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/nb930208

Text File | 1993-02-08 | 69KB | 1,489 lines

(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00001)

AST Readies $275M-Worth Of Option Notes 02/08/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- AST, to raise working
capital and perhaps expand, is filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) to offer $275 million worth of Liquid Yield Option
Notes (LYONs) which will be due in ten years in the year 2013.

LYONs are a relatively new development on the US securities market.
While similar to the "call" notes seen on the gilts and equities
markets for several years, LYONs are essentially traded "promise to
pay" notes from the companies concerned. The price of the LYON can
rise and fall, depending on the state of the market, plus, of course,
the credit-worthiness of the firm concerned. Usually, a LYON is
discounted to reflect the interest that would have been earned, if an
amount of money were invested to mature at the same time as the note.

AST says that the LYONs are expected to generate about $100 million
and Merrill Lynch & Company will act as sole underwriter of the
offering. The LYONs are zero coupon convertible subordinated
notes and have no periodic interest payments.

The company has enjoyed a successful year in PC sales, with 1992
revenues totaling more than $1.1 billion. The company says it had the
third largest market share of PCs sold last year. AST was also listed
in Fortune Magazine's 500 largest industrial companies in America.

The company said it is considering using the money to expand its
manufacturing capacity, though no specific plans were mentioned. The
company has recently introduced the Manhattan SMP, an Intel-based
multiple processor computer and has this year entered the consumer
retail channel with its Advantage PC line. AST is headquartered in
Irvine, California.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930208/Press Contact: Deborah Paquin, AST,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00002)

Autodesk OS/2 "Patch" For DOS Autocad 02/08/93
SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Autodesk has
announced that patches are now available to run Autocad Release 12 for
DOS under IBM's OS/2 2.0 operating system. The patches enable users to
run multiple versions of Autocad as well as running other applications
with the popular computer-aided design (CAD) package.

The company is crediting a collaborative effort between Autodesk, IBM,
and Phar Lap Software for the development of the two patches now
available. However, Autodesk says it has not officially supported OS/2
as an operating environment for Autocad. Autocad company officials are
also warning users it has not extensively tested the patches, meaning
users are on their own in attempting to use the fix.

One patch, the Autodesk/Phar Lap Extender patch, OS2PCH.ZIP, enables
Autocad to be run as a DOS application under OS/2 in the IBM DOS
Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) and is available on for download via
modem on Compuserve in the Autocad forum (GO ACAD), Library 9.

An IBM DPMI patch for the same purpose is available on the IBM OS/2
Compuserve forum as well as in the OS/2 Servicepak, available by
request by calling IBM's Helpware line.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930208/Press Contact: Lynne Saunders,
Autodesk, tel [phone], fax [phone]; IBM Helpware 800-
772-2227)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00003)

Japan - TeleStar BBS Free To Public 02/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- The TeleStar network has opened its
doors to non-paying members with the announcement that its PC BBS will
now accept calls from members of the public. Previously, the service
was only available to subscribers.

TeleStar first began operations in March, 1985, quite soon after the
deregulation of the telecom marketplace in Japan. According to
the company, the opening up of its BBS is a landmark in telecom
terms.

"This is be an epoch-making event in the history of PC
telecommunication in Japan," a TeleStar spokesman told Newsbytes.

Telestar is an online service which offers callers
conventional PC software libraries and messaging forums for the
exchange of ideas, as well as travel, movies, and music areas. News
services abound on the system, with up-to-date information from
Newsbytes, Jiji, and Mainichi. General securities information
is also included.

Telestar has an online membership of around 15,000 at the moment. The
opening up of the BBS is clearly intended to persuade more potential
subscribers to sign on the dotted line. Since the system is linked to
the packet data network (PDN) in Japan, callers can access the
service from foreign PDNs, such as Sprintnet and Tymnet.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930208/Press Contact: TeleStar, +81-
3-3320-1884, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00004)

Cooking With Betty Crocker, The PC Way 02/08/93
ST AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- The Lifestyle
Software Group has released three new titles in its Betty Crocker
cookbook for PCs series. The subjects covered are Italian cooking,
losing weight, and kids' cooking. All three are available in both DOS
and Windows versions.

Betty Crocker's Italian Cookbook claims to have more than 200 recipes
from Antonio Cecconi. Users can learn Italy's culinary heritage, refer
to a glossary of Italian cooking terms, and even cook some food.

Eat and Lose Weight, meanwhile, is designed to assist users with
weight loss plans. They can learn about dietary intake of calories,
cholesterol, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and sodium, with counts for
each recipe and complete meal plan.

Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook has over 100 recipes that
are designed to be fun and easy to make and eat. It is claimed to
give children confidence in the kitchen while instilling common sense
in areas such as safety and nutrition. Many of the recipes are
designed for the microwave to reduce the risk of burns.

Each new book costs $25, as do the existing titles. The
Windows/Multimedia versions include sound to assist users in
correct pronunciation of cooking terms. They are all available in the
US from most large retailers, including Egghead, Babbages, Walden,
CompUSA, Computer City and Software Etc.

Distributors and dealers in other countries should contact Lifestyle
Software on 904-825-0220

(Paul Zucker/19930208)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00005)

Budget PC Multimedia From Sigma Designs 02/08/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Anyone intrigued with
the promise of multimedia has had to contemplate spending relatively
large sums of money. Typical setups, which include a CD-ROM drive,
sound board, video board, and perhaps new monitor, could run several
thousands of dollars. However, Sigma Designs believes that there
should be a way to explore the new technology for less.

That's the rationale behind the company's recent introduction of its
WinSound 16 board and the WinSound 16 CD-ROM Multimedia Upgrade Kit.
The Kit is a complete set of all of the parts one might want to
have as a "starter set" to exploring multimedia. The kit includes a
16-bit sound card which Sigma Designs has just released called the
WinSound 16, a CD-ROM drive, speakers, joystick, and software to take
advantage of all the hardware.

The WinSound 16 board is at the heart of this kit. This is a full
16-bit sound adapter that maintains compatibility with the 8-bit sound
cards like the Sound Blaster Pro, Audio Spectrum 16, Ad Lib, and
Thunder Board. In addition, the WinSound 16 claims to offer true
16-bit CD quality stereo sound with interfaces for SCSI CD-ROM drives,
joystick, and full duplex MIDI with a 20-voice sound synthesizer.

The other major part of the kit is a Sony Light Internal CD-ROM
drive which sports a data transfer rate of 150 KB/s with an average
access time of 550 ms. The Sony CD-ROM drive is Kodak PhotoCD
compatible. There are also a couple of 3" 3.5-watt speakers and an
IBM-compatible joystick to complete the hardware parts of the kit.

Six software programs are included with the kit: Asymetrix's
Multimedia Make Your Point is a presentation package that allows
for incorporation of sound and animation into presentations;
Animotion's MCS MusicRack is a music and sound manipulation
program; Midisoft's Multimedia Music Library lets one explore
the wonders of MIDI; Windows Utilities include a couple of sound
mixers and a sound recorder; Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia;
and Microprose's Mantis Experimental Fighter -- a space combat
game.

The WinSound 16 CD-ROM Multimedia Upgrade Kit is claimed to be
completely MPC compatible. It is available now for $799. The WinSound
16 board is also being sold independently for $299, which includes the
first four programs described above.

(Naor Wallach/19930208/Press Contact: Laura Taylor, Sigma Designs,
510-770-2647/Public Contact: Sigma Designs, 510-770-0100)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00006)

Boston Library Offers High-Tech For Disabled 02/08/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- The Boston Public
Library in Copley Square has instituted a program to involve disabled
Bostonians in all phases of library activities. The special
workshop area of the library has a Kurzweil OCR-to-speech reader
with optional Braille output, among other devices.

In addition to the usual large print books and audio recordings found
in most other US libraries, the BPL provides speech-capable
computers, TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf)
communications stations, and special magnifying stations where a
closed circuit television system is used to enlarge text and
images up to 60 times.

The Kurzweil reader, meanwhile, can scan newspapers, typed material,
or books from other parts of the library, convert them to computer
text, and use a mechanical voice to speak the words out loud to the
user.

Another access technology in the library is small FM
radios which receive and amplify conferences and movies shown in
the library's auditorium.

In addition to acting as a working library for the disabled community,
the BPL's special access division provides a wide range of resources
for those looking for information on access technology and serves as a
central location where individuals can test the ever-changing
selection of access products.

Although the center was initially set up through special funding,
it is now operated under the library's general budget, bringing
it even further into the mainstream.

(John McCormick/19930208)


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

Wordperfect Bike Racing Team 02/08/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- It's not all bits and bytes
at Wordperfect Corporation -- the company has announced that it will
sponsor the Jan Raas cycling team for the next three years. The
team, currently ranked fourth in the world in the U.C.I. Pro World
Rankings, will now be known as the Wordperfect cycling team.

Ad Rietveld, senior VP of sales and marketing, says that the main goal
in sponsoring the team is to extend and improve the image of the
company throughout Europe. "This sponsorship fits well into
Wordperfect Corporation's new, more aggressive marketing approach."

Jan Raas, a former cycling world champion, is the general manager of
the team, which includes sixteen professional cyclists from Belgium,
Holland, France, Switzerland, and Mexico. Over the past seven years
the team has garnered a world championship, won 18 World Cup races,
and finished first in 21 stages of the Tour de France.

Raas says the character of the team is that of a winner. "Winning is
the road to sporting respect, attention in the media, and commercial
success for our sponsor. We intend to win," he said.

Wordperfect spokesperson Laura Fankhauser told Newsbytes that a total
of $16 million has been budgeted for team sponsorship. She said the
company feels it has a problem with name recognition in the European
market, and decided that sponsorship of the team would be the way to
solve that problem. About 40 percent of Wordperfect's sales are in
Europe.

The cycling season runs from February to October, during which the
team says it will compete mostly in European races, with the exception
of the Tour DuPont in the US. Stage one of that race begins May 6th in
Wilmington, Delaware and ends with the eleventh stage when cyclists
cross the finish line in Peiedmont Triad, North Carolina. Pre and
post-season activities make cycling nearly a year-round sport,
according to Fankhauser.

Fankhauser told Newsbytes that a cycling club is now being formed. The
group will follow the team and other cycling activities, and is for
both riding and non-riding cycling enthusiasts. The club plans to
publish a newsletter and may also show videos of the team's races. The
first meeting is scheduled for February 16th in Orem, Utah, where a
videotape of the Paris announcement will be shown.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Laura Fankhauser, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5051, fax [phone]. For club info: WP
Cycling Club, c/o Ken King, 1555 N. Technology Way J2246, Orem Utah,
84057-2399)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00008)

Nexis, Lexis Get New Features, Updated Software 02/08/93
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Mead Data Central has added
new features to its Lexis and Nexis on-line information services. The
company also announced an update to its Lexis/Nexis session manager
software for DOS PCs.

Two new features and a new library are available on the Lexis
service, which is a database of legal information. One of the new
features is also available on the Nexis news database service.

Mead's new Link feature creates connections from citations within
a document to the documents cited. For instance, if one document
contains a reference to another and the reference is preceded
with a Link marker, the user can enter the number contained in the
Link marker -- or point and click using Mead's session manager
software -- to call up the document cited.

Citations to federal and state case law documents, attorney
general opinions, selected tax-related documents, law review articles,
and federal regulations, have the Link markers, and the connections
work across document types, company spokeswoman Monica Schiffler said.

Using the Link feature also costs less than conducting a new search.
It can also be used to verify marked citations with the Auto-Cite and
Shepard's Citations services, which lawyers use to check for new
developments on a case before referring to it in court, Schiffler
explained.

The new Log feature, available in both Lexis and Nexis, keeps a record
of all searches conducted throughout a day. Users can retain the
record of a search for later reference, and can review a document
called up earlier at no additional charge other than connect time.
Logs will be cleared at 2:00 every morning.

Mead also announced a new Hot Topics library within Lexis. This
library contains summaries of developments in nearly 40 areas such as
taxation and intellectual property. There is no search charge to
review the summaries, Mead said, and users can use the
Link feature to proceed with further research from there.

The new Version 2.7 of Mead's session manager software for DOS
includes new client ID verification and enhanced network support,
and comes with Mead's Easy Search and JuriSoft's CheckCite
software.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: Monica Schiffler, Mead
Data Central, 513-865-1519)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00009)

Corel Income Flat, Despite Sales Growth 02/08/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Corel has posted strong
revenue growth for the fourth quarter and year ended November 30,
1992. However, the cost of aggressive marketing contributed to a
slight drop in net income for the year.

Corel reported net income of C$11.2 million or 87 cents per share on
net sales of $90.1 million in fiscal 1992. Those figures compare with
net income of C$11.4 million or 96 cents per share and revenues of
$52.2 million in 1991.

Despite 73-percent revenue growth in 1992, Corel's net income
slipped slightly because the company spent heavily on marketing
its new CorelDraw 3.0 graphics software, and because Corel's
decision to get out of hardware manufacturing -- the company
formerly sold a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) adapter
card -- affected its margins, said John Hladkowicz, an investor
relations official. Earnings per share were also diluted by a
recent share offering, he added.

Hladkowicz said Corel does not make predictions about its future
financial performance, but he noted that investment analysts have
forecast the company's revenues will top C$100 million in the
coming year.

In the fourth quarter, Corel reported net income of C$4.2 million
or 31 cents per share on net sales of C$27.1 million, up from net
income of C$3.0 million or 25 cents per share on net sales of
C$14.7 million in the fourth quarter of 1991.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: John Hladkowicz, Corel,
613-728-8200 ext. 1194, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00010)

Mitel Makes A 3Q Profit 02/08/93
KANATA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Mitel is back in the
black. After several losing quarters, the communications equipment
maker has posted a profit of C$1.4 million in its third quarter, which
ended December 25, 1992.

The quarterly profit compares to a net loss of C$3.4 million in
the same period a year earlier. Revenue in the quarter was C$112.4
million, up 15.8 percent from the previous year.

In the nine months ended December 25, Mitel lost C$9.3 million on
revenues of C$305.3 million. This compares with a loss of C$10.7
million on revenues of C$284.4 million in the first nine months of
fiscal 1992.

Company officials said that several areas of Mitel's business have
benefited from improving market conditions, and sales in the United
States have improved along with signs of economic recovery there. In a
statement, Mitel President and Chief Executive Dr. John Millard said
he expects continued improvement in the fourth quarter.

In January, Mitel announced it would cut about 125 jobs at its
Kanata headquarters and possibly about 15 in the United Kingdom.
The company has about 3,700 employees worldwide.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: Bonnie Perrigard, Mitel,
613-592-2122)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00011)

 ****Hacker Hackles Raised Over Time Cover Story 02/08/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- A major magazine,
Time, has angered the hacker community by lumping them
together with the more unsavory elements of our society. The
latest hackles to be raised are Mark Abene's, also known in the
hacker underground as Phiber Optic.

Abene is calling attention to a section of a Time Magazine cover
story "Cyberpunk" (February 8, 1993). A sidebar piece by Richard
Behar entitled "Surfing Off the Edge," deals with Morty Rosenfeld, a
21-year-old currently serving an eight-month jail sentence in
Michigan. Rosenfeld, who pleaded guilty to electronically stealing
credit reports from TRW and reselling them to private detectives,
had, in his plea, named "John" and "Julio" as individuals that
set up the access for him on TRW. The government, in an
indictment on July 8, 1992 of five New Yorkers, including
Abene, for various alleged computer-related actions, stated that
John Lee, a/k/a "Corrupt" and Julio Fernandez a/k/a "Outlaw" were
the John and Julio to which Rosenfeld referred. Lee and Fernandez
have since pleaded guilty to charges related to the allegations.

Abene, who denies the allegations relating to him in the indictment,
told Newsbytes, "The article keeps referring to Rosenfeld as a hacker.
From what I understand, he's not a hacker -- he's a drug addict." The
article refers to Rosenfeld's drug use. "He paid people to help
him commit a crime -- that's not hacking."

Abene also objected to the designation of hackers as "hoods" and the
statement that "many of the hacker hoods come from broken homes and
have deep psychological problems." He said, "That is a silly
generalization. Most of my friends who I consider hackers come from
two parent homes or have lost a parent through death. Some are college
graduates; some are not. Some have jobs in business; some do not. You
can't make idiotic generalizations."

Abene added that he had spent time talking to Behar and was surprised
that the article came out the way it did.

Meanwhile, the reporter, Richard Behar, told Newsbytes: "The feds
certainly call Rosenfeld a hacker. These computer people always
want to be called what they want to be called when they want to
be called it."

Behar added that the phrase to which Abene objected did indeed contain
a typographical error. He said, "The sentence was 'many of the hacker
hoods come from broken homes or have deep psychological problems.'"

He added that some of the people cited in the piece fit these
categories. One of those indicted lives with a single parent in a
dilapidated neighborhood in Brooklyn and Rosenfeld may have
psychological problems, as the article cites his two attempts
at suicide since 1991.

Emmanuel Goldstein, editor and publisher of "2600 Magazine:
The Hacker Quarterly," plus a host of the weekly New York
radio show "Off-the-Hook" on which Abene regularly is a guest, told
Newsbytes: "Rosenfeld is a criminal. What he did has nothing to do
with hacking. Use of hacking in this context is unfair to true
hackers."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930208)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00012)

Australia - Ericsson To Upgrade Telecom Exchanges 02/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Ericsson, through its
Australian subsidiary, has been awarded an AUS$10.5M order to begin
the upgrade of Telecom's telephone network. Telecom is the local
operating arm of the Australian and Overseas Telecommunications
Corporation, AOTC.

The order, which represents the first phase in Telecom Australia's
upgrade plans, will see 63 automatic exchanges upgraded. Ericsson also
received a letter of agreement with the order covering the first
phase of the upgrade, which according to an Ericsson Australia
spokesperson was aimed at providing a "much enhanced performance as
well as enriched features and services."

Once the initial phase is completed, if Telecom is satisfied with
Ericsson's performance, a further order will be placed for the upgrade
of the rest of the network, representing 180-190 automatic exchanges.
The last manual exchange was decommissioned by Telecom late last
year.

This second phase, should Ericsson be awarded the contract, will see
a further AUS$35M in orders placed by Telecom. The first phase is
due to be completed by July of this year, and will include the
introduction of new operational procedures. These procedures are
aimed at bringing Telecom up to date on world "practices" and the
carrier will also benefit from Ericsson's experience in exchange
upgrades gained from similar work carried out in Europe and the US.

Ericsson's director of systems design and engineering, Rob Brooker,
said: "The Australian upgrade represents a major change in
how AOTC and Ericsson relate to each other.

"It broadens the boundaries we have used in the past. It is a total
network view that takes us beyond the exchange to the overall business
of operating the network -- bringing a new and more intelligent
approach to the business. Telecom and Ericsson have been fostering
their relationship recently, and signed an agreement late last year
which sees the joint marketing and sales of each others' products," he
said.

(Sean McNamara/19930208/Press and Public contact: Rob Brooker, phone
in Australia: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00013)

Australia - Taxis Use Satellites To Increase Safety 02/08/93
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- A group of Southeast
Queensland taxi companies have joined forces with the Queensland
Department of Transport to develop a tracking system based on a GPS
(global positioning satellite) system. The system is aimed at
increasing driver safety through the easy location of any taxi at any
time.

The taxi companies involved will cover the AUS$4.5M installation
costs, and the system is due to be operational by the end of the
year. Radio operators will have read-outs of taxi locations at all
times, and if a driver signals they are is trouble, other drivers
and police cars will be able to assist as quickly as possible.

The system was one of several investigated by the Department, and
the operational details were developed for review by the companies
and the Minister.

The network will be based on a new centralized radio operations
center for the five taxi companies involved: B & W, Q Cabs, Star
Taxis, Sunshine Taxis, and Redcliffe Cabs. The companies have formed
a joint venture company with Hitron Holdings which will oversee the
project.

Local company Datanet Queensland will supply the network, based on the
latest Motorola computerized taxi booking and vehicle dispatch
technology. Each taxi will be fitted with an in-car data screen
similar to other systems already operating in Australia. It is
estimated the running costs of the new system will be half that of the
current individual systems.

(Sean McNamara/19930208/Press and Public contact: Queensland
Department of Transport, phone in Australia: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00014)

Chinese Say Explosion Ruined Australian Satellite 02/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- A Chinese newspaper has
claimed the loss of Optus second Aussat B-series satellite last
December was due to a small blast after launch.

The Beijing-sponsored Wen Wei Po daily quoted "reliable sources" to
state the satellite (which is still missing) may have been damaged by
a blast which occurred on the satellite soon after being put into
orbit by the Long March rocket.

The claims are based on the reported recovery of fragments by a team
of US-Sino experts. The launching company, Great Wall, continues to
claim the rocket had nothing to do with the blast, and that
Australia is still liable to pay the AUS$30M launching fees.

Optus, however, says it is not liable for the costs as covered in
its agreement with the satellite's manufacturer, Hughes Aircraft
of the US. "Optus was fully insured in the event of anything going
wrong -- the agreement with Hughes stated this. The agreement was that
Optus would take control of the satellite in orbit," said an Optus
spokesman.

The spokesman added that there is no further information on the
cause of the loss. "We are still investigating -- that is Optus and
China and Hughes -- and there is no light to be shed on what went
wrong," he said. Great Wall successfully launched Optus' first Aussat
B-series satellite last August, after an aborted launch earlier in the
year.

(Sean McNamara/19930208)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00015)

Japanese Mass Produce 16Mb DRAMs 02/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Several major semiconductor
companies, including Fujitsu and Toshiba, have announced plans to
commence mass production of 16-megabit (Mb) dynamic random access
memory (DRAM) chips in Japan.

The move will come as a surprise to many Newsbytes readers in the
West, as it was thought that the recession had forced the companies to
put a hold on mass production of 16Mb DRAM chips. The companies claim,
however, that the computer marketplace is recovering, hence the
resumption of their plans.

Toshiba has gone as far as naming a date for the increase in
production. During March, the company plans to switch on its new 16Mb
DRAM chip production line, which was completed in January of this year

Plans call for Toshiba to produce around 300,000 chips per month at
the plant, so complementing its existing "Oita" plant that produces
around 100,000 DRAMs a month already.

Fujitsu, meanwhile, began 16Mb DRAM chip production at its Iwate Plant
in January of this year, and plans are in hand for a roll-out of chip
production to other company facilities over the next year. Fujitsu
even plans to produce the 16Mb DRAM chipset at its facility in
the UK, with consideration given to production in Oregon in the
US in the near future.

Not to be left out, NEC began mass producing the 16Mb DRAM chip last
summer. The firm is currently producing 300,000 chips per month. An
NEC spokesman told Newsbytes that the firm will raise the production
to 500,000 units per month this March. While the bulk of the chips are
being produced at its Hiroshima facility, sample 16Mb DRAM chips are
in production at the company's California plant.

According to Toshiba, demand for 16Mb DRAM chips is growing due to the
graphical requirements of PCs and workstations. Demand is especially
high in the US, which, although good for Toshiba and Japan, could hit
the US in its trade deficits.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930208/Press Contact: Toshiba, +81-3-
3457-2104, Fujitsu, [phone], Fax, [phone], NEC,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


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

Canada Product Launch Update 02/08/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, details Canadian launches by
international companies over the past week. This week brought new
database and workstation products from IBM Canada and Microsoft Office
on CD-ROM. The following provides details for the Canadian market to
supplement other Newsbytes coverage of these announcements.

IBM Canada announced a range of workstation products on the same
day as its parent company (Newsbytes, February 2).

The new SP1 parallel processing system is the first product from
IBM's Highly Parallel Supercomputing Systems Laboratory. While it
was announced in Canada, pricing and availability information
weren't available.

The announcements also include three technical workstations: the
Powerstations 355, 365, and 375. They range in base price from
C$19,125 to C$31,655 and will be available at the end of February, the
company said.

The PowerStation M20 is meant to be used as an integrated
graphics workstations on local-area networks and in universities.
Prices start at C$5,275 and availability is set for late March.

IBM also launched the Xstation 150, an X terminal meant for use
on local-area networks. It is priced at C$3,955 and is due to
ship in late March.

Several new servers also joined the RS/6000 line. The Power
Network Dataserver supports the Network File Server (NFS)
standard and IBM said it will support as many as 200 clients.
Prices start at C$173,815 and shipment is planned for the end of
April.

Three new models available as workstations or as servers become
the highest-performance members of the RS/6000 line. The
Powerstation/Powerserver 360 and 370 are priced at C$19,675 and
C$27,600 respectively and are due to ship in late February. The
570 has a C$50,695 price tag and is slated for availability in
mid-February.

IBM Canada has also announced that enhancements to its 970B, 980B, and
580 models apply in Canada as well as the US, and new graphics
options are also available here. The Canadian announcement did not
include two new network interfaces and an eight-millimeter tape
library announced in the US.

IBM Canada also announced Database2 OS/2, a version of its relational
database management system for the OS/2 operating system, and
Distributed Database Connection Services/2 Version 2 (Newsbytes,
January 28).

First customer shipments of DB2/2 and DDCS/2 Version 2 are planned for
March 26, IBM said. The single-user edition of DB2/2 will cost C$538.
The client/server version is C$3,155 plus C$103 per client. The
upgrade price for DB2/2 single-user from OS/2 Extended Edition is
C$267, and from OS/2 Extended Services C$130.

The cost to upgrade to DB2/2 client/server from OS/2 Extended
Edition is C$2,045, and from OS/2 Extended Services with Database
Server C$854.

The purchase price for the single-user version of DDCS/2 is
C$633, and the multi-user version is C$5,925. A single-user
upgrade from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0 of DDCS/2 is C$103, and
the multi-user upgrade is C$957.

Microsoft Office for Windows on CD-ROM (Newsbytes, January 6) has now
arrived in the Canadian market. The CD-ROM includes the suite of
business applications complete with documentation on one CD-ROM
disk. Now available, it has a suggested retail price of C$899.

Also, Computer Brokers of Canada, of Toronto, announced a
Canadian distribution agreement with Hercules Computer
Technology, the Fremont, California, maker of graphics adapters for
personal computers and workstations. CBC will distribute three
Hercules product lines: the Superstation XP workstation card; the
Chrome dual-page, 24-bit color display card for PCs; and Graphite, a
Windows accelerator card.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: Joe Tersigni, Computer
Brokers of Canada, 416-250-5665; Anne Hay, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900 or 800-563-2139; Martha Terdik, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900 or 800-563-2139; Jonathan Chevreau or Susan Taylor,
Creative Marketing Network for Microsoft Canada, 416-539-0694)


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

New For Networks - BootWare Plus Updates Automatically 02/08/93
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Lanworks Technologies
has begun shipping BootWare Plus, a remote boot system for local-area
networks. The software updates programmable read-only memory (PROM)
chips placed in network interface cards and used to boot up network
operating system software on desktop PCs.

Ihor Petelycky, vice-president of marketing at Lanworks,
explained that network interface cards generally come with a
socket for PROMs which carry the data used to boot the network
operating system. Normally, updating the operating system means
opening up each PC on the network and replacing these chips.

Bootware Plus uses a reprogrammable PROM and software that can update
all the PROMs on the network from a central server. When a workstation
is started up, Petelycky said, it will check the server for an
operating-system update. If there is a new file (with a date stamp
more recent than that on the PROM) on the server, then the
workstation's PROM will be updated automatically.

This means that to update the network operating system, a network
administrator only has to load the update on the server, he said.

Lanworks is supplying its SmartROM chip with utility software for
Novell NetWare and for the Remote Program Load (RPL) procedure
used by Microsoft's LAN Manager, IBM's LAN Server, and Banyan's
VINES. A version of the software for Unix networks is due by the
end of February, Petelycky added.

Lanworks also has a Netware Loadable Module (NLM), called
BootWare/MSD containing tools to manage the remote-boot process
on the NetWare operating system.

BootWare Plus has a list price of US$89 per workstation, and the
BootWare/MSD NLM is US$99. Both are available now.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: Ihor Petelycky, Lanworks,
416-238-5528, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00018)

Bell Canada Seeks Local Rate Increase 02/08/93
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- In a move bound to
provide ammunition for opponents of long-distance competition in
Canada, Bell Canada has asked for rate increases on local service
that will run to more than 50 percent in some locations.

Bell is seeking an interim rate increase of C$1.40 per residence
line and C$3.25 for a single business line, effective April 1.
This would apply to customers throughout the company's service
area, which includes provinces of Ontario and Quebec and parts of
the Northwest Territories.

Then, in the fall, Bell wants further increases, coupled with
larger local-service areas in the three largest metropolitan
areas the company serves. Bell calls this idea the Community
Calling Plan. On September 1, Bell plans a substantial expansion
of the local-calling area surrounding Toronto and that around
Ottawa and neighboring Hull, Quebec. The Montreal local calling
area would be similarly expanded November 1. Rates in these areas
would go up an average of C$3.80 a month for residential lines
and C$8.85 a month for business lines, Bell said.

Many customers outside those areas would also face further increases
on September 1, resulting in total increases over today's rates of
between C$1.90 and C$4.90 per month for residential service, and
C$3.25 to C$13.25 for single-line business customers.

Bell's application to the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) also puts forth an alternative to
Community Calling Plan. It would mean average rate increases of C$3.85
for residential lines and C$6.50 for business lines.

Bell officials said the increases are needed because of growing
competition, not only in the long-distance field as a result of the
CRTC decision last spring that allowed two other companies to launch
competitive long-distance service, but also from alternative carriers
such as cellular telephone firms and from long-distance resellers.

The company pointed out that it has not increased local rates in 10
years. It also pointed to the downgrading of its debt on February 1 by
the U.S.-based credit rating agency Standard and Poor's, and a similar
downgrading by the Moody's agency in December.

The CRTC allows Bell a rate of return between 12.25 and 13.25 percent,
spokeswoman Linda Gervais said, and the company expects to fall short
of that range by about C$210 million this year and some C$450 million
in 1994.

The CRTC may approve the interim rate increase set for April
while taking its time over the fall increase. Also, Gervais
noted, an interim rate increase can be rolled back once the
regulatory body makes a final decision.

In approving applications by Toronto-based Unitel Communications
and a consortium of Toronto's Lightel and Vancouver-based B.C.
Rail Telecommunications last spring, the CRTC said it did not
believe long-distance competition in Canada should necessitate
increases in local telephone rates.

Many opponents of competition had argued that competition in long-
distance would cut into the phone companies' subsidy on local service,
hurting those with low incomes who could not afford higher local
rates.

Michael Janigan, executive director and chief counsel at the
Public Interest Advocacy Center in Ottawa, told Newsbytes Bell's
application will be a major test of the CRTC's resolve. The CRTC
should stick with its earlier position by denying the application, he
said.

Janigan said that Bell has subjected its customers to a "death of a
thousand cuts" in recent months with a series of changes in its
fee policies. Examples include the company's plan to turn over
ownership of inside wiring to customers and then offer separate
maintenance contracts on that wiring at an additional cost, and a
move to increase charges for long-distance information services,
he said.

"Bell is asking its subscribers to pay more so that Bell
shareholders can make higher profits," Janigan said. "Most
Canadians had a worse year than Bell Canada -- how about some
relief for them?"

The center also suggested that Bell's Community Calling Plans in
Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa/Hull should be made optional.
Gervais replied that this would make the cost of the plan
significantly higher, to the point where there would probably be
little demand for it.

(Grant Buckler/19930208/Press Contact: Susanna Cluff-Clyburne,
Bell Canada, 613-785-0579; Linda Gervais, Bell Canada,
613-781-3724; Michael Janigan, Public Interest Advocacy Centre,
613-563-0734, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00019)

Modem Sharing/Remote Access Software For PC 02/08/93
BOULDER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Cross Communications
Company has announced Cross Connect, a modem sharing and remote access
software package for Novell and Net BIOS networks.

Cross Connect allows users on a local area network (LAN) to share
network modems for dial out connections, eliminating the need for a
modem for each workstation. The program also allows remote
workstations to dial into a network computer for full LAN
communications, and provides node-to-node remote control on the network
so users can share resources and run diagnostics interactively.

One of the advantages of software like Cross Connect is that you
don't have to have a modem attached to each LAN mode. Instead, any
user can access any modem on the network, in the same manner
printers are shared.

The program comes with its own communications software, called Cross
Dial, which the company says is compatible with communications
software that has an INT14 interface. That includes programs like
Procomm+ for Windows and CrossTalk MK IV. The company says that if
you have a comms package that's not INT14-compatible, then it will
work with you to make Cross Connect talk to your existing program.

Using Cross Connect's remote control function, a user could dial
into one of the office computers from a remote location and take
control of that station, running programs, editing files, and
printing documents as if he or she were in the office sitting at
that PC.

Cross Connect works in the background, performing its functions
without interfering with the person using the workstation with the
modem attached. The company claims that the package has an
autoswitching feature that allows the same modem to handle both
inbound and outbound traffic. The modem is set to autoanswer, but
switches automatically to dial-out mode when a user needs to connect
to another computer. When the connection is finished, the modem
returns automatically to the answer mode.

Cross Connect can support up to 20 modems on a LAN, and requires only
25 kilobytes (K) for the terminate-and-stay resident (TSR) portion
of the program. The company says Cross Connect supports multiport
boards by Digiboard, Arnet, Stargate, and Quatech. Multi-level
password protection, remote rebooting and automatic dial-back
features provide network access security.

The company says that the software will support file transfer speeds
of up to 19.2K bits-per-second (bps), and a crash recovery feature
allows a user to resume file transfer where they left off if the
connection is lost in the midst of a file transfer. VP of Engineering
Charles Appel says that can save both time and money in connect
charges.

In order to use Cross Connect you need DOS 3.0 or higher, a Novell
Netware or NetBIOS network operating system, comm ports using 8250B,
16450 or 16550-type UART devices, Hayes AT command set compatible
modems, and 1.7 megabytes (MB) of available hard disk space.

Cross Communications maintains its own electronic bulletin board,
where a free demo copy of Cross Connect is available for
downloading.

Cross Connect is available immediately with a suggested list price of
$195 for a one host-one remote pack which supports unlimited users. A
four modem pack is available for $695, and additional remote users can
be added for $49 each.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Jennifer Johnson, Cross
Communications, 303-444-7799; Reader contact: Cross Communications,
303-444-7799, fax [phone]; for free demo 303-444-9003)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00020)

Write Your Congressman -- Using Your PC! 02/08/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Contact Software
International, best known for its contact management software, has
announced a new package that it claims will allow users to easily
communicate their opinions and concerns to the new administration.

Called Write Your Congressman! the program contains profiles of the
535 US Senators and Representatives including addresses, phone and
fax numbers, key personnel names, and Congressional Committee
assignments. Profiles of the President, Vice President, and Supreme
Court Justices are also included.

The program has an integrated word processor that can produce
individual or form letters, memos, fax cover sheets, envelopes and
mailing labels. The program uses a mail-merge technique to insert
the date, address, salutation, and close, then prints an envelope.
Documents can be saved and retrieved for use again.

Contact spokesperson Heidi Munin told Newsbytes the database can be
queried to select addressees by name, Congressional district,
committee assignments, first or last name, state and more.

In use, the program automatically attaches a log to each individual's
record showing when you wrote to them. There's also a freeform notepad
feature where you can make notes and keep track of what results you
got. If you prefer to fax or talk to your representative in person,
WYC has an autodial feature that will dial the fax or voice number for
you.

Contact Software International President Pat Sullivan says the program
is designed for people who want to let their Congressional
representatives know how they feel about an issue that's important but
don't know who, or where, to write.

Write Your Congressman! was developed in conjunction with National
Write Your Congressman, Inc, a non-partisan legislative research
organization founded in 1985 which distributes monthly updates on
major bills, as well as Congressional voting records, to its
members. WYC includes a membership offer to the organization.

WYC runs on any 80286 or better personal computer equipped with DOS
3.1 or higher, 640 kilobytes of system memory, and a hard disk.
Monochrome, LCD, CGA, EGA, or VGA monitors are supported. The
program has a suggested retail price of $39.95.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Heidi Munin, Contact Software,
214-919-9584; Reader contact: 214-919-9500, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00021)

Microsoft Access Ships In Record Numbers 02/08/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Microsoft claims that
in the first three months it shipped more than 750,000 copies of its
new relational database program Access. Mike Maples, Microsoft
executive VP of the company's worldwide products group, said that
Access has been the most successful launch of a desktop application
software product ever.

The program was introduced at a promotional price of $99. That offer
ended on Jan 31, and Access now has a suggested retail price of
$495 for the first user and $425 for each additional user. Users of
competitive database programs can switch to Access for $199.

Microsoft says that prior to the introduction of Access, the
estimated worldwide sales of all PC database programs combined in
1992 was between 1.2 and 1.5 million units.

Access has already garnered several industry awards, including Byte
magazines's Best Software of Comdex/Fall 92, PC/Computing's Most
Valuable Product in the database category, the PC User Gold Award from
PC User magazine, and the PC Technology award from the Italian edition
of PC Magazine.

Access was listed as Egghead Software's best-selling package
nationwide in December 92 and January 93. More than 80 vendors are
already developing add-ons and applications for the program, and over
100 special interest user groups have reportedly sprung up around the
world. There are already three books about Access on the market, and
more than 20 are expected in the next few months.

Several magazines and newsletters are already in production, and
third-party trainers and consultants are offering a range of support
and training services for the program.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Liz Sidnam, Microsoft, 206-882-
8080; Reader contact: Microsoft, 206-882-8080, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00022)

 ****No FTC Decision On Microsoft Yet 02/08/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- As investors, analysts,
and reporters wait anxiously, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) still
hasn't dropped the other shoe on Microsoft.

After two and a half years of investigation, which the FTC won't
even acknowledge, interested parties hung around wire service
printers Friday like workers at the office water cooler. The
commission reportedly was going to finally let the world know
whether Microsoft engages in anti-competitive practices.

But alas, nothing. Well, not quite. The commission did say in a
brief statement that it had taken no action in an unnamed case, but
would reconvene "in the near future." There was speculation that the
delay was caused by disagreement among the commissioners on what
action to take, and at least one wire service carried an unconfirmed
report that one commissioner had recused himself from the
proceedings.

As the dreaded day came and went the stock dropped to a low of 82-1/4
but rebounded to 89 and closed at 87-1/2, up 2-1/2 at the bell. Some
Wall Street analysts were expressing concern Friday that the FTC might
act without fully understanding the software industry.

"People are reading into it that there's dissension (on the part
of the commissioners) from the recommendations of the staff. I think
it's probably good that they don't want to make a rash decision,"
Bear Sterns analyst Louis Giglio reportedly told Reuters news
service.

Giglio thinks that Microsoft will eventually have to change some of
its business practices, but is still optimistic. "Whatever the FTC
does, I doubt that it's really going to have a big fundamental impact
on Microsoft," Giglio told Reuters.

An industry newsletter has reported that the FTC staff was
recommending a federal court injunction to force the Redmond,
Washington-based company to change certain sales practices deemed
unfair to competitors.

Rivals have accused Microsoft of a variety of aggressive tactics which
they say effectively close certain markets for personal computer
software. A representative of Borland International, publisher of
Paradox, reportedly met with FTC commissioners last week to outline
that company's complaints against Microsoft, according to Heidi
Sinclair, a Borland VP.

Last week Newsbytes reported that Oakland, California-based Stac
Electronics accused Microsoft in a patent infringement suit of using
its data compression software technology in its next version of
MS-DOS, the basic operating system used by millions of personal
computers, without paying royalties. Stac says Microsoft told it
that unless it was given free use of the Stacker program, Microsoft
would get similar technology elsewhere "and drive Stac's sales
down." "They didn't want to pay anything," Stac President Gary Clow
said in an interview last week. Clow said Stac has been cooperating
with the FTC in the investigation since last summer.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that Chairman Bill Gates has been
in touch with FTC staffers, but said the company has had no contact
with the commission recently except to receive the brief statement
saying no action had been taken.

(Jim Mallory/19930208)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00023)

 ****General Magic Announces PDA Products 02/08/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- A California
start-up called General Magic rolled out two new products designed to
create common standards for communication among personal digital
assistants or personal communicators.

The two products are Telescript, a communications scripting
language, and Magic Cap, an operating system/interface program.

The roll-out is supported by AT&T, makers of the Personal
Communicator, Apple Computer, maker of the Newton, Motorola, the
leader in wireless technologies, Matsushita, which owns the
Panasonic name brand, and Philips, which controls Magnavox. All
the partners said they would install Telescript in their
hardware. Sony, Motorola and Philips are also developing
hardware that will incorporate the Magic Cap operating system.

The company said it had been working secretly for two years on
the programs, which they compare to Adobe's PostScript. They see
them as a standard interface for all personal communicators,
allowing the creation of scripts using point-and-click
technology. Mead Data Central, providers of the Lexis and Nexis
service, said they will support the programs. AT&T said its
EasyLink online service will create a network based on the
programs.

General Magic itself was spun off of Apple's advanced technology
group in 1990. Sony and Motorola joined as partners in 1991, and
Matsushita joined just a month ago. Sony and Motorola are
expected to reach market first with products.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930208)


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

ATM Is The Big Buzz at Comnet 02/08/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- The big buzz at last
week's ComNet communications trade show sounded to some like a
run on the bank -- ATM.

ATM does stand for Automatic Teller Machine, also known as the
money machine, the bank machine, and the cash machine. But ATM
also stands for Asynchronous Transfer Mode. This is a technology
for sending millions of bits per second between two computers.

AT&T, Cisco Systems, and Stratacom got the buzz going before the
show by announcing they would work to make sure ATM standards
remain compatible with frame relay, a slower-speed technology
just now coming into acceptance. Frame relay sends data at speeds
between 56,000 bits/second and T-1 trunk line speeds of 1.544
million bits/second by using the intelligence of devices at each
end of the link to handle the error-detection and retransmission
now handled by X.25 networks.

Frame relay can be used to link local area networks (LANs) easily,
because the routers now used to link LANs can also handle frame relay
functions. At the show, AT&T said it wanted to work closely with
customers to develop ATM applications. Specifically, it wants to work
at combining digitized voice and video with data on ATM networks,
replacing a mass of specialized networks with single networks at many
large companies, at a large cost savings.

But no one company, or group of companies, can create such an
important market. That's why Sprint, which is best known as a
long distance company but is also a major manufacturer of
switches, including those used in its own frame relay net, drew
considerable attention at the show by announcing a joint venture
on ATM equipment with Alcatel NV of France. The new firm will
be called Alcatel Data Networks, and combine Sprint's Sprint
International unit with the network and service operations of
Alcatel CIT in Paris. Alcatel will hold the majority stake.

The move is important not just because it legitimizes the
technology, but because it hints at international ATM standards,
making sure ATM nets in Japan, Europe and the U.S. can link-up
easily. The deal with Alcatel also renewed rumors Sprint might sell
its equipment-making unit, which is a poor fit with the local and
cellular operations of Centel, due to be acquired March 9.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930208)


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

FCC - It's Business As Usual 02/08/93
02/08/93 WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) will maintain a steady course, at
least for now, with the announcement that incumbent commissioner James
Quello, who has been with the FCC 19 years, will be interim chairman
of the agency.

Quello was first named to the commission in 1974 by Richard Nixon, at
the height of Watergate, to fill one of two "minority-party" seats at
the agency. By law, the FCC must have two members from one party,
three from the other, and commissioners' terms expire on a rolling
basis, to reduce partisanship. Quello came out of the broadcast
industry, having started as promotion manager of Detroit radio station
WJR in 1947. His term runs until 1996.

In addition to naming a chairman, probably a Democrat, Clinton must
also find a replacement for Republican appointee Sherrie Marshall,
whose term expired in June and who has been begging-off controversial
votes that might interfere with her own job search.

Along with Republican Andrew Barrett, whose term runs until 1995, and
Democrat Ervin Duggan, whose term ends next year, Quello has pushed
slowly forward on deregulation and hard on broadcast content
restrictions. The latter move was marked by hefty fines against
Infinity Broadcasting for its "Howard Stern" show. That move was
buttressed last week by a new rule that "indecent" programs can no
longer be part of basic cable packages. That rule is aimed at some New
York-area cable systems which have had no content restrictions on
their public-access channels.

It remains unclear what the Quello commission will do about
deregulating the telecommunications business, however, if
anything. Most speakers at last week's ComNet show urged
continued deregulation, usually in a self-serving manner. AT&T,
for instance, demanded that it should end price regulation on its
services. Bell company officials demanded the right to get into
manufacturing and long distance, sometimes accusing AT&T of using
its purchase of an interest in McCaw Cellular as a back-door
into their local phone business.

Many local phone companies also urged deregulation based on the
idea that they have competition in their local networks, or soon
will, from cable, cellular, and new microwave-cellular
operations. The decision by Time-Warner to add communication
capabilities to its cable networks was seen as evidence to this
effect. The moves were highlighted by Rochester Telephone's
filing of a plan with state regulators to open its small market
to competition. Under the Rochester Tel plan, it will split in
two and sell basic network services to other companies for re-
sale. Rates would be stabilized and rise no faster than
inflation.

Also unclear is the commission's attitude toward new wireless
services, especially in the wake of the cellular phone-cancer
scare. The House Energy and Commerce telecommunications
subcommittee of Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey has once
more passed a bill to release 200 MHz of frequencies from
government control, so they can be transferred to civilian use.
Last year a similar bill died in the Senate.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930208)


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

MTel Extending Into Southeast Asia 02/08/93
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Mobile
Telecommunication Technologies continues to move its SkyTel paging
system around the world, this time to Indonesia and Malaysia.

The company announced that its Indonesian partner, Kedaung Group,
has received a license from the government to provide service on
the same frequency, 931.9375 MHz, that SkyTel's North American
network uses. In Southeast Asia, Mtel has joint venture partners
in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia with licenses to operate on
the same frequency.

The frequency is also licensed in Argentina for the same service. In
Malaysia, too, the company is making inroads. It said Telekom Malaysia
Bhd, the national phone network, has agreed to take a 40 percent
interest in SkyTel's Malaysian unit.

The pan-Asian market is just one step in the company's ultimate
goal, said Alexander H. Good, president of Mtel International,
which is a global messaging network using 931.9375 MHz as a
common frequency. The Indonesian market will link its pages with
the North American network, as Singapore does now and as Hong
Kong will within a few months.

The network is still not complete, since even a satellite network
requires ground-based repeater antennas to send signals, and it
is not economical to place them beyond urban areas among
Indonesia's 17,000 islands.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930208/Press Contact: David Allan, for MTel,
212-614-5163)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00027)

Lotus Ships 32-Bit 1-2-3 And Freelance 02/08/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Lotus Development
has released the first full 32-bit implementation of 1-2-3 and
Freelance Graphics for OS/2.

The Version 2.0 packages offer the same advanced features as Lotus'
previously released Version 1.1, including SmartIcons and "automatic
hot links," but operate at much greater performance, said Hilmi Ozguc,
product manager for 1-2-3 for OS/2, in an interview with Newsbytes.

"We've converted our applications to 32-bit so they can take full
advantage of all the 32-bit calls and memory management routines in
OS/2 2.0," Ozguc told Newsbytes.

"What the user will see is a much crisper and faster field, along
with the ability to build faster spreadsheets and files while still
maintaining robustness," he commented. Specifically, screen
navigation, redraw, and file retrieval can all be done more quickly,
he elaborated.

In converting 1-2-3 and Freelance Graphics to 32-bit applications,
Lotus has also improved the programs' use of the multithreading
capabilities and Workplace Shell within OS/2.

In multithreading, print and solver tasks are carried out as
separate threads, or processes, preventing the user from having to
wait for the document to be reformatted and sent to the printer
before returning to work on the application. "After you launch
these processes, you can go right back into your file," he noted.

By means of the Workplace Shell, the user can drag and drop a file
object to the printer or shredder, and double click on a worksheet
or presentation file to load the program and file simultaneously.

As in previous versions for OS/2, 1-2-3 and Freelance Graphics are
automatically linked, so that updates to a 1-2-3 worksheet are
automatically reflected in a corresponding graph in a Freelance
Graphics presentation. The user doesn't need to manually establish
these "automatic hot links."

The programs are also equipped with customizable SmartIcons.
Appearing at the top of the screen, the icons give the user easy
access to frequently called upon functions.

1-2-3 for OS/2 2.0 also includes "/" key access to familiar 1-2-3
keyboard commands, a fully customizable menu, and dialog boxes for
building spreadsheet applications that can incorporate scroll bars,
radio buttons, and check boxes.

An adjust-to-page printing function is able to automatically resize
worksheets to fit within a page. A Draw Layer lets the user cut,
paste, and position bitmaps and graphics directly onto the
spreadsheet.

Other features include database management, Datalens data access,
and Solver and BackSolver technology for performing optimization
analysis.

Freelance Graphics for OS/2 2.0 offers a Smart Start tutorial and
more than 40 Smartmaster professional designed, intelligent
presentations templates, plus a chart gallery with more than 70
ready-made chart styles.

Each Smartmaster features nine ready-made page layouts, with on-
screen prompts that guide the user through the process of building
a presentation. New in Version 2.0 are additional chart types,
including "radar" and "candlestick."

Pricing for each of Lotus' new OS/2 2.0 applications is $495. A
server edition is available for $595 and a license pack (without
disk and documentation) for $395.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930208/Press contacts: Peter A. Cohen, Lotus,
tel [phone]; Karen Schiff or Toni Mattucci, McGlinchey & Paul
for Lotus, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00028)

IBM To Make Token Ring Products For Inmac 02/08/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Inmac says
it has entered into an agreement with IBM for Big Blue to
manufacture specific Token Ring products for Inmac.

The company says that the deal expands on Inmac's commitment to
support its LAN customers with bundled products and free
hotline technical support. "We consider this (agreement) to be big
news in the direct-response marketplace, "says Jim Zahoudanis, Inmac
director of marketing.

Zahoudanis added that Inmac has created a group of Token Ring bundled
kits containing all the necessary hardware components to install a
range of Token Ring-based workgroup local area networks (LANs).

IBM Director of OEM Operations Peter Soutter said that IBM welcomes
the relationship. "It's an opportunity to grow our original equipment
manufacturer business in a way that benefits the end user, who can now
receive this value added bundled solution through Inmac's unique
channel."

Inmac markets computer hardware, software, network, data
communications and computer after-market products through direct
market channels, distributing over 40 million catalogs in nine
languages annually. The company reported over $310 million in sales in
fiscal 1992.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Tina Terry, Inmac,
408-727-9292, X5413)


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

Logitech's Soundman 16, Alliance With Media Vision 02/08/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Logitech, best
known for its pointing devices and hand-held scanners, has announced
Soundman 16, a sound board that the company says offers CD-quality
sound for personal computers.

Soundman 16 incorporates Media Vision's 16-bit Spectrum chip set and
is the first Logitech product to result from an agreement between
Logitech and Media Vision. It also incorporates Yamaha's high-end
OPL3 sound synthesis chip.

Logitech spokesperson Serge Timacheff told Newsbytes that Soundman 16
offers synthesized and digitized sound for personal computer users and
provides 20-voice MIDI support, 44 kilohertz digitization, 16-bit
audio playback and recording, guaranteed SoundBlaster 1.5
compatibility, and a variety of software and hardware enhancements
designed to optimize installation and use.

Dave Pelton, Soundman 16 product manager, says the automated
installation process is a key advantage. "We leveraged our vast
experience from scanner and mouse bus board installation and design
to produce a board virtually anyone can install," says Pelton. The
board features software-selectable IRQ, DMA, and IO addressing,
meaning no jumpers or DIP switches have to be set by the user.

Soundman 16 has jacks for stereo input for devices such as CD
players, and has amplified 4-watt output for speakers or headphones.
There's also a mono microphone jack and a combination MIDI/joystick
port. On the board, an array of pins provides connectivity with
numerous types of internal CD-ROM audio, and a hardware mixer offers
individual control of FM, line-in, internal CD audio-in, digital
audio, and microphone audio.

The board provides support for both Microsoft Windows 3.1 and DOS,
with separate controls and drivers for each. There's also a Windows
"applet" that allows fine control of all channel volumes, bass,
treble, balance, and other features.

System requirements include an IBM-compatible PC using a 386 or
higher microprocessor, DOS 3.3 or higher, Windows 3.1 or better for
Windows use, 640 kilobytes of system memory (although 2megabytes are
recommended), one full length 16-bit expansion slot, speakers or
headphones for output, and a microphone or other audio device for
input. The company says a separate optional cable will be available
for connecting a MIDI device or internal CD-ROM drive. Sample sound
files are included with the board.

Timacheff told Newsbytes that Soundman 16 will ship later this month
and carries a suggested retail price of $289. That should make the
"street price," or the price buyers can expect to actually pay, under
$200 according to Timacheff.

Logitech President Pierluigi Zappacosta says the PC audio market has
tremendous potential. "Nearly two million sound card were shipped in
1992, and about four million are forecast to ship this year," he
said.

Meanwhile, Logitech and Media Vision have announced an agreement
which allows Logitech to incorporate Media Vision's multimedia
chip sets and other OEM products in a variety of Logitech
products over the next few years.

Logitech also markets pointing devices and handheld scanners for
the personal computer market. The company owns 43 percent of the
outstanding shares of Advanced Gravis, a Canadian-based company
which produces UltraSound, a highend sound card that incorporates
wave table synthesis technology.

(Jim Mallory/19930208/Press contact: Serge Timacheff, Logitech,
510-713-4439; Media Vision, 415-579-0700)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00030)

Claris Creates Japanese Office 02/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 FEB 8 (NB) -- Claris, a 100-percent owned
subsidiary of Apple Computer, recently opened a Japanese office in
Tokyo to beef up sales of its Japanese word processor and database.
The first product from for Japan will be Japanese Claris Works 1.0.

Claris first landed in Japan in 1988. Since then, the firm had been
selling its products through its exclusive dealer, System Soft,
in Japan. Its sales have been growing due to the popularity of
the Macintosh in Japan. That's why a decision was made
to create a Japanese headquarters for Claris in Tokyo.

The new firm is also called Claris and received 10 million
yen ($80,000) to start up from its US parent. Asia Pacific
General Manager Douglas Bouke has assumed the presidency of
the Tokyo office.

This new subsidiary plans to release a Japanese version of
Claris Works 1.0 in April. This software offers a word processor,
database, graphics and spreadsheet. Data can be exchanged between
these modules.

Claris, Tokyo, will continue to cooperate with Kyushu-based
System Soft and Apple Computer (Tokyo) concerning sales of
software for the Macintosh.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930208/Press Contact: Claris, Tokyo,
 [phone])