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/nb930112

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00001)

UK - Virus News International Goes Glossy 01/12/93
SWANSEA, WALES, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- After months of preparation, Virus
News International (VNI) has made the transition from being a loose-
leaf A5-sized binder newsletter to an A4 bound magazine. The January
'93 issue of the magazine, which is just being mailed out to
subscribers, contains a wealth of virus and security information.

Speaking with Newsbytes, Paul Robinson, VNI's editor, said that the
worldwide subscription rate for the magazine is now UKP 195 a year.

"That may seem a lot for 12 issues, but it is a professional service
rather than a straight magazine or newsletter. For instance, we have a
fax alert for serious virus or security problems whereby we fax a
special update out to subscribers who have given us their fax number.
There are a number of other subscriber facilities as well," he said.

Robinson went on to say that plans are in hand to support VNI
subscribers interactively through a bulletin board service (BBS). In
addition, magazine subscribers can subscribe to other S&S
International services (S&S publishes the magazine), such as a virus
toolkit on disk, at reduced rates.

"This different presentation of VNI is one very obvious manifestation
of the changes which have been taking place at VNI over the past six
months -- it's now bigger and better than before," Robinson said,
adding that the magazine is now being produced from new offices in
Swansea, South Wales, rather than S&S International's in Berkhamstead.

The January '93 issue of VNI runs to 64 pages and includes features on
computer crime by Wendy London, a top international lawyer, plus an
in-depth analysis entitled "How Safe is Windows."

(Steve Gold/19930112/Press & Public Contact: Virus News International
- Tel: [phone]; fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00002)

UK - IDC Ships McAfee Virus Protection For OS/2 01/12/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- International Data Security (IDC)
has announced the availability of McAfee's Scan, Clean and Netscan
packages for OS/2. The company claims that the shipment of the
packages for the OS/2 environment is a major step.

All three programs search master boot records (partition tables), boot
sectors, and files on workstations and services for known and unknown
viruses. The package also claims to be capable of eliminating them,
usually without loss of data.

The OS/2 packages detects and clears more than 1,500 viruses
and their variants, has a configurable reporting option for
administrators, a self check against virus infection, and
many other user-defined options.

The McAfee OS/2 range of anti-virus software costs from UKP 335 for up
to five machines from UDS. A volume site license is also available.

(Steve Gold/19930112/Press & Public Contact: IDS - Tel: [phone];
Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(BOS)(00003)

X Windows Servers Created Equal; Some More Equal Than Others 01/12/92
SAN MARCOS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- PC-based X Windows
servers are a great alternative to X terminal servers for the
hardware-independent display protocol, but some are better than
others, according to a new study by an expert on the subject.

According to Lee Schlesinger, a widely published freelance writer,
Microsoft Windows-based servers are less costly than X servers
running on traditional X terminal hardware, especially when the X
terminals are outfitted with workstation-sized monitors and extra
memory.

Further, the dedicated X terminal hardware is less functional than a
PC, because it can be used only for X Windows applications, he noted.

In comparing four top products in the relatively new software
category, Schlesinger found VisionWare's XVision 4.1 superior overall
on a range of X Windows functions that include speed, ease of use,
networking capabilities, and documentation.

According to the report, HCL's eXceed/W v3.1.2 landed in second place,
while NCD's PC-Xview v3.1 and DEC's eXcursion v 1.0 each came out less
favorably than either XVision or eXceed.

The evaluation incorporates a series of performance ratings
based on a suite of tests conducted under the X11 performance
measurements developed by DEC and MIT. To supply a benchmark, the
same X11 performance tests were also carried out directly on a Sun
SPARCstation IPX.

XVision 4.1 led the way in six of the seven criteria of the
performance test: text and drawing speed, scrolling, copying,
filling, and window repositioning. Only eXceed came out ahead of
XVision on the seventh measure, image repositioning.

XVision is also noteworthy for its highly capable control panel and
the wide range of connection protocols supported, the study said.
The XVision control panel lets users tailor aspects of the server
through 12 distinct and logically organized windows, wrote
Schlesinger. "One of the control panel choices lets users run a
bundled (Microsoft) Windows screen saver -- the only product I
tested that has this feature," he added.

Another control panel highlight lets the user optimize graphics
performance by choosing from three different drawing modes, he
stated in the report. "Users can specify either correct mode,
which uses X drawing functions if there are no (Microsoft) Windows
functions that will produce a perfect image, or Windows mode, which
always uses [Microsoft] Windows functions, or...custom, which uses
a combination of methods to yield the fastest performance," he
elaborated.

XVision supports 18 networks, as well as three different connection
protocols, the most extensive range of connection protocols
supported by any of the four X server programs, he explained.

The connection protocols supported by XVision include TCP/IP, which
is typically used for connections to Unix hosts, DECnet, for
connections to DEC VAX/VMS, and Xremote, a protocol developed by
NCD for running X over serial lines.

The runner-up in the evaluation, eXceed, supports 19 networks,
beating out XVision by one, and also contains some features
unavailable elsewhere, the report continued. However, eXceed is
also more expensive than any other Microsoft Windows-based
application, and can be confusing or cumbersome to use.

One feature Schlesinger liked was the ability to edit Unix
hosts file from within the control panel screen. But on the other
hand, he wrote, "XVision's approach of letting the transport
software resolve host addresses is easier still, as it eliminates
the need for a host's file altogether."

In the same vein, exCeed is the only Microsoft Windows-based X
server of those tested to let the user view fonts from within the
application. The fonts are stored in a database file.

However, the database file can be manipulated only through the
program association with Xconfig's Font icon, and this program "is
a multi-level hierarchy of choices and buttons that's pretty
confusing despite the on-line help and the 48 pages devoted to font
handling in the manual," he said. Moreover, the manual "lacks a
glossary, and its troubleshooting section covers only nine common
problems."

DEC's eXcursion is the only one of the four programs that is still
in version 1.0, Schlesinger acknowledged. The program contains
some useful, unique features, such as a visual network activity
monitor that displays two simulated LEDs under the control panel
window. The "LEDs" blink to show network traffic.

But Schlesinger determined other capabilities to be frivolous, such
as Maestro, a function that when activated makes the computer
burble during any network activity. "What seemed a cute feature at
first became annoying after a very short time, and I turned it
off," he revealed.

DECnet supports only three networks, the lowest by far of any of
the four programs evaluated, Schlesinger pointed out. In addition,
when he installed the program, a patch was needed for installation
under Windows 3.1, although not for Windows 3.0, he said.

PC-Xview 3.1 was alone among in the programs in being without a
control panel per se, according to the report. Options are
tailored instead on various screens and through the Edit choice on
the icon menu. Applications must be launched through either a
Client Startup screen, available from the icon menu, or through an
icon previously saved from this screen.

Like exCursion, PC-Xview has some one-of-a-kind features that
Schlesinger regards as useful, and others he considers superfluous.
One useful feature provides the ability to give Unix hosts limited
access to DOS files and services, he said.

But he was less impressed with a series of screens displaying small
cartoon-like pictures. In one of these, for example, a secret
agent's head turns, and in another, a waiter's moustache twitches.
"Although lack of the expected movement could alert a user that his
PC is hung, I found the cartoons annoying, and would have liked an
option to make them disappear," he said.

A complete copy of Schlesinger's report can be obtained in hard
copy or on floppy disk through San Marcos, CA-based Oddo
Associates.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920112/Press and public contacts: James Hunt,
Oddo Associates, tel [phone]; Michelle Messina, VisionWare,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00004)

 ****NetWorld Boston Opens, Ready To Be Networks Expo 01/12/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- NetWorld Boston
glides into full gear today (Tuesday), after a preliminary day of
technical tutorials capped by an evening panel in which industry
experts took a look at "Messaging for the 90s."

The first stop on the agenda for Tuesday is a pair of back-to-back
keynotes that cover first the industry and then the show itself.
Elaine Bond, senior technology consultant at Chase Manhattan Bank,
speaks on the subject "users are riding the waves of the `technology
push' but... are they having fun yet?"

In the next talk, Mark Tebbe, president of Lante Corporation, leads
a group of computer professionals in providing personal tips for
making the most of the three days of conference sessions and show
floor action to come.

This is the last time Bruno Blenheim Inc.'s four-year-old Boston
trade event will be called NetWorld, but even yesterday the
prevailing mood seemed as upbeat as ever. Less than a month ago,
Novell opted to pull the license for the NetWorld name from
Blenheim, handing the title to Interop instead. But Blenheim
retained ownership of the show, and promptly decided on the new
moniker "Networks Expo."

Blenheim is wasting no time in letting the public know about the
change, either. Attendees entering the lobby of Boston's Hynes
Auditorium Monday were greeted by a sign stating "Welcome to
NetWorld 93 -- soon to be known as Networks Expo 94."

This jubilant message was reinforced by an even larger sign at the
exit, proclaiming: "See you next year at Networks Expo 94 (formerly
NetWorld)."

If last night's panel discussion is any indication, the attendees
remain as enthusiastic about the show as Blenheim. Gleefully
subtitled: "`Twas the Night Before NetWorld," the panel was sponsored
by the Boston chapter of the LANDA trade group, who invited members of
other LANDA chapters worldwide to be their guests.

A moderator, together with volunteers from a packed audience of
VARs and systems integrators, probed officials of Microsoft,
Beyond, and Lotus on issues that will undoubtedly crop up later in
the expo. "What changes can we expect to see in messaging over the
next five years?" asked the moderator, Neal S. Prescott, principal
and chief technical officer of XL/Proteus Software Systems.

Not only will new and unforeseen applications arise, but the
messaging backbone will become tightly integrated into these
applications, responded a Microsoft executive. "All (applications)
will be riding the same highway," he explained.

But a speaker from Lotus cautioned that companies like Microsoft
and Novell, which produce these backbones, tend to envision less
application independence than vendors such as Lotus.

"What advice would you give an IS (information systems) director
who's installing a mail system for 500 users that involves three
locations and a couple of platforms?" Prescott inquired. Lotus and
Microsoft officials agreed that the IS director should consider
future as well as present needs.

The system should provide flexibility to encompass additional
platforms and the remote applications needed by ever increasing
numbers of portable users, elaborated one Lotus executive.

A speaker from Beyond took another tack, though, recommending that
the IS director closely examine what is included -- and not
included -- in the purchase price of various mail systems.

One audience member wanted to know what vendors are doing about
ease of use and open systems. "Regardless of how great [a vendor
says] an application is, what am I supposed to do if half the sales
reps refuse to use this application because they don't understand
it?" he wanted to know.

No panelist denied the need for either ease of use or open systems.

But the Beyond official pointed out that the term "open systems"
can carry many connotations, and suggested that those participating
in a discussion of the issue should be careful to define what they
mean.

Lotus, Beyond, and Microsoft will be among hundreds of vendors
exhibiting in the show, in a list that begins with such companies
as ABL Electronics, Banyan Systems and Cabletron and ends with the
likes of Ungermann-Bass, Verilink, Wellfleet Communications, and
Xircom. Novell will be present with a booth, as well.

The 81 conference sessions in the event are organized into eight
tracks: Fundamentals, Planning and Design, Wide Area Networks,
Strategic Directions and Business Management, Software and
Applications, Management: Technical Issues, Enterprise Networking
and Interoperability, and Reliability, Availability and
Serviceability.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930112/Press contacts: Annie Scully, Bruno
Blenheim, tel [phone], ext 145; Mark Haviland, Bruno
Blenheim, tel [phone], ext 152)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00005)

New For PC: EzTape For DOS Backup Software Upgrade 01/12/93
LAKE MARY, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Maynard Electronics
has announced an upgrade to its popular Irwin EzTape software for
personal computers running under the DOS operating system.

Maynard claims that the new release uses an intuitive graphical user
interface which allows PC users to backup and restore their data at
the click of a mouse button.

EzTape for DOS 3.1 is bundled with EzTape for Windows with all Irwin
AccuTrak Plus 120 and 250 megabyte (MB) tape cartridge systems.
Accutrak system prices start at $249.

"The combination of DOS and Windows software with Accutrak systems
gives users the choice of intuitive and easy-to-use backup software
and makes protecting and recovering data simple, even for novice users,"
said Irwin distribution division VP and General Manager Patrick
Sullivan.

Sullivan claimed that EzTape for DOS is very similar to the Windows
version of the program, but requires only 640 kilobytes (K) of system
memory. The program use icons, pull-down menus, and a mouse. It also
offers an automatic, unattended backup scheduler, and an integrated
tape librarian.

The tape librarian feature catalogs all backup files and shows which
tape a particular file is on. That listing is maintained by the EzTape
software and is accessible from the hard drive. The user can select
specific files to backup, or backup an entire hard disk. Files can
also be selected by other criteria such as date created/changed or
within a particular subdirectory. Wild card file selection is
supported.

Maynard claims that EzTape software is certified by Novell for use
with Netware and Netware network operating system software and by
Artisoft for use with networks using its LANtastic software.

Maynard public relations assistant Jan Jahosky told Newsbytes that
if you are already using earlier versions of EzTape for DOS or an
Irwin Accutrak Standard system you can upgrade for $99.95. EzTape OS/2
Presentation Manager software is also available as a $149.95 upgrade,
says Jahosky. Maynard maintains a toll-free number for upgrade orders.

Maynard also markets its EzPort system, a minicartridge tape backup
system that uses EzTape Software to backup to an external tape
device that plugs into a computer's parallel printer port. The company
notes that EzPort drives can back up a 40MB hard disk in less than 10
minutes.

(Jim Mallory/19930112/Press contact: Anne Lardner, Maynard
Electronics, 407-262-4268; Reader contact: 800-821-8782 (general
information) or 800-222-5871 (upgrades))


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00006)

Illinois Creates Online Database To Lure Business 01/12/93
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Businesses which
are considering locating in Illinois state or expanding now have
access to economic development information under a pilot computer
program established by the state's Department of Commerce and
Community Affairs (DCCA).

The service, which links five regional economic development groups,
provides information about potential buildings and sites. DCCA
Director Jan Grayson says the network, called the Illinois
Industrial Property and Information Network, is a valuable tool, but
the organization no longer has the necessary staff to keep the
information current. "Opening the network to regional economic
development organizations will enable us to keep the information up
to date and ensure that companies continue to have convenient and
fast access to sites and building information."

The database will be kept up to date by the Rend Lake Economic
Development Corporation, Economic Development Council for the Peoria
Area, the Joliet/Will County Center for Economic Development,
Rockford's Council of 100, and the Quad City Development Group. They
can view the entire database and add, change, or delete information
in pre-assigned geographical areas, according to Grayson. They can
also search the database and use electronic mail to directly
communicate with DCCA's Bureau of Business Development.

System users who list sites and those seeking information can access
the network at no charge. Grayson says the department plans to
eventually add more organizations to the network and extend the
service statewide. The data can be selected by community, county,
region, or the entire state, and is available by type of industry,
previous use, or size.

(Jim Mallory/19930112/Press contact: Jan Grayson, Department of
Commerce and Community Affairs, 217-782-7500)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00007)

Alaskan Sled Dogs Get A Chip On Their Shoulder 01/12/93
PALMER, ALASKA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- When the sled drivers
yell "mush!" at their dog teams this year, the dogs will be identified
by tiny computer chips about the size of a grain of rice instead of
the low-tech method of dabbing them with paint.

The dogs are marked in order to assure that a driver doesn't
substitute along the route, although that's highly unlikely
according to driver George Attla. He says he couldn't imagine a
musher choosing to leave an Iditarod-quality dog out of a starting
line-up. "If you had an extra, good dog, you'd be the luckiest man
in Alaska," according to Attla.

The chips are implanted under the back of the dog's neck using a
syringe and a fat hollow needle. The chips are also used to identify
other animals ranging in size from birds to llamas. Dr. James Leach
III, this year's Iditarod chief veterinarian, says there have been
no adverse reactions.

Most of the drivers say they favor the permanent implant over the
messy paint, which rubs off on the drivers clothes. One driver said:
"The paint always seemed sort of prehistoric. I know I've had red
paint put on my dogs, and people mistake it for blood."

Musher Dee Dee Jonrowe says it's time Alaska joined what he called
"the Robodog" club. "I have one dog that's been "chipped" for three
years, and I haven't seen any bad effects." Jonrowe says he also likes
the fact that "chipping" marks the dog for life.

(Jim Mallory/19930112)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00008)

CES Overview: Biggest In History 01/12/93
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- The Winter Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend was the usual
hodge-podge of everything electronic, but if one word had to be used
to describe the show, that word would probably be integration.

The Electronic Industries Association, the group that puts on the
show, said it was the largest show on record. Exhibitors in the
computer area were up 14 percent, and in the Home Theater/Custom
Installation areas 28 percent more vendors came to the show, despite a
recessionary economy. A total of 1,700 exhibitors crowded the more
than 908,000 net square feet of exhibit space at the show.

The electronic gadgets usually at the CES shows were slightly
different this year because many of them were integrated
products, that either work now or will work with a computer and
offer several levels of functionality.

For example, Panasonic demonstrated a new computerized checkbook.
While we've seen computerized checkbooks before that could hold your
checks and maintain your balance, this one also prints the checks and
can interface with a computer running Quicken, a financial software
package from Intuit.

Also introduced by Panasonic was a Digital Answering System
speakerphone with multiple mailboxes ("press 1 for this, press
2 for that"), much like the computer-operated voice mail systems
from The Complete PC and other companies.

Sharp introduced a home fax telephone that will also keep a log
of all calls made on the line to which it is connected and will make
copies. There were also the sunglasses that double as a
projection television viewing screen, and will soon accept and
display output from computers, introduced by Video Vision.

Of course, no consumer electronics show would be complete
without the deep bass reverberation of the stereos, both
automobile and home stereo. However, home theater is gaining
more attention. The Electronics Industries Association released
reports saying home theaters can make a significant
contribution to home-based family activities, with 47 percent
of those surveyed saying it was "extremely important" to find
family entertainment activities and 42 percent surveyed said
activities needed to be ones families can enjoy at home.

Computer and home office products were showing a stronger
presence than ever before at a consumer show, with multimedia
and the pen-based, hand-held computers gaining so much
attention. Prototypes of new "personal" computer devices drew
strong attention and the competition between major players,
such as IBM with its Personal Communicator, Apple/Sharp with
the Newton, and the Casio/Tandy Zoomer products promise
consumers will have many choices.

New digital video cassette recorder (VCR)-type devices based on
compact discs (CDs), instead of cartridges are on the horizon
driven by the marketing genius of Electronic Arts President
Trip Hawkins and his new company 3DO. The 3DO booth
demonstrated the Interactive Multiplayer from Panasonic, which
offers workstation-like graphics manipulation, connects to a
television, is awaiting FCC approval, and is expected to cost
around $700.

Video projectors and huge television screens were displayed.
Game manufacturers Sega and Nintendo had a strong presence at
the show. Sega demonstrated an octagon-shaped disk that lays on
the floor, allows the player to step into it, and instead of
using a joystick allows the players body movements to control
characters in video games.

Nintendo had a new three-dimensional flight game and
strange, reptile-like characters from the Mario Brothers movie,
scheduled for release this May, to greet show attendees.

Specific attendance figures were not available to date, but the
crowds attested to the assertion made by the show's sponsors
that tens of thousands were in attendance.

Even a handheld global positioning system device which relates
the holder's position on the planet within three meters, was
offered by Panasonic. The device has historically been used by
the government and the military and uses signals from three
satellites to pinpoint the holder's position. However, at
$1,195, it really is only for the serious outdoor enthusiast.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930112)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00009)

Automatic Speech Translation Telephone Tested 01/12/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- A device which can translate
languages in real-time between two speakers has been the stuff
of science fiction. However, Kyoto-based ATR Automatic Speech
Translation Telephone Laboratory claims to have brought the
concept into reality with its development of a prototype
automatic speech translation telephone system.

Plans call for the system to be tested in conjunction with
Carnegie Mellon University in the US and Siemens of Germany
later this month (28 January).

ATR Automatic Speech Translation Telephone Laboratory's latest
system can translate human speech in both directions between languages
-- Japanese to English, English to Japanese, Japanese to German and
German to Japanese -- on a real time basis, its creators say.

In use, the system works by translating the originating language into
digital signals which are then turned in ASCII text. From there, the
text is automatically translated into the destination language text,
and is "read out" by the machine at the distant end of the link.

The whole transaction takes around 20 seconds, so there is an
appreciable delay when a "conversation" takes place. So far, the
system is limited to 1,500 words in the Japanese-English and Japanese-
German direction, meaning it can only really be used for very basic
daily conversations.

While the system is automatic and does not require any calibration to
adjust to the user's voice, Newsbytes understands that it does have
difficulty in coping with users whose voices are very high or very
low in tone.

To date, ATR has spent around $130 million on the development of the
system. The slightly bad news is that it is likely to take
another ten years before a practical system for end users comes to
market.

Speech translation is a major project in Japan. ATR was created
by the Japanese Ministry, Prefectural governments, NTT, KDD and other
private electronics firms in 1986. About 50 researchers are studying
and developing the system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930112/Press Contact: ATR Automatic
Speech Translation Telephone Laboratory, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00010)

Japan - IBM Japan To Announce Major DOS/V User Club 01/12/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- IBM Japan has announced plans to
create a massive user group for DOS/V-based personal computers in
Japan next month. The group is not just restricted to users of IBM
computers -- users of all DOS/V-compatible PCs (currently
manufactured by Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Toshiba) will
be invited to join the group.

Plans call for local groups will be created in each area of Japan.
Initially, a user group will be set up in Okayama in Western Japan,
with IBM actively supporting the operation. Two Japanese dealer chains
-- PS Factory (IBM) and Zero One (Canon) -- will also support the user
groups.

As well as holding meetings, the club is expected to publish
newsletters and hold regular seminars. IBM Japan is planning to set up
its own BBS or personal computer-based telecom network for users.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930112/Press Contact: IBM Japan, +81-
3-3586-1111, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00011)

New For Mac - Attain Upgrades "In Control" 01/12/93
SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, USA., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Attain
Corporation has upgraded In Control, its popular to-do list manager,
to version 2.0. The new version features over 50 new capabilities and
promises to deliver more than the previous version as a
personal information tool.

One new capability of In Control version 2 is its ability to
incorporate date and time information into the to-do lists
that it maintains. This allows the program to function as
a calendaring program as well.

Attain officials told Newsbytes that they were very pleased by the
reception the new features received at the product's introduction.

According to Attain, people may have felt uncomfortable with the
data entry tasks required to keep a calendar on the computer until
now. However, since In Control takes the viewpoint of a to-do list
and allows prioritization in several different ways, people
may find this easier to use.

Once the data is entered, it can then be scheduled for specific days
or times. One can also assign priorities to the tasks and not assign
times but have the program display them in order. Attain has also
included a check-off box so that the user can check off an
item once it has been completed.

Items that are not completed are carried forward from day to day
until they are completed. The user can decide to hide all checked
off items so they do not clutter up the screen, but then bring all
of the information back when desired.

Like any good calendaring program, In Control also has a full
suite of alerts and printing options so that calendars can be created
for all kinds of tasks and groupings.

Attain officials were very happy with the results of last week's
MacWorld Expo, telling Newsbytes that they had sold all of the
copies of In Control that they brought with them.

At one stage, Attain even had to go to some of its dealers and buy
back the stock that was shipped to them so demand from the show
could be met. While the company does not release precise sales
figures, Newsbytes has learned that Attain has sold several tens of
thousands of copies of In Control since its introduction last year.

In Control 2.0 will continue to retail for $129.95. Current owners of
previous version can upgrade for $30. If you purchased In Control
after November 1, 1992, Attain will upgrade your package for $10.

Attain has also launched an "educational" version of In Control
which is version 1.0 for $69.95. This educational version can only
be purchased by qualified educational institutions.

(Naor Wallach/19930112/Press Contact: Alan Albert, Attain, 617-776-
1110/Public Contact: Attain, 617-776-1110)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00012)

Japan - Apple Developing Japanese Printers 01/12/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Apple Operations & Technologies
Japan, a subsidiary of Apple Computer, has begun work on the
development of a printer for the Japanese market. The firm is
planning to sell the printer, the first of its type to be
developed for the Japanese market, under Apple's brand name.

According to the company, the new printer will be exclusively marketed
in Japan. The unit will take up to B4-sized paper, meaning that
it will almost certainly be larger than Apple's current crop of
printers. Plans call for the printer to be shipped to dealers this
April.

According to Apple Tokyo, the printer will be original equipment-
manufactured by a third party company. An Apple Computer spokesperson
told Newsbytes that the company is also considering a similar venture
in notebook computers for the Japanese market, although she stressed
that it still in the discussion stages.

According to the Nikkei newspaper, however, the notebook could be
equipped with a word processor, spreadsheet and database package. The
interesting feature of the new machine would be its price -- Nikkei
asserts that it would be less than Apple's current notebook pricing.

In an unrelated story, Apple Computer has announced it has provisional
plans to increase its market share in Japan. The company wants
to create a research laboratory to study and develop handwritten and
voice data input techniques. Like the Apple notebook, however, the
plans are very much at the discussion stage.

Apple Operations & Technologies Japan is a 100 percent-owned
subsidiary of Apple Computer in the US. The company specializes in
developing Japanese versions of Apple's products, as well as sourcing
components for Apple computers from Japanese manufacturers and
suppliers.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930112/Press Contact: Apple Computer,
Tokyo, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00013)

Australia - Toshiba Slashes Prices 01/12/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- In light of its own 32
percent price cut across its entire range of notebook and
portable machines, Toshiba in Australia says that the dramatic
reductions in the mobile computing marketplace has meant the
customer is the only winner.

"While our competitors have announced new pricing recently, it's only
on selected models in their ranges," explained Toshiba's general
manager, David Henderson.

Henderson said of the 32 percent cut, "By resetting prices
across the range we are making not only our established products
but also the latest technology more affordable for our customers.
We're the leader in this market-place in Australia and we're
determined to build this position by continuing to deliver
products that meet the needs of users at all levels," he said.

Toshiba claims the price cuts make newer technologies available to
users who would otherwise have bought the older models. These include
active matrix thin film transistor color screens, 486DX and SX
processors, 200-megabyte hard disks, and integrated pointing devices.

Toshiba's latest claim to fame in the portable stakes is the T4400C
486-based color notebook which has 4 megabytes (MB) of memory and a
120MB hard disk. The machine, which has just be unveiled in
Australia, sells for AUS$ 7,430 (around US$5,000). In the run-up to
Christmas, Toshiba enjoyed a sales success with its Christmas special
-- the T1800 -- with dealers allowed to set their own prices for the
machine.

(Paul Zucker/19930312/Contact Toshiba Australia on phone
[phone] or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00014)

Australis - World's Most Understandable Computer Book 01/12/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- With a name like the "World's
most understandable computer book" how could you go wrong? That's what
Intel Australia thought when it sponsored the book which was released
fro Christmas sales in Australia.

The idea was conceived by Intel's marketing communications manager in
Australia, Michelle Greer, who decided that computers simply weren't as
daunting as most people believed they were, yet there had to be a way
to get the message across. She handed the idea to local computer and
communications writer Stuart Kennedy who has produced a 159-page
pocket-sized book that covers most of the questions a new or would-be
computer owner asks.

Despite being produced by Intel in Australia, the book has been given
a general release around the country at AUS$6.95 (around US$4.70). As
Greer says, it "tames the beast of technology and computing and
provides the reader with an optimistic view that the computer is just
as easy to use as the telephone if only all the jargon was removed."

The book is more of a bedside read than a reference book,
as no chapter is more than three or four hundred words, and
the book is liberally sprinkled with anecdotes and historical
glimpses and asides as well as numerous cartoons.

Chapter headings include: How to understand someone who has just
stopped speaking English; Memory is just a miniature filing cabinet;
What's compatible and what's not; Psychology of the beast; Computing
at 40,000 feet; If you still think PCs are the pits then you may have
a point; Going one-on-one with a computer salesperson.

As you might imagine, any book produced by Intel might have a slight
bias towards IBM-compatible PCs. This is evidenced by this paragraph
which is all that the book says about other machines.

"The second most common family of microprocessors used in personal
computers is made by Motorola. The Motorola family of 68000, 68030 and
68040 microprocessors is roughly equivalent in computing power to
Intel's 80286, 80386 and i486 chips. Apple's Macintosh PCs and
Commodore's Amiga personal computers use Motorola microprocessors.
These computers aren't clones. They can't use programs written for
clone PCs that use Intel brains, but that doesn't matter, because they
have their own libraries of program titles."

(Paul Zucker/19930112/Contact Michelle Greer at Intel
Australia on phone [phone] or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00015)

 ****New Australian E-Mail Service Set For Jan 15 Launch 01/12/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- A unique form of electronic
communication system is nearing the end of its beta-test in Australia.
On January 15, the new service, known as OZ-E-Mail, will debut.

The company behind the service claims that it is one of the world's
cheapest systems available. Initially, service will commence in
Sydney on the 15th of January, with Melbourne and Brisbane following a
week later.

OZ-E-Mail is the brainchild of Australian computer journal publisher
Sean Howard who has spent the last few years fine-tuning the concept
and assembling the hardware and software development teams. It offers
user-to-user electronic mail, mail-to-fax, international electronic
mail and computer file delivery services at very low cost compared to
alternative methods.

Although the service is available to individual computer users, it is
also aimed at computer network users, where only one machine on the
network would need to connect to the service to carry all mail. OZ-E-
Mail would serve as the gateway between all individual and network
users on the system.

There is no start-up cost other than AUS$20 (US$13) for a software
package and manual. Connect time is AUS$2 per hour (US$1.30).
Electronic mail charges within Australia are 10 cents for the first
1000 characters of a message, with a sliding scale dropping to just
0.2 cents per thousand characters after 100,000 characters.
International electronic mail (via MCI Mail) is 80 cents for the first
500 characters dropping to 10 cents per thousand characters.

E-mail to fax service in Australia is 30 or 60 cents for the header
page and 25 or 50 cents for each additional page. (The higher rates
are for the more distant areas.)

At present the service offers connect speeds up to 9600 bits per
second (bps) but 14,400 will soon be offered. Users must have the
correct software to use the service as normal communications software
won't work.

For those readers wondering how a service can be offered for such
little money, it has to be remembered that local phone calls in
Australia cost just 30 cents (US 20c), are untimed, and the "local"
call areas cover entire cities of up to four million people. This
means that the service will operate in cells in each major city, with
single tie-lines carrying data between cities.

In addition to mail services, OZ-E-Mail will also offer news services
(including Newsbytes), games, CB chat lines and shareware files.

(Paul Zucker/19930112/Contact OZ-E-Mail on phone +61-2-
437 5500 and fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(PAR)(00016)

Italian Govt Keeps Datacom Contracts In The Family 01/12/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Even as the Italian government puts
the final touches on a law officially deregulating the market for data
communications in that country, the state-owned telecommunications
provider has grabbed two of the biggest public datacom contracts
available.

The SIP, which even under the new law has the right to the lion's
share of the Italian datacom market, wasted no time in picking up
a couple of the biggest state contracts for private networks,
those of two of the country's biggest banks, the state-owned Cassa di
Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde, and the state-owned Credito
Italiano.

For the Milan-based Credito Italiano alone, the proposed contract
includes, in part, 8,000 terminals.

Getting a share of Italy's banking market is pretty important for a
telecommunications company operating there. Banking represents more
than 42 percent of the entire datacom market in Italy. And state
banks make up more than 70 percent of the total banking sector.

It is easy to conclude that, if the SIP grabs off all the state
bank contracts, there won't be much left over for the competition,
which has waited years for the right to operate in Italy.

(Andrew Rosenbaum/19930112/Press Contact: SIP, Press Office, Rome, Italy, tel
39-6-36882661)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00017)

CNet Drops Ethernet Adapter Board Prices 01/12/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Citing manufacturing
efficiencies, CNet has reduced prices on a broad range its Ethernet
network interface cards. In some cases, price drops have approached
50% of previous pricing.

The complete line of Ethernet network interface cards that the company
makes for PCs, as well as all the combination cards that the company
makes for the Macintosh under the MaCNet line, are all affected by the
price reductions. Combination cards have all three types of connectors
on them making them suitable for any kind of network wiring schemes.

MaCNet's NU-460, SE-470, and LC-480 cards have all been reduced in
price from $299 to $229. CNet is also touting its first Ethernet
network interface cards that retail for less than $100. The CN200E
is a 16-bit ISA card with BNC and AUI connectors while the CN600E is
a 16-bit ISA card with AUI and RJ45 connectors on board. Both cards
will now retail for $99. All of CNet's cards carry a lifetime
warranty.

The company told Newsbytes that the price reductions are a reflection
of the manufacturing efficiencies that the company has experienced as
its volumes and familiarity with the specific products has increased.
Company spokespeople would not comment on the extent that competitive
pressure played in this price reduction.

All price changes are effective immediately.

(Naor Wallach/19930112/Press Contact: Joyce Lekas, The Lekas Group
for CNet, 415-948-8907/Public Contact: CNet, 408-954-8000, 800-486-
2638)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00018)

New For Networks - Triton Upgrades Co/Session 01/12/93
ISELIN, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Co/Session from Triton
has been upgraded from version 6.03 to 6.1. The new version offers
some significant new features and capabilities which the company
says are designed to make the program easier to use.

There are two features that Triton claims will be of immediate
importance to Co/Session users. First, Triton has replaced the
Microsoft Windows communications driver with one that it developed.
This change allows Co/Session to support faster modem transmission
speeds and gain a 25 percent performance increase while maintaining
complete compatibility with all Windows compatible programs.

The second feature is that Triton made Co/Session smarter
about the use of high memory in PCs in which it is installed.

When launching Co/Session, the program will look to see if there
is any high memory available for it. If it finds that there is
71K (kilobytes) of high memory available, it will load itself in that
space and not take up any of the precious memory in the 640K main
memory region. If there is some high memory space available, but not
71K, the program will try to load as much as possible of
itself into high memory leaving as much main memory as possible for
all the other applications.

In addition to these two new features, Co/Session 6.1 also features
a command line interface which can be used for file transfers. There
is also support for 800 X 600 Super VGA screens, automated installation
for Remote Windows, dual remote printing using both parallel ports,
and some enhancements to the VT100/102 terminal emulation program.

Co/Session v6.1 retails for $179 for a two-PC package. Additional
host or remote software packages are available for $125 each. Ten
packs of each type of package are available for $895. The upgrade
situation is a bit more complex. Owners of Co/Session versions
1.0 to 6.0 will be charged $60 for a two-PC package and $30 for
each host or remote package they wish to upgrade.

Owners of Co/Session v6.01 to 6.03 can download the upgrade for free
from Triton's bulletin board, or they can pay Triton $20 for a two-PC
package or $10 for each host or remote package that needs to be
upgraded.

(Naor Wallach/19930112/Press Contact: James Mulholland, Triton,
908-855-9440/Public Contact: Triton, 908-855-9608, 800-322-9440)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(PAR)(00019)

Alcatel Reinforces Asian Presence 10/12/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Alcatel-Alsthom, SA has just won
its second Asian contract in as many months. The Paris-based telecom
equipment manufacturer -- the world's largest in terms of sales --
announced yesterday that it won a contract to supply the Indian
subcontinent with a data communications network. The value of the
contract has not been disclosed.

Alcatel has been building up a solid presence in Asia, ahead of many
of its competitors, analysts say. In December, Alcatel won a
contract to supply Malaysia's public network with an exchange
system. The move follows the last-December agreement to a joint
venture between Alcatel and Telekom Malaysia. Based in Penang, this
company will make digital telephone exchanges under Alcatel's
license. The French company has won other contracts in India, as
well as in Pakistan and mainland China.

Significantly, Alcatel has built up a good working relationship with
Vietnam, at the expense of American competitors who are not permitted
to work there. Currently Alcatel exports telephone lines to Vietnam,
and has already installed 7 million lines there. Many analysts think
that a major contract to renovate the public network there is in the
offing.

The move comes at a time when the US government is reconsidering its
policy of shutting American industry out of that country. While
President-elect Bill Clinton has agreed that some changes to that
policy may be necessary, some analysts are asked whether the changes
have come too late for Americans to win important deals like the one
Alcatel has managed.

According to analysts, Alcatel is building up its Asian presence as
growth possibilities in Europe dwindle, analysts say.

"Alcatel has 70 percent of its sales in telecommunications," said
Andrew Haskins, a European electronics industry analyst with the James
Capel brokerage in London. "While the French and German markets for
telecommunications are expected to slow in coming years, the Asian
economies are growing fast and investing. Alcatel is one of the
leaders there," he added.

One of Alacatel's largest customers is France Telecom, the national
telecommunications monopoly, which picks up close to 70 percent of
the company's telecom sales. "But France Telecom is under pressure
to become more competitive," said Haskins, "and it will increasingly
look for new suppliers."

"The Asian market offers the best opportunities for development
today," comments Alcatel President Pierre Suard.

Alcatel is likely to lose at least one of its Asian customers,
however. Since France agreed to the sale of fighter jets to Peking's
rival, Taiwan in December, mainland China has threatened to cancel its
contracts with Alcatel

(Andrew Rosenbaum/19931201/Press Contact: Penny Smith, Alcatel-Alsthom, 54,
rue de la Boetie, 75008 Paris, France, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00020)

Indian Govt In Engineering Software Venture 01/12/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- The Union cabinet of the
government of India has approved a proposal to set up a 100 percent
export-oriented joint venture company which looks set to be called HAL
BAe Software Limited.

The Bangalore-based company will be set up by Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd. (HAL), a company in the public sector, in collaboration with
British Aerospace for exporting engineering software. Plans call for
the new company to have 49 percent equity participation from HAL, 40
percent from BAe and the rest to be picked up by Indian financial
institutions.

The company will operate in areas of export, business software,
turnkey manufacturing systems and areas of high-technology interest to
India. Its authorized capital will be Rs 10 crore (approx. $3.3
million) and the issue and paid-up capital will be Rs 6 crore (approx.
$2 million). The venture is part of HAL's diversification plans.

HAL tied up with BAe in 1990 to market engineering software in world
markets. The 15-year old software division of HAL has so far been
catering to in-house needs. Only in 1990 did it start marketing
products for factory automation, maintenance, and human resource
development, apart from highly specialized CAD software for component
manufacturing.

HAL has already installed a high-speed communication network employing
fiber optics and satellite communication. A 128 KBPS link will enable
transmission of voice, data and fax messages through a single channel.
HAL also plans to introduce a digital video conferencing system using
256 KBPS fiber optics systems and satellites soon.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930112)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

 ****Prodigy Lays Off 250 Staff 01/12/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- In a move
widely anticipated by analysts, Prodigy Services announced it has
laid off 250 workers, roughly 23 percent of its staff, in order to
turn a profit this year.

The company, which has more users than any other online service,
opened for business with a rush in 1990 and hoped to turn a
profit in 1991. Prodigy acknowledged in announcing the lay-offs it has
yet to show a profit despite the fact it also announced it
now has over 2 million users. As part of its restructuring,
Prodigy will also contract-out customer service functions and cut
its management ranks.

While Prodigy's problems in turning a profit are well-known, many
of its competitors like CompuServe, GEnie and America OnLine have
long been profitable. The company has previously expressed hope
for future profits in new avenues of distribution, like cable
television.

Alan Brigish, publisher at Simba Information Inc., was just
beginning to offer a new report on "Prodigy & The Future of
Electronic Marketing and Advertising" for $1,295, with a second-
copy price of $595, when the news broke. He told Newsbytes his
IDB Report newsletter, a weekly with an annual subscription rate
of $374, actually broke the news a week earlier. He said "It's a
very substantial cut, and I've got to believe that when you make
cuts of that kind you do it once, you do it properly, and get rid
of the problem. I would think this will position them finally for
profitability. We did a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation
last week on their revenue per employee, compared to profitable
competitors. Their numbers are now more in line."

Brigish' report, however, indicates that Prodigy may not be the
"marketing vehicle of the future" it claimed to be when it was
founded. "I think the issue here is there are many media emerging
as electronic marketing vehicles. Prodigy is just one. It's well
positioned, but it's only one of these new media. Look at things
like QVC and Home Shopping Network, think of the potential for
cable television, and think of the possibilities in mixing and
matching these media to develop things we haven't thought of.

"Prodigy as we know it today still has many problems associated
with older videotex systems, but they've survived They've
developed the service, and done many things right," as well as
many things wrong, he acknowledged. "Prodigy as we see it today,
however, isn't the future. That's something we don't see yet,
although Prodigy has many elements of it."

Also, while Prodigy may in fact take in more cash in 1993 than it
pays out, Brigish thinks it's a long way from repaying the
massive investment IBM and Sears made in creating it. "Capital
recovery will take a long time. We said for years they spent $1
billion, probably more," to create the system. "It takes a long
time to get that back. But they're buying market position." IBM
and Sears' own problems may have also contributed to the sudden
move. "IBM and Sears five years ago and today are two different
entities. They were powerhouses, and aren't today."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930112/Press Contact: Alan Brigish, Simba,
203-834-0033; Prodigy, 914-993-8843)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00022)

Delphi Offers Full Internet Network Access 01/12/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- General Videotex
Corp.'s Delphi service has become the first major online service to
offer total access to the linked academic and business networks known
as the Internet.

While other services, like GEnie and CompuServe, have long offered
electronic mail access to Internet addresses, Delphi is also
supporting file transfers with the "ftp" protocol and remote log-ins
to other Internet computers with the "telnet" protocol.

This makes Delphi the lowest-cost option of those who need Internet
access, General Manager Rusty Williams told Newsbytes. "Prior to now,
anyone interested in accessing the Internet had a very limited number
of options. In most cases you had to be connected directly through
your company or school. " But "Anyone can connect to DELPHI with a
local call from over 600 cities and towns throughout the US and in
many other countries."

Delphi's link is also a two-way connection, Williams said. Internet
users can now access Delphi and use its Grolier's Encyclopedia,
Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, newswires, and other features. All
they need to do is use telnet to the address "DELPHI.com" via the
commercial Internet. Delphi has also created an online support area
and Internet Special Interest Group within the service. Delphi access
can cost as little as $10 per month, plus $4 for each hour of use, or
$20 per month with 20 free hours of use and additional hours at $1.80
each. Internet access costs an added $3 per month, with 10 megabytes
of file transfers allowable standard. Access via packet networks like
Sprintnet and BT Tymnet, of course, also means an added charge.

To advertise the new access, Delphi is offering a special deal
under which modems can dial a toll-free number, 800-695-4002 or
use telnet to reach "delphi.com" press return once or twice, and
enter joindelphi at the username prompt and internet as a password.
You can sign-up by phone at 1-800-695-4005.

Newsbytes asked Williams why Delphi took so long to get any
Internet access. "Why not before? It took time to work out the
administration. We had to work with NEARnet," the network
through which access is achieved, "on policies and acceptable
use," he said.

"There also has been a recent relaxation of acceptable use guidelines,
and in the last 2-3 weeks our routing became commercial, so there's no
concern whatsoever. We started with the guidelines from NSF, and now
those we use are NEARnet, which provides for commercial use." NEARnet
is based in Cambridge, and is the primary regional representative for
Internet access in New England. "We have a fairly long history of
working with them in providing connectivity to private clients.

"Telnet and ftp are very important," he added. "They're essential
to an Internet connection. A log-in to other services is what
we're providing with telnet. You may be used to using your
computer at Harvard, and if you travel we become a great access
point back when you travel. It's also an access point for alumni
and parents. There are a lot of companies on the Internet, so
Delphi becomes both a way to get on the Internet and interact
with people there."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930112/Press Contact: Rusty Williams,
Delphi, 617-491-3342, x321)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

 ****AT&T Sues MCI 01/12/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- The legal dogfight
between AT&T and MCI which began when MCI announced it would link
directly with Canada's Stentor companies has got nastier, as AT&T
has sued MCI claiming infringement of 10 AT&T patents for
technologies that enhance long distance service.

The lawsuit is a counterclaim to a motion filed in the same court by
MCI in December asking that the AT&T patents be declared
unenforceable. MCI's suit claimed the concepts in the patents were
known and used by others before AT&T filed its patent applications,
and that AT&T withheld information on its toll-free service
departments 10 years ago when it was broken up.

Among the patents are 800 service enhancements and advanced
features, software defined network capabilities, credit card
processing and verification techniques, and techniques for
controlling toll fraud abuse and branding several types of phone
calls with an audible company logo. These are some of the
technologies which MCI transferred to Stentor when the two
companies announced last September they were entering into a
strategic alliance.

AT&T's vice president-law, Judith Maynes, said that "AT&T wanted to
settle this issue amicably and out of court, but MCI declined," and
that AT&T was merely trying to keep MCI from getting a free ride on
its $3 billion annual investment in research and development.

MCI spokesman Pam Small, however, reiterated that company's contention
that this is really about the Stentor deal, not patents, and that AT&T
responded to it in the marketplace by signing its own alliance
agreement with Stentor's Canadian competitor, Unitel, under which it
bought 20 percent of Unitel last month. "At this stage, there's no
impact on customers," she added.

In addition to the legal fight, AT&T is also complaining to the
FCC about the Stentor deal, claiming it acted too hastily in
allowing a Canadian phone time reseller to operate in the US
based on the idea that equivalent opportunities for US
resellers exist in Canada. If US regulators decide that American
carriers don't have equal access to the Canadian market, it could
knock down the Stentor-MCI deal.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930112/Press Contact: Mike Grinieri, AT&T,
908-221-7611; Pam Small, MCI, 800-289-0073)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00024)

Business Link Pushes ISDN 01/12/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Business Link, which
uses Apple Macintosh computer systems to provide high-end electronic
publishing services by phone, providing a service called the name
Desktop Imaging Network, said it has become the first national system
integrator for switched 56 communications and ISDN.

This means that the company will work with publishers who have
digital lines at 56,000 bits/second, frequently used by those in
videoconferencing, and with digital services under ISDN
standards, on a nationwide basis. Until now, Business Link has
been most active in the New York market.

The company will provide installation of ISDN and switched 56 systems,
including technical and business arrangements with both local and long
distance phone carriers, computer peripherals and software. The deal
includes a free start-up account on AT&T's Accunet network.

Business Link President Todd Melet told Newsbytes: "This is
something we've been doing with Switched 56 in New York for some
time and something we'll be doing with ISDN nationally. We prefer
ISDN where available." It will be becoming available in many
places in the very near future, according to Bellcore.

"I'm in the NIUF, the North American ISDN Users Forum, a collaboration
of regional Bell companies, hardware manufacturers, Bellcore, and
others. They forged the National ISDN-1 standard," which lets phone
companies implement the service in a uniform way regardless of what
brand of switch they have, "and we participated in TRIP" a
demonstration and turn-on of ISDN services across state lines last
year.

"Since TRIP, there's been a dedication from the regional Bells to
stick to their deployment schedules, which are aggressive in
connecting major cities by the end of this year, and 58% of the
country by 1995. That's what's needed," he said.

ISDN is added to most high-end phone company switches through a
software upgrade.

Melet added that his business is already actively using ISDN
in its home market. "It will be available all over New York south
of 59th Street within the next month or so. We're also becoming
strongly affiliated with Pacific Bell -- they're pretty
aggressive in deployment out there. BellSouth, Bell Atlantic,
Ameritech -- they're all getting in on it. We see a strong
nationwide appeal." Business Link's clients, mainly publishers
and graphic designers, use the service for remote proofing and
collaborative design projects. "Our priority service is one hour
for imaging, and we do over 100 projects an hour," said Melet.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930112/Press Contact: Todd Melet, Business
Link, 212-268-0777)


(CORRECTION)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00025)

Correction to TI Pizza Story 01/12/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- In our story about the
TurboChef pizza oven on January 11, Newsbytes discussed Texas
Instrument's Custom Manufacturing operation, which is producing the
oven at a plant in Dallas. The plant has been used in the past
primarily for Defense-related operations, which are declining with the
end of the Cold War, and Newsbytes' story indicated the plant might
otherwise be mothballed.

This is incorrect, TI spokesman Terri West emphasized. "The plant
has more than one million square feet of space. Nearby in the
plant, TI produces thermal sights for military applications on
tanks and aircraft," she said.

According to West, thermal sights allow one to see at night by
detecting heat. "The custom manufacturing operation producing the
pizza oven is housed in this plant because it draws on some of the
technology developed there, and draws on expertise of employees there
skilled in the technology and systems manufacturing," she said.

West added that about 3,000 employees work in the plant, and there is
no danger of it being mothballed.

Newsbytes regrets the error.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930112/Press Contact: Terri West, TI, 214-
995-3481)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00026)

DEC Names Klein Head Of Manufacturing 01/12/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corporation has filled one of the remaining gaps in
the leadership of its new structure of nine business units. DEC
brought in John E. Klein from IBM to become vice-president of its
Consumer and Process Manufacturing Industries Business Unit.

The new business unit is one of nine announced Dec. 22 by Digital
President and Chief Executive Officer Robert B. Palmer.

Klein, 51, was vice-president of worldwide market selection and
market development in IBM's Industrial Sector Division. He has
held various marketing and technical management jobs since
joining IBM in 1967, and was for eight years general manager of
IBM's manufacturing systems products organization.

The appointment is effective immediately, and like the heads of
the other business units he will report to Palmer.

DEC said that Klein's unit will deal with the following industries:
travel and transportation; retail and wholesale; consumer packaged
goods; chemical; utilities; environment; oil and gas; and forestry,
mining, metals, and glass.

It is one of five of DEC's new business units defined by
groupings of industries, while the other four are built around
DEC's products and services.

The other industry-oriented units are: Discrete Manufacturing and
Defense; Health; Communications, Education and Entertainment; and
Financial, Professional and Public Services.

The four product-based units are: Personal Computer; Components
and Peripherals; Multivendor Customer Services; and Storage.

All the company's revenues will come through the nine new units,
company spokesman Mark Frederickson said, but there will be some
central services, including manufacturing and some engineering,
that will not be part of the business units.

The new structure is to be fully operational in time for the
start of DEC's 1994 fiscal year in July. Executives of three of
the units, including the Personal Computer Business Unit, have
yet to be named.

(Grant Buckler/19930112/Press Contact: Mark Fredrickson, Digital,
508-493-4930)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00027)

Lotus Outlines Communications Architecture 01/12/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corporation has revealed some more details of its focus on
communications during the NetWorld show in Boston. The company
unveiled Lotus Communications Architecture (LCA), a strategy
built on its electronic mail and work-group computing software
and the DataLens data access tool.

Lotus said that the architecture builds on three existing Lotus
products: the cc:Mail electronic mail family; Lotus Notes, Lotus'
work-group applications environment; and DataLens, Lotus' database
access software. LCA will be the basis for several major product
announcements in 1993, company officials said.

Lotus officials added that several new products supporting the Lotus
Communications Architecture will ship this quarter.

cc:Mail Router Version 4.0, shipping in January, extends Lotus'
mail transport agent to support popular wide-area networking
(WAN) protocols.

The Lotus High Fidelity Mail Exchange is now available free for
customers requiring mail exchange and directory synchronization
between Notes and cc:Mail.

Lotus said that a new release of Lotus Organizer will integrate group
calendaring and scheduling with cc:Mail, Notes, and mail systems
supporting the company's Vendor Independent Messaging (VIM)
specification. VIM lets applications packages from different vendors
share messaging services. A number of vendors, including Apple,
Borland, IBM, Novell, and WordPerfect, are supporting it. However,
Microsoft Corp. has a rival standard called Messaging Application
Program Interface (MAPI).

Lotus outlined a VIM-based workflow strategy and said hundreds of
vendors are developing other VIM-based, messaging-reliant
applications for release in 1993.

Jeffrey Tarter, editor and publisher of the Watertown, Massachusetts-
based newsletter Softletter said that computer users are looking for
some kind of standard to spare them the headaches of "building all
these little bridges" among applications. He added that current
distrust of Microsoft's growing power in the market may give Lotus'
VIM an advantage over MAPI with some users.

Lotus said that its vision for integrating desktop applications with
network services involves delivering three essential network
services -- messaging, distributed document management, and
access to structured data and legacy transaction processing
systems -- to applications.

These applications fit into three classes, Lotus said. Core
applications such as electronic mail come with the service. As
applications such as work-flow management rely on the network
service. Stand-alone desktop applications, such as spreadsheets,
can be enhanced by becoming "mail-enabled" or "group-enabled."

The network services and the applications are the first two of
four parts of the strategy, Lotus said. The third is enterprise
scalability, with built-in technologies for expanding
configurations to large, international messaging and document
management networks. Fourth is an open environment, including
support for all popular networks and desktop computers, published
application programming interfaces, and adherence to standards.

Lotus said it will keep enhancing interoperability between Notes
and cc:Mail. While remaining independent, Notes and cc:Mail will
share a consistent user interface as well as common gateways and
directories.

Beginning with shipments of Notes Version 3.0 this quarter, users
will be given the choice to use cc:Mail as the electronic mail
client in Notes. Both products will expand support for industry
application program interfaces (APIs), such as XDS, XAPIA, and
XAPI CMC.

Lotus also said Version 3.0 of Notes will have features aimed at
making it more suitable for use as an enterprise-wide distributed
document management system. Desktop applications will be able to
use Notes services to store, track, and share multiple versions
of documents.

An upcoming release of 1-2-3 for Windows will use Notes document
management services via a feature called Version Manager,
formerly code-named Chronicle. The Ami Pro word processor and
Freelance graphics software will similarly be group enabled in
the future, the company added.

Lotus also said it will improve Notes' ability to import data
from traditional database management systems. While third-party
products are available to help do this, Lotus plans to offer its
own option in Notes Version 3.0. DataLens, a database access tool
first offered with the 1-2-3 spreadsheet, will let Notes
applications link to more than 35 database management systems.
Lotus also confirmed that Notes will support Microsoft's
implementation of the Structured Query Language (SQL) database
access standard Open Data Base Connection (ODBC) on Windows.

User acceptance of Notes has been strong, Tarter observed,
despite the fact that building applications with Notes can be a
daunting task.

(Grant Buckler/19930112/Press Contact: Betsy Kosheff, Lotus
Development, 413-232-7057)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00028)

 ****Apple Targets WAN Connectivity 01/12/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Hoping to make
AppleTalk more appealing to corporate internetworking environments,
Apple Computer has announced a family of router software products that
allow organizations to increase the size, performance and
manageability of their AppleTalk networks.

According to the company, the Apple Internet Router product family
provides wide area networking (WAN) connectivity by implementing the
new AppleTalk Update-based Routing Protocol (AURP) technology, which
is designed to reduce network traffic.

Additionally, the new router software is also intended to
enhance local area networking (LAN) support, routing data
between industry-standard LocalTalk, Ethernet, Token-Ring,
and other network types.

Announcing the new family of products, Morris Taradalsky, vice
president and general manager for Apple's Enterprise Systems Division
(ESD), said: "AURP technology is an important step to providing
organizations of all sizes with a completely scalable network system.
AURP and its implementation in the Apple Internet Router leverage
Apple's traditional strengths in making technology that is powerful,
yet easy to deploy, as well as easy to administer."

Apple claims that its latest internet router is "cost-effective,"
and allows AppleTalk networks to be "tunneled" through dial-up
connections via standard modems, or over networks using X.25
and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
as well as other industry standards.

The Apple Internet Router product family includes a base
connectivity kit and two Apple extension kits for moving
AppleTalk data across non-AppleTalk networks.

The Basic Connectivity Package provides the core routing
software and technology, and includes a dial-up extension for
connecting remote workgroups together over standard telephone
lines as well as network management support through the
industry-standard Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
Apple says that it also provides the base product on which other
extensions can be built.

The AppleTalk/IP Wide Area Extension provides wide area
AppleTalk routing over TCP/IP, and the AppleTalk/X.25 Wide
Area Extension supports wide area AppleTalk routing over X.25
networks. The extension kits are sold separately.

Apple claims that the Apple Internet Router includes such
advanced features as: network number remapping, which allows
users to connect independently administered networks without
concern for network numbering conflicts; security options to
protect networks from unauthorized use; and built-in data
compression for increased throughput. Also, built-in SNMP
support enables the router to be monitored from any SNMP-based
network management console.

The modular design of the Apple Internet Router allows for
third-party extension products to be added as a network grows.

Apple also claims that AURP was designed to improve AppleTalk for use
on wide area networks (WANs), including telecommunication links and
campus-like backbone networks. It is considered by Apple as an
enhancement to the AppleTalk architecture that improves the efficiency
and scalability of AppleTalk internets by specifying a standard way of
tunneling AppleTalk through "foreign" network systems, such as TCP/IP,
X.25, OSI (OpenSystems Interconnect) and DECnet.

Apple Product Line Manager Dana Harrison, said, "AURP provides
the basis for building global AppleTalk networks, as well as for
hosting AppleTalk within established global networks such as
the TCP/IP Internet."

Apple also claims that the new technology provides for efficient
routing over point-to-point lines or multipoint connections by
updating routing tables only when a change occurs in the network.
It does this by transmitting only the changed information, which
reduces network traffic. This contrasts the AppleTalk Routing
Table Maintenance Protocol (RTMP) which sends full routing
information every 10 seconds.

(Ian Stokell/19930112/Press Contact: Emilio Robles,
408-862-5671, Apple Computer Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00029)

Compaq Doubles Prolinea Production 01/12/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation says it has opened a second production line at its
Houston manufacturing facility to meet demand for its Prolinea
desktop personal computers.

Called a Vertical Integrated Manufacturing (VIM) line, the U-shaped
assembly process allows the company to produce one Prolinea every 60
seconds or less. The first VIM line opened in June 1992 when the
company introduced the Prolinea models.

"With the addition of this second high-volume production line,
Compaq is poised to become the price/performance leader in the low
cost PC arena," said Compaq Senior VP of Manufacturing Greg Petsch.

The company claims that the Prolinea is the best selling PC in its 10-
year history, designed to meet the needs of the home and small
business market. About half of the Prolinea buyers are first-time
computer users, according to Compaq research. Prolinea system prices
start at under $900 without a monitor.

Originally introduced in June 1992, the Prolinea line was expanded
in September with the introduction of several models based on
Intel's 486sx microprocessor, and Compaq now offers Prodigy software
and a fax modem on most models. Prodigy is a subscription on-line
service that allows computer users whose PCs are equipped with
modems to exchange files, send mail, and obtain information such as
current stock quotes.

Compaq says that the VIM production line has allowed it to decrease
production costs as well as inventory and manufacturing space
requirements. In 1991 Compaq had 60,000 square feet of manufacturing
facility devoted to PC production at the Houston plant. The VIM line
requires only 14,000 square feet to produce an equal number of
units. In addition to Houston, Compaq has manufacturing facilities
in Singapore and Scotland, and says the Houston and Singapore
facilities are running around the clock producing Prolinea systems,
while the Scotland facility is running two shifts.

(Jim Mallory/19930112/Press contact: John Sweney, Compaq Computer,
713-374-0484; Reader contact: 800-345-1518)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00030)

 ****TCP/IP, Data Link Control For WFW Ready For Beta MS 01/12/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Microsoft Corporation
announced today that beta testing of TCP/IP and data link control
connections for its Microsoft Windows for Workgroups program with
integrated networking version 3.1 to begin shipping this month.

Microsoft spokesperson Pam Kahl told Newsbytes the beta cycle would
be an unusually quick one, with the product expected to ship by the
end of the present quarter. "The product is really solid, and the
beta testing is just to work out any connectivity problems."

The company also said it will provide immediate support for Digital
Equipment Corporation's Pathworks networking system for Windows for
Workgroups. The announcements were made at Networld 93 being held in
Boston today through Thursday.

TCP/IP is a low level protocol standard used for non-proprietary
networks. Microsoft says the adoption of the standard reduces the
need for developers to test their applications on different vendors
TCP/IP protocols. Thirty vendors are currently committed to deliver
applications and protocols written to the Windows Sockets API
(applications program interface, an industry standard that enables
corporate and commercial developers to write client-server
applications to the sockets style interface for Microsoft Windows).
Applications written to the API will work over any vendor's Windows
sockets compliant TCP/IP protocol stack.

The announcement means that Windows for Workgroups-based workstations
can run on Novell Netware, Banyan's VINES, Windows NT, Microsoft LAN
(local area network) Manager for Windows NT, OS/2 and Unix. VINES
users can obtain Windows drivers for their system from Microsoft or
Banyan. WFW workstations can also connect to a server that supports
the SMB protocol, including 3COM, 3+Open, as well as IBM LAN servers
and IBM PC-based LANs. WFW users will also be able to communicate
with other users through Microsoft Mail and Schedule+ Extensions and
the Microsoft suite of gateways to other electronic mail systems,
such as cc:Mail, PROFS, MHS, SMIP, Wordperfect Office, and faxes.
Support of DLC for WFW allows WFW-based workstations to operate in
IBM/SNA environments and to connect to mainframes and minicomputers.

Microsoft says companies wishing to participate in the beta testing
should contact their Microsoft representative.

The combination of WFW and Pathworks allows DEC users to take
advantage of the Windows graphical user interface (GUI) and group
scheduling as will as Pathworks' wide area networking (WAN) and
cross-platform integration. A special guide called "Pathworks and
Windows for Workgroups Installation Guide" explains how to
integrate the two systems, and is available on Compuserve and from
DEC support centers.

Microsoft also publishes a Workgroup Connection, a product that
allows users to add MS-DOS-based PCs to a WFW network, providing a
character-based interface that allows access to WFW resources on a
network. Connection has a suggested retail price of $79.95. The
company also offers POWERlan, which allows DOS-based PCs to act as
servers on a Windows for Workgroups network, sharing and accessing
files and printers with WFW-based PCs. POWERlan has a suggested
retail price of $199 for a two-user system.

Microsoft hasn't forgotten Apple Computer's Macintosh users in its
quest to get everybody using WFW. Both LAN Manager and Netware
include services that allow users to share filed with Macintosh
machines through the server. WFW can use those services to exchange
files with Mac platforms, and MACLAN Connect from Miramar Systems
permits Macs and PCs on a WFW network to share files and directories,
as well as mail and printers.

(Jim Mallory/19930112/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft,
206-882-8080; Reader contact: 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00031)

 ****HP Cuts PC Prices 20%, Intros Workgroups 01/12/93
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 12 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard (HP) has announced price reductions as high as 20
percent on its Vectra line of desktop DOS-compatible personal
computers (PCs) and file servers. The company has also
announced a family bundle of PA-7100 workstations it says offer
the lowest cost per seat available.

The Vectra PC line saw the largest price cuts at the high end
and at the low end, however the company cut prices on 38 models
of its DOS-based PC line. For example, Intel 386SX-based Vectra
PCs now start at $799, reduced from $849, and the Intel 486SX-
based model now starts at $1,029 down from $1,149.

HP says it is not decreasing features with the price, but
instead is adding more for consumers. Its 486U PC series has
also been reduced but comes preloaded with MS-DOS 5.0; Windows
3.1; the company's Dashboard Windows organizer product; an HP mouse,
and includes the computer aided design (CAD) package Autocad;
the graphical operating system from IBM, OS/2 2.0; and Windows
3.1 video drivers.

HP says it has been successful in the past, with unit shipments
of 486 PCs and servers up 150 percent in the second half of
1992 compared to the same time period in 1991. The company's
486U Vectra PCs are the fastest in the industry and are network
ready, according to HP. The company says sales of those units
have quadrupled since their introduction in May of last year.
HP resellers are also boasting sales of Vectras have tripled
compared since June of 1991.

However, the company says it wishes to stay competitive, so
that's why it is cutting prices. It is following the lead of
the other major PC manufacturers such as Compaq, Dell, IBM, and
others who have all gotten attention by cutting prices.

The company has also introduced new workgroup configurations, a
family including a workstation and two interconnected X
stations based on its Precision Architecture reduced-
instruction-set computing (PA-RISC) technology, starting at
$3,945 per seat. The workgroups are aimed at commercial and
technical markets including electronic design automation (EDA);
mechanical computer-aided design (MCAE); architecture,
engineering and construction (AEC); and electronic publishing.

The units come with a significant amount of memory and hard
disk capacity even at the base level, according to HP. The base
group costs $11,834 or $3,945 per seat and consists of: a Model
715/33 workstation with a 15-inch color monitor 32 megabytes
(MB) of random access memory (RAM), a 525 MB hard disk, a
compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); and two model 15ci X
stations each with 15-inch color monitors and 10 MB of RAM.

Larger monitors, such as 17-inch color and 19-inch color or
grayscale are also options, HP added.

HP says the workgroups cost less initially and offer lower
maintenance costs than similar groupings. They also offer
features such as an identical "look and feel" on the
workstation and X station desktops; the company's VUE/RX visual
user environment, running locally on the X stations to offload
host resources and increase performance; 3-D solids rendering
on even entry-level workstations and X stations with HP's
Powershade software.

HP says the groups are easy to set up. The 19-inch grayscale
and color monitor groups are available now, however the 15-inch
color and 17-inch color monitor options will be available in
February.

A new 17-inch color X station, the Model 17ca and the newest
member of the company's 700/RX station family has also been
introduced, HP said. The Model 17ca is $4,695 and runs at
93,000 X stones.

Hewlett-Packard boasts 92,000 employees and says it had revenue
of $16.4 billion in its 1992 fiscal year.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930112/Press Contact: Bliss Talbott,
Hewlett-Packard, tel [phone]; Lynn Wehner, HP Workstation
Press Relations Group, tel [phone], fax [phone])