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/NB930628

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00001)

Educational Conference -- Call For Participation 06/28/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- The International
Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has issued its annual
call for papers and participation in the National Educational
Computing Conference (NECC). The 15th annual conference will be held
in Boston, Massachusetts from July 13-15 this year, with the general
theme of "Recreating the Revolution."

The invitation to participate asks that papers or proposals for
project sessions, poster sessions or workshops be submitted to
NECC'94, ISTE, 1787 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97403-1923 (503-346-
2834) and postmarked by October 1, 1993. Submissions will be
acknowledged in writing and notification of acceptance will be
mailed by March 1, 1994.

As examples of the scope of the conference, the call for
participation listed a number of general interest areas, including:

[] The use of computer based-technologies at all academic levels and
   in all academic disciplines

[] New and emerging technologies for instruction and information
   management in educational settings

[] Integration of technology into the curriculum

[] Education via communications technology

[] Partnerships with business and industry

[] Computer education

[] University-level applications

[] Research and development activities in computer-based educational
   technology

[] Computer science at all levels

[] Artificial intelligence applications in educational training

[] Technology transfer

[] Technology and school improvement / restructuring

[] Technology and teacher education

[] Technology and arts

[] Topics related to the conference theme, Recreating the Revolution

Jan Hawkins, the co-chair for the Center for Children and Technology
of Education Development Center and NECC'94 Program, told Newsbytes:
"I think that the NECC conferences are really worthwhile for
teachers and educators."

"They get hands-on experience with the programs and systems that
educators are using. They don't see pat demonstrations by
salespeople; there is a sense of real excitement in talking to
people who are using technology to make a difference in the quality
of education," she said.

"Net access has become a very big topic this year and I expect that
it will also be a major topic of discussion at NECC'94," she added.

NECC'94 will be hosted by Lesley College, The Massachusetts
Department of Education, Education Development Centers, The Boston
Computer Society, Massachusetts Corporation for Educational
Communications, Bolt Beranek and Newman, Massachusetts Computer
Using Educators, Chapter 1 Computer Co-operative Center, and the
EDCO Collaborative.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930628/Press Contact:
NECC'94 Office, 617-349-8965 (voice); 617-349-8968 (fax); Email over
the Internet: [e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00002)

Lanworks Adds BootWarePlus TCP/IP 06/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Lanworks Technologies
has added to its BootWarePlus line of central boot systems with
BootWarePlus TCP/IP. Like the two existing versions, which support
Novell Netware, Banyan Vines, Microsoft LAN Manager, and IBM's LAN
Server, this new release redirects a client workstation's boot or
startup sequence to the network.

According to the company, this gives the network administrator full
control over data security, virus protection, and updating
workstation drivers.

Ihor Petelycky, vice-president of marketing, said that, besides
helping with network security, his company's software will make it
easier for LAN administrators to change drivers or update software
on the whole network at once. For instance, he said, the
administrator can change one central AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file
on the server, rather than multiple copies on all client machines.

The software is also billed as an alternative to putting
programmable read-only memory (PROM) chips in client workstations
from which to boot, because it is more flexible.

The software is supplied with utilities to simplify maintenance
of boot files.

Lanworks sells its software through distributors in about 40
countries, Petelycky said.

Available now, BootWarePlus TCP/IP has list prices of US$79 or C$89
for a one-station package and US$595 or C$695 for a 10-station
package.

(Grant Buckler/19930628/Press Contact: Ihor Petelycky, Lanworks,
416-238-5528, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00003)

Teleadapt Announces "Powerbook Portfolio" For Mac Portables 06/28/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Teleadapt has unveiled its
"Powerbook Portfolio" range of software for Apple Mac portable
users. The family of products initially includes eight software
communications solutions, printer and battery utilities, hardware
gadgets and a guide to travelling with the Powerbook,

Announcing the new range, Gordon Brown, Teleadapt's managing
director, said: "Until now, the travelling Powerbook user has had to
contact many different vendors to source a range of Powerbook
accessories. Teleadapt provides Powerbook owners with a one-stop
shop where they can buy several tools to aid them while travelling
with their notebook computer."

The packages now available from Teleadapt are:

On the Road -- a UKP 79-95 connectivity package that allows
Powerbook users away from base to set up their machine to print or
fax a document as soon as it is attached to a printer or phone line.

Powerbook Tools -- a UKP 49-99 control panel utility that allows
users to keep track of battery voltage. Two logs monitor the life of
two batteries, which Teleadapt claims is essential where users have
two batteries.

Powerswap -- a UKP 29-99 hardware unit that takes an ordinary nine
volt battery and drives the Powerbook for a short period. This
allows the battery on the Powerbook to be exchanged without
shutting the machine down.

Powerbrick Extender -- a UKP 12-99 link that connects between the
Powerbook "brick" (PSU) and the machine itself. This cabling system
is far lighter and easier to carry around than the office Apple
variant, Teleadapt claims.

Powerprint -- a UKP 135-00 software and cabling combination that
allows a Powerbook to print to more than 1,000 different dot matrix,
inkjet and laser printers.

Powerbook, the digital nomad's guide -- a UKP 24-00 book on all
aspects of travelling with the Powerbook.

Powerbook Lock -- a UKP 48-95 five foot security cable system that
has been designed to securely attach the Mac portable to an
immovable structure. The system is made of Air Force quality steel.

Battle Chess -- Just for fun. A UKP 49-99 games package that
combines a chess logic system with 3D animations.

All of the new products are available ex-stock from Teleadapt.

(Steve Gold/19930625/Press & Public Contact: Teleadapt - Tel: 081-
429-0479)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00004)

Unipalm Announces "Open" Version Of Mail-It 06/28/93
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Unipalm has revealed that
the next version of Mail-It (version 2.0) will be the first package
to support open systems in electronic mail. The company claims that
the software, which ships during the third quarter of this year,
supports the facility of sending e-mail from within applications,
and includes support for images and multimedia as a standard
feature.

Most e-mail packages, the company claims, limit users to sending
short text messages in ASCII. Mail-It, in comparison, allows users
to attach files of any size or length, including graphics,
spreadsheets, audio, video and multimedia, to mail messages. In
addition, the package allows users to send multiple messages within
a single message; multi-font messages; and binary or application-
specific files to anyone on the network.

What's really interesting about the package is that it is the first
e-mail package that fully supports the emerging Internet
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) system, as well as
Microsoft's Simple and Extended Messaging Application Programming
Interface (MAPI).

According to Peter Dawe, joint managing director of Unipalm, today's
corporate e-mail users want a tool that enables them to send real
information, just as they created it, around the world at the touch
of a button from within their current application. "This is exactly
why we're launch Mail-It v2.0," he said.

"When we launched Mail-It, we broke new ground in open systems e-
mail by supporting direct links between PC networks and Unix,
without the need for expensive and complex gateways, which are
essential for proprietary PC e-mail system, such as Microsoft Mail
or cc:Mail. With Mail-It 2.0, we're leading the way in introducing a
mail product that can send and receive messages across the world,
regardless of their content," he added.

Mail-It 2.0 requires 1.5 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space, MS-
Windows 3.x, and Winsock compliant network, and a mail server that
supports SMTP and POP services. The package costs UKP 450 for a five
user pack, and UK 750 for a ten user pack. Site licences are
available for larger users.

(Steve Gold/19930628/Press & Public Contact: Unipalm - Tel: 0223-
420002; Fax: [phone]: E-mail on the Internet -
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00005)

MIS Offers Software Responsibility Seminars 06/28/93
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- The MIS
Training Institute has announced it is holding a nation-wide series
of seminars, entitled: "Keeping Out Of Trouble With The Software
Police".

The series, which kicks off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 13,
1993, aims to provide attendees with an understanding of the law
regarding software use, duplication, sharing and copyright
requirements.

The instructor for the series, Martin H. Green, is an attorney and a
member of the Massachusetts Bar. Green represents small and medium
sized companies in matters pertaining to computer technology, trade
secrets, intellectual property and copyright law, and other related
matters.

Sharon Friedman, MIS publications manager, told Newsbytes: "The point
of the seminars is to arm people with the information that they need
to be in compliance with the copyright laws. It has become a
nightmare for some firms that have not been in compliance."

Friedman added that the Software Publishers Association (SPA) has
become very active in looking for violators of late and that, aided
by law enforcement and armed with warrants, has conducted audits on
firms suspected of software piracy.

"Firms caught in violation of copyright law have been subject to
fine and public embarrassment. These seminars are a real defense
against such consequences. Participants at the conference are even
give a SPA Audit Kit to perform in-house self-audits," she said.

The IS seminars are scheduled for Pittsburgh; Columbus and
Cincinnati, Ohio; San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento, California;
New York City and Albany, New York; Princeton, New Jersey; and
Houston and San Antonio, Texas. The cost of the day long program is
$425.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930628/Press Contact: Pam
Bissett, MIS Training Institute, 508-879-7999 (voice); 508-872-1153
(fax))


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00006)

Tech Teachers Fight for Legislation 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- As thousands of
teachers gather just beyond Walt Disney World for the annual
National Education Computer Conference, they're being urged toward
politics by one of their major trade groups.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is
pushing S. 1040, a bill introduced a month ago by Mississippi
Republican Thad Cochran, New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman, Iowa
Democrat Tom Harkin and Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy.

Dennis Bybee, associate executive officer for ISTE, told Newsbytes
the bill would cost $18-30 billion over the next 8 years, but just
$338 million in its first year. The bill would fund loans for
computers and computer networks, especially in low-income areas,
support development of computerized curricula by consortia composed
of private industry and education institutions, and pay for an
expansion of the Internet needed to bring this resource to every
teacher.

Bybee said that the ISTE has worked with every major school
organization, as well as industry groups like the Telecommunications
Industry Association, Software Publishers' Association, and hardware
makers.

His claims for the bill are as hyperbolic as any politician's. "This
bill will create a technologically-literate citizenry," he said. "If
you have technology in the classroom people are technologically
literate and internationally competitive." Without it, he warned,
we'll get "trickle-down technology" that won't do the job.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930628/Press Contact: Sen. Jeff Bingaman,
Roberta Heine, 202-224-1804)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00007)

 ****"IBM Country" Now Second In Unemployment In NY State 06/28/93
POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Unemployment in
Dutchess County, the Hudson Valley, New York, home of several major
IBM manufacturing facilities, has reached its highest level in
history. The jobless level now stands at 8.8 percent, a figure only
surpassed in the state by New York City with a rate of 9.5 percent.

According to figures released by the New York State Department of
Labor, the May 8.8 percent figure was a 25 percent-plus increase
from the 6.1 percent figure of the previous May. In the same period,
overall unemployment in New York State fell to 7.6 percent from 8.1
percent in May 1992.

According to figures quoted in the Poughkeepsie Journal, the trends
towards increasing unemployment is a marked change from the climate
5 years ago when IBM was expanding and the unemployment rate was
around 2.5 percent. The elimination of 6,000 manufacturing and
technical jobs this year at IBM's Dutchess plants has had a ripple
effect as other area firms feel the pinch of the loss of the buying
power of these employees.

The newspaper also points out that of the states 15 largest markets, only
Dutchess and Westchester -- "both IBM employment strongholds --
registered declines."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930628/Press Contact:
NECC'94 Office, 617-349-8965 (voice); 617-349-8968 (fax); Email on
the Internet - [e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00008)

Sociology Of Cyberspace Course Deemed A Success 06/28/93
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Peter Kollock,
instructor for UCLA's recently completed "Sociology of Cyberspace"
course has told Newsbytes that the course "was not only a success,
it was one of the most gratifying experiences of my teaching
career."

The course, the first known in the area, was taught by Kollock,
who is an assistant professor of sociology at UCLA, with the
assistance of Marc Smith, a graduate student in the area. Structured
as a seminar, the students included both graduates and
undergraduates, from fields including sociology, biology, electrical
engineering, library and information science, urban planning,
english, art, and communications.

The course utilized two required books: Cyberspace: First Steps,
edited by Michael Benedickt and The Whole Internet User's Guide &
Catalog by Ed Krol. Additional readings related to the individual
class sessions were also required. The syllabus for the course,
which Kollock told Newsbytes was adhered to, was:

Week 1 - A Sampler of Cyberspace & Driver's Guide
Week 2 - Who speaks to Whom, and How?
Week 3 - Frames of Interaction
Week 4 - Order and Deviance
Week 5 - Identity and Anonymity
Week 6 - Electronic Community, Democracy and Collective Action
Week 7 - Representations of Self: Gender; Class; Race
Week 8 - Representations of Space and Meaning
Week 9 - Power, Privacy, and Policy
Week 10 - Flaming about the Future

The last class of the course was held on-line at the Massachusetts
Institute's "MediaMoo" and was open to outsiders. Howard Rheingold,
author of Virtual Reality, Amy Bruckman and Wade Roush of MIT, and
Pavel Curtis of Xerox PARC participated in this session.

Kollock told Newsbytes that the session was virtually "taped" and
that interested persons can go to the MUD ("MultiUser Dungeon) by
telnetting to it (purple-crayon.media.mit.edu 8888) and play the
"tape" back.

Telnetting is a data network linking technique that mirrors online
sessions over packet data networks (PDNs) such as Sprintnet and
Tymnet. The advantage of telnetting is that the costs involved are
very low, as a virtual channel for the data to be moved across the
Internet is only open while the packets are in transit.

Kollock also told Newsbytes that the course will be offered next in
1995 after he returns from a year's sabbatical. In that time, he
plans to co-author a book with Marc Smith on the sociological issues
involved in cyberspace.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930628/Press Contact:
Peter Kollock, UCLA, 310-825-3914 (voice); Email on the Internet -
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00009)

NECC - Learning Company, Scott Foresman Team-Up 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- As computers and
software becoming part of the learning mainstream, old-line
publishers are linking up with the software makers. That's how
Scott Foresman, one of the leading textbook publishers, explains
what it calls a "joint partnership" with The Learning Co., makers of
the "Reader Rabbit" series.

The two companies will team-up to sell three Learning Co. titles --
"The Children's Writing & Publishing Center," "The Writing Center,"
and "The Bilingual Writing Center." The titles will be sold to
grades K-8 through ScottForesman starting this fall, in versions for
the Macintosh, IBM PC and the Apple II. The programs are essentially
desktop-publishing tools geared to kids, and allow them to create
things they can bring home.

The Learning Co. also announced an update to The Children's Writing
& Publishing Center, for PCs, with new support for LaserJet and
DeskJet computers. Individual copies cost $99.95, a "lab pack"is
available for $189.95, and you can get a site license for a school
at $699. The company has also upgraded its "Math Rabbit" program,
which dates from the mid-80s.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930628/Press Contact: Sharyn Fitzpatrick, The
Learning Co., 510-792-2101; FAX: [phone]; ScottForesman,
708-729-3000; Customer Contact: 800-554-4411)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00010)

Control Data Systems To Acquire Antares Electronics 06/28/93
ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Control Data
Systems has signed a letter of intent to acquire Antares
Electronics, a Canadian systems integration company based in Ottawa.

CDS is a systems integrator focusing on business-specific problems,
primarily in the areas of manufacturing design, network
communication, and database management.

Antares, meanwhile, is a privately held national systems integration
company specializing in microcomputer-based networked business
systems. The company was founded in 1985 and says it has annual
revenues of about US$50 million.

Antares employs about 170 people and has sales offices in Ottawa,
Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver. It markets its
own network utilities as well as technologies from other companies.
The company says its primary markets are in the fields of finance,
pharmaceuticals, and insurance.

Terms of the transaction are still being negotiated, and the deal is
expected to be finalized in the third quarter. Newsbytes reported
recently that Control Data Systems had completed the acquisition of
Evernet Systems.

(Jim Mallory/19930628/Press contact: Charlotte Fransen, Control Data
Systems, 612-482-4857; Jan Kaminski, Antares Electronics, 613-228-
5216)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00011)

US West To Dump All Financial Businesses 06/28/93
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Denver-based
telecommunications company US West says it will leave all of its
financial services businesses and take a reserve of up to $100
million in its second quarter results.

The company has been plagued with problems recently with regards to
its telephone service in rural areas, and faces a deadline set by
the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to shape up that service or
let someone else try. Residents in outlying areas say it takes
months, and sometimes even years, to get phone service.

Having earlier announced that it will sell US West Real Estate and
US West Financial Services, the company now says it will also divest
itself of Financial Security Assurance so it can focus on its core
telecommunications business. It will account for the Capital Assets
segment of its business as a discontinued operation and will
establish an additional after-tax reserve of up to $100 million.

US West announced recently that it will spend more than $2.5 billion
for just over 25 percent of Time Warner Entertainment to build part
of the nation's electronic information "superhighway" being touted
by the Clinton administration.

The alliance would deliver entertainment and information services to
Time Warner's seven million cable television subscribers by 1988,
and is the first time one of the seven so-called "Baby Bells" has
made a major investment in a producer of movies and television
programming.

It's also an example of former rival cable and telecommunications
companies joining forces. Both have the potential through fiber
optic cable and computer networks to deliver voice and data services
to homes and businesses. Some analysts estimate interactive TV could
be in as many as 40 million homes by the year 2002.

US West has pledged $10 billion to build its 14-state service area
portion of the fiber optic superhighway, and says it will begin work
on the system this summer in Omaha, Nebraska.

(Jim Mallory/19930628)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00012)

NECC - Hawkins Gives 3DO Pitch To Educators 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Trip Hawkins, chief
executive of 3DO, gave his pitch to educators at the National
Educational Computer Conference, and got an enthusiastic response.

Hawkins delivered a keynote speech at the grand ballroom of the
Orlando Marriott Center hotel, before the conference's show floor
opened. The speech itself was similar to one he's given at the
Consumer Electronics Show and Software Publishers' Association,
except for a number of apologies he made about the large number
of explosions shown in the demo tapes he brought, "but if you can
blow things up you can do other things with the technology."

Hawkins talked a lot about his own education experience, about
how his high school rejected his proposed valedictory address,
and about how few classes he attended. He also admitted that
technology has not fulfilled the promises made by promoters 15
years ago.

Of course, that gives his 3DO a chance to fulfil those promises.
The Interactive Multiplayer is a proposed standard, endorsed by
MCA, Time Warner AT&T and Matsushita, among others, which
combines a RISC processor, a CD-ROM drive, and peripherals into a
$700 retail device aimed at the family room. "Unlike a home
computer or videogame, it has 50 times the processing power of
today's systems."

He pitched the technology as a replacement for newspapers and TV, as
well as videogames and educational PCs. He also emphasized 3DO's
place as a licensing company which will not produce products on its
own, but noted that over 300 companies have signed licenses to
create products around the system. .

Hawkins acknowledged "a distinct entertainment bias in the
software being created. The education market will be a second
stage market," he predicted, while information lags. Hawkins won
his biggest hands when he attacked TV, calling it "education's
biggest enemy."

He noted, "There's an inverse correlation between how much TV 12
year olds watch and their test scores. American kids predicted
they'd be the best at science and math, but they were the worst. the
solution is summed up by a Chinese proverb. I see and I forget. I
hear and I remember. I do and I understand. That's why I call this
the medium of doing. If you can get brains engaged, magical things
will start to happen." Since the theme of this show is "The Magic of
Technology," that went over well.

Hawkins continued: "Dr. Marian Diamond proved some years ago the
best way to learn is through interaction. Mammals have an
instinct to play because that lets them interact with their
environment. Humans outsmarted themselves. We invented the book,
then the classroom, and it's a challenge to get back to
interaction and play as our primary mobtive of learning."

He noted that Dr. John Dewey's early experiments in learning were
all about doing, and described how he took students to a ranch to
collect wool, let them try to make cloth out of wool and cotton,
then introduced the concept of the cotton to discuss both the
industrial revolution and slavery. He also noted his own experience,
recalling a class on the Depression which drove kids to the library
to learn their roles.

"Creating your own environment is tremendously motivating. You reach
suspension of disbelief, the illusion of the medium that gets you
into the story, faster than with anything else," he said.

Why has technology failed? He said that, while videogames are better
for kids than TV, they're limited because software cartridges can
cost $20 each to produce, and the size of production runs scared
off the technologists.

PCs, meanwhile, just cost too much, and were aimed at an office
market which could pay the price. He recalled the hype over CD-ROM,
where 7 years after their introduction Bill Gates of Microsoft
bragged about 3 percent of PCs having the drives.

"To me that's a train wreck. It's a big, dumb storage technology
which, if not hooked to the right horsepower, is like pulling an 18
wheel truck with a bicycle," he said.

Thus, 3DO. All Hawkins' canned demos drew a big hand. The
question is when and whether teachers will support 3DO players in
the same way they now espouse the Apple Macintosh.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930628)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00013)

HP Allies With Informix; Talks Multimedia 06/28/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard has allied with Informix Software in the development of a
research and development laboratory at Informix's Menlo Park
headquarters.

The companies have also won a public contract to supply a client-
server Unix system to the City of Salt Lake. In addition, HP has
also been talking multimedia at the Seybold Digital World
conference.

The agreement between Informix and HP calls for the joint
construction and staffing of a research and development laboratory,
due for completion this summer. According to the companies, the
lab will maximize the overall speed and optimization of Informix
products on HP9000 Series 800 business systems and servers.

Development projects will initially focus on the Informix-OnLine on-
line transaction processing database server. The companies maintain
that other projects will include industry standard benchmark tests
and joint development efforts on current and future releases of
OnLine.

HP has also named Informix a channel partner in its Mainframe
Alternative (MFA) program.

Announcing the plans, Richard W. Sevcik, general manager of HP's
Systems and Servers Group, said: "Performance has always been  a key
focus of our relationship."

"This is clearly evidenced by more than 30 published benchmark tests
of Informix database software on HP platforms. Our expanded efforts
to develop, test and tune our products will ensure that our mutual
customers continue to receive the highest possible levels of
performance and reliability," he added.

The companies have also announced that the City of Salt Lake, Utah,
has begun implementation of a citywide client/server application
based on Informix database software and Hewlett-Packard computers.

According to the companies, over the next two years, the City will
downsize operations from two existing Unisys mainframes to the
new system, which is based on Informix database products, including
the Informix-OnLine database server and the Informix-4GL family of
development tools running on three Unix-based HP 9000 Series 800
business servers and two HP 9000 Series 700 workstations.

Graphical access to the Informix database will be provided through
front-end graphical development products from Powersoft.

According to the companies, the system will support city finance,
police, fire, public utility and airport operations. Six hundred users
will be supported initially, which will likely increase to 900 users
by the time the application is completed in July of 1995. The first
implementation of the program automates the city's accounting and
financial systems, and was developed by Bi-Tech Software.

In other HP news, hardware will be HP's focus in the multimedia
market, according to Robert Frankenberg, vice president and general
manager for the company's personal information products group,
speaking at the Seybold Digital World conference.

Frankenberg said that the company would just concentrate on
marketing hardware in the interactive television market, rather than
become a content provider.

The Reuters news wire quoted him as saying: "We're not going to do
applications nor content. By choosing to only work on hardware we
think we will complement the industry and bring real advantages to
the industry.

The establishment of industry standards is considered key to the
success of multimedia technologies. Standards would allow users to
purchase software from a multitude of sources which could then be
played on hardware from different vendors.

Frankenberg said that he expects the fierce competition among
multimedia vendors to establish their products as industry standards
to continue.

(Ian Stokell/19930628/Press Contact: Lynn Hanson, 408-447-1415,
Hewlett-Packard Co.; Cecilia Denny, 415-926-6420, Informix Software)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00014)

 ****11th Annual PC Expo Opens In New York City Tomorrow 06/28/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Upwards of 800
exhibitors and 85,000 attendees from all over the world are expected
to converge on New York City this week for the 11th annual PC Expo.

The 1993 edition of Bruno Blenheim corporate-oriented computing show
gets off the ground tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. with a keynote speech by
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on "New Technology for the Information
Age."

Gates' address will be counterpointed on Wednesday at 11:15 a.m.
with a plenary talk called "The IBM PC Company - On the Comeback
Trail," to be given by Robert Corrigan, the company's president.

Meanwhile, the show floor doors will swing open Tuesday morning at
10:00 for three days' worth of product displays and demos. New
exhibition areas established this year include the Windows NT
Showcase and special pavilions for multimedia and mobile computing.

Over 300 companies will be announcing new products, ranging
alphabetically from Abstract R&D to WordPerfect Corp. Also
included on this list are the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Sony,
Borland, Sharp, and NEC.

The rollouts cover almost every conceivable aspect of the PC
industry, starting with software for object-oriented applications
development and moving on up to fax and scanning peripherals, a
barrage of graphics and storage subsystems, a computer
keyboard/electronic phone combo from Integrated Technology, and a
series of "mobile multimedia PCs without limits" from Toshiba.

In addition, during each of nine 90-minute time slots within the
three-day show, PC Expo will be providing six to ten conference
seminars. The seminar topics are aimed at addressing the wide
gamut of interests represented by corporate buyers and volume
resellers, the expo's principal audience.

"Portables: Desktops of Tomorrow," "The Great Debate: P5, RISC and
Alpha," "Client/Server Update: A Technical Review," "Mail-Enabling
Applications," "Optimizing Windows," "Document Management and
Retrieval," and "Modems 101" are just a few of the 77 selections.

Other offerings calculated to please the crowd include a
special exhibit of electrically efficient Energy Star computer
technology, a return engagement of the Association & User Group
Pavilion, and the trade show debut of InterFilm, an interactive
feature-length film previously shown in movie houses only.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930628/Reader contact: Bruno Blenheim, tel
800-829-3976 or 201-346-1400; Press contacts: Annie Scully, Bruno
Blenheim, tel [phone], ext 145; Mark Haviland, Bruno Blenheim,
tel [phone], ext 152)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00015)

Canada's Long-Distance Rates Still 1.5 Times Those Of US 06/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Most long-distance
telephone rates in Canada have fallen over the past decade, but a
call in Canada still costs on average about one and a half times
as much as a call over the same distance in the United States, a
Toronto telecommunications consultant reports.

Hoey Associates Telecommunications Consulting reports that long-haul
rates in Canada have been about halved since 1983, while rates for
short long-distance calls have remained about the same or even risen
slightly.

For instance, a five-minute long-distance call between points
eight miles apart still costs 70 cents, the same as in 1983. But
a call over 1,675 miles is now C$2.35, down 56 percent from $5.35
in 1983. All figures are based on the rates of Bell Canada, the
largest of the regional telephone companies, which serves Ontario
and Quebec.

Eamon Hoey, president of Hoey Associates, said that his numbers are
not adjusted for inflation. Thus the drop in the real cost of long-
distance calls is even greater than the numbers suggest.

The news for Canadians isn't as good, though, in Hoey's comparison
of Canadian rates to those in the US. Although Canadian long-
distance calls over very short distances -- up to about 40 miles --
are cheaper than in the US., after that Canadian rates quickly rise
above those south of the border.

Over all, Canadian rates are about 1.5 times those for a call over
the same distance in the US. The greatest differences are in the
distance range from about 225 to 3,000 miles, where Canadian rates
are about 1.6 times American rates. As distances increase even more,
the ratio drops again, to 1.19 at 5,750 miles.

Hoey told Newsbytes that the direct-dial long-distance rates are one
example of generally higher telecommunications costs in Canada that
put Canadian businesses at a disadvantage in competing with US
companies. "It's not so much what Canadians are paying as what
they're being inhibited from doing," he said.

Few businesses set up call processing centers in Canada, for
instance, because it is cheaper to put them in the United States.

Bell Canada took issue with Hoey on several points. Denise Sarazin,
a spokeswoman for Bell, pointed out that his figures reflect
standard rates for direct-dialed calls, and do not take into account
various discount plans available from Bell and the other Canadian
phone companies. "Anyone who makes over $25 a month in calling can
benefit from some package," she said.

And Sarazin pointed out a major reason why Canadian long-distance
rates are higher -- long-distance charges subsidize local service
much more in Canada than in the US. On average, she said, every
minute of long-distance calling through Bell provides a 16-cent
subsidy to keep local rates down. National long-distance competitor
Unitel Communications subsidizes Canadian local service to the tune
of six or seven cents a minute, she added, but in the United States,
the subsidy is only two to three cents per minute.

Sarazin added that Bell Canada is committed to long-distance rate
parity with the United States by 1996, and believes it is "doing
very well" at moving toward that goal.

(Grant Buckler/19930628/Press Contact: Eamon Hoey, Hoey
Associates, 416-696-5281, fax [phone]; Denise Sarazin, Bell
Canada, 613-781-3333)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00016)

Windows-Based Client-Server Database Tool For End Users 06/28/93
WESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Concentric
Data Systems has unveiled a Windows-based client-server database
reporting tool, which it claims is geared to end users as well as
professionals.

The new R&R Report Writer for Windows SQL Edition offers client-
server database access to Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase SQL
Server, NetWare SQL, Btrieve, and Xbase.

"SQL is a difficult concept and language for the average end user
to understand. R&R fully exploits client-server technology to offer
end users a tool that allows them to access and report on their
client-server databases without having to rely on an MIS
professional," explained Rob Hershfield, the company's product line
manager.

For users who are unfamiliar with SQL syntax and terminology, the
report writer will automatically generate SQL statements. For MIS
professionals, the product provides the ability to write SQL
statements directly.

The package also offers a range of layout and presentation features,
including line and box drawing, background shading, color printing
support, and the ability to import graphics in 12 different formats.

R&R Report Writer for Windows SQL Edition is scheduled to ship next
month, at a retail price of $395.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930628/Press contact: Marilyn Joly, Concentric
Data Systems Inc., tel [phone], ext 141; Reader contact:
Concentric Data Systems Inc., tel [phone])


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

Got A Second? There's A Leap Second Coming On Wednesday 06/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- If someone asks you
to "wait a second" this week, you can accommodate them without
missing any of your usual weekly activities because the
government is giving you, free of charge, some extra time this
week.

Do the workdays just seem to drag on forever? Well, if this
Wednesday seems to be a bit more of a struggle to get through than
usual, you can at least look forward to a full extra second of
evening rest courtesy of the world's timekeepers at the US Naval
Observatory in Washington, D.C., and their counterparts in Boulder,
Colorado.

At precisely 23 hours, 59 minutes, 60 seconds Co-ordinated Universal
Time (UTC) or 7:59:60 p.m. EDT on June 30, 1993, one second will be
inserted into the world's most accurate clocks because variations in
the way the Earth turns have gotten it slightly out of sync with the
super-accurate atomic clocks which the world's scientists now use to
determine the "correct" time.

In the past, human beings relied on the rotation of the planet
itself as the "standard" for time keeping and reset clocks to match
the Earth's daily turning, but since the late 60s the US Naval
Observatory has been relying on a computerized clock that counts the
9,192,631,792,458 vibrations that take place every second in a
Cesium 133 atom.

By contrast, the Earth's rotation is only constant to about 1/1,000-
second each day and therefore the Naval Observatory has inserted 18
leap seconds in the clock's time since 1972 in order to keep the
clock perfectly synchronized with the Earth's rotation and thus with
rising and setting times of stars.

The reason the Navy is responsible for timekeeping goes back to the
traditional needs of the British and other navies which required
precise timekeeping in order to help them determine the position of
their ships at sea.

Today these positions are determined by using computerized global
positioning systems which rely on satellite signals which are again
related to precise timekeeping.

Although this change can be ignored by most people, computers used
to measure or record many scientific events must be set to a precise
time tick; anyone can actually have his or her clocks reset using
the Naval Observatory's special electronic bulletin board system
which is used just to co-ordinate computer clock times.

(John McCormick/19930628/Press Contact: Fred McGehan, NIST - Boulder
Colorado, 303-497-3246)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00018)

Canadian Product Launch Update 06/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the
Canadian market on announcement by international companies that
Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Banyan's ENS for NetWare,
Canon's BJ-230 ink-jet printer, and DellWare arrive in Canada.

Banyan Systems said that its ENS for NetWare enterprise network
services software (Newsbytes, June 15) will be available in Canada,
as in the United States, in July. The company did not provide
Canadian pricing.

Canon Canada said that the BJ-230 ink-jet printer (Newsbytes, June
1), which prints pages as large as 11 by 17 inches, is now available
in Canada. The Canadian list price is $649.

Dell Computer Corporation's Canadian operation announced it has
begun offering DellWare, a catalog-and-telephone operation selling
hardware and software products from other vendors (Newsbytes, Oct.
7, 1992). Paul Rubin, vice-president of marketing at Dell Canada,
said there are some differences in the product selection offered in
Canada, but the catalog is "about 95 percent" the same as in the
US. The Canadian DellWare catalog is being mailed to about 50,000
Dell customers.

(Grant Buckler/19930628/Press Contact: Heather Bussey, The
Communications Group for Banyan Canada, 416-696-9900; Ben
Werbski, Canon Canada, 416-795-1111; Paul Rubin, Dell Canada,
416-764-4200, fax [phone]; Public Contact: Banyan Canada,
416-855-2971, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00019)

Magazine For Multimedia Developers: Morph's Outpost 06/28/93
ORINDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- A newly announced
trade publication called Morph's Outpost on the Digital Frontier is
intended to give multimedia developers a magazine they can call
their own.

"Multimedia developers are special people, and they need a special
magazine," explained Craig LaGrow, publisher of Morph's Outpost. "As
unconventional artists and technologists on the edge of a new and
exciting technology, they need information that is technically
interesting and practically useful. No fluff for these guys."

LaGrow, who most recently served a editor-in-chief of Multimedia
World magazine, also co-founded Computer Language magazine, AI
Expert Magazine, and the Software Development Conference.

The new effort has "written by developers, for developers" as its
slogan. Morph's Outpost is targeted at long-time business, education
and entertainment developers as well as the many programmers who are
flocking to the field as the entertainment and advertising
industries adopt interactive multimedia, and conventional software
starts to handle multimedia data types.

Aimed at in-depth coverage of interactive multimedia tools and
technologies, the magazine will consider the theory behind their
design and offer step-by-step advice on how to create applications
and titles for delivery on CD-ROM, kiosks, computer networks, cable
TV, telephone ISDN, and direct satellite broadcast systems.

Morph's Outpost will be mailed to 25,000 multimedia developers each
month, and distributed free of charge at major multimedia trade
shows.

The one-year subscription price on the magazine is $39.95, and the
single-issue copy price is $3-95. The one-time, black-and-white
advertising page charge is $2,500. July 12 is the deadline for
reserving ad space for the premier issue.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930628/Press contact: Doug Millison, Morph's
Outpost on the Digital Frontier, tel [phone]; Reader and
advertiser contact: Craig LaGrow, Morph's Outpost, tel 510-254-
3145)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00020)

 ****3Com Plans To Cut Network Ownership Costs 06/28/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- One of the
major concerns with corporate networking is the high cost of
operations. Now 3Com has announced plans that it says are designed
to help users simplify remote office internetworking and cut
network ownership costs by up to 50 percent.

The plan involves software enhancements, along with additional
modules and platforms for the company's NETBuilder internetworking
product. The company claims that the plans reduce costs in network
operations, changes in the initial acquisition of equipment, as well
as the addition of new management and administration features.

According to the company, reduced costs can be obtained using
full data compression across all major protocols, including IP
(Internet Protocol), IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange), DECnet,
Vines, OSI (Open Systems Interconnection), Appletalk and XNS.

The company says that compression lets users make use of
lower-speed lines and helps prevent over-saturation of the line
due to uneven traffic.

The company also says that its software-based ISDN (Integrated
Services Digital Network) support reduces WAN (wide area network)
costs by controlling connection uptime. It also claims that intelligent
filtering leads to more efficient WAN traffic control and line usage.

The company's planned Scheduled Dial, set for availability in
September 1993, "complements" boundary routing by centralizing
router management and reducing WAN costs. The central router can
assign or schedule times when remote sites or branch offices can
bring up their connections to the network.

The company's Dial-On-Demand, which is due to become available
for IP and IPX in February 1994, will allow users to initiate a
connection when needed, and end the connection at a specified
interval following transmission of the last packet.

Beginning in September 1993, 3Com plans to increase port density
through new modules for the NETBuilder II backbone router. The
company hopes to triple the number of WAN connections and double
the LAN connections, by the end of the year.

According to 3Com, the company plans to, "leverage its own low-
cost, volume manufacturing capabilities to deliver new low-cost
remote office internetworking systems by early 1994. By combining
these lower cost platforms with the NETBuilder software
enhancements, 3Com customers will substantially reduce their
cost of ownership during the typical WAN life cycle."

Boundary routing extends the advantages of LAN (local area network)
interconnection to a new class of users at remote sites, claims the
company. Boundary routing for frame relay is set to become
available in February 1994, while boundary routing for X.25 will
become available in May 1994.

The company is also planning a feature called Configuration
Management, to become available in September 1993, which will
enable users to download software over the LAN for remote router
configuration and changes. According to 3Com, by February 1994,
the software will enable users to implement "complete global
configuration changes from a single network management station."

Additionally, something called Hands-Off Management, set for
availability in February 1994, will let users customers complete
"hands-off" management, including software updates, configuration
management, smart filters and automatic acquisition of network
addresses. Once a remote router is installed, users will be able to
manage it from the central site. There will be no need to touch the
hardware at the remote site, except to add LAN or WAN segments,
says the company.

3Com's NETBuilder software -- version 6.1 -- includes compression,
ISDN services for disaster recovery, bandwidth-on-demand, smart
filters, and Boundary Routing. The software is available to 3Com's
installed base and new customers, the software ranges in price from
$350 to $2,000 depending on hardware platform and features
supported.

(Ian Stokell/19930628/Press Contact: Donna Stein, 408-764-5960,
3Com Corp.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00021)

SEC Subpoenas Storagetek Records 06/28/93
LOUISVILLE, COLORADO, U.S.A, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Storage Technology
Corporation revealed on Friday that it has received a subpoena from
the Denver Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) to produce certain documents in connection with the
commission's order for a private investigation of possible
violations of federal disclosure, reporting or insider trading
requirements.

The company said that the request relates primarily to announcements
and related disclosures concerning the status of its Iceberg
product. Storagetek said it will comply fully with the request.

While the SEC is always tight-lipped about its investigations, the
request presumably stems from the April 1992 class action suit filed
by several Storagetek shareholders, charging that the company had
released misleading information that caused the investors to lose
money on their stock.

Iceberg, first introduced in 1991, is a half-million dollar fault
tolerant disk drive array that stores mainframe computer data on up
to 256 floppy disks. The same data is stored on several disks on the
refrigerator-sized device to decrease the likelihood of data loss.

Iceberg has been delayed several times, with a resultant drop in
Storagetek stock.

(Jim Mallory/19930628/Press contact: David Reid, Storagetek, 303-
673-4815)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00022)

Pioneer Focuses on Solutions 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Pioneer has found a
ready market in schools for its videodisc systems. These are
analog disks, although they look like Long Playing CDs, and offer
limited interactivity.

But Pioneer has succeeded in creating a large market for them, and
some states have even allowed videodisks to be offered as a
replacement for textbooks in some classes.

For this show, Pioneer's New Media Technologies unit said it will
provide a total videodisc education solution for teachers in West
Virginia. The system combines a LaserDisc player from Pioneer, a bar
code reader, a Sharp Monitor, and bar code software.

Parts of each disk are coded, so a teacher can prepare a lesson by
simply inputting bar coded numbers into the system as needed. Along
with the systems, Pioneer is also offering teachers a two-day
seminar on the technology.

Also, Pioneer said it will begin offering videodiscs to schools
directly. The Encyclopedia of Animals and the ABC News
Interactive Powers of the Government series will be among the
first titles. Both have been successful in the school market.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930628/Press Contact: Pioneer New Media
Technologies Inc., 201-327-6400; FAX: [phone])


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

Schemers Push New Computer Language 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- An outfit called
Schemers is out to put the squeeze on Basic, the computer language
most kids learn first. According to president Terry Kaufman, "The
way that computer science is introduced to students in grade school
and high school seriously jeopardizes the country's future as a
competitor in the technology market-place."

Kaufman went on to claim that Basic is part of the problem, turning
off kids to the idea of programming because their early efforts
won't run.

Schemer's offering is Scheme, a language developed at MIT which
places concept above syntax. The result is that students as young
as 12 can learn such concepts as recursion. The company claims
that ninth graders with less than 40 hours of classroom
experience took the most difficult part of the computer science
Advanced Placement exam, using Scheme rather than the required
language, Pascal.

The unofficial results placed them in the top 20 percent. Schemer
said that Scheme is widely used in Europe and Japan, and is rapidly
displacing Pascal in introductory courses at colleges like UC
Berkeley and MIT. But the company claims the AP exam's insistence on
Pascal remains the problem, which Kaufman attacks bitterly. Kaufman
thinks Logo should be taught in grade schools as a precursor to
scheme. Kaufman was formerly with IBM.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930628/Press Contact: Terry Kaufman, Schemers,
305-776-7376; FAX: [phone]: email: [e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00024)

StarWorks Video Net Software For NetWare Debuts 06/28/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- The
continuing trend towards video applications within companies has led
to increased demand on corporate networks. Now, as part of the
company's cross-platform strategy, Starlight Networks has announced
plans to port its StarWorks video networking software to Novell's
market-leading NetWare network operating system.

Starlight claims that its server software will be made to operate on
NetWare platforms and tie into StarWorks client software via a
NetWare Loadable Module (NLM), which will allow customers to use
a NetWare server as a dedicated video server, and also, in some
applications, as a combination video and data server.

The current version of StarWorks, which is Unix based, is compatible
with NetWare networked environments. Jim Long, president of Starlight
Networks, said: "StarWorks was specifically designed to support
multiple platforms."

Starlight claims that its overall cross-platform goal is to provide
digital video networking that inter-operates across multiple client
and
server platforms. Client platforms include DOS, Windows, Macintosh
and the Solaris strain of Unix. Server platforms include Unix and
NetWare.

StarWorks was first released in December 1992, and consists of video
application server software and video network interface software for
desktop computers. The software element provides video storage
management and video session and stream management functions.

According to the company, StarWorks manages the storage of
streaming data in such a way as to allow simultaneous access by a
large number of users to the same video, or multiple videos.

The company also claims that StarWorks desktop video network
interface includes protocols that handle the requirements for
streaming data while at the same time preserving compatibility
with existing network protocols and operating systems.

StarWorks is claimed to work with all popular video formats,
desktop computers and networks.

StarWorks currently provides video networking services for up to
a total network bandwidth of 25 megabits-per-second (Mbps). The
company says that this could be 20 simultaneous Video for Windows
or QuickTime users each at 1.2 Mbps, or six simultaneous users with
motion JPEG at 4 Mbps, or any combination totaling 25 Mbps.

(Ian Stokell/19930628/Press Contact: Barbara A. Baker,
415-967-2774, Starlight Networks)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00025)

Logitech Intros New OCR Software 06/28/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- The increased use
of optical character recognition (OCR) software has been highlighted
again with Logitech's introduction of a new package designed for
the ScanMan family of Windows-based hand-held scanners.

The OmniPage Direct AnyFont OCR software uses Caere's AnyFont
OCR recognition engine, AnyPage technology, and an OCR utility
that, according to the company, allows users to scan and recognize
text from within virtually all Windows applications.

The OCR software will be available in July. The company says that
various upgrade plans are available for existing Logitech customers
with CatchWord Pro, Perceive Personal, CatchWord DOS, or any
ScanMan product.

Announcing the package, Patricia Smith, Logitech product manager,
said: "Our users are increasingly demanding reasonably priced yet
highly accurate and complete image-and-text solutions for the hand-
held scanning environment.

According to Smith, OmniPage Direct AnyFont OCR Software for
Logitech offers the power of Caere's recognition technology and a
useful set of basic tools while leaving the "bells and whistles" --
such as spell- and grammar-checking, cutting-and-pasting, and other
editing tasks -- to the destination applications. This makes for a
product that's highly functional yet very easy to use."

According to the company, there are more than 70 pre-registered
word processing, desktop publishing, and spreadsheet applications,
and the package immediately registers any additional Windows
application for direct access. Also, AnyPage technology offers
threshold grayscale scanning for optimal image contrast on colored
or soiled backgrounds.

The software requires a 386-based or better IBM-compatible PC, 4
megabytes (MB) RAM with a 4MB swap file minimum - although 8MB RAM
is recommended - DOS 3.1 operating system or above, Microsoft
Windows 3.1 graphical user environment running in 386 enhanced
mode, a Logitech or other Windows-compatible mouse, and a Logitech
hand-held scanner.

(Ian Stokell/19930628/Press Contact: Betty Skov, 510-713-4463,
or Amy Rupley, 510-713-4516, Logitech)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00026)

Zenographics' Unveils SuperPrint 3.0/Win And ZScript/Win 06/28/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Zenograhics has
released SuperPrint 3.0, an upgrade of its package for speeding up
Windows printing, along with ZScript, a 32-bit PostScript
interpreter for Windows. The brand new ZScript is able to translate
PostScript files from virtually any platform into Windows 3.1
format, the company claims.

SuperPrint 3.0, a utility available in desktop, professional and
network versions, introduces SuperRIP (Raster Image Processor), a
32-bit software RIP designed to match the performance of a
commercial RIP.

By controlling the processor directly, the new 32-bit software RIP
provides a four-fold performance improvement over 8-bit Windows 3.1
drivers, officials with the company claimed. Another new feature in
SuperPrint 3.0 is SuperFAX, a send-only management tool for CAS-
compatible fax boards.

In addition, SuperPrint continues to provide the SuperQueue and
SuperText features of previous versions. SuperQueue is a re-
orderable print queue and spooler meant to be used in place of
the slower Windows Print Manager.

SuperText, a font scaling tool, is aimed at supplementing Windows
type management. The tool allows on-the-fly, simultaneous scaling
of typeface outlines from four major foundries -- Adobe, Bitstream,
Intellifont and NimbusQ -- to either screen or printer.

The desktop version of SuperPrint 3.0, which supports most dot
matrix, ink jet, color ink jet and laser printers, has a suggested
retail price $149.99. The desktop version is also available
bundled with ZScript, a product that carries a suggested retail
price of $295. These two packages are being sold through computer
superstores such as Egghead and distributors such as Ingram.

In addition, ZScript and all versions of SuperPrint 3.0, including
the professional and network editions, can be purchased direct from
Zenographics. Like the desktop version, the professional and
network versions of SuperPrint can be used with ZScript.

Potential applications for ZScript include conversion of EPS
(Encapsulated PostScript) artwork, special PostScript effects, such
as CorelDraw's PostScript fill patterns, and Adobe Type 3 typefaces
into Windows format.

Once translated, the files can be proofed in a viewing window and
either copied to the Windows Clipboard, for import into other
Windows applications, or printed via SuperPrint's 32-bit Windows
drivers or other Windows printer drivers.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930628/Press contact: Steve Puntolillo,
Zenographics, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00027)

Hitachi Ready To Ship IBM-Compatible Parallel Computer 06/28/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Hitachi is preparing to muscle in
on IBM's parallel computer technology, with the launch of one of its
own parallel machines equipped with a RISC (reduced instruction set
computing) chipset. The company claims that the machine will be
faster than, but fully compatible with, IBM's parallel computing
technology.

Interestingly, the machine will use Hewlett-Packard's increasingly-
popular PA-RISC technology, although, because of the duplication of
RISC technology onto a single chipset, the power of the machine will
be many times that that HP's PA-RISC-based workstations achieve.
Hitachi claims, in fact, that the machine is in the same league as a
supercomputer.

Because of the machine's "open approach" to its architecture,
Hitachi claims that it will run VOS-3 operating system software
(VOS-3 is Hitachi's own o.s.), as well as IBM's parallel technology
software. This makes the machine capable of running several thousand
applications, despite it using a new technology.

Hitachi remains coy on the launch date of the new machine, although
sources close to the company suggest an early '94 launch date.
Pricing is also unknown, although Newsbytes' sources suggest a
lower-than-IBM price tag.

IBM is not taking this lying down. Reports are filtering through
that Big Blue is preparing to release a general purpose computer
that is equipped with a maximum of 48 chips. This machine is
rumored to be faster even than Hitachi's.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930628/Press Contact: Hitachi, +81-
3-3258-2057, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00028)

 ****Digital World Twice As Big; Emphasis On Content 06/28/93
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Digital World
was crowed, hectic, and noisy as thousands pushed their way into the
world of digital, interactive, multimedia. "Content" was the
buzzword of the show and tools for content development dominated the
vendor presentations.

For a historically Macintosh-dominated show, IBM compatible PCs
running Microsoft Windows were everywhere. Most of the presentations
were offered on both platforms and some were offered only on the PC.
It wasn't unusual to hear a demonstrator saying something like, "I
don't usually work on the PC, so this might take me a minute."

In addition, the show appears to be branching out from just film
into animation, virtual reality, and other forms of computer
generated visual images. It wasn't unusual to see architectural
renderings made into images you could navigate through via computer
or even interactive holographic images for advertising and business
presentations.

Apple demonstrated its personal digital assistant (PDA) Newton and a
seminar session focused on PDA's. Donna Dubinsky of Palm Computing,
developers for the Zoomer PDA, was demonstrating the Casio Zoomer
out in the hall to large crowds after the PDA seminar. Dubinsky told
Newsbytes her company was unable to get a vendor booth at the
Digital World conference.

Interactive television was still a hot topic and cable appears to be
the dominant delivery channel for now. But in contrast to this year,
cable companies such as ICTV, hardware companies such as Kaleida and
Apple, and software developers all had presentations showing what
the consumer would see when using their interactive cable television
interface. Apple was the only company who does not yet have a
commitment from a hardware or delivery vendor (such as a cable
provider) to use its interface, called EZTV. The company did say it
was actively pursuing such support, however.

Artists are playing an increasing part of the multimedia world as
evidenced at the show. Kaleida's striking presentation of sample
applications created with its content development language Scriptx
were developed by UCLA educated Art Director Lisa Lopuck. Lopuck
said she used optical scanners and then a Silicon Graphics
workstation to render the images, including the movement of the
fish, then send the images out as bitmaps to the Macintosh
environment for inclusion in the presentation.

Apple Computer and Media Vision both announced moves into becoming
content providers. Apple Computer's Chairman told the conference
Apple is selling compact disc read-only memory (CD- ROM) drives on
which its content will play at cost and expects to sell over a $1
million in drives in the next year. Media Vision executives told
Newsbytes the company fears it won't be able to keep up its growth
without providing attractive content that will create further demand
for its hardware. The company announced an agreement with Hyperbole
to provide interactive multimedia films on CD-ROM, the first of
which will be announced in September.

Hewlett-Packard was one of the few hardware vendors who said it
planned to stay in hardware, and specifically in multimedia
hardware. Multimedia educational content developer TMM told
Newsbytes that there are an estimated 30 million CD-ROM drives on
the market now and the peripheral is estimated to be selling at the
rate of 1 million drives per month.

The hardware vendors were all at the show, but the emphasis on
the hardware appeared to be slowing. The rapid strides on the
speed and functionality of the hardware appear to be throwing
emphasis on content. While C-Cube said the awaited video
compression standard MPEG-2 is on the horizon, executives for
the company said MPEG-2 would be used mostly for audio and not
video when it is first released.

The compression standard MPEG-1 appears to be the one the video
community is settling in with, although Creative Labs was making a
lot of noise about the compression developed by Supermac called
Cinepak. Creative Labs is the first to ship the compression utility
with its Videospigot for Windows video capture board.

Seybold representative Beth Sadler told Newsbytes the show's overall
attendance was twice as large as last year, with 1,000 to 1,100 in
attendance. The Beverly Hilton is simply too small to accommodate
the show any longer and Seybold has already made arrangements to
hold next year's show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930628/Press Contact: Beth Sadler, Seybold,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Apple Announces New LC Aimed At Educational Market 06/28/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Apple Computer
has announced a Macintosh developed especially for the educational
market at the National Educational Computing Conference held this
week in Orlando, Florida. The new Macintosh LC 520 offers multimedia
capability with a built-in compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)
drive, stereo sound, and a color display in an all-in-one design.

The LC 520 offers a Motorola 68030 microprocessor running at 25
megahertz (MHz), a Sony Trinitron 14-inch color display in 640
by 480 with 16-bit image resolution and 768 kilobytes of video
random access memory (VRAM), an internal Applecd 300i double-
speed CD-ROM drive, 5 megabytes (MB) of random access memory
(RAM), an 80 MB hard disk drive, a 1.4 MB Superdrive floppy
drive, front-panel contrast and volume controls, an integrated
headphone jack, and an omnidirectional microphone.

The Superdrive can read, write, and format Macintosh, MS-DOS, OS/2,
and Prodos disks. The computer also comes the System 7.1 operating
system, which includes Closeview, Easy Access and visible-beep
software especially for students with disabilities.

Like other computers in the LC family, Apple says the LC 520
offers built-in Appletalk networking, as well as serial and
small computer systems interface (SCSI) ports for connection of
peripheral devices such as scanners, cameras, and modems. The
LC 520 also has two Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) ports for
supporting a keyboard, mouse or other devices.

Apple also points out the LC 520 is expandable so users can add
options such as NTSC video-out and video capture, Ethernet
networking, and Apple IIe emulation cards so software that runs
on Apple IIe systems can also be used on the LC 520. The LC 520
can also have its RAM expanded to 36 MB and a math coprocessor
(FPU) for use in computer aided design or other math intensive
applications can be added.

Energy Star compliant, the LC 520 automatically reduces power
consumption to less than 30 watts when idle. Apple estimates
the energy saving feature could cut by more than 50 percent
the electricity used by the system. Users select through the
screen control panel, the period of time that the computer can
be inactive before the power-down feature starts.

Any qualified K-12 and Higher Education institution can get a
Macintosh LC 520 for $1,509. The Apple Keyboard II is an
additional $90.30; a math coprocessor is $65.00; an Apple
Ethernet LC Card is $139.30; and the Apple IIe Emulation Card
is $123.30 to qualified educational institutions.

Apple says it will offer the LC 520 in the US, Canada, and
Japan. Available immediately, Apple is looking forward to
getting into the back-to-school market for this fall.

Apple's Personal Interactive Electronics (PIE) division just
announced it will distribute a new line of educational
multimedia software developed by French company Arborescence.
The titles are Peter's Alphabet Adventure, Peter's Number
Adventure, and Peter's Magical Adventure.

Additional titles include Travelrama which takes players on a
journey through the US and Wacky Jack's CD Game Show. In a deal with
Kodak and Sony, Apple will distribute a title about the production
of the magazine "Open" called "Open Wider" and PIE announced it
plans to distribute titles offered by the Time Warner Interactive
Group (TWIG) formerly Warner New Media, and Interoptica.

Apple has a catalog with descriptions of just under 600 CD-ROM
titles, "The Apple Guide To CD-ROM Titles," and the company is
boasting over 6,000 third-party software applications are available
for the LC 520.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930628/Press Contact: Bill Keegan, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact
408-996-1010)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00030)

Canada's ROB 1000: Few Changes In High-Tech Firms 06/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 28 (NB) -- Telecommunications
firms still figure prominently among Canada's 10 most profitable
companies, according the Report on Business 1000 ranking just
released by the Toronto-based national newspaper The Globe and
Mail. There was only minor jockeying for position on the list
among Canada's computer and communications firms this year.

Number one in this year's ranking as in last is BCE Inc., the
holding company that owns Bell Canada and Northern Telecom Ltd.
among other properties. BCE had a 1992 profit of C$1.39 billion,
up five percent from 1991. Its revenues of C$21.27 billion also
made it the largest company by revenue.

BCE subsidiary Bell Canada is number two on the ROB list again
this year, with a C$1.006-billion profit on revenues of C$7.904
billion. Northern Telecom came in fourth with a C$548.3-million
profit on revenues of C$8.521 billion. In third was the Bank of
Nova Scotia. Another BCE subsidiary, TransCanada Pipelines, was
ranked ninth.

IBM Canada remains number five on the Report on Business's ranking
by revenue of Canada's top 300 privately owned companies (in which
category IBM Canada falls because it is wholly owned by IBM Corp. of
Armonk, New York). It reported a profit of C$1 million on revenues
of C$6.805 billion.

A ranking of technology companies, both public and private, is
almost unchanged from last year. Northern Telecom and IBM are still
first and second. Xerox Canada moved from ninth to eighth, Digital
Equipment of Canada from tenth to ninth, and CAE Industries, a
Montreal-based maker of computerized flight simulators, from eighth
to tenth. The others on the technology list are makers of
transportation equipment, engines, and aircraft components: ranking
from third to seventh, Bombardier, General Electric Canada, Pratt &
Whitney Canada, and Mitsubishi Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19930628/Public Contact: The Globe and Mail, 416-585-
5406)