
and home computers, has received another cash infusion from
Congress Financial, this time totaling $30 million. In August,
Congress Financial provided Packard Bell with $70 million in
financing to help the company continue funding growth in the
US market.

Packard Bell has projected net income of $1.25 billion on sales
of about one million personal computers during 1993, compared to
a net of $925 million on sales of 30 percent fewer PCs.

Zenith Data Systems and France's Groupe Bull (which owns ZDS)
purchased almost 20 percent of Packard Bell in July and now
supply Zenith notebook computers under the Packard Bell label.

Congress Financial is a subsidiary of CoreStates Financial, a
holding company with assets of $22.8 billion.

Packard Bell, which markets computers worldwide, claims to
be the fourth-largest PC supplier in the United States, selling
mostly through mass merchants, superstores, retail, and
department stores.

(John McCormick/19931118/Press Contact: Philip Little, The
Bohle Co., 310-785-0515)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00025)

Autodesk Gives Ecuador Schools Copies Of AutoCAD 11/18/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Sausalito,
California-based Autodesk, maker of leading computer-aided design
(CAD) and professional graphics software, has donated 92 copies of
its popular AutoCAD software to the University of Quito in
Ecuador, South America.

Although the company is an aggressive pursuer of groups which
pirate its software, Autodesk has a reputation for donating copies
of its popular CAD software to educational institutions.

Through the University of Quito, the copies will actually be
distributed to more than 20 different university locations in
Ecuador where they will be used to train potential mechanical
and civil engineers, as well as architects.

Autodesk is just one of the high-tech companies which is rapidly
expanding their presence in Latin America. The region is seen by
many as a major economic growth area for the next thirty years,
offering North American companies an even larger market than
Asia and Europe put together.

AutoCAD software and documentation is available in 18
languages and sold in 80 countries.

(John McCormick/19931118/Press Contact: Andrew Mackles,
Autodesk, 415-491-8778)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00026)

Comdex - Rockwell's Low-Power Radio Data/Fax Modem 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Rockwell
International has announced the RC32ACM, its first combined
packet radio/phone line modem unit. Plans are also in hand for
a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association)
version of the unit to be shipped some time next year.

Essentially, the RC32ACM combines the packet radio facilities
of the RAM/Mobitex packet radio technology in the same box as a
conventional high-speed PSTN (public switched telephone network)
modem. The idea is that packet radio software will run in the
background under Windows on a portable PC so that, if the user is
within range of the RAM network (which accounts for 80 percent
of the US), they can receive electronic messages and files
"on-the-fly."

The conventional modem aspect of the unit is intended for those
occasions when you want to send data but are not in range of the
RAM network, or where you want to send or receive a large amount
of data -- a more expensive business on the RAM network where
usage is charged on the basis of data transmitted and/or received.

Mark Chapman, Motorola's product line manager for packet data, told
Newsbytes that there are plans to offer the RC32ACM in a PCMCIA-
style box, but, at the moment, the technology is not sufficiently
miniaturized.

"We've got many of the facilities down to a Class II PCMCIA card,
but we still need to hook up a RAM packet radio modem. We estimate
that the whole bundle -- data pump, modem and packet radio modem
-- can be compressed into a PCMCIA Class III unit, which is about
twice the thickness of a Class II card," he told Newsbytes.

Interestingly, Chapman said that he views the RC32ACM as a product
that stands distinct from Rockwell's other products, which include
conventional "wireline" (PSTN) modems, analog and digital cellular
modems and personal communications services (PCS) products.
Rather than competing, the RC32ACM is a complementary product,
he claims.

The RC32CM is available in two versions: a two package low profile
RC32ACM data pump; and a three package RC32CM integrated modem.
Both packages support all modem speeds to 14,400 bits-per-second
(bps) data and fax.

As with many of Rockwell's communications products, no end user
pricing is quoted, as the company supplies in quantity to third-
party companies on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis.
The idea of this is that the third-party company will add its own
software and/or hardware for onward sale as a "total solution" to
the public.

(Steve Gold/19931118/Press Contact: Eileen Algaze,
714-833-6849)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00027)

Comdex - Rockwell Intros GPS On A PCMCIA Card 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Rockwell
International has formally announced the Navcard at Comdex. The
company claims that the Navcard is the industry's first original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) global positioning system (GPS)
device that comes in a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card
Industry Association) format.

Pricing on the unit is $749 for 100-up quantities supplied only to
third-party companies on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
basis. The idea of this marketing strategy, according to Stuart
Thomson, marketing manager for commercial GPS business, is
that the name Rockwell will not appear on the Navcards sold to
the end user.

"We sell them at $749 each to other companies who then add their
software and/or hardware as they think fit. It's up to them what
price they charge the end user," he said.

GPS technology is not new, Newsbytes notes, but integrating it
onto a PCMCIA card allows the power consumption to be reduced
considerably -- by around 50 percent on existing larger GPS
systems. Power consumption on the Navcard is down to 750
milliwatts, Thomson said.

The Navcard is a five channel unit that comes in a PCMCIA II card
case. The unit includes a built in, removable antenna for what
Rockwell claims is a "truly hands free system solution."

In use, Navcard has a first time to fix on GPS of between 20 and 30
seconds and works under dynamic conditions. Rockwell claims that
the card is designed to function under foliage and in urban
environments where shock and vibration is present.

GPS is a satellite-based location system that was originally
created for use by US government agencies. The service, which is
now available to allcomers, is provided free of charge and allows
mobiles to locate themselves to within a few hundred meters
from almost anywhere on the earth's surface.

(Steve Gold/19931118/Press & Public Contact: Rockwell
International, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00028)

Comdex - Startek's Computerized Fingerprint Verifier 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Startek, the Taiwanese
company, has unveiled the Fingerprint Verifier FC100, a $2,700
peripheral for PCs that allows fingerprint scans to be taken and
compared. The technology has been designed for biometric security
applications, according to Rudolf Hauke, the company's product
manager.

One of the biggest problems with fingerprint scan systems in the
past, Hauke told Newsbytes, is that the fingerprints need to be
stored on disk in a digital data format. The FC100 gets round this
by connecting to the PC's bus port and storing the image on disk as
a series of X-Y coordinates, plus relationships between line ends,
and other features that make up a typical fingerprint. The
resultant file is known as a minutia file.

"Each minutia file is capable of being stored as a 256 byte image.
This means that a typical fingerprint profile can store as many as
4,000 prints per megabyte," he explained.

Hauke said that, since smart cards can now store up to one kilobyte
(KB) of data with ease at low cost, it is possible to store a minutia
file plus 768KB of personal data on the card. Then, when the card is
inserted in the FC100, the card holder's ID can be verified.

Newsbytes asked Hauke whether, with such a small amount of data,
whether it was possible for two people's fingerprints to have an
identical set of coordinates. He replied that the false acceptance
rate is around 1 in 100,000.

Hauke stressed that the FC100 is not designed for use as a standalone
security system. It was designed, he said, for use with a password
or a physical token system of security. The standalone aspect is
something that the company is working on.

"We are currently testing adding skin and other test systems to
the image verification. This has the added advantage that, if
someone is desperate enough to slice someone's finger off to gain
access to their secure system, the system will be able to detect
whether the tissue is alive or not," he told Newsbytes.

(Steve Gold/19931118/Press & PUblic Contact: Rudolf Hauke,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00029)

Comdex - GTE Gets Into The Mobile Revolution 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, 1993 NOV 18 (NB) -- Not content with its
share of the cellular and packet radio mobile communications
marketplace, GTE is readying its cellular digital packet data
(CDPD) technology for when the FCC gets around to licensing the
frequencies for use in the US.

CDPD is unlike other mobile data systems in that, instead of using
the frequencies available on a dedicated basis, it uses the
company's existing analog cellular network time when speech is not
being transmitted. CDPD is being promoted for use by several of the
US mobile data communications companies, including GTE, Nynex,
Sprint, and US West.

"The idea is to make use of the finite length of idle time when
speech is not being used. Under CDPD, data transmissions of 19,200
bits-per-second are possible, although, because of the complex
error correction required, this drops to around half this figure,"
explained Jon Austin, wireless data manager with the company.

Austin added that CDPD is a third option for using cellular networks
on the move for data. The two conventional technologies, he said,
are MNP Class 10 error correction using standard modems, and the
AT&T enhanced throughput cellular (ETC) system which is an
advanced version of the old CCITT V.42Cell data transmission
standard.

According to Austin, CDPD will shortly go live in the San Francisco
Bay Area, as well as in Houston. CDPD is flexible, he said, because
it interfaces well with the existing analog AMPS (American System
for Mobile communications System) used by most mobile phones.

Although currently untried in a public environment, CDPD has the
edge over the competition, GTE claims, since it can make use of
existing cellular base stations and networks, rather than requiring
the installation of a new network.

Furthermore, the company claims, CDPD has a fast data throughput of
around four times that of existing cellular modem technology, even
when error correction is taken into account.

GTE is planning to roll out its CDPD technology rapidly across the
US during 1994. By the end of next year, the company expects to
offer the service in at least 61 cellular regions. Roaming between
regions will be automatic, as it is with the GTE analog AMPS mobile
phone network.

(Steve Gold/19931118/Press & Public Contact: GTE Telecoms,
404-391-8000)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00030)

Comdex - Mobile Comms Industry Discussion (Part 3) 11/18/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 NOV 17 (NB) -- This is part
three of a three-part report on a conference on mobile
communications with several of the industry majors attending at
the Comdex Fall computer show. Today, we report on what Pradeep
Singh, group manager for mobile services with Microsoft and Larry
Crume, vice president of electronic messaging with Lotus, had to
say.

Singh asked the interesting question as to who, exactly, using
mobile comms technology today? He answered this rhetorical
question by noting that there is a wide mix of users, many of
whom were slowly being drawn into computers.

"There is a major sea change taking place in the market, away from
the mobile computing and cellular phone using community and towards
an integrated type of user. We see the market changes continuing for
some time to come," he said.

This situation, he added, has resulted in the industry representing
something of a challenge for Microsoft. The one thing driving the
industry, he noted, is the fact that network usage is increasing all
the time.

Crume, meanwhile, said that mobile comms is based on several key
components: notebook/laptop technology; palmtop and personal
digital assistants (PDAs); the arrival of more operating systems in
the market; wireless and wireline technology improvements; and the
integration of technologies generally.

"What users are looking for are software enhancements. You have to
look at the electronic management of information," he said, adding
that, as an electronic mail (e-mail) user of the last 20 years, he
himself found himself spending up to six hours a day dealing with
the 100 to 150 e-mail messages that drop into his mailbox each
working day.

"One interesting feature is that I'm finding is that around 20 percent
of my e-mail is coming in over the Internet. That shows that the
Internet is becoming a major force in telecommunications," he said.

The one thing that Crume claims that he has discovered about e-mail
is that he needs to be selective about the type of information he
receives while on the move. There is no point, he said, in
downloading all his e-mail to his mobile. All he needs are the
headers and, if possible, users should have software agents scanning
their land-wired mailboxes for specific messages and keywords.
Only when these are present should a priority message be sent to the
mobile.

Last but not least, Crume said that he sees the biggest restriction
in mobile comms as the baud rate that can be transmitted over a
radio link. Unless baud rates increase dramatically, he said, users
will need to be highly selective in what data they receive while on
the move.

(Steve Gold/19931118)