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/nb092893

Text File | 1993-09-28 | 60KB | 1,365 lines

(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00001)

Color Printer Prices Lower Than Users Expect 09/28/93
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- When it
comes to color printers, low pricing is the key buying motivator
for business users, but most of these users are willing to pay much
more than color printers really cost on the street, say the results
of a new survey.

Due to this dichotomy, printer vendors need to educate users about
actual pricing of color printers, suggests International Data Corp.
(IDC), the Framingham, MA-based market research firm that conducted
the study.

Business users are willing to pay $5,000, on average, for their
next color printer, according to the report. Meanwhile, the
average street value of US color non-impact printer shipments was
just $1,600 in 1992, and is projected to drop significantly by the
end of the current year.

Despite this gap, users polled in the survey rated lower printer
prices as the most important criterion, by far, in their decisions
about whether or not to buy.

The researchers also found charting and presentation packages to be
the applications most often used with color printers, followed by
desktop publishing and engineering/scientific software.

Inkjets received the most mentions as the next type of color
printer expected to be purchased. Connectivity also emerged as a
major issue. Fully 80% of respondents said their next color
printers will be LAN-based. At many of these sites, the color
printers will be shared across multiple platforms.

IDC ranks business/professional services as the second most
attractive target for color printer vendors, topped only by
manufacturing.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930928/Press contact: Mike Ault, IDC, tel 508-
935-4055)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00002)

Vice President Gore To Visit AST Research Today 09/28/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Vice President
Al Gore is scheduled to visit AST Research today for a tour of
the facility and to chair a roundtable discussion with 14
employees concerning the topic of reinventing government.

On September 7, Gore presented to President Clinton the
National Performance Review, a six-month study of the federal
government that included recommendations for the government to
increase its use of information technology to deliver services
to its consumers, the American people. This visit is a further
investigation into the use of information technology, according
to the White House.

Gore will visit AST this morning, and will leave from the El
Toro Marine Corps Air Station early this afternoon.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930928/Press Contact: Emory Epperson, AST
Research, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00003)

Tokyo Data Show Due Oct 4-7 09/28/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Japan's major annual computer
trade show, Data Show, will be held in Harumi, Tokyo between
October 4 and 7. Due to the industry slump, this year's
show is not expected to be as big as previous exhibitions.

Data Show has a 20-year history in Japan. This year, it is expected
that 200,000 people will visit this free trade show. Although
168 exhibitors are participating in this show this year, not
many overseas firms will be present. Major overseas participants
are WordPerfect, Roland, Microware Systems, Informix, Philips,
and IBM (Japan).

Major exhibits at this show will include workstations, 32-bit
personal computers, notebook-type PCs, pen-input PCs, multimedia
devices, local area network (LAN) systems, ISDN devices, computer
graphics software, CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-
aided manufacturing), RISC systems, optical discs and automatic
machine language translation systems. Educational computer devices
and software will also be shown at the site. The Japan Electronics
Industry Development Association will be showing IC cards
based on the recent world standard.

Sharp will be exhibiting its latest palm-top multimedia device,
an economical version of Apple Computer's Newton. It includes
all the necessary business organizing features plus a connection
which allows it to be attached to a desktop PC and printer.

Olympus will be displaying a digital still video system
based on the JEIDA standard. The device records data under
the DOS system, enabling the graphics to be used on a PC.

WordPerfect Japan will be showing its various products including
a DOS version, a Windows version, and the Macintosh version.
WordPerfect Office and WordPerfect Presentation will also be
shown. So will a Japanese-English automatic language translation
system sponsored by several firms including Nova. The system
operates on Apple's Macintosh as well as the PC-9801 and DOS/V PCs.

Information on the exhibited devices and the exhibitors
is available via a bulletin board system. The free service is
online between 9:30 am and 8:00 pm at [phone] (2400bps,
8-bit).

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930927/Press Contact: Japan
Electronics Industry Development Association, [phone],
Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00004)

Japanese Audio Makers Shift Production To China 09/27/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 27 (NB) -- Several Japanese audiomakers
are shifting more of their manufacturing to China.

Japanese firms had been slowly investigating the idea of
manufacturing in China, but as Japanese currency has surged,
their interest has gained a new urgency.

Sony, for instance, is producing compact discs jointly
with a Chinese firm called Hong Kong Tomei International.
Sony will provide the technology, and Tomei International will
manufacture the compact discs. Those discs will then be sold
back to Sony on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis.
Sony will start receiving these compact disks towards the end of
this year.

Sony will also shift production of CD radio-cassette players
to China. The integrated circuits will be imported from Japan, and
other parts will be supplied from plants in Korea, Taiwan or
Thailand. These products will be exported to Japan, US,
and European markets. Sony also plans to produce 8-mm camcorders
in China.

Pioneer Electric is also shifting production to China. Virtually
all of its mini-stereo sets and car audio equipment will be
made in China by 1996. Pioneer will initiate the plan to
jointly produce them with a Hong Kong firm in China by the
end of next year.

Kenwood is also planning to produce stereo sets in China.

Due to overseas audio component production, Japan's production
of these devices is on the downslide. Domestic shipments
in 1992 were worth about 1.4 trillion yen ($14 billion), or
16 percent less than that of the previous year. Analysts say
70 percent of television set production is now done outside of
Japan and this trend will involve other electronics products
in the near future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930927/Press Contact: Sony, +81-3-
5448-2200, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00005)

Midori Electronics Links With Hayes On Modems 09/27/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 27 (NB) -- Midori Electronics has signed
a broad agreement with Hayes Microcomputer Products regarding
sales, technology exchange, and joint development of modems in
Japan.

Midori Electronics is a major Japanese computer parts firm in
Kanagawa Prefecture, a suburb of Tokyo.

The agreement between Midori Electronics and Hayes includes an
exclusive sales agreement for Hayes modems in the Japanese market.
According to Midori Electronics, both firms will jointly develop
modems for the Japanese market under a new brand name called
Midori-Hayes in the future. The new products may include super-
fast modems and fax modems such as a pocket-type and PCMCIA.
Telecom accelerators, ISDN-related products, various network
products and telecom software will also be included.

To start, Midori will release Hayes' Optima fax modems in
November. There are three types: the Optima SP14F, SX14F, and
SX96F. Midori will provide a two-year warrantee for the products,
and will also provide maintenance service at six major cities
including Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.

Both firms' modems including the Optima support multiple platforms,
which means they can be used with a variety of computers.
These modems come with data telecommunication programs
and fax software for NEC, IBM and Apple Computers. They also
support the Japanese language.

The Optima fax modems will be shown at the Data Show, a major
computer trade exhibition, in Tokyo, October 4-7.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930927/Press Contact: Midori
Electronics, attn: Kohei Tanaka (Mr.), [phone], Fax,
[phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(BOS)(00006)

Unix Expo - Object Technology More Than A Language 09/28/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Moving to object
technology takes a lot more than just learning an object-oriented
programming language, concurred participants in a roundtable
discussion at Unix Expo last week.

"The worst way to start is to just go out and buy a language,"
said Marie Lenzi, president of Cyrix Corp. and editor of Object
Magazine. "Instead, what you need to do is establish an object
mindset," she added, in a session called "Object-Oriented
Programming for Non-C Programmers."

The first area to focus on is object analysis and design, Lenzi
told an audience of programmers that ranged in background from
Smalltalk to Fortran and Cobol.

Other areas to be considered, outside of the development language,
include the object database, and the administration and management
of objects. Object databases are quite a different animal from
relational databases, she noted.

"In object technology, an object is an object throughout analysis,
design, and development. All we do is say `Persist' and the object
sits itself on the disk, instead of doing the `dance of the seven
veils' to get itself on and off the disk as we have to do with
relational databases," she commented.

People who make good candidates to become object-oriented
programmers include abstract thinkers, "true engineers who really
understand what's going on inside the machine," experienced script
writers, and people who work well with visual tools, according to
Lenzi.

"I agree with Marie that you're not doing OT programming just
because you're using a language that happens to be object-oriented.
OT is more a way of thinking about a problem," said Randy Howie,
vice president of engineering at AIT, a company that has been
providing OT consulting services for the past eight years, mostly
to federal agencies and large newspapers.

OT is best suited to problems which call for simplification of
complex data, he suggested. In one application, recently readied
as a proof of concept for NASA, AIT developed an object-
oriented query tool for use by scientists who needed satellite
data.

The problem in this situation was that satellites tend to store
information on time and place in different ways, said Howie. Some
satellites store the information as arcs, and some as a series of
contiguous rectangles, he explained.

To circumvent this problem, AIT "modeled concepts like time and
location as objects that could translate a scientists' way of
expressing time and location into the satellite's way of expressing
time and location."

Agreed Gene Bonte, vice president of product management at
Object Design: "Today, objects are hot, so (you're seeing)
object-oriented oleomargarine. But OT is not a universal panacea."

OT has made its first strides in the engineering design market, he
said. "The reason is fairly simple. The data is complex, and
the data model that OT supports fits the data model for these
applications very well," he maintained.

OT is also making rapid progress in the telecommunications field,
mainly because OT and telecommunications both share an orientation
toward Unix and C/C++ programming, he added.

Now that the difficulties of using OT in distributed computing are
starting to be overcome, the technology is emerging in the area of
business reengineering and client-server technology as well, he
said.

Regardless of the applications field, users should go through four
sequential stages in implementing OT: figuring out whether OT will
be useful, developing a pilot, creating a "first product," and
finally expanding into additional products. "Otherwise, you'll get
into big trouble," cautioned Bonte.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930927/Press contacts: Annie
Sculley, Bruno Blenheim, tel [phone], ext 145; Mark
Haviland, tel [phone], ext 152)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

SkyTel Offers PCMCIA Product 09/28/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- SkyTel announced a
paging device for the HP 100LX laptop under the PCMCIA standard.

The SkyCard for the HP 100LX was called the first in a family of
PC Card receiver cards under PCMCIA standards. PCMCIA is a
standard for plug-in cards, which look like thick credit cards,
that can act as software, memory, or discrete devices. Their
small size and light weight makes them ideal for use in laptop
and palmtop computers. SkyTel said the current product, designed
specifically for the HP 100LX, will allow laptop computers to
access wireless messages over its SkyTel paging system. The
company said that subscribers will be able to receive "post-card
length messages," applications and calendar updates, stock quotes
and news services over the system using the card.

The product is made by Wireless Access Inc., San Jose, California
and sold as the AccessCard, conforming to the PCMCIA Type II
standard. SkyTel is a major investor in Wireless Access. In time,
the company said, it will have SkyCards for the full range of
SkyTel messaging services, and for a variety computers. The
product will be available in December.

SkyTel has a long history of support for Hewlett-Packard's
lightest computers, starting with the SkyStream card for
the HP 95LX in 1992. SkyTel had about 241,400 subscribers as
of June 30, and the parent company, MTel, had 291,300 total
units in service worldwide as of that date.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930928/Press Contact: David Allan for
SkyTel, 212-614-5163)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

SMR Consolidation Continues 09/28/93
ABILENE, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Long before so-
called personal communications networks, or PCNs, begin to
compete with cellular phone operators, a new competitor seems
certain to emerge -- specialized mobile radio (SMR) licensees.

While PCN systems will operate at frequencies of 1.8-2.2 GHz,
after the frequencies are auctioned next year and systems
built, existing SMR licensees at around 800 MHz only need to
upgrade their current radio equipment to process digital
signals, and add antennae, in order to compete for business.

NexTel, formerly called Fleet Call, got the ball rolling a few
years ago, announcing it would use Motorola's ESMR technology to
turn its own systems into digital networks and would spend
heavily to buy other systems. Since then there's been a buying
frenzy in the industry, with licensees buying each other and
announcing they would move to digitize their systems.

But there are problems. Operators don't have to digitize their
networks. And there are, as yet, no roaming agreements between
systems, meaning customers can't get service outside their home
markets. In some areas, low population density could hold-up the
need for digital networking for years. But, regardless, the
consolidation continues.

Pittencrieff Communications Inc., of Abilene, TX is one of the
buyers. In its latest move, it has acquired the assets of
All-Comm Communications Inc., and Caprock Radio Telephone, along
with the wireless communications division of American
Communications Inc. The total cost is over $3 million, and the
result makes Pittencrieff the unquestioned SMR leader in Texas.

Its coverage area now includes the Texas panhandle, the cities of
Lubbock and Amarillo, and it's got increased penetration in
Corpus Christi as well as central northern New Mexico, including
Albuquerque. But these are relatively small systems. All-Comm,
for instance, has 5 sites supporting 24 channels and just over
700 customers. Caprock operates 13 sites and 54 channels, serving
over 600 customers. It already had plans to add 34 sites over
the next year, and those plans will be fulfilled. American
Communications Inc., had 400 customers in Corpus Christi. PCI
has a total of 35,000 customers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Colorado, Utah and Arizona, with systems covering over 500,000
square miles in which over 10 million people live.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930928/Press Contact: Pittencrieff
Communications, Dale Harkins, 915/691-1021)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

New Transaction Processing Service 09/28/93
DUBLIN, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- LCI International, a
small long distance company headed by former MCI executive Brian
Thompson, has followed MCI into the market for faster transaction
processing services with a service called TransConnect.

Like MCI's ResponseNet, TransConnect combines packet network and
toll-free technologies to cut the time needed to process a credit
card transaction. LCI says its TransConnect will cut this time
from 20 to 12 seconds, which can mean big savings for merchants,
not only in long distance charges but in their ability to handle
full authorizations on smaller transactions and serve more
customers.

Like ResponseNet, LCI TransConnect is aimed at retailers,
banks, and credit card companies. The service is installed
in point-of-sale terminals at retail sites and accesses credit
authorization networks using either a toll-free 800 number
or, in many areas, what's called 950 Feature Group B. Additional
access options are currently under evaluation.

In a press statement, LCI President Tom Wynne noted that
transaction processing continues to grow quickly, and that growth
should continue as government moves toward electronic processing
of benefits and health care transactions.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930928/Press Contact: Scott Booth, LCI, 614-
798-6011)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(MSP)(00010)

Clock Accelerators For Apple Centris 09/28/93
REYNOLDSBURG, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- KS Labs has
introduced clip-on clock accelerator kits for Apple Computer's
Centris 610, 650 and 660av. The kits boost the clock frequency of
Centris computers above Apple's standard speed, thereby delivering
higher performance.

The Alacrity 610 boosts Centris 610's to 28 MHz and the
Alacrity 660 speeds Centris 660av's to 35 MHz for nearly 40%
higher performance, the company reports. The Alacrity 650 boosts
Centris 650's to 30 MHz operation for a 20% performance increase.

The existing CPU, KS Labs contends, is kept cool by a CPU fan and
heatsink which allows the CPU to operate safely at higher speed.

Company officers says that Alacrity kits are user-installable and
require no special tools nor soldering. The clock accelerator clips
securely in place but "is easily removable."

Tony Stump, spokesman, says the product does void Apple's
warranty, but "We have not had any problems with damage to
anybody's machine." This patented clip does not permanently
modify the computer in any way, he says. Even the heatsink is
attached with removable thermal tape.

Nearly 90% of existing machines are capable of clock
acceleration, KS Labs contends. Users unable to successfully
accelerate may return their kits for refund.

KS Labs is offering all three Alacrity kits at an introductory sale
price of $165 including shipping and handling to US locations.

The company can be reached at the KS Labs, Inc., 6326 E. Livingston
Ave, Suite 131, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068. Orders 800-450-0353.
Inquiries 614-373-0353

(Wendy Woods/19930928)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(MSP)(00011)

Sep 30 Deadline On Nextstep Deal 09/28/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Next Computer's
deal offering developers and users the Nextstep Evaluation Kit for
$299 expires on Thursday.

Next says the promotional package allows companies to
build client/server applications using Nextstep's object-oriented
technology and contains both the User and Developer versions of
Nextstep Release 3.1 for Intel processors.

Also included in the kit are: initial documentation and a half-price
coupon to purchase full technical documentation; the Nextstep Developer
CD ROM which includes Nextstep's visual application construction
tools and reusable object kits; the Nextstep Advantage Kit which
includes a booklet, a video cassette and a diskette with sample
software to introduce application development with Nextstep;
and Nextstep Programming, a book by Garfinkel & Mahoney.

"The promotion enables developers to take advantage of the
opportunity to develop using Nextstep and to experience two to five
times the productivity gains," said Rick Jackson, director of
developer product marketing at Next. "We are encouraged by the
response we have received and look forward to having new developers
join the growing ranks of object-oriented believers."

In the US, the Nextstep Evaluation Kit costs $299 and can be
ordered by calling 1-800-TRY-NEXT. The Nextstep Evaluation Kit offer
does not include free upgrades to Release 3.2.

Regularly priced copies of Nextstep Release 3.1 for Intel
processors and Nextstep Developer, which include an upgrade to
Release 3.2 and full documentation for both versions, retail in the
US for $795 and $1,995, respectively.

(Wendy Woods/19930928/Press Contact: Karen Logsdon, Next Computer,
415/780-3786 or Marilyn Kilinski, Ketchum Public Relations,
212/536-8865)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00012)

MicroTouch Simplifies Touchscreen Integration 09/28/93
METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- MicroTouch
Systems, Inc., has unveiled a miniaturized, surface-mount CMOS
touchscreen controller that reportedly revolutionizes the way a
touch system is installed in a monitor. The pocket-sized SMT-1
serial controller is significantly smaller and uses less power
than its predecessors.

The SMT-1 comes packaged in a plastic box that can be mounted
unobtrusively on the back or bottom of a CRT. A unique cabling
arrangement lets the unit be plugged into the monitor's housing and
easily secured with two screws.

Previously, touchscreen kit buyers had to either place the controller
in a PC bus slot, mount a serial controller inside the display with an
accompanying power supply, or place the controller outside the monitor
in a box large enough to hold the separate power supply.

Power for the SMT-1 can be obtained in one of three ways: by tapping
into the power supply of the monitor, using the touch sensor cable; by
using a supplied cable that allows the controller to share power from
the keyboard port of a PC; or by using a wall-mount power supply.

The SMT-1 costs $318; volume and dealer discounts are available.
MicroTouch Systems is at 300 Griffin Park, Methuen, MA 01844.
Telephone [phone].

(Marguerite Zientara/19930928)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00013)

Software For Space-Bookers 09/28/93
SOUTH WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Among the
DOS/Windows product announcements reaching the Newsbytes desk, a
reservation and appointment package for those who often need to
book space for groups, and a CMOS

COMSEC has announced a reservation system aimed at companies
that require time reservations and appointments, whether
they are reserving rooms, tables, equipment or making office
appointments.

Facility Master II is said to permit quick entry, update and retrieval
of reservation information for an unlimited number of facilities. The
menu-driven software comprises two programs: one for system
administration and monitoring, and another for the actual
reservations.

A DOS version costs $289. A network version said to allow more than
100 concurrent users costs $489. A Windows version is planned for
release later this year. COMSEC is located at 68 Kelly Road, South
Windsor, CT 06074. Telephone [phone].

(Marguerite Zientara/19930928)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00014)

Macintosh Product Briefs 09/28/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Here is a
short roundup of new Apple Computer Macintosh products:
MultiClip Pro 3.0, Field Assistant 1.0, QuicKeys 3.0, Draw
to Learn, TimesTwo 1.0.3, and Movie Movie.

MultiClip Pro 3.0

Version 3.0 of this scrapbook replacement features unlimited
collections, a list view and publish/subscribe savviness. Among
100 new features are System 7 support, three selection tools, an
eraser, a cropping tool, previewing, and the ability to scale images
to any size. Text can be edited and styles can be changed, and
keywords can be added to images for searching. Collections can be
viewed by image or in list view. Price directly from Olduvai (Miami,
Fla.) is $87 through September. Otherwise, suggested retail is $149,
with a System 6 version priced at $89 due soon. Upgrades are $47.
Phone [phone].

Field Assistant 1.0

Personal information and contact management software for the PowerBook
is based on a relational database engine and is 10 to 100 times faster
than flat-file managers, says its publisher, FIT Software (Santa Clara,
Calif.). Unlimited addresses, activities and phone numbers can be
attached to each record, and a separate correspondence module provides
word processing and mail merge. Suggested retail is $249. Phone
408/562-5990.

QuicKeys 3.0

Version 3.0 of CE Software's (West Des Moines, Iowa) popular macro
software now supports AppleScript, Frontier and other Open System
Architecture languages, with new support for the voice command
capability in the Quadra and Centris Macs. Also new are more
powerful branching between macros and a redesigned interface. Pre-made
macros are bundled for ten popular applications, along with
special macros for PowerBooks. Suggested retail price is $169. Users of
versions 2.1.2 and later can upgrade for $49.95; users of earlier
versions pay $79.95. Upgraders get a $10 discount before Sept. 30.
All upgrade offers end on November 30. Phone [phone].

Draw to Learn

Draw to Learn's (Irvine, Calif.) Macintosh version of its educational
software program of the same name teaches 6-to-12-year-olds how to
draw. Breaking down drawing technique into basic geometric forms,
the software uses an animated character named Rembrandt Worm to
demonstrate strokes and shapes. Suggested retail is $39.95. For
more info, call 714/263-0910.

Movie Movie

See Spot run and hear Spot bark -- all via a single NuBus slot.
This digital audio and full-motion video capture board can be hooked
up to a Camcorder, laser disc player, or VCR to capture video at 30
frames per second, synchronized to 22KHz 8-bit audio. Files can then
be manipulated with any QuickTime compatible application. Positioned
as price/performance value for adding video and sound to presentations.
$349. Sigma Designs, Fremont, Calif. 510/770-0100; 800/845-8086.

TimesTwo 1.0.3

New version of driver-level compression software, features automatic
mounting of removable media, automatic free space adjustment, better
compatibility with automatic file compression software and enhanced
performance and reliability, the company says. TimesTwo claims
transparent doubling of any SCSI disk without reformatting. Free
upgrade to registered users; $149 for others. Golden Triangle, San
Diego, Calif. 619/279-2100, 800/326-1858.

(Chris Oakes/19930928)


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

Bell Canada Cost-Cutting Moves 09/28/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Blaming federal
regulators' rejection of a rate-increase request, Bell Canada has
announced plans to cut spending by C$766 million in 1994 and do
away with the equivalent of 5,000 jobs.

The company said it will cut expenses by C$466 million and its
capital budget by C$300 million in the coming year. This will
mean eliminating "the equivalent of 5,000 people" from Bell's
work force by various measures including an extended
leave-of-absence program, cuts in overtime, and a reduced work
week, officials said.

"We have no plans for layoffs at this point," company spokeswoman
Susanna Cluff-Clyburne said, though she did not absolutely rule
out the possibility. "We'll have to see what happens" with the
measures already announced, she said.

Recently, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) said no to a Bell request to raise local
phone service rates. A statement from Bell today said the company
will not reach the 11 percent rate of return regulators set for
it this year, but the cuts just announced will allow it to do so
in 1994.

According to Bell, earnings were already C$136 million below
projections at the end of August.

The company admitted service will suffer as a result of the cuts,
and said the impact will be felt mainly on local service. Bell
pointed out that its revenues from local service do not cover the
cost of providing the service. It is also true that Bell faces
competition in most other areas of its business, but not local
service.

Bell Canada is the largest of the regional telephone companies
that make up Canada's Stentor consortium. It serves the provinces
of Ontario and Quebec.

(Grant Buckler/19930928/Press Contact: Susanna Cluff-Clyburne,
Bell Canada, 613-785-0579; Linda Gervais, Bell Canada,
613-781-3724; Sandra Cruickshanks, Bell Canada, 416-581-4205)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00016)

Loebner Prize Competition Moves To California 09/28/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- The Loebner
Prize Competition, an annual event for "thinking" computers, is
moving from the Boston area to San Diego this year, due to a fire
at the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies in Cambridge.

This year's competition will be held Dec. 8 at National
University in San Diego. The Cambridge Center continues to
administer it.

The competition was inspired by the ideas of British
mathematician Alan Turing and is funded by New York
philanthropist Dr. Hugh Loebner. Computers running artificial
intelligence programs converse with a panel of judges through
terminals. Alongside the computers are humans carrying on similar
conversations with the judges, who don't know which are the
computers and which the people. The idea is for a computer
program to convince the judges it is a person.

In a famous paper published in 1950, Turing said true artificial
intelligence could be said to exist when judges asking questions
of a computer and a human by way of an electronic connection were
unable to tell which was which from the answers.

This year's competition, like the last two, is a restricted
competition. Conversations are limited to one topic at a time,
though each program will have to handle limited conversations on
several topics. The entrants will be allowed to choose their own
topics, said John Nunes, a spokesman for National University.

In the first Loebner Prize competition, at the Boston Computer
Museum in 1991, 10 judges conversed via terminals with six
computer programs and two humans. While the real people were
identified as human by more judges than any of the computers, one
computer fooled half the judges, and three judges mistook one
human respondent for a computer.

Three programs were entered last year. Entries for this year's
competition close Nov. 1, and organizers will not say how many
have been received because making that number public would give
the contest judges information that could affect their judgments,
Nunes said.

The top prize in this year's restricted competition is a bronze
medal and $2,000. Some year in the future the center plans an
unrestricted competition, where conversations will be allowed to
touch on any topic. The first computer to fool more than half the
judges in an unrestricted competition will earn a $100,000 prize
and the contest will end then, organizers said.

Nunes said it is not clear yet whether the competition will
remain in San Diego or return to Boston next year.

Applications to enter the competition can be sent to Dr. Robert
Epstein, chair of the psychology department at National
University, until Nov. 1.

(Grant Buckler/19930928/Press Contact: John Nunes, National
University, 619-563-7444)


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

IBM Upgrades Virus Software 09/28/93
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- IBM has
unveiled a new release of IBM AntiVirus, its virus detection and
removal software for the DOS and OS/2 operating systems.

For users of stand-alone PCs, company spokeswoman Terrie Phoenix
acknowledged, the upgrade is fairly minor -- it boosts the number
of known viruses detected and adds features aimed at avoiding
false alarms caused by legitimate programs taking shortcuts that
may look like virus activity.

The most important change, she said, is a new administrative
interface that local-area network (LAN) administrators will be
able to use to gather reports of any virus activity on PCs
attached to the network and to enforce the use of the anti-virus
software throughout an organization.

This interface is available by contract with IBM AntiVirus
Services. According to IBM, it can be customized to take any
action specified by the administrator -- such as sending LAN
messages -- when a virus is found. Administrator privileges are
password-protected.

The new AntiVirus 1.03 detects about 2,000 known viruses, up from
around 1,500 with the previous version, Phoenix said. It also
disinfects all common viruses, according to the company.

The software costs $29.95, and site licenses are available, IBM
said.

(Grant Buckler/19930928/Press Contact: Terrie Phoenix, IBM,
914-784-7481; Public Contact: IBM, 800-551-3579)


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

Delrina, Caere Expand Relationship 09/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Forms and fax
software vendor Delrina Corp., and optical character recognition
(OCR) and document management specialist Caere Corp., are
expanding a year-old alliance.

Last September, Delrina licensed AnyFax technology, which
performs OCR and is designed to cope with sometimes blurry
incoming fax documents, from Caere of Los Gatos, California.

Now the companies have announced they will work together to
create integrated fax and document management software and
integrated fax, image editing, and OCR software. At the same time
Caere agreed to kill its FaxMaster product line, which competes
with Delrina's WinFax software, by the end of this year.

The new integrated fax and document management software will be
released before year-end, Delrina spokesman Chad Kinzelberg said,
and the Office Suite fax, image editing, and OCR combination will
be out by late 1993 or early 1994.

While the companies plan to cooperate on marketing both
products, it is not yet decided whether both or just one of them
will actually sell the packages, Kinzelberg said.

The first product will integrate Caere's document management
software with Delrina's fax software, allowing users to store
faxes in document databases along with other files.

The Office Suite software will include text recognition, image
scanning and editing, document management, and fax handling, the
companies said.

The firms also said they are studying possible synergy between
Delrina's FormFlow, a work-flow management package, and Caere's
PageKeeper, software designed to store ad-hoc information and
handle queries over a network.

Caere said it will take a one-time charge of about US$800,000, or
US$480,000 net of taxes, in the third quarter of 1993 to account
for dropping its FaxMaster products.

(Grant Buckler/19930928/Press Contact: Shelly Sofer or Chad
Kinzelberg, Delrina, 416-441-4702; Mike Lough, Caere,
408-395-7000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00019)

NASD Buys Multimillion Dollar Computer System 09/28/93
BEAVERTON, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Sequent Computer
Systems announced this month that it has entered into a five-year
contract with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)
to provide a multi-million dollar open client/server computer
system and professional services for NASD's corporate operations.

Sequent said during the first year of the contract it will deliver
consulting and education services and install two Symmetry
multiprocessing systems in a clustered configuration to provide
service for more than 1,000 concurrent users.

NASD said the system is part of its initiative to use open
information technology to significantly expand and improve the
services it offers to members, affiliates and listed companies of
the NASDAQ Stock Market. The system will provide database,
financial, and human resource applications and will use a graphical
user interface.

The initial configuration will include two Sequent Unix-based
Symmetry 2000/750 systems, each with 14 Intel 486 50 megahertz (MHz)
microprocessors and 200 gigabytes of shared disk storage. A gigabyte
is one million bytes. Sequent says the clustered configuration
combines the performance of the two systems and will be able to
support large numbers of concurrent users. Clusters also provide
greater reliability since the system will still function even if one
of the servers goes down.

The NASD is a self-regulatory organization for the securities
industry. It owns and operates the NASDAQ Stock Market, the
second-largest securities market in the world.

(Jim Mallory/19930927/Press contact: Mike Green, Sequent Computer
Systems, 503-626-5700, Robert Ferri, NASD, 202-728- 8955)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00020)

Traveling Software, National Semi Team Up On Wireless Tech 09/28/93
BOTHELL, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Traveling Software
has announced it will team up with National Semiconductor
Corporation to jointly develop and market integrated hardware and
software products using wireless technology.

The two companies say the first product, expected to ship in the
first quarter of 1994, will use communications software from
Traveling Software and integrated communication hardware from
National Semiconductor. The product will be compatible with current
portable platforms and adaptable to future computing standards.

Traveling Software spokesperson Elaina Dulaney declined to discuss
the nature of the product, telling Newsbytes that information would
be released "in the Comdex time frame." Comdex is often used as the
vehicle for product roll-outs. The fall Comdex trade show will be
held in Las Vegas beginning November 15.

Earlier this month Newsbytes reported National Semiconductor is
adding a $77 million 12,000 square foot BiCMOS (bipolar
complementary metal oxide semiconductor) facility to its existing
Portland, Maine plant. Company officials said the BiCMOS technology
is used to manufacture advanced SiRF (silicon radio frequency)
mixed-signal devices, which are used in cellular phones and other
wireless communications systems.

In August of this year Newsbytes reported that National
Semiconductor was one of the initial members of the InfraRed Data
Association (IRDA), an organization formed to focus on an IR data
communications standard that supports a short range, point-to-point
interconnection that will emphasize low power consumption and high
data transmission rates. IRDA Chairman John Romano said infrared
data transmission has several advantages, including the lack of
domestic or international regulatory constraints, minimal
interference problems, low implementation costs, and quick and
simple data transmission between devices.

National said in January that it planned to enter the wireless
communications market with a new family of chips aimed at use in
devices that include personal digital assistants and pocket
communicators. BIS Strategic Decisions predicts the worldwide
wireless silicon market will grow from $375 billion in 1991 to $798
million in 1996.

National Semi Product Marketing Manager Curtis Schmidek predicts
that 10 years from now "we are going to see a common standard,
especially in the United States, for pocket phones, for a real
personal communicator, that may be not only voice but also data."

(Jim Mallory/19930928/Press contact: Elaina Dulaney, Traveling
Software, 206-483-8088; Margaret Mehling, National Semiconductor,
408-721-2639)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00021)

Microsoft Ships OLE 2.0 SDK Beta For Mac 09/28/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Microsoft has
started shipping the beta version of its Object Linking and Embedding
(OLE) 2.0 technology for Apple Computer's Macintosh computers.

The software company said more than 250 independent software
developers are receiving the software development kit (SDK). Once
the production version of OLE 2.0 for the Mac is released the tool
will be available for both the Mac and Microsoft Windows-based PCs,
allowing developers to write applications that can be shared between
the two operating systems and will work the same on either system.

Microsoft says OLE 2.0 will handle compound documents imported from
other environments more easily. An automatic conversion feature will
allow the documents to be easily moved and shared between Windows
and Macintosh platforms without destroying their links. Users will
also be able to exchange compound documents over networks supported
by Microsoft's Windows NT Advanced Server.

Microsoft says SDK for the Mac includes OLEs full feature set,
including visual editing, drag and drop, and OLE automation. Visual
editing allows users to directly edit embedded objects within
documents without switching to a different window. Drag and drop
allows the user to drag objects from one application windows to
another window, or to create compound objects. OLE automation
enables the creation of command sets that operate both within and
across applications. For example, a command invoked from within a
word processing program could sort a range of cells in a spreadsheet
created by a different application, such as Excel.

Microsoft says the production version of OLE 2.0 for the Mac is
scheduled to ship by the end of the year. The company expects major
developers to release OLE 2.0-compliant applications for the Mac in
the first quarter of 1994.

Developers can obtain the OLE 2.0 SDK for the Macintosh at no cost
by contacting Microsoft Developer Services or by subscribing to the
Microsoft Developer Network.

(Jim Mallory/19930928/Press contact: Beverley Flower, Microsoft
Corporation, 206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft Developer
Services, 800-227-4679 or 206-880-8080)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00022)

Compaq World '93 Opens Today In China 09/28/93
BEIJING, CHINA, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Santa Cruz Operations
Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer Doug Michels
will deliver the keynote speech today at the opening of Compaq World
93 in Beijing, China.

Michels said his talk will focus on today's global computing
environment and China's open systems opportunities. "SCO operating
systems have been a standard in China for a long time. We're
currently tailoring our products to make it easier for China to move
rapidly to the benefits that open systems are providing for leading
enterprises around the world."

While in China, Michels also attended the grand opening of Compaq's
first Beijing office. The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held
Monday. Compaq plans to bundle SCO's Chinese language Unix operating
system with its computers sold in China.

The two-day Compaq World '93 technology seminar drew more than 1,000
people as Compaq tries to move up from its position as the number
two PC seller in China. The results of a recent survey reportedly
have AST as the leading seller of computers there. PC prices range
from $1,500 to $5,000 in China including import duty. That's the
equivalent of three to 10 years wages for the average urban Chinese,
but Compaq says it expects prices to drop as low as $500 for a basic
desktop system by the end of the decade.

China used more than 400 Hewlett-Packard Vectra minicomputers
running the SCO operating system to conduct what may be the largest
census undertaking in world history. The Chinese census bureau
collected information on the income, occupation, education,
ethnicity, fertility, and migration of the country's more than 1.16
billion citizens.

(Jim Mallory/19930928/Press contact: Compaq Computer Corporation,
713-370-0670, Zee Zaballos, SCO, 408-427-7156)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(BOS)(00023)

Unix Expo - Paragon Acquires Slate, Renames Product 09/28/93
CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Paragon
Imaging, a specialist in image communications, has acquired the
Slate document creation and communication system from Bolt, Baranek
and Newman (BBN), officials announced at Unix Expo. Paragon has
renamed the product DesktopSlate.

The Unix-based shrink-wrapped package is now a horizontal
application only, for use by technical and business workgroups, but
Paragon also plans to implement the product in such vertical
markets as medicine and insurance, said Pam Gazley, marketing
specialist, in an interview with Newsbytes.

Chelmsford, MA-based Paragon focuses on applications where images
are the primary data type and other data types are secondary in
importance, according to Gazley. The vendor's other products
include ELT/3000, an imagery software system licensed to 3000 users
in the Department of Defense, and ELT/MED, an ELT/3000 derivative
sold on an OEM basis to medical imaging companies.

The newly acquired DesktopSlate features a compound document editor
for word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, images and audio. All
compound documents created are enabled for electronic mail,
multimedia electronic mail, fax, and real-time document
conferencing. The e-mail facility supports MIME (Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extension), an emerging interoperability standard for
desktop systems.

DesktopSlate also includes an extension language that allows for
development of custom vertical applications. Gazley told Newsbytes
that, for vertical applications that require interfacing to
databases and other outside applications, Paragon will probably
hire BBN. Cambridge, MA-based BBN performs R&D and systems
integration in a variety of fields, and is especially strong in
networking, she said. BBN also produces the RS1 software package
for statistical analysis.

Also in the future, Paragon might be integrating DesktopSlate with
ELT/3000 and ELT/MED, Gazley told Newsbytes. If these applications
are integrated, users will be able to drop X-rays and other image
documents from ELT/3000 or ELT/MED into DestktopSlate's compound
document editor, she told Newsbytes.

ELT/3000 and ELT/MED each provide multimedia analysis, reporting
and communication for imagery intensive applications. The
applications support a variety of still frame and video cameras,
scanners, and photo and PostScript printers.

The Paragon product line operates on Sun, IBM RS/6000, DEC, and
Hewlett-Packard workstations.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930928/Press and reader contact: Pam Gazley,
Paragon Imaging, tel [phone])


(CORRECTION)(GOVT)(LAX)(00024)

Correction - Creative Sues Covox Over Name Of Voice Product 09/28/93
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Newsbytes wishes
to correct an error in a story of this title which ran on our wire
on September 24.

The report identified Creative Technology as being based in
Singapore, Japan. In fact, it is based in Singapore, not in
Japan.

Newsbytes apologizes for the error.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930924/Press Contact: Benita Kenn, Creative
Labs, tel [phone]; Charles Saunders, Covox, tel 503-342-
1271, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00025)

BellSouth ISDN Tariff Approved In Tennessee 09/28/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- A BellSouth tariff
offering digital service to residential customers under ISDN
standards was approved in Tennessee.

According to the tariff, which becomes effective October 21,
Tennesseeans will be able to get two digital lines at 64,000
bits/second and a 16,000 bit/second signaling line, in place of a
single analog line, for $13.85 per month on top of their regular
residential rates, which average about $8-12 in different parts
of the state. For another $3, they can add Caller ID features,
spokesman Karen Roughton told Newsbytes.

For small business customers, the per-line rate is $99.50, which
includes Caller ID and a technology called "hunting," previously
offered mainly to big customers with calling centers. Business
line rates in the state average $27-$39. As with the residential
rates, the rates are exclusive of long distance charges.

BellSouth's South Central Bell operating unit conducted a trial
of the technology starting last January with over 125 customers,
who installed the service without charge. During that trial the
company defined procedures, worked with equipment and software
vendors to develop applications, and established a system
integration program.

BellSouth expects small businesses to use ISDN for image
processing, videoconferencing, connecting LANs and for accessing
databases. It expects residences to use the service for working
from home, for security, for accessing information services and
for energy management. The company has been offering ISDN
services through its switches, an offering called ESSX, since
1991. Last February it became the first regional Bell to offer
what's called primary rate ISDN, offering 23 64,000 bit/second
digital lines and a 64,000 bit/second signaling line, under the
name MegaLink.

BellSouth said tariffs for individual ISDN service in the other
eight states where it does business should be filed by the end of
this year.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930927/Press Contact: Karen Roughton,
BellSouth, 404-529-6514)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00026)

UK - Liverpool Con-Artists Hit Local Computer Dealers 09/28/93
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- For the last few months, a
gang operating out of various premises in the Liverpool area of the
UK have successfully conned at least 12 local computer resellers out
of more than UKP 100,000-worth of computer hardware and software.

According to Police investigating the case, gullible computer
dealers receive a fax or telephone order for computer hardware
and/or software from the "Duty Solicitors Association." There is, of
course, no organization of this name.

Police say that the order states that payment will be made from the
Clerk to the Justices at the local Magistrates Court. Dealers are
fooled into believing that, since the order is from the Government
and involves solicitors, it is rock solid. In fact, this is far from
the truth, as witnessed by the losses incurred by computer dealers
in the area.

Suppliers who fell for the scheme have sent computers to various
addresses, where they are being picked up by taxi. The dealers then
lose contact with the "association."

According to Detective Constable Geoffrey Maher, the officer leading
the investigation, the crooks are "conning to order" and may also
be getting advice from other computer dealers on who to hit with
the fraud.

Maher said that the official advice from the police to anyone who
has had contact with the criminals, whether they have been conned or
nor, is to come forward to the Liverpool Police.

(Steve Gold/19930928)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00027)

Computer Fraud Detected At Barclays Bank Portugal 09/28/93
LISBON, PORTUGAL, 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Barclays Bank Portugal has
revealed it has been hit by a major computer fraud carried out by
one of its programmers. The case, which is thought to have scooped
the programmer more than Escudos 100 million, has been passed over
to the authorities.

According to the bank, other banks may have been affected by the
fraud, as the unnamed programmer has worked at other banks in the
country. Officials with the bank claim that the man has not worked
at the bank for the last six years.

Newsbytes understands that the fraud centers around the running of
two computer programs in parallel on Barclays' computer system.
According to a spokesman for the bank, Almerindo Marques, the fraud
is thought to have gone on for several years before the programs
were superseded. It is only now that the fraud has been uncovered,
he said.

Marques added that technical staff noted some irregularities in the
programs recently when they needed to be run again. Their suspicions
were aroused when the programmer started to show signs of sudden
wealth after the programs had been reloaded and run.

(Sylvia Dennis/19930928)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00028)

MIT Media Lab Gets $2.65M From HP 09/28/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) --
Hewlett-Packard has donated $2.65 million in computer
equipment and funds to support research projects at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab.

The company has reportedly been "supporting undergraduate and
graduate education and research programs" at MIT for more than
20 years. HP claims to have provided the first workstation to the
MIT Media Lab in 1985.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder and director of the Media Lab, said:
"MIT will use the donation for a collaborative project between HP
and MIT as part of HP's External Research Program."

According to the two organizations, the project aims to improve
the ways in which "humans interact with computers by programming
the machines to be able to recognize more than just text and
numbers."

The donation of equipment and funds will be made over the next
three years, with 11 HP Apollo 9000 Series 700 workstations, and
laboratory test and measurement instrumentation given in
the first year.

Cooperative research between universities and industry was
highlighted by Gary B. Eichhorn, general manager of HP's Workstation
Systems Group. "We think of this kind of collaborative research as a
necessity, not a luxury. While these specific projects are being
conducted in the context of music and visual patterns, the
implications are far reaching. The results of this research will
appear someday in places as diverse as the living room, the board
room and the operating room."

According to HP, the Media Lab's Physics & Media group will use the
donation to create the tools needed to improve human/machine
interaction. Scientists from HP Labs' Personal Systems Lab in
Bristol, England, will collaborate with Gershenfeld to develop
advanced interfaces for mobile computing and the "next generation"
of personal information appliances.

The MIT Texture and Pattern-Modeling Project will be collaborate
with HP to pursue "new ways of accessing information in multimedia
databases, with the results will be used in medical and engineering
applications.

(Ian Stokell/19930927/Press Contact: Jim Barbagallo,
508-436-5049, Hewlett-Packard Co.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00029)

Survey Shows Online Market Peaking 09/28/93
BETHESDA, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- The online market
may be peaking, unless interactive TV and networked multimedia can
give it a new boost, according to longtime analyst Gary Arlen.

Arlen, writing for the Information and Interactive and Services
Report, the successor to a newsletter he sold in 1991, told
Newsbytes that the online services business as presently
constituted is mature.

"This business has been around 12 years and they've got 4% reach,"
he said. "BBSs go far deeper, but that's still not a whole lot, when
you see 25-30% PC penetration into homes, and a third of those
having modems. Just a third to a quarter of houses with modems
subscribe to online services. This is a finite market -- not
everyone wants this stuff."

According to Arlen, CompuServe remained the largest service as
of September 1, with 1.4 million users, followed by Prodigy with
950,000. Yet Prodigy has claimed 2 million users.

"Prodigy always claims a large number of users. Our ratio has always
been we know there are about two users per household account, so we
give the account number. In the last six months, they've lost 5% of
their users, partly due to the summer drop-off and partly due to
their price change," he said.

The next year will tell the tale for Prodigy, Arlen says, and he
expects the company to make the cut. "They will either make money or
be out of business in two years. That 10-year commitment that began
in 1984 is ended, so they're on their own. I think they'll make
money -- they're only losing $30 million this year. They could get
to break-even next year. Will they ever pay back their investment?
They don't have to. Sears and IBM have expensed that."

As to who is third, Arlen says his published figures show GEnie
number three, but suggested that America OnLine is probably
ahead of them.

Arlen also addressed the purchase by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.,
of Delphi, the number five service with about 70,000 members.
"They paid $8.5 million for Delphi," he estimated. "We devised
the price based on a number of factors, but it suggests that the
value of the online audience is not high. It values customers at
around $130 each." And that price will be just a down-payment,
if Murdoch is serious about getting a major stake in the online
market, he added. "It's just grabbing a stake in that business."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930927/Press Contact: Gary Arlen, Arlen
Communications, 301-656-7940)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00030)

 ****Worldwide Orders For Newsbytes' $24.95 CD-ROM 09/28/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- Newsbytes
has been swamped with orders for its newest CD-ROM, Volume
III, which contains all the news, reviews, and editorials
that have been published on the Newsbytes News Network from
its founding in 1983 through July, 1993 -- a ten year span.

"Orders have come in from France, Germany, Austria, Japan,
Singapore, Canada, as well as throughout the United States,"
notes Newsbytes Editor-in-Chief Wendy Woods. The distance
from which this orders arrive indicates the widespread nature
of Newsbytes' distribution. Newsbytes is the largest,
independent source of daily computer and telecommunications
news worldwide, accessed via online services such as Genie,
Ziffnet (Compuserve), Applelink, America Online, Bix, Newsnet,
through custom news services such as Individual Inc., and
via the Internet from Clarinet Communications Corp.

Newsbytes also announced a limited print campaign in which
ads for Volume III are appearing in Bay Area Computer Currents,
Dallas Computer Currents, The Computer Paper in Vancouver,
and other regional magazines.

The Volume III CD-ROM disc, which runs on both Apple Computer
Macintoshes and PCs equipped with a CD-ROM drive, contains
over 40,000 news stories written 1983-1993 by the Newsbytes
News Network staff. The disc is produced by Wayzata Technologies
and distributed by Newsbytes News Network, among others. It
includes reporting from the infancy of the microcomputer,
in 1983, to stories about today's highly diversified array
of interactive technologies.

A Textware search engine, including on the CD-ROM, enables
the Volume III CD-ROM disc to be keyword searched for stories
in which individual words or text strings appear, or Boolean
searched ("keyword1" plus "keyword2" but not "keyword3").
This makes it a useful tool for researchers and libraries.

$24.95 is also the lowest-ever price for a Newsbytes disc. Previous
discs were priced in the $50-$100 range.

Newsbytes has a staff of 19 daily reporters in the following
cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Atlanta, Washington, DC, Boston, Toronto, London, Tokyo, Hongkong,
Sydney, New Delhi, and Moscow. Newsbytes reports 30 stories a
day, or 600 a month -- a megabyte of material. These are
objective, first-hand new stories involving interviews with
the people who make the news, and on-site trade show coverage.

Newsbytes coverage has won Best Online Publication awards four
times from the Computer Press Association, the largest
organization of professional computer journalists.
Newsbytes is an independent, privately held news organization.

The disc is $24.95 plus $2.50 shipping and handling to US
addresses, $4.50 shipping and handling to all other countries.
Those interested in ordering the CD-ROM should send a check or
money order, or send their Visa or Mastercard number, with
expiration date (no American Express please) to CD-ROM Offer,
Newsbytes News Network, Carriage House, 406 West Olive St.,
Stillwater, MN 55082 or fax to 612-430-0441.

Electronic mail orders should be sent to [e-mail]
(Internet), NEWSBYTES1 (Applelink and Bix), WWOODS (MCI Mail),
72241,337 (Compuserve), or NEWSBYTES on America Online. Include
shipping address and a Mastercard or Visa number with expiration
date.

(Newsbytes Staff/19930928)