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/NB930630

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

ECHO To Have Full Internet Connectivity 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Echo Communications
Group has announced that its ECHO (East Coast Hang-Out) conferencing
system will install full Internet capability in July 1993.

Full Internet capabilities will allow subscribers to communicate via
electronic-mail across the entire Internet to any of its estimated 15
million users. It will also allow the use of the "telnet" feature which
allows users to remotely log on to computers throughout the world.
Additionally, full access allows the gathering of information via
"FTP" (File Transfer Protocol).

ECHO has been the subject of recent articles in The Village Voice and
Details magazine in large part because of its large percentage of female
participants. ECHO has almost a 40 percent female membership in
contrast to an average of 10 percent on other systems.

ECHO's conferences include Cyberia, Culture, Sex, Movies & TV and
Music. ECHO subscribers also have access to WON (The Woman's On-line
Network) which concerns itself primarily with political and social
issues involving women.

Stacy Horn, president of Echo Communications, told Newsbytes that,
"We are opening up the brilliant, witty, in-your-face salon to the
world."

Horn told Newsbytes that the charges for ECHO will be revised to add
a $9 monthly fee for those existing ECHO clients who use the full
Internet facilities. There will be no additional charge for those who
do not choose the full Internet option although they will now receive
the benefit of Internet connection for e-mail.

Horn explained the new charge structure to Newsbytes, saying, "A
person can pay $19.95 and receive either full use of the ECHO
conferencing system or full Internet capability - that price is
$13.75 for students. An additional $9 for a total of $28.95 or, for a
student, $22.75 brings full use of ECHO with full Internet capability."

Horn said that July 19 is the target date to be up and running with
full Internet capability. At that time, her e-mail address will
change from "[e-mail]" to "[e-mail]

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930628/Press Contact:
Stacy Horn, ECHO Communications Group, tel [phone],
e-mail [e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00002)

Logo Foundation Publishes New Newsletter 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- The Logo Foundation
has published "Logo Update," the premiere issue of a new newsletter
to be published three times a year. The first issue features a lead
article, called "Where's the Elephant",  by MIT professor Seymour
Papert, often referred to as "the father of Logo."

Papert, author of "Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful
Ideas" and the soon-to-be released "The Children's Machine: Rethinking
School in the Age of the Computer," discusses Logo as a teaching tool
and its strengths and weaknesses after 25 years of use. The title of
the article relates to Papert's use of an old story about three blind
men and an elephant to explain the different views of Logo held in the
educational and computing communities. In the story, the first blind
man touches the ear of the elephant and says "It's a curtain." The
second touches the leg and says, "It's a huge pillar." The third touches
the tail and says "No, no, it's a small snake."

The initial issue also contains an article by Michael Tempel, president
of the Logo Foundation, tracing the development of Logo as an
educational tool. There are other articles by a variety of educators
around the world on related topics as well as resource listings for
Logo software sources, Logo courses, and Logo users groups.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930629/Press Contact:
Tessa R. Harvey, Logo Foundation, tel [phone], fax
212-765-4789)


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

Creative Labs Intros Multiple Products 06/30/93
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Creative Labs,
probably best known by most consumers for its SoundBlaster audio
boards, has introduced a number of new offerings and announced
plans for other products.

Among the new products is a new version of its VideoSpigot for
Windows digital video capture card for the PC. The company has
bundled VideoSpigot for Windows with the Cinepak codec
(compressor/decompressor) and Microsoft Video for Windows.
VideoSpigot offers capture rates up to 30 frames per second, and
will sell at a suggested retail price of $399.

Creative claims to be the first company to utilize and ship the
Cinepak codec, a technology licensed from graphics peripheral supplier
SuperMac Technology. Cinepak is a video software codec which the
company claims can achieve ratios of up to 20:1 with virtually no
loss of image quality compared to original uncompressed 24-bit
AVI files.

At the same time the company is also planning a number of desktop
video-conferencing products for Windows using technology from
ShareVision Technology, which Creative acquired in June.

According to Creative, ShareVision's ShareView and ShareView Plus
products operate over a single standard telephone wire and allow
users to simultaneously collaborate on the same documents in
real-time, regardless of whether both users have the same installed
software. ShareView Plus also features real-time, live color video
of both parties.

In announcing the ShareView products, Hock Leow, Creative's vice
president of video product marketing, said: "With our future line of
affordable ShareView video products for the PC and our present
best-sellers Video Blaster and VideoSpigot, we can further broaden
our already large base of PC video end-users while we still
aggressively market and support the development of the ShareView
line for the Macintosh."

Creative claims that the ShareView products are the only add-on
boards on the market that allow users to transmit video, voice and
data over a single standard analog telephone line, enabling users
to simultaneously collaborate on the same document. ShareView
Plus offers a proprietary video-compression ratio of 350:1.

Creative Labs has also introduced the Sound Blaster DigitalEdge
CD multimedia upgrade kit for the PC. The kit features Sound Blaster
16 with advanced signal processing and a double speed multi-session
CD-ROM drive. According to the company, the kit exceeds the
advanced multimedia capabilities of the MPC Level 2 specifications.
The kit also provides real-time hardware compression. The
double-speed, XA-ready internal CD-ROM drive with multi-session
Photo CD-compatibility offers a 350 millisecond (ms) access rate.

Bundled software includes Creative's VoiceAssist speech-recognition
software, multimedia software, word processing and database
management programs, productivity tools, and a microphone and
speakers.

Sound Blaster 16 is the company's 16 bit CD-quality sound card which
uses a programmable advanced signal processor for high speed digital
signal processing and real-time hardware compression and
decompression. The card also features an add-in connector for
Wave Blaster, Creative's General MIDI (musical instrument digital
interface)-compliant wave-sample synthesis daughterboard.
The Sound  Blaster DigitalEdge CD retails for $999.

The company has also released the Creative OmniCD, an MPC Level 2
CD kit that the company says provides a low cost, high quality CD
system for all PCs.

In addition to the Creative Double Speed Technology, XA-ready,
multi-session internal CD-ROM drive, the kit also offers Aldus
Photo-Styler SE Photo-CD access and imaging software, and an
interface card that functions with all manufacturers' audio cards.
Creative  OmniCD will sell at an expected street price of $299.

Creative says it has the exclusive rights to Aldus Photo-Styler SE,
and is the first Photo-CD access and imaging software ever to be
offered in a CD  kit.

The Creative Double Speed Technology CD-ROM drive was
co-developed by Creative and Matsushita, and offers 680 megabyte
(MB) storage capability, 350 ms access time, and an automatic
front-loading tray.

The company has also announced that its VoiceAssist speech
recognition system will begin shipping in mid-July as a stand-alone
Windows software product for most PC audio cards including 8- and
16-bit Sound Blaster cards.

According to the Creative, the program automatically recognizes
and activates all menu commands in Windows applications and
allows for a user-defined vocabulary of over 30,000 words.
VoiceAssist has been available with Creative's 16-bit Sound
Blaster audio cards.

Arnold Waldstein, director of marketing for Creative  Labs, said:
"There is enormous potential for the use of speech-recognition in
entertainment and education as well as business and productivity
applications. This area is virtually untapped at present, which
makes the VoiceAssist API particularly attractive to the
development community. The demand for software which utilizes
speech-recognition technology will also increase as this potential
is realized and  implemented."

VoiceAssist is compatible with most major 8-bit and 16-bit PC
sound boards on the market which have a Windows 3.1 driver and
microphone input capability, says the company. It will continue to
be bundled with Sound Blaster boards. VoiceAssist software is
bundled with a microphone and retails for $99.

(Ian Stokell/19930629/Press Contact: Benita Kenn,
408-428-6600, Creative Labs Inc.)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00004)

Easel Expands Enfin Family 06/30/93
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Easel
has begun expanding its Enfin line of client/server development
tools into the worlds of Unix, multimedia, and "legacy" applications
built on older host systems.

Easel launched Enfin SQL Edition for AIX Motif, which runs on
IBM's RS/6000 workstations and servers. The company said the new
version of Enfin, object-oriented software already available for
Windows and OS/2, is the first of a number of Unix versions planned.

"I can't give you any dates," company spokesman Douglas Clauson
said, but Easel plans versions of Enfin for Santa Cruz Operation,
Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems variants of Unix.

Enfin Commbuilder is meant to help software developers build
client/server applications around existing host-based systems
that are networked to personal computers. Clauson said the
software, available for the Windows and OS/2 versions of Enfin,
makes it easier to surround existing host applications with
graphical front-end components.

Enfin Commbuilder is available immediately as part of the
Distributed Presentation Option for Enfin, which lists for $3,995.

Enfin Multimedia is designed to help developers build sound, still
images and live-motion video into applications. Easel said it will be
suited to applications where images, photographs, and associated
commentary are critical, such as insurance claims processing and
legal record keeping. Enfin Multimedia is to be available in the
third quarter for Enfin for Windows, with a list price of $1,995.

Enfin for AIX is based on the SmallTalk object-oriented
programming language. Easel said developers can use it to build
applications that take advantage of AIX's multiuser, multitasking
environment and can be ported seamlessly to Windows and OS/2.
Enfin applications developed for Windows or OS/2 also can be
moved to AIX.

Enfin for AIX uses the Motif graphical user interface (GUI). Easel also
said Enfin for AIX is the first client/server development tool to adopt
the Common Open Systems Environment (COSE) by providing Common
User Access (CUA) '91 constructs such as notebook and slider.
The development environment provides a suite of client/server
development tools and supports major Unix and mainframe
databases, such as Oracle, Sybase, and Informix.

Enfin for AIX is due to ship in the third quarter, with a list
price of $7,900.

(Grant Buckler/19930629/Press Contact: Douglas S. Clauson,
Easel, 617-221-3088)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00005)

October is Computer Learning Month 06/30/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- October is Computer
Learning Month, according to the Computer Learning Foundation of
Palo Alto, California. This year it has awarded what it calls a
seal of approval for schools to 72 computer, software, and related
products.

The foundation awards these products "Computer Learning Dollars."
This is a new program sponsored by Tetra Pak, which makes drink
boxes, and will be piloted in North Carolina, New Jersey, and
Massachusetts.

Schools can earn the Computer Learning Dollars by saving the symbols
on Tetra Pak drink boxes from a variety of products. The symbols can
be traded in for discounts on a catalog of approved products sent by
the foundation. Principals in the states will be sent a kit in August.
Office Depot is sponsoring the program in North Carolina.

Computer Learning Month started as a project of the Software
Publishers Association in 1987, and was spun-out a year later.
The group publishes a number of books and pamphlets aimed at
helping parents sort through learning software choices.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930629/Press Contact: Sally Bowman
Alden, Computer Learning Foundation, tel [phone], fax
415-327-3349)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00006)

Math Trek Aimed At Grade 7 To 9 Students 06/30/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Math Trek, an
educational program for personal computers running DOS and the
Microsoft Windows graphical user environment, developed by a
school board, will soon be offered through a subsidiary of Unisys
Canada and Addison-Wesley Publishers.

The Carleton Roman Catholic School Board developed Math Trek for
Grade 7, 8, and 9 students as part of a project aimed at creating
a new core curriculum for what the board calls, "the transition
years."

According to its creators, Math Trek is a modular program that
makes much use of graphics and animation. It is designed for
self-directed, self-paced learning, with each module containing
tutorial lessons, practice material, and tests. There are also an
on-line glossary and help, a detailed teacher's manual and a
student tracking and recording system.

The program's seven modules cover algebra, fractions, integers,
geometry, percentages, graphics, and whole numbers and decimals.
It covers about 70 percent of the Province of Ontario's math
curriculum for the three grades, the developers claim.

Development was supported by the NECTAR Foundation, a charitable
body associated with the Carleton Roman Catholic School Board.

Howard Neubauer, president of Unisys Canada subsidiary Iconix
International, said his company will promote the software to its
customers. Iconix sells computer hardware and software to the
education market. However, buyers will be referred to
Addison-Wesley, which will handle distribution.

The Ontario government has approved the program for use in the
province's schools, and Iconix is working on similar approval
from other jurisdictions, Neubauer said.

Distribution of the software has just begun, he added. Prices
range from C$129 for one module on a single computer, through
C$695 for all seven modules on one computer or for a site license
for one module, to C$2,795 for a site license for all seven
modules. Board licenses are negotiable.

(Grant Buckler/19930629/Press Contact: Howard Neubauer, Iconix,
416-609-7819; Vic D'Amico, NECTAR Foundation, 613-224-7286;
Public Contact: Iconix, 800-387-5078)


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

Micrografx Ships Picture Publisher 4.0 for Windows 06/30/93
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Micrografx has
announced that it now shipping release 4.0 of Picture Publisher,
its Windows-based image editor.

The company says the new release includes a number of new features,
including Object Layers and FastBits. Object Layers is a technique
that places pasted-in bitmap objects in layers. The objects can be
moved and edited. The company says that will be of particular
interest to graphic artists and image retouchers who create
composite images.

Micrografx says FastBits evolved from listening to and watching
users of Picture Publishers, who would frequently want to edit a
small area or "bit" of a large image. Picture Publisher provides an
option of previewing the image and creating a user-definable grid to
select a portion of the image for editing to speed up retouching and
editing.

The program has added a new text engine that allows text to be
entered on-screen rather than in a dialog box, with text sizing, font
changes, and editing available on-screen. "We looked at how difficult
text was in competing products and solicited feedback from our
customers to provide the best text engine for bitmap programs,"
said Product Manager Grant Wickes.

The company has also added a new color correction option that is
designed to allow users to visually correct images for color balance
as well as contrast and brightness. The previous method of changing
numerical values to change those characteristics is still available,
but the added method lets the user correct images quickly by looking
at and adjusting thumbnail representations.

An ImageBrowser has also been added that lets the user view
thumbnail images for opening and saving files, and searching can be
done using key words or file names. The program also supports the
use of wild card characters. Users can also save images in groups
Micrografx calls "Albums," so images associated with a single
subject or project are saved together.

In addition to the previously available masking tools like AutoMask
and Color Shield, Picture Publisher now includes a Paint-On mask
that uses a paintbrush-type technique to create a mask. The company
also claims that users can apply a transparent red film over the
image to create the mask they need. Single-button control adds or
subtracts within masked areas.

Picture Publisher 4.0 has a suggested retail price of $595, and is
available through September 30, 1993, for $199 for users who switch
from a competitive product. Registered users of Picture Publisher can
upgrade for $99.95 through June 30 only.

Micrografx spokesperson Katrina Krebs told Newsbytes that while
it might seem unusual for such a short upgrade time, all registered
users have already been notified of the upgrade offer. Starting
July 1, 1993, registered users of earlier versions will pay $149.95.

(Jim Mallory/19930629/Press contact: Katrina Krebs, Micrografx,
214-994-6247; Reader contact: Micrografx Inc, 214-234-1769 or
800-733-3729)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00008)

Charles Barkley & Bubsy Bobcat Go One-on-One 06/30/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- In the high-flying
world of professional sports, you know you're a genuine superstar
when you get to endorse a video game. That is what's happened to
Charles Barkley, the NBA's Most Valuable Player, who has signed an
exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with game maker Accolade.

At the same time, the company says it has reached an agreement
with Burbank, California-based Imagination Factory that makes the
company the exclusive merchandising and licensing agent for
video game character "Bubsy Bobcat."

According to Accolade, Barkley will co-design and endorse a
basketball game that is scheduled for release on the Super Nintendo,
Sega Genesis and IBM PC platforms during the first quarter of next
year.

Under terms of Imagination Factory's agreement, the character
of the videogame "Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind,"
will be marketed worldwide.

One of the first marketing endeavors planned for "Bubsy Bobcat" is an
animated television special set to air over the Thanksgiving Weekend
in 1993 during the "Kid's Day Off" block, a  syndication package by
Bohbot Communications. The special is entitled "What Could Possibly
Go Wrong?"

(Ian Stokell/19930629/Press Contact: Megan Humpal, 408-985-1700,
Accolade; Peter Devoy, 818-954-8221, Imagination Factory Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00009)

News, Corporate Info CDs From Newsweek, Business Week 06/30/93
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Both
Newsweek and Business Week have announced plans to create and
distribute their own multimedia CD-ROM titles. Newsweek is
offering Newsweek Interactive, a quarterly wrap-up of multimedia
news and information, while Business Week says it will team up
with Standard & Poor's to produce a round-up of the top 1,000 US
companies in its Business Week 1,000 CD-ROM.

Users can expect text, audio, video, animations, narration, and
photo essays in the titles. The first issue of the Newsweek
Interactive CD will focus on the possible demise of the game of
baseball and on environmental concerns. Interactive advertising from
American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T), Ford Lincoln-Mercury, IBM,
and Sony will also be on the CD. The company says it is the only
quarterly multimedia news magazine on multiple CD-ROM platforms
to be sold by subscription.

Software Toolworks, known for its game titles, is distributing
the Newsweek Interactive CD in the retail channel. Consumers
can expect to find the CD in Babbages, Best Buy, Circuit City,
Computer City, Compusa, Egghead, Electronic Boutique, Micro
Center, Software Etc., Waldensoft, and The Wiz.

Business Week is attempting to present an executive roundtable
on key issues and a portrait of corporate turnaround. Interviews with
executives from the company, terms and technology issues, and data
will all be part of information available to users. The determination
of what companies are listed in the CD is based on market value. A
database is central to the CD, which allows access to volumes of
financial information on the companies and in-depth background and
historical information from Standard & Poor's Information Group, a
division of McGraw Hill.

Both products are expected to be available to consumers in
July. The Newsweek CD will be available for IBM and compatible
CD-ROM-equipped personal computers (PCs) and the Sony
Multimedia CD-ROM Player which uses the CD-ROM XA format.
Subscriptions to the Newsweek Interactive are retail priced at
$149 per year or $49.95 per issue in stores.

The Business Week CD will be available in both PC and Macintosh
CD-ROM formats. The CD is retail priced at $399.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930628/Press Contact: Diana Pearson,
Newsweek, 212-350-4342, Public Contact, Newsweek,
800-634-6850; Jo Coppola, Business Week, 212-512-2932)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00010)

MatLab Software Ported From Unix To Windows 06/30/93
NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- The Mathworks
has ported its MatLab high-performance computation software
from Unix platforms to the Windows 3.1 environment.

In addition to numeric computations, MatLab provides a 4GL (fourth
generation language) programming language, graphics, and
application-specific toolboxes for analyzing and visualizing data,
optimizing engineering systems designs and algorithms, and
creating mathematical models.

MatLab 4.0 for Windows 3.1, a 32-bit implementation, contains such
Windows-specific enhancements as the ability to play back sampled
sounds from any Windows 3.1-compatible sound device, and to paste
MatLab graphics into other Windows applications, officials said in
announcing the product.

Other features include a new external interface library, an
improved facility for working with external C and Fortran routines,
flexible file input/output, and upgraded debugging and programmable
user interface controls.

MatLabs 4.0 for Windows is shipping now. The software is also
available for Sun Sparcstations, DEC Ultrix, IBM RS/6000, HP 9000
Series 300/400/700, and Silicon Graphics Iris 4D workstations.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930628/Press Contacts: Mary Campbell,
Rourke & Company for The Mathworks Inc., tel [phone] ext
304; or Joanne Dawson, The Mathworks, tel [phone] ext 418;
Reader Contact: The Mathworks, tel [phone])


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

PCTV Schedule For July, 1993 06/30/93
MARLOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- PCTV, the
weekly show hosted by Victoria Smith, has provided the following
information regarding their schedule for next month. PCTV is seen
on the Mind Extension University cable channel Saturdays at 6
p.m. Eastern time or other times, according to local schedules
and a number of broadcast stations across the United States.

Direct satellite feeds of PCTV are seen on G6, transponder 23,
Thursday at 4 p.m., on Tel 301, transponder 19, Thursday at 10
p.m., and on G5, transponder 21, Saturdays at 6p.m. - all times
Eastern.

July 1, 1993, PCTV (93-26) "Managing Your Information": Victoria
Smith looks at Lotus Development Corporation's Lotus Organizer, a
personal information manager for Microsoft Windows. Lotus gives
us some tips for using Lotus Organizer, and we find out how a
computer's keyboard works.

July 8, 1993, PCTV (93-27) "Home Finance Made Simple": Victoria
Smith shows us a new software release that makes managing your
finances at home easier. We also take a look at Per%Sense,
financial calculation software from Ones and Zeros, Inc.

July 15, 1993, PCTV (93-28) "Making the Right Contacts": Victoria
Smith takes a look at Symantec Corporation's ACT! for Windows
version 1.1, a contact management software package. Symantec will
give us some tips for using ACT! for Windows, and Fred Langa of
Windows Magazine will show us an add-in that improves the Windows
3.1 interface.

July 22, 1993, PCTV (93-29) "The Captured Image": Victoria Smith
takes a first look at a new technology in scanners. Inset
Systems shows us Hijaak Pro for Windows, a graphics utility
package for capturing, saving, sending, and translating graphics
files. PC Computing's Ron White takes us inside the computer
monitor.

July 29, 1993, PCTV (93-30) "All In The Palm of Your Hand":
Victoria Smith looks at some of the latest handheld and
sub-notebook computers. After we get an explanation of SCSI, and
why this interface makes sense, Dale Lewallen will give us an
answer to a common computer question in PC Computing's Q&A.

(John McCormick/19930628/Press Contact: Wayne Mohr, Executive
Producer PCTV and MacTV, 603-863-9322)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEL)(00012)

India - Sonata's Network Guru Software For The US 06/30/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- American Hi-tech Corp. (AHC)
is gearing up to launch the NetGuru suite of integrating network
design and simulation packages in the United States. The software
was developed by Sonata (Software Division of Indian Organic
Chemicals) of Bangalore.

NetGuru is now in the final testing stages and is likely to be
launched in September this year. The testing is being done at 50 to
60 beta sites in the US, according to C. Ramachandra, assistant vice
president of Sonata.

Sonata developed NetGuru with venture capital funding from PACT in
technical collaboration with AHC. The development involved 15 man-
years of effort and an investment of Rs 60 lakh. PACT funding was to
the extent of Rs 20 lakh.

NetGuru comprises three modules. Netbook, the first module, is a
compendium of all networking standards and all subsystems that go
into a network. In other words, it is a tutorial package on
networking.

The Net manager module has a network designer database and
facilities to keep track of hardware and software configurations
used in order for a network administrator to design a network.

The third module is a simulator which can simulate off-line how a
network design will perform. Networks designed on Net manager
could be loaded on to the simulator. The package works with the
Windows graphical user environment.

NetGuru is targeted at large system integrators and network
administrators. "We're still working with AHC on the pricing and
whether we must offer the modules separately," said Ramachandra.

Sonata has plans to market the NetBook module in India, though not
the other two modules. Ramachandra reckons that NetGuru's chances
in the US are bright, "as there is no other product in the US market
which clubs tutorial, design, and simulation of networks as yet."

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930630)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00013)

Japan Digital Equipment Moves Into New Building 06/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Japan Digital Equipment
Corporation (DEC) has just completed its own office building.
The firm's 1,700 employees will make the move into the
building on July 2.

It is estimated that it will take about two months for the
company to complete the move.

Japan DEC's new office building is located in Tokyo's Suginami Ward,
which is just slightly west from the center of the city. It is 18
stories high, and has a total area of 17,550 square meters. The
high-tech building is equipped with local area networks based on
high speed optical fibers.

Currently, Japan DEC has its headquarters in the Sunshine building
in Ikebukuro and several branch offices in Tokyo. The firm's
employee training center will be kept at the Sunshine building.
It took three years to complete the new building.

The address of the new headquarters will be 1-2-1 Kamiogi,
Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167. The main telephone number will be
03-5349-7111.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930629/Press Contact: Japan Digital
Equipment Corporation, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00014)

NECC - Paramount's Caulo Says He Understands Education 06/30/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Vice President Al
Gore and Paramount Technology Group Keith Schaefer had to cancel
their planned Wednesday keynotes at the National Educational
Computer Conference. Ralph Caulo, president of the Paramount
Publishing education group, replaced Schaefer. Newsbytes caught
up with him and Computer Curriculum head Ron Fortune, who
reports to Caulo, at the NECC press room.

Caulo's speech focused on Paramount's commitment to education
as a corporation, "showing some of the things we're doing and
thinking about doing. We're going to run the gamut, from simple
audio to complex CD and CD-I and distance learning."

Caulo also expressed understanding of the fact that education
debates don't involve technology. "I don't think" technology
should be part of the public debate, he said. "Education has to
catch up with the rest of society, using technology to its
advantage. That's where it lags, and that's created problems.
Everyone's for technology. But what they think it is, differs.
Taxpayers are for technology. Have they stepped up to the cost or
have we formulated a plan for how to implement, and what it's
going to do? No."

The problem is, "Education has a disadvantage the private sector
doesn't in implementing technology. They can't capitalize it.
They don't have a method for capturing the investment in 18
months. It's hard to quantify." Thus, most of the education
debate involves what will or will not be taught. "Technology allows
for more choice than what was offered before. If someone wants to
restrict the curriculum, technology allows for it. But that's not
the intent."

Caulo manages 15 separate subsidiaries, many of which had small
NECC booths in a shared corner of the show floor. Among the units
are Prentice-Hall's education publishing divisions and Coronet
Films, responsible for those old film strips you may remember if
you attended school in the 1960s.

"Paramount corporate is a provider of educational-entertainment-
knowledge -- a continuum. What we're doing here is to show we've
gone way beyond the book," he said, licensing characters like those
from Richard Scarry's children's stories for new learning software.
"What we're trying to say is that with technology integrated into
the learning scheme, we're going to be able to not just learn more
and faster, but retain and use it," he said.

Fortune expanded on the Scarry series for Newsbytes. "It's based
on his playgrounds. It's developed for pre-schoolers. We've
defined about 40 basic readiness skills and built playgrounds
using Richard Scarry characters, in which we will develop those
readiness skills. This will be on floppy disk and CD-ROM. It will
be sold directly to consumers, through traditional means, but
also to education through various ways. It will come out under
the Paramount logo. We have another unit, Paramount Interactive,
which has the charter of moving our educational software to
consumer markets."

He continued: "You can't afford to re-invent schooling. Technology
should be the catalyst to maximize what they have in terms of
facilities, and get to more kids in a timely fashion. With technology,
schooling shouldn't stop at the door at 3pm. But it does - historically,
other than homework. Technology should  make it more palatable -
maybe you get another 15-30 minutes of learning going on, because
of the use of technology."

Caulo also spoke up on behalf of the teacher's role in reforming
education, a theme brought up the previous day by Jan Davidson of
Davidson & Associates. "The teacher is becoming more powerful,
and rightly so. The teacher also has to have the responsibility
for making that decision. I agree with Jan that the teacher is
core. The boards of education are not taking over instruction. I
think what we'll see more is demonstratable accountability. I
hope technology will add to that and stimulate the student. I
think the teachers will buy in very strongly. They've probably
bought in more than we realized. The critical point is the
teacher attracting the student who is the consumer, getting some
of that enthusiasm and having the teacher be comfortable that
learning is going on."

As to what will create a roadmap for adding more technology to
schools, "I think necessity and peer pressures will create the
roadmap. We're going to have to go in this direction. If public
schools are to remain a great institution, they have to move in
this direction. You can't just stand still. Technology's changing
and combining of jobs has been very traumatic. it's not a smooth
road. But it's necessary. And we at Paramount just feel real
strongly about it, and have been going through these changes in
digitizing everything. We're all facing the same thing. And
schooling is a big industry. The most important one."

What attracts people like Caulo to the education market is mainly
its potential, not its reality, he added. "Last year $5.5 billion
was spent on videogames. $4 billion was spent on all educational
materials, from chalk to PCs. The $5.5 billion was spent with no
restrictions on it, voluntarily. There has to be something there
we can learn - don't fight 'em." Caulo doesn't think edutainment
is a bad thing. "One thing that got my attention is the amount of
print support there is for videogames to increase your knowledge.
There's a whole spin-off. There's motivation. Is it problem-
solving? I don't know."

He continued: "If you think about what Ron Fortune has said
about the ideal teaching-learning situation, it's exactly what
you have in games. They're totally goal-oriented. In what other
venue can you get people to practice as they do in videogames?
Many of those attributes we're looking for in education are
demonstrated in videogaming. Why? Constant assessment - they're
always informed where they are. I think there's going to be a
blur between the school and consumer market. The whole emphasis
on original stories, on teaching by writing," is identical.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930630)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00015)

NECC - A Tour Of The Show Floor 06/30/93
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- The National
Educational Computer Conference is a professional conference, not
a trade show. But it did have two separate exhibit halls where
one could, at a glance, see the market's pecking order.

The main show floor was dominated by two booths, those of Apple
Computer and IBM's EduQuest unit. Josten's, which actually sells
more computers than either, had a smaller booth, without the
"gee-whiz" of its two rivals. Its sales cycle concentrates more on
principals, superintendents and school boards than teachers. Its
booth was low-key.

The same could not be said for the other large booth at the show,
from Tandy's Computer City Direct unit. There, multimedia PCs
were demonstrating educational titles, and the word throughout
the booth was "sell, sell, sell." An equally high-pressure
atmosphere was to be found in a smaller booth for Dell Computer.

Paramount's effort was divided among many small, clustered
booths, with only an aisle sign identifying the fact that all had
the same corporate parent. Other key software players, like
Davidson & Associates, Broderbund, and MECC, had small booths
demonstrating their latest software titles. Scholastic had
two booths, one for its new on-line network, one for its books.
All the major book publishers, including MacMillan and
ScottForesman, also had small booths in the main hall.

Scholastic was not the only on-line offering at this show. About a
half-dozen of the 10 by 10 booths in the second NECC hall were
offering on-line systems of one sort or another. AT&T was
demonstrating its Learning Network for teachers, while other
Internet providers were showing their wares alongside market
research companies. At one booth, from Market Research Plus, this
reporter looked up his old high school, which he hasn't seen in
20 years, finding it smaller, with little technology, none of the
old teachers, and a per-pupil expenditure now half of nearby
rivals.

The other booths at the second hall were as diverse as the
backrooms of an old Comdex or PC Expo. Included were
distributors, security companies, makers of printed teaching
materials, and a few real breakthroughs like the Roamer robot.
While the 5,123 teachers who were registered attendees spent most
of their time at this show in sessions, learning what their
colleagues across the country were doing with meager resources,
there was steady traffic throughout both halls. The traffic was
punctuated by school children who appeared to be mostly teachers'
relatives, being treated with deference given real decision makers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930630)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00016)

Japan - Proposed Digital VCR Standard Soon 06/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Ten Japanese and European
electronics firms have been hammering out a proposed standard
for the international digital video cassette recorder (VCR).

It is expected that the firms will create an association and
announce possible specifications under the standard. It is
speculated that the digital VCR could become one of the major
products for the multimedia market.

The firms include Matsushita Electronics, Sony, Philips,
Thomson, Hitachi, Toshiba, Japan Victor Corporation, Sanyo
Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, and Sharp.

According to Matsushita, the firm will make an announcement
of the creation of the association and the standard specifications
at the end of this week.

The digital VCR is claimed to be a unique data compression
technology. Its tape is only 0.25-inch or 6.4-millimeters (mm)
wide, which is about a half of current VHS tape. It can also
reportedly record and replay pictures at an extra clear resolution.

It is reported that the tape can record a maximum of four hours.
It is compatible with various high definition TV (HDTV) standards,
which include those being proposed as industry standards in the US
and Europe.

However, there is no compatibility with the existing VHS and
8-mm VCRs. The ten firms are also talking about a standard on
digital camcorders, which will be able to record an hour picture
on a tape.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930630/Press Contact:
Matsushita Electric, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00017)

Sega & W-Industries In Virtual Reality Deal 06/30/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Sega Enterprises has signed an
agreement with Britain's W-Industries which calls for both firms
to jointly develop a virtual-reality arcade game device and
software.

Under terms of the agreement, Sega Enterprises wants to develop
a low-cost simulation helmet-type device. It is reported that
W-Industries has developed an advanced virtual reality technology.
Sega wants to incorporate the technology in the company's
prototype device.

Sega's current head-mounted display allows game players to
enter into an artificial playing environment. The companies hope
that, with this head-gear and the software, users will be able
to experience new three-dimensional games.

Current head-gear weighs about two to three kilograms, which is
quite heavy. However, the new device is expected to weigh only
around 500 grams.

The first prototype device is expected this August. The device will
be manufactured by Sega and will be marketed worldwide by the end
of 1993. The firm plans to create five kinds of software within
two years.

Sega also wants to use the new device at its game parks, which
are planned for Japan and overseas. To start, the firm plans to
introduce the device at the game park in Osaka, which will open in
early 1994.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930630/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00018)

 ****Two Suspects Arrested In Connecticut ATM Fraud 06/30/93
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Two Arizona
men have been arrested in connection with a fraud case that
involved using a fake automated teller machine (ATM) in a
Connecticut mall to obtain the account numbers and identification
codes of bank customers.

Alan Scott Pace and Gerald Harvey Greenfield, both of Tucson,
Arizona, are in custody and charged with fraud, conspiracy, and
transportation of stolen property, after the illegally obtained
codes were used to steal about $100,000 from bank accounts, Dan
Marchitello, the Secret Service agent in charge of the investigation,
told Newsbytes.

Several warrants were outstanding for Pace on other offenses
including credit-card fraud, Marchitello said.

The dummy bank machine was placed in the Buckland Hills Mall in
Manchester, Connecticut from April 24 to May 9 of this year,
Marchitello said. It recorded the account numbers and personal
identification numbers of bank customers. The thieves then used
those numbers to withdraw money from customers' accounts at
various bank machines up and down the East Coast of the United
States.

Marchitello said Pace and Greenfield were arrested partly as a
result of information from a New York company that had sold them
coding and embossing equipment. The company said the men had not
paid a $20,000 bill for the gear.

A court appearance is set for July 1. The Secret Service is
seeking a third suspect who played a minor role in the scam,
Marchitello said.

(Grant Buckler/19930630/Press Contact: Secret Service,
New Haven, 203-865-2449)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00019)

Northern Telecom Expects Loss, Stern Leaves 06/30/93
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Northern
Telecom has revealed that it expects to report a loss in its
second fiscal quarter, which ends June 30.

The company also announced that Paul Stern, who had already
been replaced as president and chief executive, has resigned as
chairman. The quarterly loss will be Northern's first in almost
five years.

Stern's departure is not likely a direct result of the expected
second-quarter loss, though some observers link his earlier
removal from the president's office to the company's troubles.
Jean Monty, former chairman and chief executive of sister company
Bell Canada, was brought in as president and chief operating
officer of Northern last October, and took the chief executive's
title from Stern in March.

A statement from the company said lower-than-expected sales of
public switching equipment, along with continued price pressures,
will reduce Northern's gross margins in the second quarter and
all of 1993. While revenues in Asia, the Pacific Rim, the Caribbean,
and Latin America are strong, North American and European
revenues are growing more slowly than expected, officials said.

"The other shoe has fallen," commented Eamon Hoey, a Toronto
telecommunications consultant. "I don't think the third quarter's
going to be much better."

He claimed that Stern's management style - widely reported to be
heavy-handed and confrontational - contributed to Northern's
problems. He was optimistic for the future, however, saying
Monty faces a difficult task, but "anyone who thinks Jean Monty
doesn't have the stomach and nerve to take this, they're in for
a surprise."

Northern also appointed a new chairman, O. Bradford Butler,
former chairman of Procter & Gamble Co. His appointment is
effective immediately.

Also, Northern appointed W.B. (Brian) Hewat, former president and
chief executive of Stentor Resource Centre, as chairman and chief
executive of its Bell-Northern Research subsidiary. Stentor
Resource Centre is part of the Stentor alliance of Canada's regional
telephone companies, which includes Bell Canada. Northern said
George C. Smyth, president of Bell-Northern, will focus on
developing the research firm's core technologies and international
expansion strategy.

(Grant Buckler/19930630/Press Contact: Tom Tropea, Northern
Telecom, 416-566-3178; Gary Brandt, Northern Telecom,
416-566-3098)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00020)

IBM Canada Outsources, Creates Network Services Unit 06/30/93
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- A shuffle at IBM
Canada has created a new network services company analogous
to the Advantis joint venture in the United States, while
outsourcing the company's internal computer operations to ISM
Information Systems Management, a services firm in which IBM
Canada is the majority shareholder.

IBM Canada is combining its IBM Information Network (IIN) unit
with its Telecommunications Services network to create a
still-unnamed network services company. A wholly owned
subsidiary of IBM Canada, the new unit will have about 210
employees at first, said Bob Milne, its general manager. It is
already in operation, and Milne said he expects it will have a
name in four to six weeks.

The new unit's employees will initially include about 150 who
formerly ran computer and telecommunications services for IBM
itself, Milne said. Another 150 of those people will be "loaned"
to ISM to help the outsourcer take over IBM's computer
operations. As the new network services organization grows, it
will take those people back from ISM.

Tom McNulty, a spokesman for ISM, said his company expects to
hire additional staff to help it handle the IBM contract, which
he said is worth about C$15 million per year.

Combining ISM's existing Toronto computer center with IBM's
facilities will create one of the largest computer centers in
Canada, ISM officials said. IBM Canada owns 53 percent of ISM.

Milne said his new organization will set out to expand its
business in providing network services to a variety of customers.
The existing IBM Information Network unit already serves about
1,400 customers in Canada, he said.

As a worldwide operation, IBM Information Network has always
enjoyed a good deal of independence from country subsidiaries,
Milne said. With the new arrangement in Canada, his group will be
given only revenue and profit objectives by the parent company
and will be otherwise independent.

The new Canadian subsidiary is somewhat like Advantis, IBM's
networking joint venture with Sears Roebuck in the United States,
Milne said, except that it is wholly owned by IBM. Advantis is "a
much more separate business than we would be at present," he
said.

(Grant Buckler/19930630/Press Contact: Mike Quinn, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900; Tom McNulty, ISM, 416-351-6506)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00021)

 ****Explosion In Home PCs Predicted By 1999 06/30/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Market research
group Channel Marketing is predicting "explosive" growth in the
PC market in the next six years saying more than eight times as
many personal computers (PCs) will be sold by 1999 than have
been sold since the introduction of the PC.

The group also claims the majority of these computers will be
purchased through mass marketing outlets, such as warehouse
buying clubs, just as microwave ovens and video cassette
recorders (VCRs) are now.

A high 2.5 computers per household is predicted by the end of the
decade, up from 2.2 per household predicted a year earlier. At the
end of 1992 there were an estimated 0.3 computers per household,
or about 30 million units. Contributing factors to the purchase of
computers for the home include lower prices, increased mass
market retail availability, increased growth in home-based
businesses and telecommuting, educational needs of children, and
the use of computers by college and university students, the
group said.

In the educational environment, many higher educational
institutions are now requiring that students own a computer. In
the future, parents are also expected to offer each child their own
computer as an educational advantage. The research firm also
maintains families want to have access to on-line information
utilities such as America Online, Compuserve, and Prodigy. The
notebook computer will be as common in schools across America
as the pocket calculator is today, Channel Marketing asserts.

By 1995, more than half of all computers purchased will be
purchased through the consumer mass market channel. Since most
computers come with the software installed, buying a computer
will be no different than buying any other appliance for the
home, Channel Marketing insists.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930630/Press Contact: David Goldstein,
Channel Marketing, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00022)

New Typefaces From Adobe - Wild Types & Basics 06/30/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- Animals
and trendy themes dominate one of Adobe's two newly released
sets of fonts, the Wild Type collection. The other new set is
the Adobe Type Basics set aimed at those who are starting a
type library.

The Wild Type collection includes: Critter, creatures who say
who they are by their letter by Craig Frazier; Cutout by Gail
Blumberg, described as flexible figures of people; Studz, a
typeface made to look like rivets by Michael Harvey; Rad,
designed around the skateboard "scene" by John Ritter; Mythos,
a typeface of legendary beasts by Min Wang and Jim Wasco;
Toolbox, in which each letter looks like a tool, by Brian
Strysko; Quake, inspired by an earthquake and designed by Fryda
Berd; and Giddyup and Giddyup Thangs, with an old west theme,
by Laurie Szujewska. Five other fonts included from the Adobe
Originals collection are: Myriad Sketch, Myriad Headline,
Myriad Tilt, Birch, and Utopia Headline.

Also announced is the Adobe Type Basics, a collection of 65
typefaces. "Adobe Type Basics is targeted at the entry-level
customer who wishes to build a versatile library of high-
quality typefaces at an affordable price," said Brian Heuckroth,
senior product marketing manager for Adobe Type Products. The
Basics package includes Adobe Type Manager with 13 standard
typefaces, 22 standard typefaces from Adobe's Plus Pack, and
30 Adobe Type 1 typefaces.

Both the Wild Things collection and the Adobe Type Basics are
available now through Adobe resellers for both the Apple
Computer Macintosh and IBM compatible personal computer (PC)
platforms. The Wild Things package carries a suggested retail
price of $60. The Adobe Type Basics is $198, reduced from a
suggested retail value of $2,000, Adobe maintains. In addition,
registered users of Adobe Plus Pack may upgrade to Adobe Type
Basics for $39 through December 31, 1993.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930630/Press Contact: Sonya Schaefer, Adobe,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Adobe,
800-833-6687)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00023)

PC Expo - Ultimedia Tools, Wider Distribution For OS/2 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- In a press
conference at PC Expo, IBM introduced three new Ultimedia
products for the recently released OS/2 2.1 that are designed to
make OS/2 a premier environment for creating and delivering
multimedia.

In a suite of additional OS/2 announcements, IBM stated that the
new version of the operating system, delivered to retail stores
three weeks ago, will now be available with computers from Compaq,
Everex, and Unisys.

"OS/2 2.1 is everything DOS and Windows would like to have been,
and everything Windows NT would like to be, whenever it ships,"
stated Lee Reiswig, president of IBM's PSP (Personal Software
Products) Division, in a press briefing where IBM issued the
OS/2 announcements and also unveiled Pen for OS/2, PenDOS 2.2,
and PC DOS 6.1.

The new multimedia tools for OS/2 2.1 are Ultimedia Builder/2, a
multimedia presentation development package; Ultimedia Perfect
Image/2 image processing and enhancement software; and
Ultimedia Workplace/2, for linking multimedia information to
relational databases.

In the OS/2 resale deals, OS/2 2.1 will be available on request for
all current Compaq desktop and server products through Compaq's
traditional reseller channels.

OS/2 2.1 will also be available for the Unisys PW2 Advantage and
Advantage Plus series of PCs, including the new Intel Pentium-
based Advantage Plus models 5606 and 5608, as a companion
operating system for Unisys "dual personality" Open A Series line of
enterprise servers, and, initially as a shrink-wrapped package, for
the newly released STEP VL bus system family from Everex.

Additionally, Everex has ported the IBM Symmetrical Multiprocessor
software (OS/2 SMP) to its upcoming STEP dual processor desktop
systems. Also at PC Expo, IBM is demonstrating SMP with extensions
to OS/2 2.1. With SMP, application processes and threads are
automatically dispatched by the operating system to run on any of
several general purpose processors, a measure aimed at improving
multitasking and multithreading performance.

"I'd like to congratulate IBM for the level of support they've
given us," said John Paul, Compaq's vice president of sales, also
speaking at the press conference. IBM hardware divisions are
competitors to Compaq, but the IBM Personal Software Products
Division, which produces OS/2 and other software offerings, is not,
stated Paul. "We've been placed on a very level playing field with
IBM's personal computers," he commented.

In a question-and-answer period at the close of the briefing,
Reiswig was asked what sort of impact Windows NT will have on
OS/2 sales when NT comes to market, an event that Microsoft CEO
Bill Gates has promised will occur by July 24 in his keynote
speech at PC Expo.

"Right now, we're competing against a phantom," responded Reiswig.
"I kind of wish NT would come to market, because then we'll know
what we're up against. But I don't think (the release of Windows
NT) will have a dramatic impact."

The new Ultimedia products from IBM are slated to ship July 15.
Ultimedia Builder/2, a package to list at $345, will provide a
filmstrip-like work area where end users can drag-and-drop audio,
video, graphics and animation files to create a "story" or
presentation.

End users will also be able to reorganize and edit presentations
with cut, copy and paste, and embellish presentations with special
effects. Professional users will be able to take advantage of the
AVA/2 (Audio Visual Authoring) language for more sophisticated
multimedia applications.

Ultimedia Perfect Image/2, a package to list for $175, will let
users capture images from a variety of sources, and convert images
between AVC (Audio Visual Connection), TIFF/Fax compressed, OS/2
bitmap, Windows 3.x bitmap, PCX, and TARGA file formats.

Users will also be able to enhance image through such tools as a
mask, a grayscale feature, and a color wheel for choosing a color
range or shifting the overall color tone for or away a specific
color.

Ultimedia Workplace/2, also to list at $345, will include Light
Table folders that will let users see and work with thumbnail
pictures of multimedia files.  Users will also be able to link
multimedia files to a range of popular relational databases,
including dBase IV, Oracle, OS/2 Database Manager, and DB2/2, and
to query Workplace/2 with the use of SQL (standard query language).

Through September 30, Ultimedia Builder/2 and Ultimedia Perfect
Image/2 will be sold as a promotional bundle for $99, and Ultimedia
Workplace/2 will also be sold for $99.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930630/Press contacts: Steven Malkiewicz,
IBM, 914-642-5449; Gary Baker or Jeff Insco, Technology
Solutions for IBM, 212-505-9900)


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

PC Expo - IBM Unveils PC DOS 6.1, Disk Doubling Upgrade 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- At PC Expo, IBM has
unveiled PC DOS 6.1, an system slated for shipment July 24, along
with plans to provide a free upgrade in September that will supply
both PC DOS 6.0 and 6.1 with the disk compression capabilities of
Microsoft's competing MS DOS 6.0.

In a press conference where the product was announced, IBM
officials said that PC DOS 6.1 will be the only DOS to ship with
pen extensions and PhoenixCard Manager Plus, software that
provides advanced management of PCMCIA cards. PC DOS 6.1 will
also include utilities from Central Point Software for backup,
memory management and scheduling, as well as newly developed
anti-virus technology from IBM.

Lee Reiswig, president of IBM's PSP (Personal Software Products)
Division, stated that IBM will be offering an upgrade that
integrates a complete version of Addstor's SuperStor/DS into
PC DOS 6.1 or 6.0. Speaking with Newsbytes after the press
conference, a spokesperson said that the SuperStor/DS upgrade
will become available in mid to late September.

According to Reiswig, Super Stor/DS will provide real-time data
compression that can up to double the capacity of fixed and
removable disks. The software will also include password
protection, integral disk caching, enhanced memory management,
and support for Universal Data Exchange (UDS), a feature assuring
that compressed files on removable media can be read by a DOS
system, even if compression software is not installed.

SuperStor/DS will run with DoubleSpace and the Microsoft Real-time
Compression Interface specification, allowing users to migrate from
the Microsoft disk doubling software to DoubleSpace, a capability
aimed, in particular, at environments in which information is
shared between PC DOS and the Microsoft MS DOS product.

The PenDOS extensions included in PC DOS 6.1 are designed to let
users navigate most mouse-based DOS applications using a pen.
PhoenixCard Manager Plus, a technology from Phoenix Technologies,
includes the EZInstall feature for simplified installation and
configuration, Advanced Power Management (APM), support for hot
insertion and removal of PCMCIA cards without rebooting, and
several DOS and Windows utilities geared to ease of use, including
display of PC card slot configuration status.

The utilities from Central Point include Central Point Backup (for
DOS and DOS/Windows), the RAMBoost memory management utility,
undelete and a program scheduler.

The new AntiVirus utility is designed to scan for, identify, and
eliminate over 1,400 computer viruses, Reiswig told the reporters.
The tool also offers such features as a small memory footprint, a
fuzzy logic engine to assist in identifying mutating viruses, and
advanced false alarm avoidance.

PC DOS 6.1 will be list priced at $189 for the base product and
$109 for an upgrade from a previous edition of DOS. For the first
90 days, though, the product can be obtained for $59.99 by calling
1-800-342-6672.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930630/Press Contacts:  Deborah Siegel, IBM,
tel [phone]; Gary Baker, Technology Solutions for IBM, tel 212-
505-9900)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00025)

 ****PC Expo - IBM Intros Pen For OS/2 And PenDOS 2.2 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 29 (NB) -- At PC Expo, IBM has
introduced Pen for OS/2 and PenDOS 2.2, the first two pen operating
systems from IBM to be available direct to end users.

Like previous editions of PenDOS, the two new systems will also be
available pre-installed on hardware from a variety of vendors,
officials said in introducing the products. Hardware vendors that
have endorsed the new Pen for OS/2 include Dauphin, AST, Tusk,
TelePad, and FTG Data Systems.

In version 2.2, PenDOS has added support for opaque tablets, a
capability shared by Pen for OS/2. Pen for OS/2 allows users to
operate almost any OS/2, Windows or DOS application using the
pen instead of a mouse. PenDOS does the same for almost any DOS
application.

The pen operating systems can also be used with applications
specifically designed for pen computing. Pen for OS/2 and PenDOS
2.2 each ship with two applications of this kind. Pen for OS/2
comes with Telepen, a collaborative "chalkboard" application, and
Sketchpad, a tool for creating freehand drawings. For PenDOS 2.2,
the bundled software includes expense reporting and freehand fax
applications.

Pen for OS/2 also provides a extensive selection of standard
handwriting gestures to control applications. PenDOS 2.2 supplies
a smaller subset of the same gestures. On both systems, gestures
can also be user-defined to execute menu commands or macros in
both pen-based and traditional applications.

Other features common to both pen systems including a handwriting
recognition that users can "train" to their own handwriting
characteristics, a handwriting recognition window designed to
accept handwriting and pass it back to the application as
traditional text, and a pop-up on-screen keyboard that lets users
enter traditional text, numbers and commands using the pen.

According to officials, the Telepen application that accompanies
Pen for OS/2 allows networked users to share a common space for
viewing, drawing and annotating. Screen captures can be easily
imported into Telepen.

In addition, drawings created with the Sketchpad tool in OS/2 can
be inserted into other applications through the use of the system
clipboard.

The expense reporting application bundled with PenDOS 2.2 is
intended for keeping track of and tallying expenses while
traveling. The freehand fax application lets users create hand
written faxes, and send these faxes by means of a pen-based
computer and Class 2-compatible fax modem.

The two new pen operating systems are available now to end
users at a price of $89 each. Volume pricing is available for OEMs
(original equipment manufacturers).

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930630/Press contacts: Rob Crawley, IBM, tel
914-766-3963; Gary Baker, Technology Solutions for IBM, tel 212-
505-9900; End-user contact: IBM, tel [phone]; Developers'
contact: IBM, tel [phone]; OEM contact: IBM, tel [phone]
579.


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00026)

Networks '93 - US Robotics' Phase II LAN Plan 06/30/93
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- US Robotics used the
Networks '93 show in the United Kingdom to announced the second
phase of its shared access local area network (LAN) connectivity
product range.

As well as showing off an enhancement to its modem sharing kit
that allows network users to send a fax over a shared modem, the
company unveiled two new network access units that integrate
modem technology with LAN hardware.

The two network access units are the LAN modem for Ethernet and
the Communications Server 386 for Ethernet. Both units allow
inwards and outwards dialing for a LAN that uses a modem to
move data around.

The UKP995 standalone LAN access unit allows a modem to be
woven into the framework of a LAN without the need for a PC, or a
dedicated system node on the network. The idea of the unit is to
allow networks to be linked together over the public switched
telephone network (PSTN) on a pay-as-you-go basis, with the
advantage that mobile users can also gain access to the LAN on
demand.

The UKP1,295 Communications Server 386, meanwhile, combines a high
speed modem and a PC for linking to a network. The system provides
all the facilities that the LAN modem for Ethernet does, but with
the added advantage of allowing non-PC users to dial in to the network
and access applications software as if they were driving a PC.

Both units support V.32Bis -14,400 bits-per-second (bps) - speeds,
plus, are what USR claims to be "field upgradable to V.Fast." V.Fast
is the soon-to-ship 28,000 bps modem standard being developed by
several modem manufacturers, under the watchful eye of the CCITT
international telecoms regulatory body.

According to USR, the enhanced modem sharing kit (MSK) is pitched at
a slightly lower level of user than the Ethernet "black boxes." The
UKP799 MSK claims to provide a shared fax facility on a LAN for
around half the cost of a dedicated LAN fax gateway. A dual port
version is available for UKP1,094.

(Steve Gold/1993063/Press & Public Contact: US Robotics - tel
0753-811180, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00027)

Networks '93 Show Opens In UK 06/30/93
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 20 (NB) -- Networks '93, the annual
communications show, takes place in Birmingham this week. As the
show opened Tuesday, it was obvious that the recession that its
still sweeping the computer industry has not affected the
connectivity marketplace.

In total, more than 350 vendors have turned out for the three-day
event, with more than 16,000 visitors to the show expected by the
organizers, Blenheim Online.

Amidst all the local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs)
and other connectivity options, the buzzword this year seems to be
"flexible networking" technology. 3Com announced its networking
technology for 1993 - collapsible backbones - which center
around installing asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network
technology into a network system progressively. Coupled with 10 and
100 megabit-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet networking, 3Com claims
that its approach is flexible, despite costing rather more than the
100Mbps networking technologies from other vendors.

ATM features predominantly at the show, despite the fact that the
cost per network node of ATM technology is typically ten times the
$200 per node costs of Ethernet. Other technologies on show included
100Mbps systems from a variety of vendors, most of whom showed
their products actually working over Type 3 and Type 5 unshielded
Ethernet networks.

Networks' 93 runs through Thursday of this week.

(Steve Gold/19930630)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00028)

PC Expo - ProtoGen+ Visual Dev System For Windows 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- At PC Expo,
ProtoView has introduced ProtoGen+, a visual development system
for Windows applications that is designed to replace the ProtoGen
Application Generator and ProtoView Screen Manager, Menu Designer,
Library and Dialog Editor.

Aimed at C/C++ as well as Pascal applications, the new object-
oriented environment provides point-and-click, drag-and-drop
programming, officials said in announcing the development system.

Other capabilities include a live test mode, the ProGen+ Visual
Development Workbench and operability with the company's upcoming
SQL View database front end and Visual Coders, along with such
features as range validation, choice checking, and complete MDI
(multiple document interface) support.

The new test mode is meant to be used before code is generated or
the application compiled. According to the company, the user
starts with a standard menu, tool bar and status line, and then
fills out the menu with bitmaps, separators and cascaded items.

Status line messages for menu items, child windows, and pop-up
windows are then added in, along with common dialogs for file
open, file save, help, color selection, and printer setup.

The developer then mixes in dialogs and data entry screens,
complete with data validation, picture masking, three-dimensional
effects, colors, and fonts. After being connected with the use of
floating menus, the application is ready for a simulated run.

The ProtoGen+ Visual Development Workbench is a set of tools that
includes the ViewPaint Dialog Editor, a menu designer, code
generators, and the ProtoGen+ Library, and the WinControl Library.

The ViewPaint Dialog Editor employs a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-
what-you-get) approach to developing application windows, data
entry forms and dialog boxes. The developer can use a data
validation feature to verify user-defined ranges, choice lists,
mandatory fields, or table lookups.

Other functions include the ability to establish DDE (dynamic data
exchange) links between fields in a dialog and other applications,
set help messages for each control in a dialog to be displayed
automatically when the user presses the F1 key, create user-
defined error messages, and design and select tools that will be
automatically loaded and displayed on the top, bottom, or either
side of a dialog box.

The menu designer, also a WYSIWYG tool, is designed to let
developers quickly design and link menu resources, and save
them to single or multiple menu template files.

Also in the menu designer, developers can create pop-up menus,
produce checked and grayed menu items, place bitmaps as menu
items, copy and paste menu items, and insert menu breaks and
separators.

The code generator in ProtoGen+ builds on and is completely
compatible with ANSI C for Borland, Microsoft, Watcom and Zortech,
C++ for Borland's OWL, C++ for Microsoft's MFC, and Pascal with
Objects.

The ProtoGen+ Library is a new DLL (dynamic link library) of more
than 175 screen management functions. The library supports C++
class libraries from Borland and Microsoft, displaying data entry
dialogs as MDI windows. The library can also be used to browse
files and reports, create DDE objects, animate objects on the
screen, and edit files from Windows programs.

The WinControl Library is a DLL of 14 custom controls that add to
the six standard Windows controls.  These include controls for
buttons, numerics, dates, colors, currencies, real numbers,
strings, 3D effects, tables, bitmaps, icons, tickers, and more.

Operability with SQLView will provide visual access to over 30
different database products, including Excel, DB2, dBASE-
compatibles, Oracle, Paradox, Btrieve, SQL Server, and NetWare
Server, officials said.

ProtoGen+ will also be fully compatible with snap-in Visual Coders
that extend the data collection and code generation capability.
New coders will include Multimedia, MAPI, a report writer, and OLE
2.0, according to the company.

ProtoGen+ is slated to ship July 15.  On an introductory basis, the
product will be available for $199. List price is $395. Upgrades are
$99.95 for current ProtoGen customers, and $79.95 for customers
who now have both ProtoView and ProtoGen.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930629/Press contact:  Eileen R. Carlson,
ProtoView Development Co., 908-329-8588; Reader contact:
800-231-8588)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00029)

PC Expo - Low-Cost, High Res Scanner From UMax 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- At PC Expo this
week, UMax is rolling out a low-cost, high resolution scanner for
IBM-compatible PCs, Apple Macintoshes and Unix workstations.

Priced at $2,495 for the Windows and Mac models and $2,645 for
Unix, the new UC1260 flatbed scanner is designed for use in desktop
publishing, computer graphics, and other applications requiring
resolution of up to 2400-by-2400 dpi (dots per inch), said Aileen
Yang, marketing director, in an interview with Newsbytes.

Yang told Newsbytes that, like the company's high-end 30-bit, one-
pass UC1200S flatbed scanner, the new 24-bit, three-pass UC1260
reaches an optical resolution of 600-by-1200 dpi, a level that is
raised to 2400-by-2400 dpi through software interpolation.

The only scanners that achieve hardware-only resolution of this
degree are drum scanners, a category priced in the $10,000 to
$500,000 range, said Yang.

"A professional might be able to tell the difference between the
results obtained from a drum scanner and our flatbed scanners with
software interpolation, if the image is enlarged. But to most
eyes, the results are indistinguishable," she said.

The UC1260 is also noteworthy for its high-speed scanning,
amounting to 135 seconds-per-page (spp) for color and 12 spp
for line art, according to the marketing director.

The new scanner joins a family that also includes the UMax UC630
for low-end desktop publishing. Yang told Newsbytes that all UMax
scanners feature drivers that are fully TWAIN-compatible, meaning
that users can scan images from any application that supports the
TWAIN standard.

The driver also provides such capabilities as an interactive
preview window, zoom, automatic exposure, and gamma correction
for brightness control.

The Windows and Mac versions of the UC120 are bundled with
Photoshop, and the Unix model with Core software for image editing
and retouching. The Unix model operates with Sun Sparcstations,
IBM RS/6000, and DEC Ultrix.

Options include an automatic document feeder, priced at $495, and
a transparency adapter, priced at $1,895. Yang told Newsbytes that
all models of the UC1260 will ship in mid-July.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930629/Reader Contact: UMax, 510-651-8883;
Press Contact: Yvonne Lynott, Lynott & Associates for UMax,
303-530-2492)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00030)

PC Expo - Windows Version Of Desktop Addressing System 06/30/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 30 (NB) -- At PC Expo, CoStar
is debuting a Windows version of its desktop addressing system.

The new system includes an 8.7- by 8.5-inch impact dot matrix
printer that has been specifically designed for envelopes, along
with Windows software that consists of three components.

An application, which appears as a Tool Bar, lets the user design
envelope templates, manage mailing lists, and manage other functions.
A Windows print driver allows envelopes to be printed directly from
any Windows program. The software also includes macros that appear
as icons for easy access within the Tool Bars of three popular
Windows-based word processors:  WordPerfect, Word, and Ami Pro.

According to the company, once the miniature printer and software
have been installed, envelopes can be produced within seconds. The
nine-pound printer holds 100 envelopes up to 4.33-inches,
accommodating the most widely used envelope sizes in the US and
Europe. The device comes in both 110- and 120-volt models.

A special AddressBook feature is designed for importing, storing
and printing mailing lists. Another software feature automatically
prints out postal Delivery Point Barcodes.

The system works with both ATM and TrueType fonts. Other
capabilities include WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get)
preview of mailing labels, the ability to print labels and documents
simultaneously without additional keystrokes, and support for
Windows-compatible networks, including Novell and LANtastic.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930629/Press contacts:  Lauren Finkelman
and Patrick Fitzgerald, S&S Public Relations for CoStar,
708-291-1616)