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/nb100593

Text File | 1993-10-05 | 74KB | 1,608 lines

(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00001)

VR Conference Begins Today In Bellevue, Washington 10/05/93
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Scheduled for
The New Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington, the Fall 1993
Virtual Reality, Virtual Freedom conference will be held today,
October 6 and 7. This unique conference focuses on the use of
computer technology to open up work, recreation, and social
activities to disabled citizens.

Sponsored by the Washington (State) Technology Access Center, the
Virtual Worlds Society, and the Human Interface Technology
Laboratory of the University of Washington, the event will
focus on the use of virtual reality technology now and in
the future, with particular attention to matching technology
to particular needs.

The keynote speech scheduled for Wednesday morning will be given
by Dr. Furness, founder of the Human Interface Technology
Laboratory, who will discuss current research into virtual
reality and virtual computer interfaces.

Also on Wednesday there will be a one hour session discussing
"The Virtual Office Wheelchair," a concept which involves the use
of wheelchair-mounted computer and telecommunications systems
that allow disabled workers to easily participate in normal
business activities.

Conference proceedings will be published in the form of a
reference guide "Virtual Reality - Virtual Freedom, Where Do We
Go From Here?"

(John McCormick/19931004/Press and Public Contact: Washington
Technology Access Center, 206-776-3663 voice and fax)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00002)

SPA Strengthens Government Affairs Staff 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- The Software
Publishers Association is expanding its legal staff by adding two
new government affairs members. Mark E. Nebergall and Mark
Traphagen will work to inform legislators and Clinton
Administration officials about the software industry's concerns
relating to changes in taxation, intellectual property, and trade
policies.

Mr. Nebergall will work on tax legislation matters and will
represent SPA members before congressional committees which are
drafting changes to Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code
which governs business activities in every US state except
Louisiana. He was formerly with the Tax Division of the US
Department of Justice where he served as a special trial counsel.

Mr. Traphagen, formerly a copyright and trademark attorney with
Washington-based law firm Finnegan Henderson, will work on
domestic and international copyright and intellectual property
affairs, including NAFTA, the pending North American Free Trade
Agreement which the Clinton Administration is currently trying to
put into effect.

The Software Publishers Association is a 1,000-member trade
association for the personal computer industry. In addition to
its efforts to influence legislation in a way which will be
favorable to the gigantic US software publishing industry, the
SPA is a major national and international presence in the
software antipiracy field where it sponsors educational
and legal activities intended to reduce illegal copying of
computer software.

(John McCormick/19931004/Press Contact: Ilene Rosenthaul, General
Counsel SPA, 202-452-1600 X 318)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00003)

Information Week Lists IS Use In Top 500 US Companies 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- In a major
undertaking, Information Week magazine for the week of September
27 has gathered information about the information systems (IS)
departments of the 500 largest publicly traded US companies,
listing IS department heads, who they report to in the corporate
structure, and, in some cases, the size of the information
systems department's budget.

Of the top ten companies (size determined by Standard & Poor's
CompuStat Services Inc.), IW estimates AT&T's IS budget at $4.2
billion, with IBM, the next largest company in fifth position,
having a slightly larger budget of $4.4 billion. GM, Exxon, and
Ford Motors did not supply IS budget information.

This, the ninth-annual IS 500 survey completed by Information
Week, contains even more information about the IS departments of
these gigantic companies, dividing them into 20 industry groups
for detailed analysis of the size of IS operations.

Individual group descriptions include fiscal year '92 corporate
earnings and revenues, the total number of corporate employees,
profit or loss per employee, number of information services
department employees, IS budget, and the percentage of the IS
department budget compared to the total corporate revenue.

In addition to the domestic 500, this same issue carries the same
sort of information about the top 100 European companies, headed
by Siemens AG.

(John McCormick/19931004/)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00004)

Divergent Technologies In Indian Multimedia Venture 10/05/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Divergent Technologies of the US
and ET&T Corporation, a government of India undertaking under the
Department of Electronics, will introduce a series of sophisticated
applications in multimedia, and have formed a joint venture to make
multimedia cards and related hardware.

ET&T and DTL will market in India and the US the applications they
develop. The two will also manufacture multimedia cards and related
hardware in their joint venture.

The multimedia products being developed are for office automation,
journalism, security applications, and education and training.

A version of the office automation package was on display at the
recently concluded IT ASIA '93. Designed to create a "virtually
paperless office," the package enables the transfer of data, audio,
and video through ordinary phone lines between remote offices or through
a LAN using Arcnet/Ethernet cards.

Video conferencing on the LAN or otherwise is also part of the
package. At present the system supports just five frames per second
on the network, and one frame every three to five seconds when sent
via phone lines. The system uses a 386 machine and a digital video
camera. The price has not been set.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931001)


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

Japan, Korea To Mass Produce 16Mb DRAM Chips 10/05/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Major Japanese and Korean memory
chipmakers are ramping up for full-scale production of 16
megabit dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. They
include NEC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Fujitsu, which are
currently expanding  production lines or building new
facilities for the chips.

NEC is spending a whopping 95 billion yen ($950 million) to
create a new plant for production of 16-megabit DRAM. The firm
was initially planning to spend 80 billion yen ($800 million) but
the scale of the project was expanded to include creation
of 64-megabit DRAM facilities at the same plant. By next
August, NEC will finish construction of a clean room to manufacture
an expected one million 16-megabit DRAM per month, and later
to produce the 64-megabit DRAM. The facility has the technology
to draw 0.35 micron circuits, the same as is required for
production of the 64-megabit DRAM.

Mitsubishi Electric will spend one million yen ($10,000) to add a
16-megabit chip production line at its Saijyo plant in Ehime
Prefecture, Japan. The plan is to create one million units
per month with this new production line.

Hitachi has just built a plant to make 16Mb DRAM and has been
waiting for the timing to be right in order to employ it.
That time has come -- the plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan,
will produce both 16-megabit and 64-megabit DRAMs.

Hitachi expects to output a total of three million 16-megabit DRAMs
per month at this plant by mid-next year.

Toshiba and Fujitsu are also planning to  produce more
16-megabit DRAM next year. Toshiba wants to raise shipments
from a current 400,000 units to 2 million units, and Fujitsu
wants to increase them from 500,000 to 1.5 million units per month.

Meanwhile, Korean chip maker Samsung, among others, is planning
quantity production of  16-megabit DRAM to the tune of about
two million units per month next year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931004/Press Contact: NEC, +81-3-
3451-2974, Fax, [phone], Mitsubishi, [phone], Fax,
[phone])


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

Handheld, Voice Programmable Remote  10/05/93
CANOGA PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Voice
recognition technology can now be held in the palm of your
hand. Voice Powered Technology, Inc. (VPTI), of Canoga Park,
California is offering the VCR Voice Programmer, a handheld,
voice-controlled universal remote for programming and
controlling VCRs and television sets.

The VCR Voice Programmer can recognize and respond to as many
as four different people, each of whom trains it to recognize
their voice patterns, according to VPTI. The unit can replace
all the current infrared remotes for the VCR, television, as
well as cable box, and allows the user to program and control
all the devices by simple voice commands. For example, to
record "Cheers" on channel four on Thursday from 9 to 9:30 pm,
the user would say: "Four, Thursday, Nine PM, Nine-thirty PM."

The unit is "S" shaped for a clear signal path to the VCR, has
a miniaturized microphone, runs for six months on four "AA"
batteries, and offers a liquid crystal display (LCD) that both
prompts the user and confirms commands, VPTI maintains. VCR
Voice Programmer comes with an instructional video, a 30-day
money-back guarantee, and a 1-year warranty. The unit is
available from VPTI for $149.

However, Magnavox, the largest brand of Philips Consumer
Electronics, has signed a deal with VPTI to market the VCR
Voice Programmer under the Magnavox Smarttalk brand name.
Magnavox commercials began last week nationwide promoting the
Smarttalk device. In addition, VPTI recently announced that it
will begin distribution of a European version of the company's
Voice Programmer product through an exclusive distribution
agreement with Philips Consumer Electronics International B.V.,
which will sell the product under the Philips' Voice Commander
name. Japan is the next target market, company officials said.

The company is also planning to use its voice recognition
technology, which it calls Voicelogic, to make other household
and office tasks voice-controlled. The company is already
launching a Voice Organizer this month which allows the
recording of "to do" lists, addresses of contacts, memos,
appointments, and so forth. Users then access the information
by asking for it. To access an address, for example, the user
would speak the name of the person into the Voice Organizer and
the unit would play back the recording of the address
information in the user's own voice. Retail price for the Voice
Organizer is expected to be $199.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931005/Press Contact: Allison Kirstein,
Geltzer & Co for Voice Powered Technology Inc, tel 212-575-
1976, fax [phone]; Ed Krakauer, Voice Powered Technology
Inc, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public contact, VPTI,
800-788-0800)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00007)

Nintendo Profit Dive, NTT Cutting Heads 10/05/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Japan's major game machine maker
Nintendo has announced that profits will be less than those of
previous terms. Nintendo's profits have increased every year --
this will be the first quarter in ten years to break the
pattern. Meanwhile, times are still lean for Japan's
telecommunications firms.  NTT has requested  voluntary retirement
from its executive employees.

In the fiscal year ending in March 1994, Nintendo expects to record
500 billion yen ($5 billion) in sales, which is 11 percent less
than in the previous term. Earlier this year, the firm expected
sales to be 600 billion yen ($6 billion), a projection which has
not come to pass due to the surge of  Japanese currency against
the dollar. In fact, export sales will be 254 billion yen
($2.54 billion) or 22 percent less than that of previous term.

Nintendo's net profit is expected to also fall in comparison to
its last quarter.  Nintendo reports that net profit will be
121 billion yen ($1.21 billion), which is  26 percent less than
its  previous term.

Sales of  Nintendo software overseas is also expected to
decline about eight percent to  76.25 million units. Sales of
game machines will also go down by 10 percent to 15.87 million
units.

In another economy-related story, former domestic telephone
monopoly NTT has requested that executive employees aged
45 or over, voluntarily retire. The firm wants to cut
6,000 out of 25,000 executive jobs. Those who choose the buy-out
will be given a year's salary.

Currently, NTT has about 230,000 employees and the plan is
to eliminate 30,000 of them by the end of  fiscal 1996.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931005/Press Contact: Nintendo, +81-
75-541-6111, Fax, [phone], NTT, [phone], Fax, +81-
3-3509-3104)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00008)

Seiko-Epson Stops Overseas PC Production 10/05/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Seiko-Epson has stopped
production of the personal computers at its overseas plants
including those in the US and Singapore. Production has instead
been switched to Taiwan where the PCs are being made and
supplied to Seiko-Epson on an OEM (original equipment
manufacturer) basis.

Seiko-Epson currently makes IBM-compatible personal computers
in Portland, Oregon, and Singapore.  These include  desktop and
notebook models. Some 200,000 units were made last year at these
plants, down from 600,000 units in 1989.

Seiko-Epson has decided to switch its Portland and Singapore
production lines to create peripheral equipment such as printers.
The conversion, however, has reportedly involved the layoff
of some workers at these sites.

Seiko-Epson expects that its supply of PCs from Taiwan on an
OEM basis will save money. The OEM'd products are to be
tailored for individual US or European markets.

Meanwhile, Seiko-Epson will continue to produce NEC PC-9801-
compatible personal computers in Japan.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931005/Press Contact: Seiko-Epson,
[phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00009)

1st Notebook PC W/ CD-ROM Aimed At Vertical Market  10/05/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- The Matsushita
Electric subsidiary, Panasonic, promises to introduce the
first IBM-compatible notebook personal computer (PC) with a
removable, internal compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)
drive. The catch is the drive is a 3.5-inch CD-ROM drive, not
the standard 5.25-inch drive.

The company says the 486-based notebook PCs will offer a 3.5-
inch internal CD-ROM drive, one of four identically sized,
optional peripherals planned. The CD-ROM drive is made by
Matsushita.  It is designed for companies which need  lots
of information in a portable format and can work with
Panasonic and a third-party vendor to put the required data
on 3.5-inch CDs for use with the drive.

The other peripherals include a video pack for full-motion
video display, a floppy disk drive, and an extra battery pack.

Aimed at vertical markets, the new CD-ROM notebook PCs are
expected to be attractive to  industries such as health care
and manufacturing as well as the government.

The standard notebook model offers a 486SX 25 megahertz (MHz)
processor and a monochrome display. Panasonic says it plans to
also offer models with a 10.4-inch TFT active matrix color
display in November and a pen-based liquid crystal display
(LCD) version will ship in December. Panasonic says the 486
processing unit offered in the notebook computers can be
upgraded from a 25 megahertz (MHz) version to a 486DX2/40 MHz
processor, which will be available in first quarter 1994.

Prices range from $2,549 to $4,299, depending on the
configuration of the units, the company added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931005/Press Contact: Joe Frazer, Creamer
Dickson Basford for Panasonic, tel [phone], fax 212-887-
8082)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00010)

Galacticomm Intros Internet Link 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Galacticomm has
written a new "Quick Start Booklet" for its popular "The Major
BBS" professional-grade bulletin board system software. The
company has also introduced a new Internet gateway for Major
sysops who do not have the option of linking through the Novell
MHS link.

While a direct Internet link has previously been a rare thing for
a home or business-based BBS, it is rapidly becoming one of the
most desirable additions to any BBS as evidenced by the recent
appearance of Internet links on commercial systems like
Compuserve, and GEnie.

Galacticomm BBS operators were already able to link with the
Internet but only via ties via Novell networks which were
already connected to the Internet. Use of the new Major
Gateway/Internet Add-on Option allows sysops operating a small
BBS to provide full Internet message handling, including access
to all Internet newsgroups via the PageSat satellite news feeds.

The $250 Internet Gateway Version 1.1 contains all the software
necessary to connect to an Internet UUCP host and provides The
Major users seamless access to Internet mail and newsgroup
functions, automatically encoding and decoding files. The Gateway
includes software that splits and recombines files over 50
kilobytes in size.

The new gateway supports Novell MHS, but does not require a
networked computer and can operate with either one or two
computers (a second one is required if the sysop wishes to
exchange Internet mail without shutting down).

Access to a UUCP (commercial dial-up Internet link) is not
provided by Galacticomm -- this is just the gateway software
required to handle Internet mail.

In a minor, but important change to the documentation,
Galacticomm has just unveiled a new Quick Start Booklet which
should help those new to The Major get a system up and running
more quickly. Basic setup and installation of The Major BBS
wasn't particularly difficult, but the new booklet provides a
useful shortcut helping new sysops locate the basics which they
need to find in the main documentation.

Galacticomm has also published a free "Guide to Public Online
Services" which lists 810 Galacticomm Major BBS operators
complete with the BBS phone number and a brief description of the
type of information found on the BBS. Despite the title this is
not a "guide" offering information on how to access a BBS, rather
it is a listing of US and Canadian Galacticomm boards.

The guide is offered through a toll-free number, 800-328-1128.

(John McCormick/19931005/Press Contact: Laura Kravet,
Galacticomm, 305-583-5990 voice, 305-583-7846 fax, or 305-583-
7808 BBS)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00011)

 ****Intel Replaces 186 With 386 For Embedded Applications 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- The Intel iAPX186
(80186) microprocessor which briefly filled  the gap between
the IBM PC and XT's 8086(88), and the AT's 80286,  has no real
place in the PC industry. But it did provide stand-alone
computer developers with a good low-powered microprocessor
for embedded applications. On Monday Intel announced that it
would move its popular 80386 to the role of a low-priced
embedded microprocessor.

Although the 32-bit 80386 is still relatively popular among
computer makers and buyers, it ceased to be a major money maker
for Intel when the chip was cloned by other semiconductor makers
and Intel has moved  to the more profitable 80486 and Pentium.

Also conspiring to eliminate the 386 from mainstream PCs has been
the increasing popularity of graphics intensive operating
environments and ever more complex applications  which
can't be properly supported by anything less than a 486-based
computer.

Some observers view embedded computers as the major market for
many microprocessor makers because they are used in so many
products. Embedded computers are used in everything from
microwave ovens to CD-ROM players, automobiles, VCRs, and
industrial machinery so they are in virtually every US and
Canadian home and business, even those which don't have a general
purpose computer.

Motorola is another major manufacturer of embedded
microprocessors which are used in the company's own
communications products as well as all CD-ROM players.

Intel announced Monday that the embedded version of the 80386
will cost as little as $20, versus about $100 for the version
intended for use in PC motherboards.

(John McCormick/19931005/)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00012)

Army Picks VTEL Corp For Teletraining 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Austin, Texas-based
VTEL says that the US Army has chosen its interactive
teleconference MediaConferencing system for remote training
sessions. The Army Training and Doctrine Command has worked with
the Oklahoma State University's Institute for Telecommunications
to develop a satellite-based digital teleconferencing system and
tested it for several years.

The recently adopted VTEL system is already in use at the Navy
and many educational institutions, providing a PC-based training
platform that offers high-speed transmission along with file
sharing and screen annotation.

During the Persian Gulf war, the Army's test system was used by
the United States Defense Language Institute to provide Arabic
language training to troops and also to conduct tactical training
sessions for troops at Ft. Hood, Texas and Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.

(John McCormick/19931005/Press Contact: Sheri Goodwin, VTEL, 800-
856-0125)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00013)

Wordperfect 3.0 For Macintosh 10/05/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation
this week announced Wordperfect 3.0 for Macintosh, calling the
upgrade "the technological leader in Macintosh word processing."

The new release is compatible with new versions of Wordperfect
developed for other platforms as well as Apple Computer's System
7 Pro operating system which combines PowerTalk, AppleEvents,
AppleScript, WorldScript and Quicktime. Newsbytes reported
yesterday on the release of System 7 Pro.

Like its IBM-compatible product, Wordperfect 3.0 for Mac allows
users access to Grammatik 5 and Wordperfect Office 4.0 directly
from the Button Bar. The new release also increases compatibility
with Wordperfect 6.0 for Windows by including the same 25
TrueType fonts from Bitstream which come with the Windows version
of Wordperfect. Wordperfect 3.0 files can be opened in
Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS and Windows automatically, so users will
no longer have to export files to the 6.0 format.

Other new features of release 3.0 for Macintosh include Ruler
Bars that can be expanded in each document window to display
icons to perform various functions. The Control Bar is used to
determine which Ruler Bars are visible. Three Button Bars can be
used when editing text, graphics or equations to perform tasks
like bullet indent, quick sort and create headers and footers.
The context-sensitive Button Bar appears outside the document
window and can be displayed at the top, bottom or either side.

A Tables feature allows the user to create tables in columns,
rows, and cells. Tables can be freestanding or contained in a
movable box. Buttons on the Tables Ruler Bar allow the user to
insert or delete rows and columns, join or split cells, and fill
cells with color or patterns. Custom borders can be added to
tables, and the lines that form the table can be manipulated to
change the width or height of the columns and rows. Text can be
converted to a table or vice versa. Tables will also perform as a
mini-spreadsheet to perform basic math functions.

An Equation Editor allows the user to create and edit
mathematical expressions, and a Equation Tool Palette is
available to create the elements of an equation such as
fractions and exponents.

Systems requirements include a Macintosh computer running
System 6.X and with two megabytes of memory, or System 7.x
or higher and four megabytes of memory. The retail price is
set at $495, and current users can upgrade for $59.95
through the end of the year. Users of competitive word
processing packages can switch to Wordperfect for $99 through
December 31, 1993.

(Jim Mallory/19931005/Press contact: Dave Terran, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5013; Reader contact: Wordperfect
Corporation, 800-451-5151)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00014)

Windows For Workgroups Gets New Features, Price 10/05/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation announced today version 3.11 of its Windows for
Workgroups software will ship in early November and will include
additional features and a lower price.

The company said WFW 3.11 will have a suggested retail price of
$249.95 but will be introduced at $219.95 for the first 90 days.
Present users will be able to obtain an upgrade in local retail
outlets for about $50.

Microsoft says WFW 3.11 has been specifically designed to work
with Novell's Netware and Microsoft's Windows NT operating
systems. A flexible process allows it to be used on a network
or as a stand-alone product, Microsoft claims. Microsoft is
also planning to release a Workgroup add-on for the MS-DOS
operating system that will allow people to use their older
hardware as print or file servers. The add-on is scheduled to
ship shortly after WFW 3.11.

Microsoft VP of Personal Systems Brad Silverberg says the
flexible installation routine should give the product broad
appeal. "Customers get all the benefits of the Windows 3.1
operating system plus the option to run Windows for Workgroup's
32-bit networking if they're connected on a LAN (local area
network) or to use the product's remote access and faxing
capabilities if they're on the road."

In addition to faxing capabilities and remote access, release
3.11 supports Novell Netware's ODI driver model and runs peer
services over a new 32-bit IPX-compatible protocol. It also
supports NetBEUI, TCP/IP, and DLC as well as the existing Banyan
VINES, DEC, and Pathworks, PC-NFS network support compatible with
Windows 3.1.

According to Microsoft, version 3.11 performance has been
improved, with up to 150 percent faster hard disk access thanks
to the 32-bit disk and file system drivers. They also claim
network access up to 100 percent faster because of the 32-bit
NDIS 3.0 network card drivers, plus some other enhancements.

Network administrators can control sharing of resources by
selected workstations, specify password settings, audit network
events, and use the domain security controls included with
Windows NT. Remote access for stand-alone and mobile users is
also included in the new release, and Microsoft says by the end
of the year it will have available a point-to-point server that
will allow mobile users to dial into another Windows for
Workgroups machine and access its hard disk. That capability will
also make it possible to connect Windows for Workgroups-based
machines through a serial port for file transfer purposes.
Software to make that possible will be placed on electronic
bulletin boards for download by users.

WFW 3.11 also has Microsoft At Work fax software included, which
allows users to send and receive messages and fax files which can
then be edited from one Windows for Workgroups-based machine to
another.

Microsoft says over the next 90 days it will provide its
Microsoft Solution Providers with the training and tools
necessary to support WFW 3.11. MSPs are independent training and
support organizations. The full 3.11 package is available for
current MS-DOS users who want to add Windows and networking. The
workgroup Add-on for Windows is a package for users who
are currently running Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1
and want to upgrade. It includes the same features as the full
package, less the basic Windows 3.1 components. Suggested retail
price for the add-on for Windows is $69.95 for the first 90 days
and $99.95 thereafter. The Workgroup Add-on for MS-DOS provides
an MS-DOS-based peer network server which can use as little as
22K of conventional memory. It has a SRP of $49.95 and will be
available shortly after the other two packages.

System requirements include MS-DOS 3.3 or higher, a 386SX-based
or higher PC, and 4MB or system memory. Microsoft strongly
recommends a mouse. You will also need a high-density floppy
drive and a hard disk with 12MB of available space.

(Jim Mallory/19931005/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft
Corporation, 206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft Corp, 206-
882-8080 or 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00015)

Microsoft Will Support Apple's System 7 Pro 10/05/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation wasted no time in announcing its support for Apple
Computer's System 7 Pro, saying it will support Apple's client
software for Apple's Open Collaboration Environment (AOCE)
technology. Powertalk is also an integral part of Apple's
enhanced System 7 Pro operating system reported by Newsbytes
yesterday.

System Pro also includes System 7.1 operating system software,
AppleScript scripting language, and Quicktime multimedia software.
The two companies also said they will support their mutual
customers through development of a suite of server-to-sever and
client-to-server communications links between their respective
messaging systems.

Microsoft said its first business applications to offer PowerTalk
and System 7 Pro support will be Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word,
Microsoft Works, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Microsoft spokesperson
Julie Briselden told Newsbytes programmers are working on changes
to all four programs. No shipping date is set yet.

AOCE is designed to facilitate collaboration among end users
through services such as a universal mailbox for electronic mail,
voice mail, and faxes. For example, a user with a Powertalk mail-
capable application such as Microsoft Word could create a
document and send it to the addressee's PowerTalk mailbox. If the
document is sensitive, an AOCE feature known as Powershare can
encrypt the message.

Microsoft and Apple say they are working on messaging and
directory integration, and expect to provide further details
within 60 days. The team's task is to develop software that will
assure that MAPI-compliant applications in Windows can access
Powershare servers and AOCE-supported Mac applications can access
current and future Microsoft servers.

(Jim Mallory/19931005/Press contact: Julie Briselden, Microsoft
Corporation, 206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft Corporation,
206-882-8080 or 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

Motorola's Exclusive EMBARC Deal with Reuters 10/05/93
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Motorola
signed an exclusive deal with Reuters America Inc., covering
Reuters' headlines on a wireless paging-type platform.

EMBARC/Reuters Financial News Updates will be delivered hourly
each business day over Motorola's EMBARC wireless messaging
network, which uses a national paging frequency for electronic
mail services. MobileComm and SkyTel, which have similar
frequencies, also said last week they'll begin providing
electronic mail and information services on their networks to
laptop, palmtop and desktop computers.

All three networks work similarly. Messages are sent to a central
facility, and go from there to a satellite to a network of
antennae around the country. EMBARC, for instance, is now
available in over 220 metropolitan areas. Motorola, which is a
major producer of pagers, did not want to compete directly with
SkyTel and MobileComm when it won a similar license and designed
EMBARC, which stands for Electronic Mail By A Roaming Computer,
to be an e-mail service for laptops rather than a simple paging
service.

The Reuters service will include an early-morning briefing with
an overview of the day ahead and the previous day's trading,
hourly updates with current business headlines and market data,
and a business summary after the markets close, with analysis,
commentary and tabular data.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931005/Press Contact: Mike Keating, for
EMBARC, 312/988-2918)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00017)

US West To Sell PictureTel Videoconferencing Units 10/05/93
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- US West signed a
resale deal with PictureTel, which it claims will mean desktop
videoconferencing at a much lower price than currently available.

The deal will combine PictureTel equipment and US West's
SwitchNet 56 digital services on a dial-up rather than leased-
line basis, at speeds starting at 112,000 bits/second. The
company's basic rate ISDN service can also be used for the
calls, where it's available.

According to US West officials, this use of the public
network could reduce the cost of videoconferencing by 60
percent. US West will offer PictureTel's Live system, which
runs on IBM-compatible personal computers with a
network interface, for $8,500, then plans to charge about
$50 per month, plus two cents a line, for the dial-up
service. US West also will sell PictureTel's System 4000
and System 1000 group videoconferencing products.

US West emphasized the desktop-to-desktop nature of the new
offering in its release, noting that PictureTel Live lets
participants in a conference copy applications windows to a
shared on-screen "whiteboard" for viewing and editing, or paste
images into shared documents which can then be saved as files.

Ron Taylor of PictureTel told Newsbytes the deal could benefit
all users of videoconferencing equipment, because all the major
vendors -- including Compression Labs' and VTEL -- are committed
to a standard called H.320 from the Telecommunications
Standardization Sector, also known as the CCITT. "These standards
cover everything from video-audio compression, to audio
standards, to other standards on systems talking to one another,"
he said. "By and large everything PictureTel puts out is
standards compatible," as is equipment from competitors. The
only time equipment won't "plug and play," he added, is when
someone is using old software that doesn't meet the current
version of the standard.

VTEL spokesmen, who are trumpeting a new MediaConferencing
network for the US Army, agreed. The United States Army Training
and Doctrine Command will use VTEL equipment in its TNET network.
VTEL also said it has more than half the market in higher
education distance learning, although a major contract in that
area just went to Compression Labs. Spokesman Sheri Goodwin
added, however, that all the systems in the Army contract are
H.20 compatible. "All the systems are standards compatible. You
can take that for granted with VTel."

In other news from US West, the company announced a trial of 3DO
technology. The technology will be built into set-top converters
in subscribers' homes in Omaha, Nebraska, where the
company is already rolling out its high-speed network, and will
be used for home shopping, entertainment, and other programming
formerly found only on advanced Cable TV services. The trial is
pending FCC approval, and should start next year. The system
includes a network interface and MPEG video decompression
for video on demand and networked services, and the systems will
also play all software and CDs for the 3DO.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931005/Press Contact: Lee McEnany, for 3DO,
310/785-0515x 211, Giulia Urquhart, US West 303-965-9252; Ron
Taylor PictureTel, 508-762-5178; VTEL, Sheri Goodwin 800/856-
0125)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

NYNEX Latest Name In Viacom-QVC Battle for Paramount 10/05/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Viacom found a new
ally in its war with QVC for Paramount Communications Inc. NYNEX,
the regional Bell company for New York and New England, said it
would put $1.2 billion into Viacom preferred stock, which carries
a dividend but is convertible only into non-voting stock.

The deal is similar to one the company signed a week earlier with
Blockbuster Entertainment for $600 million. Redstone is also
continuing to negotiate with Cox Enterprises of Atlanta, but
Redstone has indicated this will be his only deal with a regional
Bell company.

Viacom has yet to raise its original bid for Paramount, with
Chairman Sumner Redstone publicly ridiculing QVC's higher bid and
insisting his earlier deal will go through. But the NYNEX and
Blockbuster transactions raised cash which could be used to
sweeten the Viacom bid, without diluting Redstone's control of
the company, and a higher bid is expected. Paramount,
technically, has still not considered the QVC bid while waiting
for it to show how it will finance the deal, but QVC Chairman
Barry Diller says that's a non-issue.

Why would NYNEX want to buy into Paramount? It holds part of the
largest cable television-telephone operation in the UK,
CableComms Ltd., which has nearly three million customers. But it has
yet to announce a strategy for enhancing its own network. It's
engaged in just a single test of the new technology, with a small
New York cable company. NYNEX's home territory could also be
vulnerable to competition, because it's compact and relatively
easy to serve. MFS Communications has already started offering
local and long distance service to some New York City businesses.

Viacom is arguing that the QVC bid represents an attempt by Tele-
Communications Inc. head John Malone to monopolize both cable
television programming and distribution. When TCI signed a $1.3
billion deal with Walt Disney Co., tieing up pay-TV rights to
pictures from Disney's Touchstone, Miramax and Hollywood units
for the next decade on its Encore channel, Viacom cried foul. One
of its most valuable operations is Showtime, a rival pay-
television network, which has some rights to Disney movies
through 1997.

Meanwhile, QVC continued its own expansion by launching a
Shopping Channel in the United Kingdom. It's a joint venture with
BSkyB, and will be expanded to the rest of Europe. QVC will also
launch a service for Mexico, in Spanish, a joint venture with
Grupo Televisa, in November, with plans to expand that
throughout Latin America.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931005/Press Contact: Jenni Moyer, QVC, 215-
431-6424; Raymond Boyce, Viacom, 212-258-6530)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00019)

Lotus Ami Pro Promotions 10/05/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Lotus Development
Corp.'s Word Processing Division has launched two fall promotions
aimed at propelling the company's Ami Pro word processor onto
more business and home personal computers.

Lotus, which has no significant presence in the DOS word
processor market, clearly hopes to take advantage of the
continuing move from DOS to Microsoft Windows, which improves its
chances of chipping away at the market shares of WordPerfect
Corp.'s namesake word processor and Microsoft Corp.'s Word.

To help it do so, Lotus is offering large PC installations in the
United States and Canada a new twist on the familiar competitive
upgrade. Any organization that has at least 10 copies of a
competing DOS or Windows word processor can get free copies of
Ami for one quarter of its PCs, to a maximum of 50 copies, for
nothing.

The deal requires that the customer install all the copies on a
PC able to run Windows within 30 days, and the customer cannot
count the copies toward volume purchase deals with Lotus.

Meanwhile, in an effort to woo individual users, Lotus is
offering a bundle of Ami Pro, Intuit's Quicken 3.0 for
Windows personal accounting software, and ChipSoft's TurboTax tax
preparation package for $495, which is the same as the regular
list price for Ami Pro alone. The bundle is available until
February. A competitive upgrade offer is also available, allowing
buyers who have a competing word processor to get Ami Pro and the
two other packages for $129.

The same prices apply in Canada in Canadian currency, a company
spokeswoman said, but the Canadian bundle does not include
TurboTax, which is suitable only for American income tax
preparation.

(Grant Buckler/19931005/Press Contact: Michelle Goguen or Kim
Commerato, Lotus Development, 404-391-0011; Public Contact:
Lotus, 800-831-9679; Lotus Canada, 800-465-6887)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00020)

 ****Apple/Citibank Deal Not Necessarily Dead 10/05/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- A financial deal
between Apple Computer and Citibank, scheduled for announcement
Thursday of last week, was unexpectedly called off. It is widely
believed the announcement was to launch an Apple/Citibank
credit card.

The cancellation was an unexpected one for Apple
representatives, most of whom had already flown to New York to
be on hand for the announcement.

Apple USA Senior Public Relations Manager Eric Wee told
Newsbytes the announcement was unexpectedly cancelled, but the
deal between the companies is not necessarily dead. "There is
nothing to announce -- yet," said Wee. Wee could neither
confirm nor deny that the announcement concerned an
Apple/Citibank credit card.

Credit cards focused on special interest groups are becoming
increasingly popular. Kansas State University announced a K-
State credit card aimed at alumni that directs a portion of
each purchase as a donation to the University. General Motors
has announced a similar credit card, in which a percentage of
each purchase accumulates toward the purchase of a GM vehicle.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931005/Press Contact: Eric Wee, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00021)

 ****Novell, AT&T Team On PC-Telephone Integration 10/05/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- In an effort to integrate
telephone capabilities with desktop computers in the NetWare
network operating systems environment, Novell and AT&T have
teamed with 24 developers of telephony applications.

According to the companies, the 24 vendors have joined the
Novell/AT&T Telephony Services Early Implementers Program and
have committed to provide "solutions" that work with the Telephony
Services for NetWare product offering being developed by Novell
and AT&T.

Bob Young, vice president of marketing for Novell's NetWare
Systems Group, said: "As a result of the relationships we've formed
with these developers, by the first quarter of next year customers
will be able to choose from a wide variety of telephony solutions
for NetWare networks -- everything from basic auto-dial programs
to sophisticated call-center applications."

Carl Pavarini, vice president of Worktop and Visual Solutions for
AT&T, said: "Businesses have a huge untapped potential in their
investments in computer network and communications systems.
With Telephony Services for NetWare connecting the two,
businesses will realize their full value."

The two companies maintain that Telephony Services for NetWare
provides a telephony infrastructure for NetWare computer networks.
According to the companies, it consists primarily of a Telephony
Server NetWare Loadable Module (NLM), which links a PBX (private
branch exchange) and a NetWare server, and a set of client-server
application programming interfaces (APIs).

Developers in the Early Implementers Program are using the NLM and
APIs to create applications that provide access to and control
"telephone functionality from any personal computer on the network,"
says the companies.

Novell says that, because Telephony Services for NetWare is based
from the NetWare server, it establishes a logical connection rather
than a physical connection between telephone and computer, thereby
eliminating the cost and administrative overhead of installing a
special board in every personal computer and connecting every PC
to a desktop telephone.

Novell and AT&T expect that the Telephony Services for NetWare
product and the supporting third-party applications will be
available by the first quarter of 1994.

(Ian Stokell/19931006/Press Contact: Kelly Hindley,
801-429-5870, Novell Inc; or Phil Chang, 408-452-3810, AT&T)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00022)

HP Cuts PC Prices, Intros New Inkjet Plotters 10/05/93
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard (HP) said it will reduce prices on its IBM compatible
personal computer (PC) Vectra PC line by up to 14 percent. The
company also announced a new, low-cost inkjet plotter, the HP
Designjet 200 plotter, which HP claims is not only less
expensive than pen plotters, but is five times faster.

Price reductions for the HP Vectra line range from 2 to 14
percent. For example, the HP Vectra 486/66XM Model 1 has been
reduced 2 percent to a retail price of $2,619. However, the HP
Vectra 486/25VL Model 240 has been dropped 14 percent in price
$1,249. The Vectra XM product family are at the high end and
offer enhanced graphics, communications, and integrated
connectivity capability. The VL family is more moderately
priced and targeted toward the user who wants a more basic system,
but still desires some advanced features such as accelerated
graphics, HP said.

HP describes its new Designjet 200 large-format monochrome
plotter line as available in two models: E-size (36-inches
wide) for $4,695 and D-size (24-inches wide) for $3,695. The
plotters offer a resolution of 300 dots-per-inch and two print
modes: final and draft. They can be connected to a PC or local
area network through the HP Jetdirect EX external connection
and switch automatically among HP-GL, HP-GL/2 and HP RTL
(HP's raster transfer language). The combination of these
standard languages allows the plotter to support virtually all
computer-aided design (CAD) software applications, HP said. In
addition, the plotters ship with software printer drivers for
the popular computer-aided-design (CAD) package Autocad and for
Microsoft Windows 3.0/3.1.

The product is aimed at individuals or small groups who need
to create engineering, architectural, or construction
drawings and do up to eight plots per day. The plotters use
commonly available cut-sheet media such as plain
paper, translucent paper, vellum and HP Inkjet polyester film.
A typical E-size plot on plain paper costs about 79 cents and a
D-size costs about 48 cents.

Drawing times vary depending on the mode, but in draft mode a
typical E-size plot can be completed in seven minutes, and a D-
size plot can be completed in four minutes. In final mode, the
E-size takes less than 10 minutes and a D-size requires less
than five minutes.

While the Designjet plotters can be set up on a table, HP also
offers floor stands for $450 for an E-size and $395 for a D-
size. The company says the floor stands might be particularly
useful for those in small offices where space is at a premium.
Both the printers and the floor stands are available only from
HP authorized resellers.

The company is also opening up to expand its distribution
channels through resellers such as Ingram Micro, Merisel, and
Tech Data (the distributor for Apple Computer's Newton
Messagepad). HP says the new distribution channels will help,
not hurt, its more traditional sales channel of value-added
resellers (VARs) and systems integrators. Richard C. Watts, an
HP vice president said: "Our studies of VAR purchasing patterns
indicate a high percentage of VARs purchase products through
national distributors. HP's products need to be available
through this channel in order to reach these VARs."

HP describes itself as the world's leading supplier of inkjet
printers, with sales of over 8 million printers since the first
one was introduced in 1984. BIS Strategic Decisions, a
Massachusetts-based industry-research firm, said: "HP has
become the fastest growing PC company in the United States."

The company recently announced the Omnibook, a small PC built
for travel with a full keyboard and built-in mouse that
incorporates Microsoft Windows into the unit's read-only memory
(ROM). Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, HP has 94,900
employees and boasted revenue of $16.4 billion in its 1992
fiscal year.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931005/Press Contact: Jeri Eaton Flinn,
Copithorne & Bellows for Hewlett-Packard, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00023)

IBM Austria Sales Soar As Country Outruns Recession 10/05/93
VIENNA, AUSTRIA, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- IBM Oesterreich, the Austrian
arm of the international computer manufacturer, claims to have
boosted unit sales by 50 percent so far in 1993 and is on target
to sell 40,000 PCs by the end of the year.

According to Siegfried Skalla, the company's managing director,
however, actual sales for 1993 are expected to be only 11 percent
higher than last year, owing the continuing downward trend in PC
pricing.

IBM's global operations have seen massive increases in sales around
the world, although this seems to have been at the expense of profit
margins, as the profitability of country operations in Europe
has not been as high as was expected.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931005/Press & Public Contact; IBM Oesterreich - Tel:
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00024)

UK - Amstrad Losses Lower, Buys Into Cellular Phones 10/05/83
BRENTWOOD, MIDDLESEX, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Citing stiff competition
and troublesome retailers, Amstrad today turned in a full year
pre-tax loss of UKP 20.5 million on sales of UKP 308.5 million for
the year to 30 June, 1993. The figures compare with a UKP 70.9
million loss on sales of UKP 356.6 million for last year.

Amstrad has also acquired Dancall, the troubled cellular phone
manufacturer. The UKP 6.4 million deal gives Amstrad immediate
access to Dancall's European cellular phone distribution network.

According to Alan Sugar, Amstrad's chairman, the deal is part of a
new company strategy to move into new product markets, following
very intense competition in the personal computer business, which
has sustained the company over the last few years.

Amstrad will purchase the assets and facilities of Dancall from
the company's creditors. As part of the deal, Amstrad will take
on the company's brand name, its Danish manufacturing facilities,
and its research and development operations. Amstrad claims it wants
to rehire 200 of Dancall's newly laid-off staff -- around a third
of the workforce.

Malcolm Miller, Amstrad's group director, said that the deal
dovetails in well with the company's new strategy of moving into high
technology markets other than computers. "Amstrad recognizes that it
needs to enter new markets with a mass market potential and cellular,
particularly PCN, is one area we have followed ever more closely as
the chances of it becoming a high volume sector become increasingly
certain."

Miller revealed that Amstrad had originally planned to set up its
own cellular phone operations, and recently came across Dancall.
"The opportunity to acquire Dancall was like manna from heaven as
their expertise was directly in line with our strategic planning,"
he said.

"We jumped at the chance to become a player in this dynamic market
and have effectively leap-frogged ahead by at least two years by not
having to spend that time building up the personnel and know-how,"
he added.

According to Amstrad, Dancall is widely recognized as being one of
the leaders in cellular phone technology. Until its August financial
problems, the company sold its cordless and digital phones in 25
countries, mostly in Europe.

Dancall hit severe financial problems in August when it reported a
DK 100 million ($15 million) loss on annual sales of DK 388 million
$60 million).

Meanwhile, Regarding Amstrad's financial figures, detailed examination
reveals that the loss is actually accounted for by a UKP 25 million
cost of closing and restructuring Amstrad's Spanish operations.
According to Alan Sugar, the company's chairman, the group is
looking at ways of cutting costs in a bid to stay competitive in
the consumer electronics business.

"The recession is most certainly still having an effect in the major
European markets where the product categories in which we are active
are under constant attack from the competition," he said, adding
that profit margins are very slim and "we have to recognize that our
current products have nothing unique to offer," he said.

Sugar claimed that Amstrad has been instrumental in creating new
markets in Britain and Europe's hi-fi and personal computers sector,
but had suffered when new competitors joined the battle for the
consumers' money.

"We were able to make quite good profits on a short-term basis when
breaking into these new areas," Sugar said, adding that the loyalty
from retailers "diminishes when our competition catches up. The
company has learned that there is a price to pay for concentrating
its efforts on innovation."

(Steve Gold/19931005/Press & Public Contact: Amstrad: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

UK - British Telecom To Close Operator Assistance Centers 10/05/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- British Telecom has announced
plans to shut down 10 of its operator assistance centers in the UK.
The closures, which will be completed by the end of March, 1996,
will shave around 1,200 staff, mostly operators, from the company
payroll.

BT claims that the bulk of the layoffs will completed by attrition,
although the operator center closures, which involve the shut-down
of centers in cities such as Edinburgh, Kettering, Leeds,
Sheffield and Taunton, will almost certainly mean staff relocation
to another town.

The closures have been caused, BT claims, by the drop in the
number of operator assistance calls in recent years. Also, the
introduction of an all-digital trunk phone network means that
operator and directory assistance calls can be routed across the
country if required at very little extra switching costs to BT.

Reaction to news of the planned closures has been one of amazement.
Alan Johnson, the general secretary of the Union of Communication
Workers, said that they were totally unexpected. "These closures are
on a far greater scale than we could possibly have expected," he
said.

(Steve Gold/19931005/Press & Public Contact: BT London - +44-71-250-
8888)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00026)

 ****Handheld Cellular Phone Safety Still Questioned 10/05/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Nine months after
the end of a health scare concerning hand-held cellular phones,
the Food and Drug Administration still can't assure users they
are safe.

"Our position has not changed since January," agency spokesman
Sharon Snider told Newsbytes. "We have no reason to believe
cellphones are either safe or non-safe."

The FDA also released a series of letters between the agency, an
arm of the Department of Health and Human Services' Public Health
Service, and people working with the Cellular Telecommunications
Industry Association trade group. After the original scare, which
hit the media in January after an attorney for a Florida woman
sued cell-phone makers claiming her hand-held unit had caused a
fatal cancer, the CTIA had moved quickly to calm peoples' fears.

The trade group appointed a panel of scientists under Dr. George
Carlo of George Washington University to study the question of
cellphone safety. That group was supposed to have a review of
past studies on the effect of electromagnetic frequencies on
human tissue done by the summer, but it's now due to be out in
November.

In an exchange of letters with the group, however, it appears
that the FDA has become increasingly concerned that the CTIA
panel is attempting a "whitewash" of the issue which will not be
scientifically valid.

While the study was underway, the CTIA continued to claim that
cellular phones are safe, and the industry recovered. The stock
of Motorola Inc., for instance, which stood at $50 at the height
of the scare, is now at above $100 per share. But behind the
scenes, the FDA, which had at first supported the idea of the
study, and the CTIA, were parting company.

In a July 19 letter to CTIA President Thomas Wheeler, Dr.
Elizabeth Jacobson, deputy director for science in the agency's
center for devices and radiological health, charged the trade
group with misrepresenting her agency's position. "Your press
packet selectively quotes from our Talk Paper of February 4 in
order to imply that FDA believes that cellular phones are
'safe,'" she wrote, adding that the paper adds "'There is not
enough evidence to know for sure, either way.'" She concluded,
"It is simply too soon to assume that cellular phones are
perfectly safe, or that they are hazardous -- either assumption
would be premature. This is precisely why additional research is
needed."

The FDA also declined to attend a research planning meeting the
CTIA held at the Research Triangle Park on September 30. As Dr.
Jacobson wrote to Dr. Carlo in a letter dated September 14, and
sent to Newsbytes by the FDA press office, "We do not believe
that the planning meeting will result in a research plan intended
to objectively test the hypothesis that microwave energy as
emitted by portable cellular telephones could promote the
development of brain cancer or result in other adverse health
outcomes." She wrote that the experts planning the CTIA study
are, "for the most part, known for their conviction that sub-
thermal exposure to microwave energy cannot interact with
biological systems in any adverse way," and said she told Dr.
Mays Swicord, a CTIA representative, precisely this in an August
17 meeting.

She added that, before the FDA could consider the results of
any CTIA study valid, the panel would have to add well-regarded
scientists "who would ensure a balanced scientific perspective"
and "scientists expert in the etiology of cancer." Without that,
"we do not believe that the CTIA research program can be either
objective or credible."

What does this mean? The FDA also sent Newsbytes a copy of its
original February 4 advisory, the one Ms. Jacobson wrote the CTIA
has been misrepresenting. If real danger exists, the advisory
indicates, it's mainly confined to hand-held units with
integrated antennae. The distance between the integrated antenna
and the ear means that the electromagnetic waves produced by the
phone are at their strongest when they meet the user's head. If
the antenna which is transmitting those waves, is even a few feet
-- perhaps a few more inches -- from the head, that danger is
minimal. As a result, the agency advised that people concerned
about the problem consider buying a car phone or a portable unit
without an integrated antenna.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931005/Press Contact: Food and Drug
Administration, Sharon Snider, 301-443-4177)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00027)

Novell Intros AppWare Tools, Other Products 10/05/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Novell has announced
the availability of three of its AppWare development tools: Novell
Visual AppBuilder, AppWare Foundation Software Developer's Kit
(SDK), and AppWare Loadable Module (ALM) SDK. The company has
also introduced a multitude of networking software products.

According to Novell, the tools are intended to provide developers
with early access to the AppWare technology. Updates will be
provided before the May general release. The tools will begin
shipping by the end of October. The tools are part of Novell's
AppWare strategy which is designed to "improve and accelerate
the process of creating and deploying cross-platform network
applications."

The Novell Visual AppBuilder is claimed to be a high-level
programming tool that enables developers to construct full-
featured applications by linking icons that represent prebuilt
AppWare Loadable Modules (ALMs). ALMs are interchangeable
software components that reside on the client machine and access
the services provided by server-based NetWare Loadable Modules
(NLMs) and by the local operating system.

The AppWare Foundation is composed of programming libraries and
a universal application programming interface (API) for accessing
operating system, user interface, and connectivity services. Instead
of coding and recoding to different API sets to support multiple
platforms, a developer writes the application code once to a single
API then simply recompiles the application to deploy it on multiple
platforms. The AppWare Foundation SDK is available for the MS
Windows, Macintosh, UnixWare, SunOS, and HP-UX platforms.

The Novell Visual AppBuilder is priced at $495 for each platform.
The ALM SDK costs $295. The AppWare Foundation Software
Developer's Kit is priced at $595 for each platform.

Novell has also announced NetWare Navigator 3.0, a set of NetWare
Loadable Modules (NLMs) that enable network supervisors to
automatically distribute and install commercial and in-house
developed software, product updates, and desktop and network
operating systems from a central location.

The product has a Microsoft Windows graphical user interface and
distributed server architecture. The company claims that it reduces
the costs and time associated with software distribution by
automating the process so that user intervention is unnecessary.

NetWare Navigator 3.0 is already available, priced at $995 for a
25-user version; $1,750 for 50 users; $3,000 for 100 users; and
$6,250 for 250 users.

Novell has also announced version 2.0 of its NetWare Management
System (NMS), a centralized management software product that
allows customers to manage multivendor, distributed networks
as an integrated system.

The company says that NMS 2.0 now distributes management
services such as network analysis and mapping on NetWare, making
it simpler for customers to manage remote resources, customize
management policies, and add management services as their
networks grow. A single view of the network is possible, built on
a common information base of data, automated tasks, centralized
management and improved reliability, claims Novell.

New service management features include distributed network
analysis of device interactions, remote monitoring of critical
services, IP (Internet Protocol) and IPX (Internetworking Packet
Exchange) address management, comprehensive mapping of all
devices, and built-in expert assistance.

The NMS console resides on a central workstation running
Microsoft Windows and receives information from the network's
geographically dispersed agents. NMS 2.0 is now available, priced
at $2,495.

Also announced is the NetWare LANalyzer Agent 1.0. Novell says
that, when distributed on network segments in conjunction with
NMS 2.0, NetWare LANalyzer Agents allows administrators to
centrally analyze all segments on their network, providing a
"comprehensive inventory of all network devices as well as detailed
statistics and analyses regarding traffic loads and interactions
between those devices." The NetWare LANalyzer Agent is now
available, priced at $1,495 for the single-interface version and
$2,495 for the multiple-interface version.

The company also announced the NetWare LS (Licensing System),
which is claimed to offer electronic software licensing services
that provide customers with tools to easily manage software
assets and monitor license compliance in a distributed computing
network.

"The NetWare LS licensing service is a key part of Novell's
strategy to provide advanced network services, as well as services
that help customers manage their NetWare environment," said Barbara
Goldworm, product line manager for Novell's Management Services
Group. "By using the NetWare LS SDK, developers can begin to enable
their applications to access electronic licenses on the network,
offering a much wider variety of license types than traditional
shrink-wrapped software licenses." The NetWare LS licensing SDK
will become available this month.

(Ian Stokell/19931006/Press Contact: Jessican Kersey,
408-473-8739, Novell Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00028)

Cayman Systems Expands From AppleTalk To PC Environment 10/05/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- At NetWorld Dallas today,
Cayman Systems announced the GatorStar iHR integrated router, plus
an agreement with Livingston Enterprises to collaborate on the
development of new remote access products.

The two announcements reflect an expansion in Cayman's activities
beyond the vendor's traditional base in "usercentric" AppleTalk
networking into PC environments, said Thomas Pincince, director of
internetworking, in a telephone interview with Newsbytes. "In
developing our products, we look at why people use networks," he
told Newsbytes.

Pincince added that the new GatorStar iHR is designed to let
businesses easily and cost effectively connect AppleTalk, Novell
IPX, DECnet, and TCP/IP-based local area networks (LANs) over
corporate wide area networks (WANs), in a way that is comfortable
and convenient for end users and network managers.

The pact between Cambridge, MA-based Cayman and Pleasanton, CA-
based Livingston Enterprises is aimed at letting Cayman offer a
variety of remote access systems to individual users, above and
beyond GatorLink, Cayman's current remote access server for
AppleTalk, he said.

GatorLink lets users of PowerBooks and remote desktop Apple
Macintoshes dial in to an EtherTalk network and access all
resources that are available from computers on the network,
including e-mail, file servers, and network management programs.

The deal with Livingston, a major player in the world of PPP
(Point-to-Point Protocol), calls for an OEM relationship in which
Cayman will provide extra distribution channels for Livingston's
products, in addition to a technology partnership, noted Pincince.

"We intend to provide more solutions for PPP on our platforms, some
AppleTalk solutions on their traditional platforms, and also to
perform some joint development," he told Newsbytes.

PPP is a standard-based protocol that allows for interoperability
between many single-user and LAN-to-LAN protocols, he explained.
"What's important is that PPP is supported by so many vendors.
That way, you can choose the right technology and the right device
for the networking solution you're trying to effect," he commented.

Cayman's newly announced GatorStar iHR is aimed at meeting both the
local and wide area networking needs of workgroup members on
corporate networks, Pincince added. The hub creates seamless
connectivity between Macintosh, PC and Unix workgroups through
simultaneous routing of AppleTalk, DECNet, IPX, and TCP/IP
protocols, he elaborated.

The device also lets network managers quickly change workgroup
configurations and provide users with greater bandwidth for running
their applications by segmenting workgroups.

Changes in user locations, and the addition or removal of workgroup
members can be accomplished because the 24 10BASE-T
Ethernet ports are directly integrated into the GatorStar iHR, he
said. A 25th port, an AUI, allows the addition of an additional
workgroup segment for users not utilizing 10BASE-T connectivity.

The hub also incorporates support for tunneling IPX and AppleTalk
over TCP/IP, allowing integration with the corporate backbone and
reducing the management and performance burdens generally
associated with adding protocols. Advanced security filtering
functionality is included, as well.

The hub can be managed through Cayman's GatorKeeper software, or
through any SNMP-compliant network management program, according to
Pincince. Included with the hub is GatorPrint, a package that
provides native access to AppleTalk printers. An optional package,
GatorShare, lets Macintosh users share files with Network File
System (NFS) servers.

System software and network configuration are stored in flash
EPROM, permitting automatic restart with configuration settings
intact in case of power failure and, also simplifying software
upgrades. Advanced security filtering functionality is also built
in.

Cayman Systems expects to ship GatorStar iHR in November at a price
of $4,995. GatorShare is priced at an additional $995.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931005/Press contacts: Tim Hurley or Mel
Webster, Copithorne & Bellows for Cayman Systems, tel [phone];
Lisa Allocca, Cayman Systems, tel [phone])


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

 ****Newton Wireless Messaging Available This Month 10/05/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 5 (NB) -- Apple
Computer said the wireless messaging services it boasted of
when first announcing the Newton are about to become reality.
Users will be able to receive a message the length of the
average postcard on their Messagepads from anywhere in the
nation and eventually in other countries as well, Apple said.

The Apple Wireless Messaging Service delivered by the
Bellsouth's paging network subsidiary, Mobilecomm, will become
available to Newton users this month. Access to the service is
via the Newton Messaging Card, a $229 credit card-sized
receiver that inserts into the Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA) slot. The Messaging Card can
receive messages whether or not it is inserted into the Newton,
meaning it can be picking up transmissions while in a jacket
pocket and inserted into the Newton at the users convenience to
retrieve the messages.

The distance from which a user can receive messages depends on
the type of service chosen. There are four service options:
local; city-by-city; regional, which allows the choice of a
broad geographic area of the US such as the Northeast,
Southeast, Midwest, West, or Pacific regions; and national.

Services range from a $21.00 a month local service to $83.95
for standard nationwide coverage. International coverage may
also become available in areas where Mobilecomm currently
operates, including Canada, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto
Rico.

Rental of a Messaging Card bundled with one of the four
coverage options is also a possibility, according to Apple.
Users can expect monthly rental fees for the card and service
will range from about $35 for standard local coverage to about
$99.95 for standard nationwide coverage.

The Messaging Card is to become available in retail outlets
mid-month and will include specifics on how to activate the
Apple Wireless Messaging Service. Like pagers, sources for the
messages include an operator, a text messaging keyboard
terminal, or a personal computer with a modem and messaging
software.

The Messaging Card should also work in the Sharp Expertpad,
Sharp's Messagepad work-a-like which is now available in retail
stores. Sharp manufacturers the Newton Messagepad for Apple
Computer.

The Newton appears to be a hit. Over 50,000 Messagepads have
been sold since the introduction of the unit in early August
and Apple says it has sold over 1,500 Newton development
systems (NTK) to potential developers for the device worldwide.

At the September UK launch of the Messagepad, Alcatel, British
Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and GEC Plesse Semiconductors
announced support of the Newton platform. Apple said these
companies join Ameritech, ARM, Bell South, Cirrus Logic, LSI
Logic, Matsushita Electronics, Motorola, Sharp, Siemens/Rolm
and US West in the group of companies behind the Newton.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931005/Press Contact: Emma Bufton, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00030)

Adobe Audition - Low Cost Image Editing For Mac 10/06/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 6 (NB) -- Hoping to
appeal to Apple Computer's Mac users that are just getting into
to image editing, Adobe Systems has introduced a new software
product that includes limited editions of its Adobe Photoshop
and Adobe Premier programs.

Sonya Schaefer, spokesperson for Adobe, told Newsbytes that
the product is aimed at "Kind of an entry-level designer that
wants to get into image editing: graphic artists, hobbyists,
even casual users."

Adobe says that its Audition Macintosh version offers the tools
needed to begin editing still and moving digital images. The
product includes Adobe Photoshop Limited Edition (LE) and Adobe
Premier Limited Edition (LE), along with a CD-ROM containing over
700 stock photographs, dozens of QuickTime movies, interactive
tips and techniques, technical notes, the Adobe Acrobat Reader
and on-line electronic documentation.

Schaefer told Newsbytes that, "Of course we'll still have the full
versions of the products that will cater to the more high-end
professionals. We will be offering these high-end products to a
broader market."

For people that want to try them out - with a lot of instructions,
"We're taking out some of the high end features, but still giving
them the option to upgrade to the (full) versions once they get
to that level," she concluded.

In announcing Audition, John Kunze, director of product marketing
for Adobe's Application Products Division, said: "We are excited to
bring the creative capabilities of our applications to a new group
of users at a fraction of the cost of the full-featured version of
the programs. The Adobe Audition combination provides everything
users need to begin editing digital images and video -- powerful
software, bundled content, tips and techniques, even electronic
documentation."

Adobe says that the Photoshop LE software allows users to
manipulate RGB, gray scale, indexed-color and black-and-white
images using a number of editing tools and special effects filters.
Filmstrips can be imported from Adobe Premier for individual
frame editing. Images may be output to black-and-white or color
printers, imported into desktop publishing programs or into Adobe
Premier for use in QuickTime movies.

The Adobe Premier LE program reportedly offers capabilities
similar to the regular version, and, according to the company, is
well suited for producing storyboards for corporate training.
Adobe Premier LE lets users create digital movies by gathering
video, still and audio clips and arranging them in the desired order.

Adobe Audition for the Macintosh is expected to become available
by the end of October, priced at $249.

The minimum systems requirements are a Macintosh with 68020
or greater processor, a hard disk, Apple System software 6.0.7
or better, and 4 megabytes (MB) of application RAM.

(Ian Stokell/19931006/Press Contact: Sonya Schaefer,
415-962-2630, Adobe Systems Inc.)