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/NB930218

Text File | 1993-02-18 | 66KB | 1,496 lines

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

General Software Intros Network Analyzer 02/18/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- General
Software has released the new Etherprobe network and protocol
analyzer for Ethernet networks.

According to the company, some devices understand only certain
protocols, while some understand the individual packets and
technical details but do not care about the specific protocol.
General Software's Etherprobe understands both, the company
claims.

The company is also touting the device's capabilities in
supporting and decoding Novell Netware, Microsoft LAN Manager,
IBM LAN server, and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol) protocols as another area in which it is
superior to other software-only network analyzers.

General Software claims that most of the software-only
analyzers support one, or at most only two, of the listed
protocols. Another feature of the analyzer is its ability to
display four panels of data under the DOS operating system.
This ability is claimed to be unique. The company says that most
other products display only one view at a time. The four views
that Etherprobe can display include: a basic traffic view; a
breakdown of the traffic by the kind of protocol suite used;
traffic by share-request type; and broadcast information.

In addition, the new product has a suite of alarm conditions
and programmable alert situations to notify the network
administrator of faults or unusual operating conditions.

Etherprobe is available now for $995. It comes with an Ethernet
adapter and, according to the company, contains all that is needed
to turn a PC into a network monitoring station.

(Naor Wallach/19930217/Press Contact: Steve Jones, General
Software, 206-391-4285/Public Contact: General Software,
206-391-4285)


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

Celestial Arts Book Helps Parents Teach Kids To Read 02/18/93
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Celestial Arts
is a book publisher that is best known for a series of new wave,
alternative life-style books. This did not, however, stop the
company publishing a book that attempts to show parents how to
teach reading to their children via computers?

The company says that it was impressed with the author - Roger
Young - and his book's message. It also claims that the book,
entitled: "Learning to Read in the '90's," fits  in with some of
their other parenting books as well.

Roger Young is a single father that was unimpressed with
the preparation that his son was receiving in day care and
kindergarten. Taking a proactive approach, Young developed a
method that he could use with his child. After succeeding with
his individual quest, Young turned to sharing his method with
others.

Young's method involves many different tools. The book is
subtitled: "An Interactive Playbook." Many of his tools and
techniques include a computer since he believes that anything
that a child is interested in should be used as a teaching aid.
The book contains reviews and tips of several software packages
that Young has found to be particularly useful in his quest.

Celestial Arts has prepared a print run of 5,000 copies for
the first edition. Celestial Arts books are distributed throughout
the US and internationally. The book retails for $9.95 and is a 96
page paperback, in a sideways 8.5 by 11 format.

(Naor Wallach/19930217/Press Contact: Leili Eghbal, Celestial
Arts, 510-845-8414/Public Contact: Celestial Arts,
510-845-8414, 800-841-2665)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00003)

Invisible Software Intros Server Add-on To InvisibleLAN 02/18/93
LONGWOOD, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Invisible
Software has introduced an add-on product for its InvisibleLAN,
called Ultra. The new product speeds up large file transfers
across the network.

Ultra is claimed to be a fast file server. The company argues
that the peer-to-peer benefits of InvisibleLAN are not being
compromised with Ultra, nor is the company intent on making
InvisibleLAN into a client-server-based network operating
system. What Ultra does do is to allow for file transfers at
rates that can be as much as 40 percent faster than Novell.

As a file server, Ultra requires a dedicated 386 or better class
machine. In return, that dedicated file server can handle over
32,000 open files and can transfer data at an average throughput
of 6.3Mbps, while supporting five nodes on the network.

The company says that Ultra maintains the easy installation
style of InvisibleLAN. All that is necessary is to run some simple
DOS scripts which the company estimates can be completed in as
little as five minutes.

Ultra is available in two varieties - an Adapter Independent (AI)
and an Adapter Dependant (AD) version, Both versions cost the
same - $399. The difference is the software driver that comes
with it. The AI version will work with any NE2000-compatible
adapter.

(Naor Wallach/19930217/Press Contact: Susan Saalfrank,
Invisible Software, 407-260-5200/Public Contact: Invisible
Software, 407-260-5200, 800-982-2962)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00004)

Newgen Ships New Laser Printers 02/18/93
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Newgen
has begun shipments of two new printers in its Personal Laser
Printer line. The TurboPS/880p Personal Laser Printer has a print
resolution of 800 by 800 dots-per-inch (dpi) at its highest
resolution setting. The TurboPS/660p has 600 by 600 dpi as its
highest resolution setting.

Both printers are based on the same Newgen printer controller
board which offers such features as an optional Ethernet
connection and a 25 megahertz (MHz) RISC processor. It also
offers Newgen's proprietary Image Enhancement Technology (IET)
which smooths angles and curves to make the output appear as
if it was printed at a higher resolution.

The TurboPS/880p is based on Canon's LX engine which is a 4
page-per-minute (ppm) engine. Users can select from among
three resolution settings: 400 by 400 dpi; 400 by 400 dpi with IET;
or 800 by 800 dpi. The print speed is dependant on the resolution
chosen. The printer has a double buffering feature. Using this
feature allows the printer to work on rasterizing one image while
a second page is being printed, in effect allowing for a 30 percent
increase in productivity and throughput.

The TurboPS/660p shares that same characteristics as the 880.
The single exception is that its top resolution is 600 by 600 dpi.
Both printers are already shipping. The TurboPS/660p Personal
Laser Printer has a list price of $2,195. The TurboPS/880p
Personal Laser Printer has a list price of $2,395.

(Naor Wallach/19930217/Press Contact: Alexandrea Todd, McLean
Public Relations for Newgen, 415-513-8800/Public Contact:
Newgen, 714-641-8800)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

Super-fast 16-bit DRAM Debuts From NEC 02/18/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- NEC has released a super-fast
dynamic random access memory, which is claimed to have almost
four times the reading speed compared with conventional DRAM.

The firm says it will start mass production of the chip soon.
NEC's super-fast 16-bit DRAM chip is called the Synchronous
DRAM and has a clock speed of 100 megahertz (MHz).

The actual data accessing time is 10 nanoseconds (ns). Most of
the existing 16-megabit DRAM have clock speeds of 25 MHz and
an access speed of 40 ns.

The Synchronous DRAM has a multiple pipeline architecture and
a two-bank memory-cell structure.

NEC has already started shipping the chip on a sample basis. The
retail price of the 100 MHz chip is high , costing 60,000 yen
($500) a piece. The 33 MHz version costs 20,000 yen ($165).
The 66 MHz version costs 30,000 yen ($250). The prices are
expected to drop when the firm goes into mass production.

NEC says it will start shipping 30,000 units of the chip per
month beginning this June. By the end of the year, NEC will
raise the production rate to 300,000 units per month.

NEC claims that Synchronous DRAMs will dominate the DRAM
market within two to three years. The firm will target the chip
towards engineering workstations and advanced personal
computers.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930217/Press Contact: NEC,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00006)

Large Screen Plasma Display Technology Breakthrough 02/18/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- NEC claims to have developed
the technology to realize a one meter by one meter large plasma
screen.

It is full-color and can be thin so that it can be hung on a wall.
The company feels that it may will be used in televisions and
computers in the future.

NEC's display is based on its original plasma display technology.
According to the company, it has applied bigger and brighter
pixels, and has tried to stabilize the brightness on the screen.

The firm's prototype color display) measures 47.5 centimeters
(cm) by 47.5 cm. That translates to about a 19-inch screen. The
display uses 240 by 320 units of hexagon-shaped pixels. Three
electrodes controls the activity of the pixels.

The company claims that the brightness of the screen has been
improved due to the transparent electrodes and the beehive-
layout of data electrodes placed on the bottom of pixels. Under
these technologies, the brightness and the clearness have
improved, but still it is inferior to those of LCDs (liquid
crystal displays).

The prototype screen has less pixels. So, the screen image is
quite rough compared with that of regular televisions. However,
NEC expects to develop commercial versions of the one meter by
one meter color plasma screen within two to three years.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930217/Press Contact: NEC,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00007)

 ****Third UK Telecoms Operator Gets Official OK 02/18/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Companies wanting to
establish themselves as a national provider of telecommunications
services are nothing new, but the biggest obstacle facing them is
the phenomenal cost of installing cables to all the houses and
offices in their area. In the UK, Mercury Communications has had
this problem when competing against British Telecommunications
(BT). Now a third national company - Ionica - reckons it has the
problem solved by using radio links from the local cable head into
the subscriber's premises.

Ionica, which has just been granted government approval to become
the third telecoms operator in the UK, alongside BT and Mercury,
will make use of digital radio links to make the last "hop"
between the local multi-feed cable outlets and the subscriber
premises. The subscriber then has a choice whether to use mobile
digital phone handsets or a standard hard-wired circuit within
their premises.

What is interesting about Ionica is that it plans to make
extensive use of the existing telecoms infrastructure to route
its calls, concentrating on providing service at the subscriber
end of the link. This will involve the company making deals with
BT and/or Mercury, as well as several other possible companies
operating, or planning to operate, in the rapidly expanding UK
telecoms marketplace.

Ionica plans to have its first radio-link subscribers up and
running by the end of 1994. Its volume subscribers will get going
in 1995, when the company hopes to grab a few percent of the
extremely large UK telecoms market. Company Managing Director
Nigel Playford acknowledges that the key to service's success
will be its pricing. "This is a service for everybody. Ionica will
undercut BT across the board," he explained, adding savings will
be possible for most types of subscribers.

Ionica's use of digital radio techniques for telephony is nothing
new. What is new is the company's plans to offer its service at
rates less than the hard-wired network operators. Traditionally,
subscribers have been expected to pay a premium for using the
"mobile" facilities - Ionica's service will probably allow
mobile use, but only within a local area of the subscriber's
premises.

Ionica is actually a consortium of several companies, notably
Yorkshire Electricity, Kingston Communications, Robert Flemings
Investment, and 3i, the venture capital group. Yorkshire
Electricity already has experience of telecoms services, since it
has its own private network running alongside its regional power
lines, while Kingston Communications is the UK's only remaining
private telecoms company, offering services in the Hull area.

(Steve Gold/19930218)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00008)

UK: Millicom Granted Extended Mobile Telecoms License 02/18/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- One of the few dark
horses in the mobile telecommunications business in the UK is
Millicom. The company has just had its telecoms license expanded
to allow entertainment services to be distributed over its
network.

The move is interesting since, until the license extension, the
company had been expected to offer digital mobile telephony,
under the auspices of personal communications network (PCN)
technology. The extension of the company's license opens up the
possibility that the company will offer radio and even video/TV
channels over its network.

The license expansion is only provisional, Newsbytes understands,
with final approval subject to public consultation. Millicom's
CEO, Shelby Bryan, did not give anything away in his public
comments about the license expansion.

"We welcome the relaxation proposed in the new draft of our
licence. It is in line with what we believe will be wanted by
customers from a new multimedia communications service. The
demand for combined data, voice, and video communications will
require new solutions from public networks that we plan to be
well placed to meet."

Newsbytes can report that Millicom plans to make use of broadband
code division multiplex (B-CDMA) technology to allow radio-based
distribution of digital data links to subscribers. These links
could be used for telephony, video telephony, data services
(subject to license restrictions) and entertainment services.

Millicom is planning to get its first radio-based subscribers
on-line before the end of the year. The continuing liberalization
of the UK telecoms market, however, could change the ballpark
again before that time comes around, such is the pace at which
technology is accelerating.

(Steve Gold/19930218)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00009)

UK: Sonix Software Makes Modem Installation Easy 02/18/93
CIRCENCESTER, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) --
Sonix, the connectivity company, claims to have made a
breakthrough with its latest idea - a modem installation program.
The company claims that the software, known as Intro, makes
modem set-up quick and easy.

Intro features a Windows-like interface to set up the modem. In
use, the package selects the PC serial port being used, checks
the modem and line, before placing a test call to the company's
test bulletin board service (BBS). The company claims that the
whole set-up process takes under five minutes.

"In  recent years, modem technology has made great strides in
speed and reliability, but it has lagged behind computers
considerably in ease of use. Modem set-up is still an arcane art -
challenging and time consuming," explained Bob Jones, Sonix
managing director. According to Jones, Intro changes this. "I'm
sure that other manufacturers will acknowledge its advantages
and follow our lead," he added.

Sonix is bundling Intro with its Volante and Canzona range of
modems. The company claims that the package can save time and
money in major companies, since it reduces the involvement of
central computer support services, Customers can set their own
modems up using the package, Jones claims.

(Steve Gold/19930218/Press & Public Contact: Sonix
Communications - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


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

UK: Aashima Intros Trust Diamond Entry-Level PCs 02/18/93
WITHAM, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Aashima, the PC
distribution company, has unveiled an entry-level range of
machines to its resellers in the UK, called the Trust Diamond
family.

The Trust Diamond series features a slimline case, a 33 megahertz
(MHz) 80386SX-based motherboard fitted with two megabytes (MB)
of RAM, a 256 kilobyte (KB) VGA card, and a multi-function I/O
(input/output) card. Dealer pricing has been set at UKP255 or
UKP500 for two systems, with on-site warranty costing an extra
UKP30 a year per machine.

These low prices are, Newsbytes notes, the price charged to
resellers, who then add their own profit margin and (usually) a
hard disk to the system.

"This is the best deal in the UK for entry-level users," commented
Stuart Greenfield, Aashima's managing director, who added that it
should appeal to students who have to produce word processed
essays themselves.

"Our Diamond solution has a specification which gets a new user
started as well as allowing full use of Windows, thanks to the
2MB of RAM that comes as standard," he said.

The Trust Diamond PCs can be expanded to include any or all of
the following options: DOS 5, Windows 3.1, and mouse pack for
UKP69; SVGA monitor for UKP158 and upwards; 40MB hard disk
for UKP80; keyboard at UKP14; and an 80 column printer for
UKP90.

(Steve Gold/19930218/Press & Public Contact: Aashima
Distribution - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


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

Democrats Back Spectrum Auction 02/18/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- President Bill
Clinton now backs auctions of the radio spectrum. The White
House estimates such auctions could raise $4 billion, but the
move represents a concession to a policy pushed by President
Bush.

This small surprise in the Clinton economic package will have one
big impact on the nation's telecommunications future, claim some
observers. They argue that large companies, like the regional Bell
companies and AT&T, could shut small companies out of emerging
new markets like microwave-based PCN (personal communications
network) telephones.

In the past Democrats, including current interim Federal
Communications Commission chairman James Quello, have
preferred lotteries or "public interest" hearings for licensing
new services.

Democrats, especially with Commerce, fought a running battle
with former President Bush and his FCC chairman, Al Sikes, over
the auction issue. Democrats are now expected to go along with
Clinton's auction plan.

The move to auction spectrum is the first hint of what President
Clinton's telecommunications policy will be. He has yet to name a
permanent head of the FCC, and must also replace Republican
Sherrie Marshall, who has been excusing herself from increasing
numbers of votes as she looks for a new job.

The FCC covers broadcasting as well as telecommunications,
and it is possible Clinton's choices for those positions may have
more to do with another pending decision on financial syndication
rules for TV programmers than any deep telephony issues. Interim
chairman Quello wants to let the networks own their own
programming, but he would be outvoted if the decision were made
now. Clinton is close to TV producer Harry Thomasson, who favors
a retention of the present "fin-syn" rule.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930218)


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

CompuServe Cuts Rates 02/18/93
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 17 (NB) -- The profitable
CompuServe service has cut its hourly rates, based on a standard
pricing plan which costs about $9 per month.

CompuServe started the standard plan about a year ago, and
spokesman Dave Kishler told Newsbytes about 40 percent of the
service's members now use it.

Under that plan, hourly rates for some services, like airline
reservations, are eliminated, and hourly rates for the popular
forums on hobbies and professions go down from $12.80 to $8
for up to 2,400 bits-per-second (bps) service and from $22.80
to $16 per hour for 9,600 bps service.

"We're always evaluating our pricing system," said Kisler. "This
is a product of standing advisory groups of members, focus
groups, and several months of market research with selected
groups of members, using different prices. Based on that we
decided this was the plan that offered value."

Among the services that are now free - once the $8.95 monthly
minimum is paid - are Consumer Reports, Roger Ebert's Movie
Reviews, basic current stock quotes, classified ads, AP Hourly
News and Reuters' news headlines from the United Kingdom,
Accu-Weather weather maps, and a number of games.

CompuServe will keep its old hourly rates on an "alternative"
pricing plan, which costs just $2.50 per month. That plan is
aimed at infrequent users. The company also has an "executive
plan," at $10 per month, which will also get the lower hourly
rates of the standard plan.

Perhaps the most complex part of the new pricing involves mail.
Reading CompuServe mail messages will be free to those in the
standard plan, except for Internet messages. Those cost 15 cents
for the first 7,500 characters and five cents for each added 2,500
characters. The same surcharge applies to sending Internet mail.
Users on the standard plan can send the equivalent of 60 three-
page messages free, additional messages are priced like those on
the Internet.

The new rates take effect February 28.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930218/Press Contact: Dave Kishler,
Compuserve, 614-457-8600)


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

Cellular Digital CDPD Specs Upgraded 02/18/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- A cellular
packet network has come a step closer to reality. Cellular
carriers organized as the CDPD (cellular digital packet data)
project have announced plans for a phased release of the open
specification, describing the changes as necessary to develop
the service by the end of the year.

The promise of CDPD is that unused cellular radio channels will
be turned into packet networks running data at 19,200
bits-per-second (bps).

The group, which was originally led by IBM, said it will release
version 0.8 of the specification in the middle of March, hoping
to get comments. The mid-March release will offer a detailed
description of how subscriber equipment will connect with the
cellular system. A version called 0.9, in late April, will add
more information on the network interface. A final version -
1.0 - is slated for publication in July.

The group said their original plan was based on telephone systems
which would have required a lot of new development to work with
cellular radios. The 0.8 version, they said, is "a standards-based
data communications approach that better supports existing data
networks." Applications will require few, if any, modifications,
and off-the-shelf components will be able to be used, allowing a
more rapid deployment. Also, the Internet and OSI (Open Systems
Interconnection) protocols will be supported immediately.

Carriers supporting the CDPD project are Ameritech Mobile
Communications Inc.; Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems Inc.; GTE
Mobilnet Inc.; Contel Cellular Inc.; McCaw Cellular
Communications Inc.; Nynex Mobile Communications; PacTel
Cellular; and Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930218/Press Contact: Waggener Edstrom,
for CDPD, Teresa Fausti-Flora, 503-245-0905)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00014)

 ****FBI Close Rusty's & Edie's BBS 02/18/93
BOARDMAN, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Apparently acting
on a tip from the Software Publishers' Association, the FBI has
closed down the Unites States' third-largest bulletin board
system (BBS), Rusty & Edie's, claiming it infringed on software
copyrights by distributing commercial programs.

A voice-mail message from board system operator Rusty
Hardenburgh said he hopes to bring the board back on-line
between February 24 and March 1, at 216-726-2620 for 2,400
baud and V.32 modems. The former main line for the board was
216-726-0737.

In an interview for the book "Bulletin Board Systems for
Business," published a year ago, Hardenburgh had expressed fear
that commercial software could be his downfall. "No one has ever
been convicted of having a commercial file on-line, but I don't
want to be a test case," he said then. He claimed hackers were
posting commercial packages on his board, calling them "demos,"
adding "every week I get a call that some obscure file is
commercial."

Hardenburgh had founded his board in 1987, he said, to "get away
from the rules" found on other boards he had used, calling
himself a "burnout from the 60s." At one point in the early 90s,
the heat generated by the over 100 PCs used for the board in the
couple's basement was heating the house, and causing a problem
when the temperature rose above freezing, but below the level
where the air conditioning would turn on.

Hardenburgh had been criticized on a number of other points
over the years. His board was an early on-line home for erotic
literature and discussion, as well as nude picture files, and he
eventually segregated those files in a special section on the
board. He had a running feud with right-wing Christians for
allowing Wiccans, which the far-right called witches, to meet
on his board.

In a statement, the SPA praised the FBI action. Hardenburgh and
his wife, Edwinia, face five years in prison each, and fines of
$250,000, if eventually charged with, and convicted of, software
piracy. No decision has been made whether to investigate
subscribers for the alleged violations.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930218/Press Contact: Software Publishers'
Association, 202-452-1600; Rusty Hardenburgh, 216-758-8342)


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

Bell Cellular Carriers Choose MobiLink Trademark 02/18/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Major Bell-based
cellular carriers, who had promised to organize together in order
to compete more effectively with Cellular One, a trademark
dominated by McCaw Cellular, said they have chosen the name
MobiLink for their group. They also said they have taken action
to make using member networks more efficient.

Among the companies joining under the trademark are Ameritech
Mobile Communications, Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, BellSouth
Mobility, GTE Mobilnet and its Contel Cellular unit, Sprint's
Centel Cellular Co., Nynex Mobile Communications Co., PacTel
Cellular, and US West Cellular. Smaller carriers joining the
group include ALLTEL Mobile Communications, Cellular Inc.,
Century Cellunet, Rochester Tel Mobile Communications, and
SNET Cellular Inc. Also joining is Mobility Canada, a 12-company
consortium across Canada whose members include a unit of Bell
Canada.

Promised are minimum levels of quality and service, consistent
standardized features, and guaranteed customer satisfaction, the
group said. The group will use new software to attack fraud, so
MobiLink customers will be able to make calls from any major
metropolitan area where the brand is available.

The group will also use the common 10-digit dialing prefixes
people are used to, with 312 representing the city of Chicago
and 404 Atlanta, in all markets.

Certain N11 numbers are being reserved for important functions,
like 611 for customer service, 711 for roaming information, 811
for technical support, and 911 for emergencies.

Dialing standard features will also be standardized on so-called
"star codes," using the (star) key, with (star) 72 activating
call-forwarding, for instance, and (star) 70 de-activating
call-waiting on each call.

The group said MobiLink services will be available starting in
the middle of this year.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930218/Press Contact: Stephanie Sacks,
for MobiLink, 202-833-4229)


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

Rover Voice Recognition Software For Windows 02/18/93
BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- You'll be able
to talk to your Windows applications with new voice recognition
software that Digital Soup plans to launch in March. According to
Mike Henkle, the company's vice-president of marketing, the Rover
software will let users give voice commands to any Windows
software.

Working with popular audio boards such as Creative Labs' Sound
Blaster and Media Vision's Pro Audio Spectrum, the Rover
software can be set up to execute any predefined action within
a Windows application.

Users define their voice commands by entering a spoken command
and then executing from the keyboard the series of actions they
want that command to perform, Henkle explained. A voice
command can be defined to mean the same thing in any
application or it can have different definitions in different
applications, he added.

The software will come with a basic 50-word command
dictionary. Each user must train it to understand his or her voice.
Users can also customize the basic dictionary and add their own
commands. Henkle said there is no limit to the number of
commands other than the disk space available to store them
and the fact that too many words that sound almost alike could
confuse the software.

Rover is due to be available in March at a list price of $129,
with a special introductory price of $49, the company said.
The software will require a computer with a 386 or 486
processor, Windows 3.1, a sound board, a mouse or other
pointing device, and a microphone.

(Grant Buckler/19930218/Press Contact: Mike Henkle, Digital
Soup, 802-254-7356, fax [phone]; Public Contact:
Digital Soup, 800-793-7356 or 802-254-7356)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00017)

Grammar Expert Reference Software For PC 02/18/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- For the writer
or would-be writer who has everything, Wintertree Software is
offering a new reference tool. Grammar Expert, software for
Microsoft Windows 3.1, is not a grammar checker but a hypertext
reference book on English grammar, punctuation, and effective
writing.

According to the vendor, Grammar Expert contains practical
answers, guidelines, and advice on thousands of grammar-related
points for business, writers, students, and people learning
English as a second language. The contents are based on several
recognized reference works on English usage, said Phil Comeau
of Wintertree.

Grammar Expert covers topics such as punctuation, abbreviations,
subject, and verb agreement, possessive nouns and pronouns, and
effective sentences, the vendor said. It also helps with
often-confused pairs of words such as "who" and "whom."

The program also has a special section on organizing and writing
effective letters, with a variety of sample business letters.

Grammar Expert is organized like a reference book, with
information presented in pages. Like a book, the program has a
table of contents and an index. Clicking on an entry in the index
or table of contents takes you right to the page.

Grammar Expert also uses hypertext links between related topics.
Clicking on a highlighted word or phrase on one page will make
the program jump to another page containing more detail on that
subject. Clicking on other highlighted words or phrases will
bring up a definition, Comeau said.

Wintertree Software said Grammar Expert complements
grammar-checking software - which checks finished text
for common grammatical errors - by offering a means for
improvement while writing is still in progress.

Grammar Expert works with any computer capable of running
Microsoft Windows 3.1.  The price is US$30 and the software is
available now directly from Wintertree, Comeau said.

(Grant Buckler/19930218/Press Contact: Phil Comeau,
Wintertree Software, 613-825-6271; Public Contact:
Wintertree Software, 613-825-6271)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00018)

PictureTel Buys KA Teletech Assets 02/18/93
DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) --
Videoconferencing vendor PictureTel has acquired most of
the assets of KA Teletech, a Baltimore developer of scheduling,
reservation, accounting, and network management software for
videoconferencing systems and networks.

The purchase includes rights to KA Teletech's flagship product,
the Teleconferencing Software System (TCSS). All five KA
Teletech employees will join PictureTel and move to Danvers,
PictureTel spokesman Ron Taylor said. Financial terms of the
deal were not disclosed.

In a prepared statement, James Idelson, director of PictureTel's
network systems business line, said the deal was part of his
company's commitment to develop enterprise-wide
videoconferencing network products.

Idelson said the purchase, "significantly strengthens
PictureTel's network management solution, a key requirement
in today's rapidly expanding videoconferencing market."

Meanwhile Greg Allen, former president of KA Teletech, said his
company's customers, "will benefit from PictureTel's superior
worldwide service and support. PictureTel's commitment to invest
in an overall global network management solution is a key reason
for joining with PictureTel," Allen said.

PictureTel plans to use TCSS as a technology platform which can
be expanded to provide other network management tools, Taylor
said. There will be no immediate effect on products offered by
either firm, he added.

(Grant Buckler/19930218/Press Contact: Ron Taylor,
PictureTel, 508-762-5178)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00019)

Sherlock File Mgt Software Finds Missing PC Documents 02/18/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- "What did I do
with that document?" If you're a PC user, that question probably
sounds all too familiar.  However, Sherlock, a new file
management and retrieval system from Physiotronics, can  help
solve the recurring mystery.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Aaron C. Graves, vice president,
said that the new Windows 3.1 utility is able to track down
missing files from user-supplied information on any of several
criteria.

Sherlock also provides a "visual filing environment" that
simplifies file management, and, for Novell network users, an
easy way of controlling document access.

Sherlock conducts its file location operation by replacing the
"Save" dialog box in Windows with a "save card" and the "Open"
dialog box with a "retrieve card," the company vice president
explained.

The "save card" gives the user fields for filling in a 254-character
file description, five keywords, and information as to document
type, format, date created, user, and contact names.

When a file turns up missing, the user accesses the "retrieve
card," typing in whatever document information comes to mind -
for example, that the file was a report on automobiles prepared
in WordPerfect, or that it was an invoice to ABC Company (the
"contact") readied on January 15 and saved in ASCII. The user
then moves on to a "list card," which offers a list of all files
that meet the parameters specified in the retrieve card query.

Double-clicking on a "list card" entry will execute the file,
automatically launching the application where the file resides if
the application isn't already open on the Windows desktop. "The
whole retrieval process takes two to five seconds," Graves told
Newsbytes.

However, much of the time, users do remember where documents
are located. In those cases, users can save a step, moving
straight from the "retrieve card" into a "visual filing environment"
that parallels the DOS directory structure in an icon-driven
manner.

In Sherlock's visual filing environment, drives and drive
partitions are depicted as offices, directories as file cabinets,
subdirectories as drawers, and files as file folders. "The
environment lets people work the same way they do in the real
world," commented Graves. For example, a lawyer might establish
file "folders" for individual clients, organized into subdirectory
"drawers."

To distinguish one drive, directory, and subdirectory from another,
each office, file cabinet, and drawer and is accompanied by a user-
definable name up to 45 characters in length. File folders are
shown alongside abbreviated versions of the 254-character file
descriptions.

"With Sherlock, we're meeting real user needs," Graves emphasized.
In addition to locating lost files, the program also lets users on
Novell NetWare networks grant and rescind access privileges to
other network users, without the assistance of the network
administrator. Users of NetWare 3.x can control access to all
storage levels, while users of NetWare 2.x can control access
at the cabinet, drawer, and folder levels.

Before release, Sherlock underwent extensive beta testing by
users that included the likes of Capital Cities/ABC, Nynex, and
MSC-Cannon.

After beta, Physiotronics added the ability to manage files on
optical and removable drives, along with "Fast Auto Import," a
separate module that allows multiple files to be moved
simultaneously from one compatible Windows 3.1 application
to another.

In its first version, Sherlock is able to manage the files of over
20 top-selling Windows 3.1 applications, dealing with such areas
as word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, charting
and presentation, illustration, and scan/fax. The system can be
accessed from directly within any of these applications, as well
as from the Windows 3.1 Program Manager.

"Watson," another module that comes with the package, lets the
user search for, and retrieve, files managed under Sherlock, but
does not allow the creation of Sherlock files. Graves told
Newsbytes that Watson is valuable to network users who want
to access files from Sherlock users, without installing Sherlock
on their own PCs.

A future edition of the Sherlock will add hypertext capabilities,
enabling full-text searches of the missing documents themselves,
according to the company VP.

Sherlock runs on any IBM-compatible PC with a 386 processor or
higher, at least two megabytes (MB) of RAM, and about 2MB of
hard disk space.  For network users, the company recommends
a minimum configuration of a 20 megahertz (MHz) 386 PC and
4MB of RAM.

Pricing is $179 for a single-user edition and $695 for a ten-
station local area network (LAN)-Pack.  Physiotronics provides
a 30-day money-back guarantee.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930217/Reader contact: Customer Service,
Physiotronics Corp., tel [phone]; Press contact: Richard
Leeds, Computer Product Introductions Corp. for Physiotronics, tel
206-451-9788)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00020)

Microsoft Awards $250,000 In Scholarships 02/18/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Twenty-five
prospective computer scientists will share over a quarter of a
million dollars in scholarship money awarded by Microsoft.

The company says it does not just provide financial aid, but also
takes an active part in helping the future scientists by aiding in
the selection of schools that excel in computer science and
providing opportunities for internship and mentor programs.
Awards are targeted to under-represented minority groups and
to students of promise.

"By combining financial assistance and other education programs,
we hope to provide the industry with future employees who are
prepared to step right into the fast-changing world of computer
software," said Microsoft VP of Human Resources Mike Murray.

Judy Jackson, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and
Student Affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
says that the combination of mentors, classroom experience and
real-world exposure will help insure that scholars will be ready
to shape the future of computer software.

Microsoft says it encourages high school students and college
freshmen, not just sophomores and juniors, to apply for the
scholarships in order to help them discover the benefits of a
computer science education earlier in the career-decision path.

In addition to the scholarships, Microsoft also sponsors campus
technical presentations, programs for minority and women
students, programming contests, panel discussions, and national
conferences.

This year's scholarships went to students studying at prestigious
schools like Brown, Cornell, Carnegie-Mellon, MIT, Princeton,
Stanford, Mount Holyoke, Dartmouth, Cal Tech, and the University
of Washington.

(Jim Mallory/19930218/Press contact: Anne Rupley, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00021)

Two Firms To Develop Holographic Storage Products 02/18/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Projectavision and
Tamarack Storage Devices say they have signed a letter of intent
to commercialize advanced holographic data storage products.

Holographic storage technology records data in a low cost film
or crystal medium as a three-dimensional holograph using a
multiplexing scheme for stacking multiple holograms in the
same physical space. The technique represents a possible
replacement for floppy disks, tapes, and CD-ROM in applications
requiring hugh amounts of stored data of up to 10 times the
amount that can be stored on existing magnetic or optical
devices.

An additional advantage offered by holographic storage is higher
data transfer rates - up to 100 times faster, according to Tamarack
CEO John Stockton. Size is another advantage in today's smaller
computers. "Our medium is much smaller than the current floppy
disks or CD-ROMs and will fit more easily into the increasingly
smaller computers such as notebook and palmtop computers,"
Stockton said.

Stockton said a holographic memory system could store hundreds
of millions of characters in a piece of material the size of a
35 millimeter (mm slide), called a "tile."

Tamarack says it is developing a write-once, read-many (WORM)
drive that could handle a cartridge with 50 tiles that will
compete with existing tape backup systems. The company expects
to ship that system by the first quarter of 1994. A later product
would allow personal computer users extremely low cost storage
for multimedia applications on a single tile.

Under terms of the agreement, Projectavision would purchase
about 33 percent of Tamarack's outstanding stock. The deal is
still subject to the completion of "due diligence" by all parties,
the negotiation of a definitive agreement, and the approval of
both companies boards of directors.

(Jim Mallory/19930218/Press contact: John Stockton,
Tamarack, 512-338-3400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00022)

Macintosh Accelerator Uses EDRAM Chip 02/18/93
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- A new
graphics accelerator board for Apple Computer's Macintosh, the
MacRageous II RISC coprocessor board from YARC Systems, uses
enhanced DRAM (EDRAM) chips from Colorado Springs, Colorado-
based Ramtron to increase the board's speed by as much as 50
percent.

YARC Chief Technical Officer Dr Trevor Marshall said that before
using the EDRAM chip the company had been using 45 and 60
nanosecond DRAMS to get two-cycle accesses using RISC central
processing units (CPUs). To get high clock rates, YARC had to use
circuitry similar to the clock doubling technique used in Intel's
i486DX2 microprocessors. "Ramtron's EDRAM now allows us to
run the processor at 40 megahertz (MHz) clock rates and
consistently achieve two cycle accesses," he said. According to
Marshall, the EDRAM is the fastest DRAM available today.

Ramtron says production quantities of its family of 4-megabit
EDRAM chips are now available. The company says cycle times of
15 nanoseconds and page reads and writes permit CPUs to perform
zero-wait-state operations at clock rates up to 40 MHz without
interleaving, or 50 MHz and above in interleaved system designs
without needing an external secondary SRAM cache.

Ramtron VP Todd Oseth said the company already has orders
totalling over $1 million for a variety of applications including
VME boards, graphics processing cards, and specialized
workstations.

Ramtron stock began trading on the US NASDAQ system under the
symbol RMTR this week. The company is now a US public
corporation following an ownership restructuring and voluntary
dissolution of the former parent company Ramtron Holding, Ltd.,
of Sydney, Australia.

Ramtron also markets ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM)
products which are already used in cellular phones, copiers, and
electronic games. They also have potential for use in personal
computers since the information stored in the chip is non-volatile
and is not lost when the power is turned off.

(Jim Mallory/19930218/Press contact: Jill Geobel, Origin
Systems for Ramtron, 719630-3384)


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

Software Analyzer For DOS Developers 02/18/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- General
Software has announced Codeprobe, a software analyzer for DOS
developers.

The company says Codeprobe is a companion tool to debuggers and
profilers. Installed on any DOS-based PC-, AT-, or 386/486-based
system, it runs concurrently with the software being tested,
enabling developers to monitor a running program at full speed.

The program captures system events such as hardware interrupts,
DOS interrupts, and BIOS (basic input/output system) interrupts,
and user-defined events triggered by the user code calling a
special trace function from C or assembly language.

Once the event is captured, the developer can display the trace in
summary and fully-decoded forms, with each event time-stamped
to sub-millisecond resolution. During event capture, a full screen
display shows event traffic by event type using real-time bar
graphs. Codeprobe can also be used to analyze operating systems
and network operating systems to determine which DOS and BIOS
functions are used, along with relevant timing information.

Steve Jones, Codeprobe product manager, told Newsbytes: "This
is the first product of its kind. We have debuggers and profilers
galore, but no software analyzers. It bridges the gap between
hardware logic analyzers and Soft-ICE."

Codeprobe works by storing each event in a buffer in a reserved
area of memory, timestamping each event with a special query of
the PC's hardware timer chip. The program has a suggested retail
price of $350 and is immediately available.

General Software recently introduced an Ethernet protocol
analyzer software program that decodes Novell Netware, Microsoft
LAN Manager, IBM LAN Server, and TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocols, allowing network managers
to set alarms on nearly 50 conditions related to LAN (local area
network) stability based on traffic analysis.

Jones says that when abnormal conditions arise, Etherprobe
detects them, logs them to a file, issues optional pop-up
messages on-screen, and can also trigger unattended live data
capture.

Priced at $995, Etherprobe software installs on any DOS-based PC,
AT, or 386/486-based system, and comes with an Ethernet host
adapter for network connection. "It offers more capability than
the Network General Sniffer at 1/20th the cost," Jones told
Newsbytes.

(Jim Mallory/19930218/Press contact: Steve Jones, General
Software, 206-31-4285; Reader contact: General Software,
206-391-4285, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00024)

Restructuring Results In Teleglobe Loss 02/18/93
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Teleglobe has
reported a net loss for 1992, due to the cost of restructuring
during the year. However, the company's operating results showed
improvement and fourth-quarter net income was up 50 percent
over the fourth quarter of 1991.

Teleglobe is a telecommunications products and services company
whose largest business is Teleglobe Canada, the provider of all
international satellite communications services to and from
Canada.

In the year ended December 31, Teleglobe lost C$50.6 million on
revenues of C$488.6 million. The loss included a C$91.2 million
restructuring charge partly offset by C$10.1 million in proceeds
from the sale of an investment. In 1991, Teleglobe had net income
of C$25.7 million. Revenues for 1992 were up just under 12
percent, the company said.

In the fourth quarter, Teleglobe reported net income of C$18.0
million, up 50 percent from C$12.0 million in the year-earlier
quarter. Revenues were up 11 percent, at C$142.7 million versus
C$128.6 million in the fourth quarter of 1991.

Teleglobe Canada was owned by the Canadian government until
1987. Its new private-sector management has been striving to
change its corporate culture, a company spokeswoman told
Newsbytes recently, and that has included some cuts in staff,
particularly in administrative and support areas. In January, the
company dropped another 83 jobs from its payroll.

Also in January, Teleglobe announced a five-year plan that
involves increasing the firm's productivity, improving its
communications network, lobbying for regulatory changes,
boosting foreign market share, and creating new and stronger
relationships with Canadian telephone companies and
foreign partners.

(Grant Buckler/19930218/Press Contact: Claude Seguin,
Teleglobe, 514-868-7974)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00025)

Saskatchewan To Get Lower Long-Distance Rates 02/18/93
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, 1993 FEB 17 (NB) -- March
15 may not have been a good day for Julius Caesar, but telephone
users in Saskatchewan will like it. That is the day long-distance
rates for calls within the province are to drop by as much as 26
percent.

The provincial government has announced that SaskTel, the
Crown-owned telephone company serving the province, will cut
its maximum per-minute rate from 51 to 38 cents. A five-minute
direct-dialed call anywhere in the province will cost less than
C$1.95, and the cost of the "Between Friends" plan, which offers
residential customers up to 30 minutes per month of long-
distance usage, will drop from C$7.50 to C$6.00.

However, the silver lining is not without a hint of a dark cloud.
Noting that the rate cut would cost SaskTel about C$18 million
in lost revenue, Ned Shillington, minister responsible for the
utility, hinted at possible increases in the cost of local
service. In a statement, Shillington said SaskTel hopes to make
up most of the lost revenue through "internal economies" but
went on to refer to the fact that long-distance revenues
subsidize local service, which he said actually costs about six
times as much as customers pay for it.

He added that SaskTel also faces a loss in shared national
long-distance revenues because of the opening of most of the
Canadian telephone market - not including Saskatchewan - to
long-distance competition. SaskTel is part of the Stentor
consortium, whose monopoly on long distance was broken last
June when federal regulators approved competitive services
in most provinces.

Saskatchewan is the last bastion of long-distance monopoly in
Canada because provincially-owned SaskTel is not subject to
federal regulation and Saskatchewan, unlike neighboring
Manitoba which also owns its phone company, has not chosen
to let competitors in.

Ironically, SaskTel's move suggests that phone rates in the
province may change in almost the same way as in provinces
where competition is being introduced. Recently Bell Canada,
which serves Ontario and Quebec, filed an application for a
substantial increase in local telephone rates.

(Grant Buckler/19930218/Press Contact: John Millar,
Government of Saskatchewan, 306-787-1904)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00026)

Intel Talks About Heat Issues With Pentium Chip 02/18/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- The new
Pentium next-generation microprocessor does run hotter than
the popular 486 presently available. Original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) are going to have to design systems
around the thermal issues, Intel said.

Heat problems were an issue with the i486 central processing
unit (CPU). Intel says the more transistors the CPU has, the
more heat it will give off. The i486 has more transistors than
both the i286 and the i386 and heat problems prompted third-
party vendors such as Norman Bailey of Pcupid, inventor of the
CPU Kooler, to develop special heat dispersing devices.

Bailey told Newsbytes the i486 was running too close to the
maximum heat tolerances, which made the chip perform
irrationally in some instances and fail in others. While the
Intel specifications say the i486 chip should not be cooler
than 32 degrees and not warmer than 185 degrees, the normal
operating temperature for the i486 chip is about 170 degrees.
Intel says the more transistors, the more heat. The Pentium has
3.1 million transistors - three times the number in the i486
CPU.

Intel's Marketing Manager for the Pentium Processor Ronald
Curry said: "People don't understand heat; they think
something's wrong if it (the Pentium) puts off heat. Heat is a
law of physics, this is a power dissipation issue."

Intel says OEMs will have to redesign their systems to handle
the heat from the Pentium. "Where you hear rumors of heat
problems may be where an OEM tries to plug in a Pentium
processor into a system made for an i386 or i486 CPU;
it won't work, you won't be able to get the heat out," Curry
said.

Newsbytes asked Elizabeth Kemper of Intel about the issue of
an upper limit to how much heat circuit boards in contact with
the Pentium can physically take. Kemper said Intel has known
all along the Pentium would put out more heat than its
predecessors and has plans to handle the extra thermal energy.
"It's not putting out any more heat than we expected it to,"
Kemper said.

The Pentium is expected to be available in May of this year in
limited quantities, with full production ramped up to produce
millions of Pentium CPUs by 1994. Initial prices of Pentium-
based systems are expected to be in the $4,000 to $5,000 range,
according to Intel sources, which is significantly lower than
the $10,000-plus price tag the i486-based systems went for
when that CPU was introduced.

An Overdrive CPU for the Pentium, which is designed for users
to plug into existing systems to speed up performance, is also
expected to be available sometime in 1994. Intel is not talking
about speeds or capabilities of the Overdrive CPUs other than
to say they will be available.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930218/Press Contact: Elizabeth Kemper,
Intel, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Intel Plans Consumer Products 02/11/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 11 (NB) -- Intel
says it is planning to get more into the public eye and sell more
directly to the consumer. The giant maker of microprocessors
for the DOS-based personal computer (PC) has said its consumer
products are strategically important for itself and the PC
industry.

Intel was a company that in the past was mostly behind the
scenes, working with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
to help them build and design PCs by designing the components.
While the company has some competition in the central
processing unit (CPU) market from others such as Advanced
Micro Devices (AMD) and Cyrix, it still dominates many of the
components that make up the DOS-based PC.

Glitzy television commercials and a growing range of consumer
products signal Intel is attempting to move out from behind the
OEMs to the forefront of consumer attention. The company has
announced it is planning a "slew" of its own brand peripheral
products for the PC platform to add to its own brand PC fax
board, the Satisfaxtion, and the Indeo video compression
technology software products already introduced.

The company has also changed the name of its next CPU from the
numbering-name system, such as the i486 and i386, to the
Pentium. Also, it is marketing Overdrive Processors - CPUs
which can replace or be added to PCs to speed up performance -
directly through consumer channels to the public.

Intel has announced it has just signed agreements with
Ameritech and Bell Atlantic to develop PC-based products aimed
at consumers, such as audio, data, and videoconferencing. The
announcement said the companies plans are to develop products
for the growing teleconferencing market.

The company also announced agreements with Bellsouth, RAM
Mobile Data, and Ericsson GE for new products such as modems
that could be used to pick up or send transmissions from
portable computers.

While Intel already sells PC card-sized peripherals to OEMs,
also known as PCMCIA flash memory cards, it is planning to offer
Intel brand-name PC card devices directly to the public. These
would include cards to add more memory and modem cards for
communications capability.

While the peripheral products are a relatively small portion of
Intel's revenue now, Intel says its well on its way to becoming
a mass consumer products company.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930211/Press Contact: Pam Polace, Intel,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00028)

Intel/Ameritech/Bell Atlantic In Videoconferencing Deal 02/18/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- On the
heels of agreements with Bellsouth, RAM Mobile Data, and
Ericsson GE to develop mobile communication products, Intel
has announced agreements, in principle, with operating telephone
companies Ameritech and Bell Atlantic. The idea is to work on
personal computer (PC) teleconferencing applications such as
audio, data, and video conferencing.

Intel is hoping to integrate PCs and phones so users can have
"electronic meetings" with real-time data conferencing over
standard phone lines and real-time video conferencing over
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines provided by
Ameritech and Bell Atlantic.

ISDN lines are capable of transmitting more information faster
and are already being implemented for applications where real-
time image transfer is useful. One such application is the San
Fernando Valley Board of Realtors plan to offer real estate
agents with modems and telephone company-installed ISDN lines,
real-time access to photographs as well as descriptions of real
estate listings.

Intel has been talking about real-time video conferencing for
some time and in the fall of last year introduced its Indeo
video compression software scheme. Indeo was adopted
simultaneously by both Apple Computer and Microsoft for
video compression on Macintoshes and PCs.

Both Ameritech and Bell Atlantic have been aggressively offering
ISDN telephone service. Ameritech says it is spending billions
to offer ISDN lines to its customers in the five-state region
it serves. For example, 100 percent of the customers in
metropolitan Chicago will have access to ISDN service by
April 1 of this year.

Bell Atlantic says that, by the end of 1994, its telephone
companies will offer ISDN access to 87 percent of their
telephone network in the mid- Atlantic region, which includes
Washington D.C. and the New York-Philadelphia corridor.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930218/Press Contact: Pam Pollace, Intel,
408-765-1435, fax [phone]; Laura Littel, Ameritech,
312/750-5219, Nancy Murray, Bell Atlantic 703/974-1719)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00029)

 ****High-tech Impact Of Clinton's Economic Proposals 02/18/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- The long-awaited
outline of the Clinton administration's proposed economic package
finally debuted to jeers from Republicans and cheers from
Democrats, but what will it mean to the computer industry?

The bond market reacted well the morning after with the
long-term (30-year) US Treasury bond yielding the lowest
interest since 1973, a good indication that high-rollers think
the plan will bring down the deficit, freeing up more money for
investment, according to analysts.

If enacted as proposed, and if everything goes as planned, the
Clinton plan would result in a $493 billion reduction in the deficit
over the next four years, a far cry from his campaign promise to
cut the multi-trillion dollar deficit in half by the end of his first
term. In fact, the first reductions would not take place until 1994
at the earliest, where the cut would only be a minute $66 billion,
about 1.3 percent of the total deficit.

However, both the stock and bond markets seemed initially to like
the fact that someone is at last making some move to reduce, or
at least stabilize, the massive US government deficit.

Although there were immediate complaints, most notably from
former President Reagan, that the plan might abort the economic
recovery, no new taxes would be passed until the end of the
summer at the earliest. A proposed $30 billion stimulus package
will have some impact almost immediately, so any adverse
impact on the growth of the economy probably would not come
until after the recovery has had nearly a full year to gain
momentum.

All this is either good or neutral news for much of the high-tech
industry. However, a proposed $160 billion, four-year investment in
infrastructure would have a positive impact on telecommunications
and computer companies because of the Clinton-Gore emphasis on
the need for more high-tech development, such as a nationwide
telecom network linking supercomputers to remote users.

It was important to note that Ms. Clinton, seen by many as the
administration's most tenacious supporter, was flanked by Apple
head John Sculley and Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan as she sat in
the House listening to the speech. Obviously the administration
was indicating that both the Federal Reserve Board and Silicon
Valley were behind the plan.

Computer billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross
Perot, on the other hand, definitely did not like everything he
heard and called for a month by month report showing whether we
are actually achieving what has been proposed. The White House
announced yesterday that Perot had been briefed on the plan,
but his support was neither sought, nor received.

Republicans are already hitting the airways labeling the Clinton
proposals the largest tax increase in history. The administration
was apparently ready for just such a charge, because the
Treasury Department has released a study which shows that
tax-cutter Ronald Reagan actually signed tax bills in 1982
which called for $268 billion in increased taxes over five years.
The Clinton plan, if enacted, would cost taxpayers $15 billion
less over a similar period.

The Bond markets took an early hit, cutting the price increase
(and thus the interest drop) in half when the Commerce Department
announced that the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation had
surged up 0.5 percent for January, 1992, the highest increase since
the same month two years ago, and about double the expected
figure. However, within a few minutes the 30-year bond had
rebounded to new highs.

John Lonski of Moody's Investor Services said on the CNBC Money
Wheel show that the surge in inflation, along with figures
showing a modest unemployment increase, should lead Greenspan
to block any more cuts in short-term interest rates. However,
other observers see the present low rates as already being
attractive to high-tech industries.

Some analysts contend that the proposals to increase corporate
income taxes from 34- to 36-percent should likewise have little
effect. Some high-tech high-rollers themselves will see a big
bite taken out of their income as everyone with an individual
income over $115,000 per year faces a five percent hike in their
basic income tax rate. Those with annual incomes over $250,000
will be hit with a 10 percent surcharge - the so-called
millionaire's tax.

Some analysts contend that, while this salary level means it
doesn't impact the middle class, many high-tech entrepreneurs
do fall into this income range, which may put a damper on their
ability to re-invest in their businesses, especially since long-
term capital gains taxes will not increase.

So what is the bottom line for the computer and telecom
industries?

The consensus opinion seems to be that the infrastructure
investment will help boost some sales, while a continuing low
interest rate should also keep things on an even keel. An overall
growth in the economy would lead to further investment in high-
tech products by all businesses, especially since the marginal
cost of investments will fall as corporate taxes decrease.

Interestingly enough, because the capital gains tax will remain
at 28 percent while the income tax rate jumps for higher-income
individuals, the Clinton proposal is in effect actually proposing
an old Republican tax cut idea making long-term investments more
attractive than current income - something which is widely
expected to improve investment in long-term projects, especially
in high-tech companies.

(John McCormick/19930218/Press Contact: Dee Dee Myers,
White House Press Secretary, 202-456-2100)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00030)

 ****Hitachi Memory Chip Breakthrough 02/18/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 18 (NB) -- Hitachi Europe Ltd.,
has announced a breakthrough by scientists from Cambridge
University's Cavendish Laboratory that could lead to new memory
chips with a vastly increased capacity, but which would draw no
more power than present-day microchips. According to a Reuters
report, a number of Hitachi-sponsored scientists and other
British researchers have been working on an advanced memory
chip since 1989.

Present RAM, or even more expensive but lower-power CMOS
(complimentary metal-oxide semiconductors) memory, would
draw many amps to power a 1,000 gigabyte (GB) memory, far
more than is practical for any portable or even most desktop
computers. However, the newly developed "single-electron"
memory would not only occupy about 100,000 times less space
than conventional memory, it would also draw proportionally
less power, making massive memories practical for even PCs.

This is a basic scientific breakthrough, not a product, and it
might well take a decade or more to actually produce such low-
power memories. However, the way operating system and
program memory requirements are soaring, the need for such a
high-density memory is not just theoretical.

If such memory became possible to mass produce at reasonable
costs, it could eventually lead to a surge in interest in drive-
less computers which depend on high-speed memory to store
information in RAM disks.

Such computers are now in use and in the past, when hard
drives were expensive and slow, RAM disks were very popular.
However, the cost and power demands of memories running into
the hundreds of megabytes are not currently practical for most
applications.

As microprocessors increase in power, they place ever greater
demands on data transfer rates and memory size, leading to an
ever increasing requirement for massive and inexpensive
memories. This latest development shows one way in which
companies could meet the demands.

(John McCormick/19930218)