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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00001)
Epson SRAM PCMCIA Cards To Be Offered In Circuit City 03/15/93
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Epson says it
will offer lower priced static random access memory (SRAM)
cards, also known as the credit card-sized PCMCIA cards, for
hand-held and palmtop computers. It expects to begin offering
the cards through retail outlets in the second quarter of this
year.
In one-half, one, and two-megabyte (MB) sizes, the cards will
be retail priced at $169.99, $249.99, and $389.99. Epson, as a
member of the committee setting the PCMCIA specifications, the
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
(PCMCIA), says the cards will be of use in any product that has
a PCMCIA slot and like most PCMCIA cards, will only weigh about
30 grams.
Industry analysts are predicting the cards could eventually
replace floppy disks and market research firm Dataquest is
predicting the market for the format will surpass $800 million
in sales by 1995. Epson representatives told Newsbytes the
company decided to go into the retail channels with the cards
due to consumer demand. An increasing number of laptop and
palmtop computers exclusively use the PCMCIA slot, but PCMCIA
cards have not been easy to find in the retail channel.
The advantages to storing data on a PCMCIA SRAM card is the
card can withstand being dropped at a shock vibration of 1000G
as opposed to a floppy disk drive which can only withstand a
70G shock vibration. A protective packaging around the SRAM
card also protects its internal parts from dust and other
contaminants. The faster access time of 200 nanoseconds, 50
times faster than a floppy drive, is another factor in favor of
the SRAM card.
The cards require two batteries, one of which can be replaced
by the user and has a lifetime of one to three years, Epson
said. The other battery is a rechargable battery with a 10-
minute charge to protect the data stored in the card while the
main battery is being changed. Replacement batteries are the
same type of battery found in watches and so can be found at
most retail outlets. However, users dependent on the format
would be wise to consider carrying a replacement battery with
them.
Beginning May 1st of this year, the nationwide electronics
superstore Circuit City will begin carrying the Epson SRAM
PCMCIA cards, Epson representatives said. Epson is providing
toll-free customer support for the SRAM cards as well.
(Linda Rohrbough/19930312/Press Contact: Cynthia Lempert,
Manning, Selvage & Lee for Epson, tel 818-509-1840, fax 818-
509-1972)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00002)
Motorola Brings EMBARC Mail Service To Canada 03/15/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Motorola Canada
has rolled out its EMBARC (Electronic Mail Broadcast to a
Roaming Computer) service to four Canadian cities and said it
will extend the service to other centers over the next few
months.
Available initially in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Halifax,
EMBARC makes it possible to send messages from a public or
private electronic mail system to a wireless receiver that can be
attached to a portable computer. For the present at least, the
service does not allow messages to be sent from the mobile unit
to an e-mail network.
Service will be extended to Calgary and Vancouver later in March,
Motorola said, and to other areas across Canada between now and
midyear. A spokeswoman said, however, that the service is "geared
to metropolitan areas" and is unlikely to reach small communities
in the foreseeable future.
Messages can be sent to EMBARC through the GE BusinessTalk, IBM
Mail Exchange, SprintMail, Pacific Bell Connection, and AT&T
EasyLink mail services, Motorola said. A link to The Net, an
electronic mail service run by the Mediatel arm of Canada's
Stentor telephone-company consortium, is due shortly.
A message can be sent to one person or to multiple recipients for
the same price, company officials said. Binary files as well as
text messages can be sent through the system, which uses radio
transmitters on the 931-megahertz frequency band.
EMBARC already operates in more than 200 cities in the United
States, and Steve Brendle, vice-president and general manager of
EMBARC Communication Services at Motorola, said in a prepared
statement that the Canadian launch is a first step in extending
the operation internationally.
(Grant Buckler/19930312/Press Contact: Joyce Toye, Motorola
Canada, 416-756-5612)
(NEWS)(IBM)(HKG)(00003)
Software Teaches Sex Education 03/15/93
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Sex is not a topic one
normally associates with inanimate computers, but if two Australian
ladies have their way millions of PCs in homes and schools throughout
the world will soon be used to educate young and old alike in this
most fundamental subject of humanity.
Leanne Renfree, a psychologist and no slouch when it comes
to systems design and software development, and her partner
Jane Elliot, released their unique sex-education software
quietly in Australia late last year through their firm, In House
Technologies (IHT).
Speaking with Newsbytes recently, Renfree said that IHT's first
international push would be into the Asian marketplace, and then the
rest of the world.
The package, appropriately called "Getting It Together," was
designed in conjunction with the New South Wales Family
Planning organization and has gained considerable credibility
as a result.
But the professionalism with which the package has been put
together, the breadth of its coverage of such a complex and
sensitive subject, and its simplicity of use makes it one of
the best and most constructive examples of computer-aided
education I have ever seen.
It is divided into sections: "Lots of Information' addresses
anatomy, male and female; "Physiology" shows reproductive
processes within the body; "Health, Arousal" explains how our
bodies work; and "Life" discusses sexuality from birth to death.
This section is designed to be retained within a family for years
and used as an encyclopedia of information because as a child
matures, he or she would find more topics of interest and a
growing understanding of its contents.
In addition there are many facts covered here that mature
adults may find useful, not only in understanding a subject
which was perhaps unexplained during their upbringing, but
also to assist them to appreciate the problems faced by their
own children today.
The privacy of sitting at one's PC at home, at the hour of one's
choosing, further enhances the value of this informative
software, its creators say.
The second section, "Just Between Us," contains about 100
commonly asked questions and simple, explanatory answers. This
section has the added function of allowing the attachment of
notes and personal thoughts.
This section is mainly for the younger person, enabling them
to obtain straightforward answers to questions they may find
difficulty in asking anyone in their family or at school. The
questions are structured in an intriguing reverse form of
multiple choice, which means that the questioner actually
selects answers rather than asks questions.
The third section, "Project Me," enables the user to focus on
him or herself and is password protected to ensure absolute
privacy. This section enables each user to keep a confidential
track of any matters related to the body and health. It
includes a calendar diary.
Throughout the entire package the user is able to reference a
dictionary for terms which may be causing confusion, and of
course any part of the colorful graphic representations with
associated explanations may also be recalled and viewed.
Although the graphics are necessarily explicit, there is no
lurid animation of any kind. But in true teaching style,
a sense of humour is employed in some appropriate sequences.
"Getting It Together" requires an IBM-compatible MS-DOS machine
with at least an EGA color monitor and 7 megabytes of hard
disk space. A mouse is desirable but not essential.
In a novel approach, up to five users may build password protected
journals in each package, and more can be licenced for a small
fee.
"We designed the package to enable us to modify it as simply as
possible to fit any community," Renfree told Newsbytes. "But the
basic subject material is the same the world throughout," she
commented.
Renfree said that she would be delighted to hear from any educator
or parent who may be interested in discussing localization of the
product. She says any European language should not be a problem.
She can be contacted at PO Box 310, Cheltenham, Victoria, 3192,
Australia.
"We are not necessarily looking for computer companies to
represent us, " Renfree said, "because an educational aid
like this may be best handled by educationalists."
(Keith Cameron/19930310/Press Contact: Leanne Renfree, (IHT)
Tel: +61-3-5848681 Fax: +61-3-5850814;Melbourne time is GMT + 10)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00004)
UK - Free Software In Olivetti Laser Printer Bundle 03/15/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Olivetti has begun bundling
free copies of Bitstream software on all PG404 and PG408 laser
printers and the JP350WS bubble inkjet printer. The software,
which normally retails for UKP 99, allows users working
under Windows 3.0 or 3.1 to take advantage of scalable fonts.
"Olivetti printers now offer even better quality and value to
users at all levels," explained Mark McEvoy, Olivetti UK's
printer product manager.
"Windows computing has encouraged users in both corporate and
consumer markets to become more daring in the use of fonts and
graphics. It is vital for printer manufacturers to ensure that
products enable users to take advantage of exciting applications,
by matching images on screen with high quality print-out," he
said.
The JP350WS is a bubble inkjet printer sold through Olivetti's
mass merchandising channels, as well as via Olivetti Direct at
UKP 299. The PG404 and PG408, meanwhile, which sell for UKP 699
and UKP 999, respectively, are high-end lasers aimed at networked
PC users. They too are sold through resellers, as well as on a
direct sales basis.
(Steve Gold/10030311/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti UK - Tel:
081-780-8232)
(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00005)
UK - New Kind Of Drawing Program 03/15/93
ROYSTON, HERTFORDSHIRE, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- The Software
Construction Company (SCC) has announced the availability of
Visio 1.0, by Shapeware, which it describes as a new kind of
drawing program for Microsoft Windows 3.1.
Simon Lee, the Software Construction Company's sales director,
said that Visio is aimed at business and technical users of the
PC who need to create drawings, but who are not graphical
specialists. Visio, he said, makes it easy to incorporate drawing
into everyday activities.
"Graphics are no longer just the domain of specialists and
artists. All kinds of business and technical professionals --
including MIS professionals, program managers, marketers,
administrative professionals and engineers -- need to illustrate
concepts, processes and relationships as part of their jobs. But
those professionals do not have the time to master the
complicated drawing products available today," he said.
In use, Visio introduces what SCC calls "drag and drop drawing."
The package comes with a selection of ready-made stencils of
shapes of all types that can be clicked on and dropped into place
on-screen. These shapes can then be tweaked to meet the user's
needs, text added and the final result printed out.
Pricing on Visio 1.0 has been set at UKP 199, including free
technical support. With registration, users get a free Visio
Shapes stencil package for a short introductory period. Plans
call for the Shapes package to be sold as an add-in package after
the introductory period.
(Steve Gold/19930311/Press & Public Contact: SCC - Tel: 0763-
244114)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00006)
Proteon's High-End, RISC-Based Router 03/15/93
WESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) --
Proteon has introduced the Corporate Network eXchange (CNX)
600 high-end RISC-based router.
The CNX 600 features Proteon's Internetworking Traffic
Management (PITM), which the company claims is a breakthrough
in software technology that "guarantees availability for
mission-critical SNA (Systems Network Architecture) traffic
in networks mixing IBM and non-IBM traffic."
The company also says the CNX 600 is designed to meet the
requirements of "headquarters environments" and supports
various wide/local are network W/LAN) management capabilities,
as well as support for up to five FDDI (fiber distributed data
interface) networks, 20 Token Ring or Ethernet LANs, and 20 WANs.
The company's new Network Management Extender allows up to
eight Token Ring and eight Ethernet LANs to be managed from
a single hub.
The company claims that, to optimize overall response-time, the
CNX 600 incorporates Release 13 software which utilizes the
PITM technology that guarantees availability through secured
bandwidth. The company maintains that PITM allows users to
control WAN bandwidth allocation from the central site through
its guaranteed bandwidth reservation and extensive protocol
prioritization system.
The company says that in addition to protocol allocation flexibility
that allows for specific customization, PITM ensures network
management bandwidth for a high level of availability and
network manageability during times when it is most needed.
The CNX 600 also has enhanced diagnostic capabilities to manage
enterprise-wide networks for optimal performance, as well as
SNMP (simple network management protocol) time-stamped event
logging and the ability to initiate routine maintenance tasks and
report to headquarters, claims the company.
(Ian Stokell/19930312/Press Contact: Joe Grillo or Karin Bakis,
508-898-2800, both of Proteon)
(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00007)
SuperMac Opens Tokyo Office 03/15/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- California-based SuperMac
Technologies is setting up a subsidiary in Japan. Due to open for
business this summer, the office will be located in Tokyo as part
of a cooperative agreement with Canon Sales and B-U-G.
The Tokyo office is expected to be located in B-U-G's offices
to start. A B-U-G spokesman told Newsbytes that the firm is
awaiting instructions from SuperMac Technologies, and further
pinpointed the start of business as the end of June or early
July.
SuperMac Technologies' Tokyo office will handle sales and
marketing for the company in Japan. There will only be about two
people in the office to start. B-U-G may offer them assistance.
The decision to locate an office in Japan is a logical outcome
of the company's success there. SuperMac Technologies has made
over 20 percent of its 15 billion yen ($125 million) in annual
sales in Japan, and the Japanese market is expected to continue
to reap rewards for the firm. SuperMac Technologies has in turn,
given its Japanese sales high priority.
B-U-G has a close relationship with SuperMac Technologies. The
firm has signed a technical support agreement with SuperMac
Technologies through Fix, B-U-G's subsidiary. Under this
agreement, Fix will provide technical support service for Supermac
hardware and software for the Macintosh in Japan starting in April.
B-U-G is a desktop publishing firm which is based around the
Macintosh. The firm has also been developing systems in
cooperation with major printing firm Dainippon Printing.
SuperMac Technologies also specializes in desktop publishing and
pictorial data processing, providing the basis for this cooperative
agreement, which may also include development of multimedia
related peripheral equipment in the future.
(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930315/Press Contact: B-U-G, +81-3-
5802-0750, Fax, +81-3-5802-0751)
(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00008)
On Technology's Group Scheduling For Mac/Windows 03/15/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) --
Interoperability between platforms is becoming increasingly
important for corporate networks. Addressing that aspect of
networking, On Technology has announced Meeting Maker XP, a
Windows and Macintosh interoperable group scheduling product
that allows users of both platforms to plan, schedule, and
confirm meetings directly from their computers.
The company claims that the product represents the industry's
first group scheduler with "seamless interoperability" between
Windows and Macintosh clients connected to a single Windows
or Macintosh server.
The product's "Propose Meeting" feature allows users to schedule a
time and date, select required guests, reserve conference rooms and
resources, and prepare agendas.
According to the company, the "Auto-Pick" feature automatically
finds the first available time for all required attendees. The
current status of each proposed meeting can also be tracked.
The product also includes a personal calendar for individual
appointments and activities.
The company claims that XP also has a portable client, and fully
supports PC laptops and Macintosh PowerBooks. By storing copies
of users' calendars both locally and on a server, it allows users to
work off-line (with a laptop) or continue working in the event a
server or network connection goes down. Changes reconcile when
users reconnect.
The company claims that XP is e-mail independent and can run
with any e-mail package on the market.
The Windows client requires a 386 or 486 PC running Windows
3.1 in enhanced mode, 4 megabytes (MB) RAM, a VGA monitor, and
a Novell network. The Macintosh server requires a Macintosh SE or
higher, System 6.0.4 and above, and 2.5MB RAM, AppleTalk or
EtherTalk, and Novell's MacIPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange)
driver or On Technology's On IPX driver for cross-platform
operation.
(Ian Stokell/19930315/Press Contact: Sue Jensen,
617-876-0900 ext 212, On Technology)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00009)
Dayna Cuts Prices, Offers Mac Ethernet 03/15/93
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Dayna
Communications has lowered the retail price of its DaynaPort TRX
and TRX-T Ethernet transceivers from $125 to $99.
The DaynaPort TRX and TRX-T products support built-in Ethernet
capabilities on all Macintosh Quadra and Centris computers,
and Apple LaserWriter IIg printers by providing an external
connection between the Apple Ethernet port to Ethernet networks.
DaynaPort TRX has a BNC connector for thin Ethernet, while
DaynaPort TRX-T has an RJ-45 connector for 10BASE-T networks.
The company says that DaynaPort TRX and TRX-T support many major
protocols, including AppleTalk Phase 1 and Phase 2, TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), DECnet, and
OSI (Open Systems Interconnection). They will also work with such
network operating systems as AppleShare, NetWare, and Vines.
DaynaPort TRX and TRX-T transceivers have a lifetime warranty
and are available immediately for $99.
The company also says that its DaynaPort line of Ethernet adapters
gives full Ethernet connectivity to all Macintosh computers including
the new Macintosh LC III, Centris 610, Centris 650, PowerBook 165c,
and Color Classic. The DaynaPort E/LC Ethernet adapter is claimed to
fit all Macintosh LC models including LC, LC II, and LC III. The
DaynaPORT E/LC adapter also connects the Color Classic to Ethernet.
The company says that its DaynaPort E/II NuBus card connects the
Centris 650 to Ethernet, and with a PDS-to-NuBus adapter, provides
Ethernet connectivity for the Centris 610. Dayna's DaynaPort
SCSI/Link (Small Computer Systems Interface) and DaynaPort E/Z
external adapters provide portable Ethernet connectivity for the
new color PowerBook 165c.
For those Macintosh computers with standard built-in Ethernet
connectivity, such as all Quadra models, or those with optional built-in
Ethernet connectivity, such as the Centris 610 and 650, the company
claims that its DaynaPort TRX transceiver provides an "inexpensive
link to the Ethernet network through the built-in Apple Ethernet port."
The company says that the DaynaPort adapters come with diagnostic
software and a smart installer that automatically installs the correct
driver for any version of Macintosh system software from version
6.0.5 to 7.1.
(Ian Stokell/19930315/Press Contact: 801/269-7394, Dayna
Communications Inc.)
(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00010)
****Computers Close To Vehicles In Capital Spending 03/15/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- More than three-
quarters of US businesses are planning capital investments for
1993, and computers will come a very close second to motor
vehicles in overall investments made, says a new study by Dun &
Bradstreet.
Furthermore, among companies with 10,000 or more employees,
computers will actually lead the way, predicts the latest edition
of Dun's 5000 Survey, described by D&B as a statistically
representative portrait of all US firms by size and industry.
Businesses in the finance, insurance, real estate, and service
sectors reported that computers will represent the largest share
of their investment dollars. Conversely, the agriculture,
forestry, and fishing sectors will be spending more of their
money on vehicles.
About 77% of US businesses will be making capital investments
this year, according to the study. A total of 44.3% will
increase their investments over 1992, and 38.7% will keep their
spending at the same levels, while only 17% are forecasting
cutbacks.
Roughly 20.4% of all investments made will go to vehicles, but an
almost-as-high 19.9% will be expended upon computers. Among
companies with fewer than 20 employees, 23.4% of capital outlays
will be for motor vehicles.
Conversely, though, among companies with 10,000 or more
employees, computers will account for 18.6% of investments, and
vehicles for a mere 6.8%.
Most of the companies surveyed stated that they had managed to
keep their 1992 spending at the levels originally intended.
The study also determined that industry sector is a better
indicator of plans to increase spending in 1993 than number of
company employees.
Businesses in the mining, retail trade, transportation and public
utilities sectors were more likely to expect spending hikes than
companies in other fields. However, little difference was found
on this measure across company size.
The Dun's 5000 is based on a sample of 5,000 businesses, selected
from D&B's database of more than 9.7 million US companies.
(Jacqueline Emigh/19930312/Press contacts: Reid H. Gearhart, Dun
& Bradstreet, tel 212-593-6727; Dina M. Silva-Decker, Dun &
Bradstreet, tel 212-593-4164)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00011)
Storm Of The Century Hits Newsbytes' Atlanta Bureau 03/15/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- If one kept one's
electricity on during the worst US blizzard of the 20th Century,
and one worked at home, or were stranded at work, one could keep
working.
Newsbytes' Atlanta bureau, like the rest of the East Coast of the
US, was hit hard by the storm, which dumped 6 inches of snow on
the city. Atlanta is the kind of town which panics at the hint of
a flurry. Everyone was fortunate this storm hit on a weekend.
By Saturday morning, it was apparent weather forecasters had
been nearly dead-on in their estimates of how bad this storm
would be. Fortunately, rain turned directly into snow
here, not into sleet or frozen rain. Fortunately power crews
had been down our street a few weeks before the storm,
clearing tree limbs which might knock out power and
electricity during the coming tornado season.
Most of the newsletter published each weekend here
got out without a problem, although one call to Philadelphia
didn't pick up until Sunday, evidently due to crowded lines.
Panicked calling was apparently the only problem with phone lines
in the Southeast. Long-distance circuits were busy most of
Saturday, with many attempts necessary before one could be
reached. Once the area's relatives were assured Atlanta was all
right, the situation settled down. There were scattered power-
outages throughout the area, especially in the suburbs, and those
with power, in many cases, took in those without it.
It was worse outside the city, however. Newsbytes reviewer TBass,
headed for Tennessee late Friday to visit friends. He stopped in
Dalton, near the Tennessee border, and was forced to pay regular
rates for an Econo-Lodge room without running water or
electricity. After Friday night I-75 was closed at Dalton, as
Chattanooga got 21 inches, about .55 meter, of snow. He returned
to Atlanta late Sunday. The link was still closed Monday morning, as
jacknifed trucks had yet to be cleared.
We were among the lucky ones, of course, even getting in a
scheduled interview with a Pennsylvania woman Saturday afternoon.
Estimates of the death toll ranged from 66 to 90, with at least
five dead in Cuba -- the cold front ranged all the way to South
America. Many of those killed by the blizzard died of heart
attacks while shoveling snow or when tornadoes hit in Florida
where 2 million people lost their power.
(Dana Blankenhorn/199303015)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00012)
Teletas Builds Phone Exchanges In Uzbekistan 03/15/93
TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Teletas, the Turkish
communications equipment manufacturing company, has announced
a joint venture in Uzbekistan. This is a part of a program to
improve the phone network in Turkish-speaking republics of the
former Soviet Union, financed by the government of Turkey.
Teletas and the Algorythm, a Uzbek company, have signed the joint
venture agreement. The new company, to be called Altel, will
set up phone exchanges with 70,000 phone lines in 8 Uzbek cities.
The company also plans to assemble Alcatel System 12 phone exchanges
locally, using cheap available labor. Alcatel has a 39% stake in
Teletas.
Two other Turkish communications companies -- Netas, controlled by
Northern Telecom, and Simtel, controlled by Germany's Siemens --
have already entered into similar agreements with the country's
telecommunications authorities after the Government of Turkey
announced the US$25 million aid to build the modern phone
communications in five Turkish-speaking republics formerly within the
Soviet Union, according to a published report.
(Kirill Tchashchin/199302)
(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00013)
****New Technology Stores 3 Hours Of Color Motion Data 03/15/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- A research team at Osaka Furitsu
University has developed the technology to store 3 hours of
color motion picture data on an IC card-sized graphite medium.
The device is still a prototype but presents a great deal of
potential for future multimedia devices.
The technology was developed jointly by a research team led by
professor Masahiro Okuda of Osaka Furitsu University and Ion
Technology Laboratory in Osaka. They used graphite with
an extremely thin layer, 10 nanometers, or 10-billionth of a
meter, made up of arsenic and selenium. The device has
2-nanometer diameter holes, made with a tunnel magnifying
needle and pulses of electricity. These holes and their
corresponding "no holes" areas function as the digital signals
"0" and "1."
Researchers found that the mixture of these chemicals were the
best to create small holes with very little electricity. They
said the pulse width is only 1 micro second, which is a millionth
of a second.
This card could theoretically record and replay color motion pictures
for a maximum of three hours, according to the university team.
However, this is still a theory, and it is expected to take a more time
to prove, let alone to develop an actual product.
(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930315/Press Contact: Engineering
Dept., Osaka Furitsu University, +81-722-52-1161)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00014)
KDD, NTT's Join Forces On Int'l Telecom Projects 03/15/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Japan's two major telecom firms
KDD and NTT are together participating in two international
projects. One will develop next generation telecommunication software
jointly with US and British firms. The other will set up a major
telecommunication network in Vietnam.
The first project for KDD and NTT will be to develop industry
standard telecommunication software to interconnect various
telecommunication services throughout the world. The project has
the participation of other major telecom firms including Bellcore,
AT&T, British Telecom, French Telecom, Korean Telecom, and IBM.
They are forming a consortium for the project, called "Tina,"
in which they will develop interface software to interconnect
different firms' telecom programs.
The goal is to allow users to exchange data with different
networks with different hardware. This is extremely important to the
the future as a variety of data including sound and graphics will
be widely used for telecommunication.
KDD and NTT will participate in a second telecommunication
project -- they will set up a major telecom network and systems in
Vietnam. This project includes modernization of telephones in
suburbs and the link-up to international telephone lines as well
as setting up of a telecommunication system for marine transport
in Vietnam. This is part of a project which involves the Official
Development Assistance (ODA) of the Japanese government, meaning
that the Japanese government is expected to provide financial
assistance.
Engineers from KDD and NTT are planning to visit Vietnam in
April to analyze the country's telecom needs. Engineers of major
Japanese electronics firms such as Fujitsu and NEC are also
expected to visit Vietnam. These firms will supply the hardware
in this project. The actual monetary amount of this project is still
unknown, but it is expected to be million-dollar project and promises
to help these firms weather a slump in the industry.
(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930315/Press Contact: KDD, +81-3-
3347-6934, Fax, +81-3-3275-4430, NTT, +81-3-3509-5035, Fax, +81-3-
3509-3104)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00015)
Japan - Multimedia Telecom Service, Pager Info Service 03/15/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Kyodo VAN and Intec have signed
an agreement to provide multimedia telecommunication services in
Japan. Both firms expects the demand for multimedia
telecommunication will skyrocket in the near future.
To start, both firms will provide services for corporate users,
including leased digital phone lines from NTT and support of
various data including voice, computer data, fax and motion
picture information.
Kyodo VAN is an affiliate of Japan's major software firm
CSK. Intec is also a major VAN (value added network) firm
for personal computer users in Japan. Both firms are joining
forces to save money -- the service will cost 10 billion yen
($83 million) to start.
Currently, Recruit (Tokyo) is providing a similar service called
Watts. Kyodo VAN and Intec are expected to directly compete with it.
Meanwhile, Tokyo-based telecom device firm Flex Farm says it has
developed an unique pocket pager server. This host system
for pagers or radiowave transmissions will transmit information
in letters and numbers. Such information can be stock market
information and horse race results, for example.
This host system can be connected to a personal computer to
transmit data to a multiple number of pagers simultaneously. It
can even transmit kanji and illustrations. The system supports
a maximum of 300 pagers. The retail price of this host system is
3.2 million yen ($27,000).
About 6.4 million pagers currently are in use in Japan, making
a huge potential market for services run from such a unit.
(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930315/Press Contact: Kyodo VAN, +81-
3-33989-8111, Flex Farm, +81-3-5721-5701, Fax, +81-3-5721-5702)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00016)
Ted Nelson Reclaims Xanadu 03/15/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Theodor Holm
Nelson, author of "Computer Lib/The Dream Machine" and "Literary
Machines," has announced that he has recaptured the trademark
to "Xanadu," the system of managing information that Nelson
described in the 1960s.
According to Nelson's statement, "I started the Xanadu project in
1960 and development has been continuous since then. The current
group was founded in 1979; we founded XOC, Inc., in 1983; Autodesk,
Inc., bought XOC in 1988. Autodesk stopped sponsoring the Xanadu
project in September 1992, having paid for its development for some
five years with no usable result.
"During the Autodesk phase of Xanadu, I was a spokesman with no
standing to act on my own. I have now recaptured that trademark and
the standing to act again."
Nelson's statement also said, "Xanadu is once again my trademark,
an imprimatur which I may put on anything at my sole discretion.
Just what to do with it is not yet clear to me. As always, my main
intent is to create a worldwide hypertext publishing network,
the World Publishing Repository."
Nelson told Newsbytes that he plans to make available a simplified
version of the Xanadu publishing system which he tentatively
calls Xanadu Light. Nelson said that he would release the system
as soon as possible.
(Barbara E McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930315/Press Contact:
Ted Nelson, 415-331-4422; 415-332-0136,fax)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00017)
CFP '93" - Cypherpunk Manifesto 03/15/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Eric Hughes,
a member of the Cypherpunk Internet list, has issued "A Cypherpunk's
Manifesto," a 2-page document that presents the case for a user's
ability to encrypt their personal e-mail and information.
The manifesto was issued at the Third Conference on Computers, Freedom
and Privacy (CFP'93).
Hughes told Newsbytes, "People should expect to defend their own
privacy rather than to expect organizations to provide protection
for them. You have your own interests at heart; others may not."
Hughes added, "Cryptography is the way people must defend their
privacy in an electronic world."
The manifesto comes at a time where there is debate over government
restriction on the export of software containing encryption. The
manifesto said, in part, "Cypherpunks deplore regulations on
cryptography, for encryption is fundamentally a private act. The act of
encryption, in fact, removes information from the public realm.
Even laws against cryptography reach only as far as a nation's
border and the arm of its violence. Cryptography will spread
over the whole globe and, with it, the anonymous transactions
that it makes possible."
(Barbara E McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930315/Press Contact: Eric
Hughes, 510-849-4729, hughes@soda.berkeley.edu)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00018)
CFP'93 - Barlow And Trubow Clash 03/15/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- George
Trubow, professor of law at Chicago's John Marshall Law School, and
John Perry Barlow, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF), clashed publicly over remarks made by Barlow during a luncheon
speech at the Third Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy
(CFP'93) in San Francisco.
Barlow's talk, entitled, "Privacy vs Secrecy; Power, Tolerance,
and Reality," contained remarks indicating that not only is there
not much privacy in the country, it is not really a matter of
concern. Barlow alluded to his childhood in Pinedale, Wyoming
where everyone knew everything about everyone else. He further
stated that we have to replace law with ethics in these matters
and have to rely on tolerance toward others and by others as
"we construct a society in which we want to raise children."
At the end of Barlow's speech, Trubow left the room and began to
work on a statement to rebut Barlow's statements. Trubow finished
it and it was shown to Barlow so that he might respond. Trubow's
statement, "A Reply," and Barlow's rejoinder, "An Open Response To
George Trubow," were then printed and distributed to those assembled
at the conference.
Trubow's statement, said, in part, "Is Barlow unaware that the
first principle of fair information practice, the litany of privacy
advocates, is that there must be no secret personal information
systems?" He closed by saying that society should be thinking
about ethics and not law. If he thinks there can be ethics without
law or justice without law, he knows little about ethics, justice
or law. And, pardon me if I choose to find a different teacher on
the status of tolerance as well."
Trubow concluded by saying, "I conclude my light-hearted reply by
noting that I think John Barlow should issue a disavowal and apology
to the CFP'93 audience. I also think that EFF should disavow his
statements or, if it does not, then make it clear exactly what
sort of 'frontier' it is pushing. After all, Barlow said in his
speech that 'we should know our enemy.'"
Barlow, in his rejoinder, said, "Clearly, what we have here is a
failure to communicate. On both sides. As far as I can tell, you
seem to be saying that I want to throw out your right to privacy.
That is not what I said. What I said was that while I did not see
privacy as either a right conferred by the constitution or even
something which I regard as personally or socially desirable, it
is certainly a choice people ought to be able to make in a free
society.
"Indeed, while I myself feel a lot safer operating in the open where
people can watch me ... as opposed to leaving to their wild
imaginings what grisly deeds I might be perpetrating ... I will
defend to the death of at least EFF's staff anyone else's chosen wish
to stay in the dark.
"The Electronic Frontier Foundation has not backed away from its
commitment to privacy. Nor will it, whatever my own misgivings."
Barlow concluded by saying, "I hope to work closely in the future
to see that my liberty and your privacy will always (be) preserved."
In the short personal debate which followed later, Trubow said,
"Privacy is the epitome of freedom as it provides the protection
of the persona."
Barlow responded by saying, "We will have to live in a world where
privacy and secrecy are not required. We cannot ask large
institutions to give up some of what they regard as their protection
if we are unwilling to give up a little of ours."
(Barbara E McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930315))
(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00019)
BoCoEx Index 03/15/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Boston Computer
Exchange for the week ending March 12, 1993.
Machine Main Closing Price Ask Bid
Drive Price Change
IBM AT 339 30 MgB 400 450 400
IBM PS/2 Model 30 286 20 MgB 400 down 50 450 300
IBM PS/2 Model 50Z 30 MgB 450 500 400
IBM PS/2 Model 55SX 60 MgB 875 900 800
IBM PS/2 Model 60 40 MgB 500 550 325
IBM ThinkPad 300 120 MgB 1550 1600 1400
IBM ThinkPad 700C 120 MgB 3200 3400 3200
IBM V\P 3/25T MOD. 80 80 MgB 1500 1600 1500
IBM PS/2 Model 95-OKF 400 MgB 3300 3500 3000
IBM PS/2 Model 95-OJF 400 MgB 3000 3300 2700
Compaq Portable II 20 MgB 225 down 200 500 200
Compaq Portable III 20 MgB 400 down 100 600 200
Compaq Portable 386 100 MgB 750 down 200 800 700
Compaq SLT-286 40 MgB 650 700 600
Compaq LTE-286 40MgB 700 700 600
Compaq LTE-386 30MgB 750 850 700
Compaq LTE-LITE\25C 120MB 2400 2600 2300
Compaq Systempro LT-486 510 MgB 2200 2400 2100
Compaq Syspro 386/25LT 340 MgB 2100 2300 1950
Compaq Deskpro 486 /33I 120 MgB 1850 1900 1750
Compaq SysPro 486/33 2040 6800 7000 6300
MgB
Compaq DeskP 486DX2/66i 240 MgB 2100 2400 1900
AST Prem Exec 386SX20 40 MgB 900 1000 800
NEC UltraLite 286 20 MgB 650 800 600
NEC UltraLite 386SX/20 40 MgB 900 down 95 950 800
Zenith Mastersprt-386SX 60 MgB 950 1100 900
Zenith SuperSport 386SX 40 MgB 750 down 100 900 650
Macintosh Classic 40 MgB 650 700 600
Macintosh Classic II 40 MgB 800 850 750
Macintosh SE 20 MgB 650 700 600
Macintosh SE-30 80 MgB 1150 1250 1100
Macintosh LC 40 MgB 1000 1300 800
Macintosh II 40 MgB 1400 1500 1300
Macintosh II SI 80 MgB 1600 1700 1500
Macintosh II CX 80 MgB 1650 down 50 1750 1600
Macintosh II CI 80 MgB 2300 down 50 2400 2200
Macintosh II FX 80 MgB 2900 3100 2800
Macintosh Quadra 700 160 MgB 3250 3500 3200
Macintosh Quadra 900 160 MgB 4000 down 150 4300 3900
Macintosh Powerbk 160 120 MgB 2600 2700 2500
Macintosh Powerbk 140 80 MgB 1650 1700 1550
Macintosh Powerbk 170 80 MgB 2200 2300 2100
Apple Imagewriter 2 200 225 175
Apple Laserwriter LS 550 600 500
HP Laserjet II 750 up 50 800 750
HP Laserjet III 1000 1100 1000
Toshiba T-1200 XE 20 MgB 650 700 550
Toshiba T-1600 40 MgB 650 750 600
Toshiba T-2000 SX 40 MgB 950 1050 900
Toshiba T-2000 SXE 40 MgB 950 1050 900
Toshiba T-2200 SX 80MgB 1250 1300 1200
Toshiba T-3100 SX 80 MgB 1000 down 200 1300 900
Toshiba T-3200 40 MgB 650 800 600
Toshiba T-3200 SX 40 MgB 850 down 100 900 800
Toshiba T-3200 SXC 120 MgB 2250 2400 2100
Toshiba T-6400SX 120 MgB 2400 2700 2200
Toshiba T-4400SX 120 MgB 1900 2100 1800
Toshiba T-5200 100 MgB 1400 1500 1400
BoCoEx Index data is compiled by Market Analyst, Gary M. Guhman
Here are some current retail-oriented Seats on the Exchange, presented in a
cyclic basis.
Dallas - Ft. Worth, TX - DFW Computer Exchange - M.B. Lee - 817-244-7833
Escondido, Ca. - Affordable Computer Solutions - Dean Jacobus - 619-738-
4980
New Orleans, Louisiana - Audubon Computer Rental - Mike Barry - 504-522-
0348
Detroit, Michigan - CompuCycle - Walt Hogan - 313-887-2600
Computer Exchange-NorthWest - Dye Hawley - 206-820-1181
Albuquerque, NM, Western Computer Exchange - David Levin - 505-265-1330
Fresno, California - MacSource Computers - Mike Kurtz - 209-438-6227
BoCoEx Index prices are based on complete systems with keyboard, VGA
monitor and adapter, less the value of any software or peripherals.
Boston Computer Exchange is available at: 617-542-4414, Buyer's HotLine: 1-
800-262-6399, In Alaska and Canada 1-800-437-2470,FAX: 617-542-8849.
(BOCOEX/19930315)
(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00020)
North Carolina's Electronic Brochure 03/15/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- North Carolina has,
according to the Governor's Public Affairs Office, become the
first state to use an electronic brochure to promote the state
and attempt to lure even more companies from the cold north to
the sun belt.
Installation or operation from a floppy drive is very simple, as
it should be with such a presentation and although VGA or better
graphics capability is required, a floppy-only system equipped
with 512 kilobytes of memory is sufficient to run this
presentation.
Covered are: Quality of Life - which includes arts
and recreation; Human Resources (no unions); and Business
Climate.
As for the presentation itself, the accompanying brochure seemed to
some to be more colorful and interesting than the slow-
paced computer presentation, but the important thing here may be
not how well it was done but that it was done at all.
The quality of the animated sequences running the program
from a floppy drive is slow even on a fast 486-based system.
If copied to a hard drive, it speeds up considerably.
Such projects are certain to improve in quality as they grow in
numbers and this may be the wave of the future, especially
if states can get business people to download the presentations
from bulletin board systems. As it is the program takes up almost
an entire high-density floppy disk and consists of two EXE files
so they can't be compressed greatly.
Einstein and Sandom, a New York City-based multimedia marketing
firm, was responsible for the innovative North Carolina economic
development campaign which was mailed to a number of companies as
well as to journalists.
Newsbytes' attempts to determine if the project was really
successful were not fruitful by deadline.
(John McCormick/19930315/Press Contact: Len Stein, Einstein &
Sanderson production company, 212-777-4350)
(CORRECTION)(GOVT)(DEN)(00021)
Correction - Colorado Legislature Debates "Ziff-Davis" Bill 03/15/93
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Please note that
a story by this headline filed on Friday in some editions of Newsbytes
had an error. The story reported that Bill Davis was the owner of
Ziff. In fact the owner is Bill Ziff.
(Wendy Woods/19930312)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00022)
Canadian Product Launch Update 03/15/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- This regular
feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further
details for the Canadian market on announcements by international
companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Lotus'
Improv for Windows and an updated Freelance Graphics for Windows,
Microsoft's FoxPro 2.5, Windows fax software from Ibex, and new
personal computers from Compaq and Wyse Technology.
A month behind its US parent, Microsoft Canada announced
on March 10 it is shipping Version 2.5 of the FoxPro database
software for DOS and for Windows (Newsbytes, February 2). Both
versions have a suggested retail price of C$649.95 for the first
user and C$549.95 for each additional user. Microsoft also offers
a competitive upgrade from any competing database package for
C$249.95.
Microsoft also invited Canadian software developers to a seminar
to introduce them to Visual C++ (Newsbytes, February 24), a new
development tool for Windows. Visual C++ is available now in
Canada, with the Standard Edition carrying a suggested retail
price of C$264.95 and the Professional Edition priced at
C$659.95. An assortment of upgrade and competitive upgrade offers
are also available.
Lotus Development Canada has begun shipping Improv for
Windows (Newsbytes, February 24), which it calls the first
dynamic spreadsheet for Windows. A suggested introductory price
of C$129 will apply until May 31, after which the suggested
retail price will be C$599.
Lotus Canada also began shipping Freelance Graphics for Windows
Release 2.0, a major update with new capabilities and usability
features. The Canadian price is C$599 for the fully networkable
Standard Edition, and C$479 for a single-user license pack.
Upgrades are C$179, whether from earlier versions of Freelance or
from competing packages.
Wyse Technology (Canada) Ltd. brought to the Canadian market five
new models in a PC line called the Decision series (Newsbytes,
February 6). Canadian prices are: C$2,539 for the Decision
486se-25SX, C$2,809 for the 486se-33SX; C$3,279 for the
486se-33DX, C$3,819 for the 486se-50DX2; and C$4,099 for the
486se-66DX2.
Compaq Canada launched the ProLinea CDS multimedia personal
computers (Newsbytes, March 9) at the same time as its parent
company in the US. Equipped with a CD-ROM drive, 16-bit sound
card, external speakers and bundled CD-ROM disks, the ProLinea
CDS carries a price tag of C$2,529 here.
Compaq also announced a number of new desktop and portable models
in tandem with its parent company (Newsbytes, March 8),
including: new models in the ProLinea line based on 486
processors and equipped with local-bus graphics, priced from less
than C$1,629; a new ProLinea with a 66-megahertz 486DX2 chip at
C$2,779; new midrange Deskpro/i models starting from C$2,299; and
six new Contura notebooks.
Compaq Canada also said it had no immediate plans to begin direct
sales. As the Houston-based parent company announced DirectPlus,
its first venture into direct sales (Newsbytes, March 12), a
spokeswoman for Compaq Canada said the Canadian market leans more
heavily toward traditional distribution channels than the US
market.
Finally, the Canadian office of Ibex Technologies introduced
FactsLine for Windows, a voice/fax software package that provides
fax broadcasting, fax on demand, and voice processing functions
(Newsbytes, Nov. 12, 1992). The Canadian list price for the
software is C$8,840, with voice/fax boards sold separately.
(Grant Buckler/19930314/Press Contact: Compaq Canada,
416-229-8808; Ibex Canada, 416-662-6621 ext. 210, fax 416-632-4922;
Lotus Canada, 416-364-8000; Microsoft Canada, 416-568-0434 ext.
4086; Wyse Canada, 416-886-9973; Public Contact: Microsoft Canada,
800-563-9048)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00023)
Canada - Rogers Cantel Mobitex Links To Data Services 03/15/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Rogers Cantel
Mobitex, operator of a Canada-wide wireless data communications
network, has announced links to five database and electronic mail
services.
The company said it is linking its wireless network to the
financial information service provided by Telerate Canada Inc., a
unit of Dow Jones. It is also connecting to The Net, an
electronic mail and information gateway service run by the
Mediatel unit of Canada's Stentor telephone-company consortium,
to the Dialcom electronic mail service provided by rival Unitel
Communications of Toronto, and to the electronic mail
service provided by Immedia Infomatic of Montreal. Finally,
the Mobitex network has been linked to the Hewlett-Packard (Canada)
corporate computing system to provide HP employees with
wireless access to corporate electronic mail and information
services.
These are the first links to third-party database and e-mail
services for the Rogers Cantel Mobitex network, said Mike Ham,
director of sales, but more can be expected.
The link to Immedia's e-mail service will go into service May 1,
officials said. For the other connections Rogers said only that
service would begin during the second quarter of this year.
Users of portable computers can communicate through the Mobitex
network using a wireless device that transmits over radio
frequencies. Service is currently available in Toronto, Montreal,
Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec City, Calgary, and Victoria. Customers
use the service for functions such as vehicle dispatching,
electronic mail, fleet management, and credit verification, the
company said.
Ham said Rogers Cantel will charge users a one-time C$50 fee to
sign up for the service, plus C$50 per month for access to the
first e-mail service and C$25 per month for each additional
service. Prices for the Telerate link have not yet been
established, he added. These charges will be in addition to the
regular rates charged by the e-mail or database service
providers. Per-character usage rates, which apply to traffic that
stays within the Mobitex network, will not apply to the
third-party links, Ham said.
(Grant Buckler/19930314/Press Contact: Mike Ham, Rogers Cantel
Mobitex, 416-250-4789, fax 416-250-4760)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00024)
Canada - Caller ID With Name Display Arrives 03/15/93
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- One of Canada's
smaller telephone companies has become the first in the country
to launch Caller ID service with an added twist. Maritime
Telegraph & Telephone's Call Display service shows not only
the phone number but the name of the caller -- or at least the
name of the person in whose name the calling phone is registered.
Caller ID service already exists in a number of cities in Canada
and the United States, but most services only show the calling
number. MT&T's service checks an online database to find the name
associated with the number and displays that too, on a built-in
display in the called party's telephone or on a separate device
that can be rented from the phone company.
The feature is initially available, along with five other special
calling features, in the Halifax and Dartmouth metropolitan area.
MT&T plans to extend it gradually to other parts of the province,
company spokeswoman Shelley Rowan said. The cost of the service
is C$5.75 per month, not including the cost of a special
telephone or display device.
Rowan said the Call Display feature was tested last year in the
New Glasgow, N.S., area, and harassing and obscene telephone
calls dropped by 90 percent.
Addressing concerns that Call Display could threaten the safety
of some people, such as abused wives, MT&T offers the ability to
block one's name and number from being displayed at no charge.
The company also announced five other special features. Call
Answer is voice mail built into the telephone network. Call
Return will dial back the last number to call your phone. Ring
Again will keep dialing a busy number for up to 30 minutes or
until the call goes through. Call Screen lets subscribers block
incoming calls from up to 30 selected numbers, with the caller
receiving a recorded message. Finally, Call Trace lets a called
party initiate tracing of an incoming call after hanging up, with
the resulting information available to police -- but not to the
subscriber -- for use in investigating harassing calls.
All of the features will be available April 5, Rowan said.
(Grant Buckler/19930315/Press Contact: Shelley Rowan, MT&T,
902-421-4311)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)
Megahertz Corporation Sets Up In Europe 03/15/93
READING, BERKSHIRE, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Megahertz Corporation has
opened an office in the UK, with the express intention of servicing
its new European markets. At the same time, the company has revealed
plans to ship three new portable modems in the UK, Germany, and Sweden,
subject to final telecom regulatory approvals.
Megahertz International, as the European operation is known, is headed
by Joe Amodio, the company's director of European sales. Currently,
Amodio is on his own in terms of European staffing, but plans are in
hand to appoint more staff once the operation gets under way.
"It's still early days with the company," explained Amodio, who has
been with Megahertz for just under a year, prior to which he was with
Fujitsu Europe. According to Amodio, Megahertz is very big in the US
in the modem marketplace and he wants to achieve a similar position in
Europe.
Amodio told Newsbytes that this will be achieved with the company's
first range of modems for the European market, which will ship early
in April. In the UK, the three modems will ship through Frontline
distribution with a price tag of UKP 699. Similar distribution
arrangements are in place across Europe.
The three modems include a 14,400 bits per second (bps) PCMCIA
fax/data modem and two internal card modems for non-PCMCIA Compaq and
Zenith notebooks. All three units carry a five-year warranty and,
according to Amodio, are unique in the marketplace.
Megahertz already has a special arrangement in place with Andest
Communications for its PCMCIA card modems. Newsbytes asked Amodio
whether Andest will be pushed out of the picture, to which he replied
no.
"Andest imports our modems and adds its own technology, as well as
applying for its own UK approvals. That arrangement will continue. Our
PCMCIA card modem runs at 14,400 bps, which is something that the
Andest product doesn't do. We intend to keep the Andest arrangement
running in parallel with our own operations here in Europe," he said.
Amodio said that the company's Frontline-routed products will not
affect existing arrangements with Andest Communications, which has
handled the company's modems in the UK for almost two years.
"Andest imports out modems on an OEM basis, adding its own components
and obtaining UK approvals on its own. Our initial three offerings are
in the process of obtaining their own approvals for the UK, Germany
and Sweden," he said.
Bundled with all three modems are country-specific copies of data and
fax communications software. In the UK, the software is Transsend Plus
from Messiter software, which runs under DOS and Windows. This comms
package includes fax driver software, as well as standard data comms
facilities such as multiple terminal emulations and file transfer
protocols.
Megahertz Corporation has been marketing modems for several years in
the US, concentrating on the portable marketplace. The company claims
to have tripled its sales in 1992.
(Steve Gold/19930315/Press & Public Contact: Megahertz International -
Tel: 0734-442568)
(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00026)
UK - Compaq's Newest Prolinea, Contura Arrive 03/15/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Following on from last week's
major launch of machines in the US, Compaq UK has today confirmed
pricing and availability of its range for the UK market. Like the US
range, the UK family includes low-cost Prolinea desktops and Contura
notebooks.
Announcing the new PCs in London, Joe McNally, Compaq's vice president
and UK managing director, said that they will increase the price
pressure on the company's competition. The price pressure, he said,
started last June when Compaq unveiled the Prolinea, Deskpro/i and
Contura machines. Since that launch, the Prolinea has become the
company's best-selling product in its ten-year history.
"Today, Compaq is stepping up its aggressive strategy to seize the
leadership position in the PC industry -- in technology, in cost
competitiveness, in customer service and in distribution," McNally
said, adding that, since last June's launch of the budget machines,
the company has successfully relaunched itself in the computer
business.
"We've more than doubled our channel in Europe, made our service and
support one of the best in the industry, and as we're reaffirming
today, Compaq is moving ahead aggressively in technology," he said.
A total of 15 new models are launched today in the UK. These include
the next generation of Prolinea desktops, which start at UKP 795.
These 80486-based machines includes 1,024 x 768 pixel local bus
graphics for what Compaq claims is superior graphics performance.
Next up is the Prolinea 4/66, which are based around a 66 megahertz
(MHz) 80486 CPU, the 486DX2/66, with prices starting from UKP 1,430.
Slightly further upmarket is the mid-range Deskpro/i series, which
start from UKP 1,665 and include a network interface controller for
network connection.
On the notebook front, Compaq has added six new models to its range of
Contura notebooks. They include the Contura 4/25CX, an active matrix
color display unit with integrated "Easypoint" tracker ball, starting
at UKP 2,695; and the Contura 4/25C, which sports a 9.5-inch passive
matrix color display, plus integrated cursor key control system
(Easycursor). The Contura 4/25C starts at UKP 2,195.
Last, but not least, is the Contura 4/25, which features the
Easycursor key system and a monochrome VGA display. A key feature of
the 4/25 is the display, which can be upgraded to an active matrix
color display. Pricing starts at UKP 1,695 on this notebook.
(Steve Gold/19930315/Press & Public Contact: Compaq Computer - Tel:
081-332-3000)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00027)
****Compuserve Readies European Expansion 03/15/93
BRISTOL, AVON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Compuserve is quietly
upgrading its UK and European network with the eventual aim of
"making it as easy for a European subscriber to log on as one in the
US," according to Neil Laver, Compuserve UK's product manager.
Speaking with Newsbytes, Laver confirmed that this week's formal
opening of the Bristol node for Compuserve, which joins the Reading
and London nodes, is just a part of an expansion of Compuserve's
network in Europe and around the world.
"We have plans to expand our network to include Birmingham, Manchester,
and Dublin in the UK and Ireland," he said, adding the a Scottish node
located in either Glasgow or Edinburgh is also planned. The timeframe
for these new network nodes is between six to nine months.
Laver told Newsbytes that similar network expansion is taking place
throughout Europe. "We have nodes such as Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels
and Stockholm already in place, but we're already looking at expanding
our network across France and Northern Italy. The progress is gradual
and depends on a lot of factors, but is going to plan," he said.
When Newsbytes pointed out that there is already a third-party
national network in place in several of these countries for Compuserve
access, Laver acknowledged this to the be the case, but said that the
aim is to remove the network surcharges that subscribers are paying in
Europe wherever possible.
"It's taken us some time, but we are moving towards a situation where
Compuserve is as accessible in Europe as in the US. We've got 9,600
bits per access ports in place on all of European network nodes," he
said.
There have been comments in several of the Compuserve forums, as well
as mention of a possible network upgrade to beyond 9,600 bps in
Compuserve's monthly magazine. Newsbytes asked Laver when this might
happen. "It depends on a large number of factors. The whole network is
being upgraded, but we do have a lot of factors to consider before we
upgrade ports to faster speeds," he replied.
(Steve Gold/19930315/Press & Public Contact: Compuserve UK - Tel:
0272-255111)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)
UK Govt To Sell Rest Of British Telecom This Summer? 03/15/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- A report in the Sunday Observer
over the weekend in London has caused a stir in government circles,
after it was revealed that the British Government plans to sell off
its remaining 22 percent stake in British Telecom.
Although government officials have declined to comment on the matter,
press sources suggest that the story is correct. If true, then the
British Government could generate as much as UKP 5,730 million from
the sale of its shares in the company.
The government sold its 25 percent stake (out of 47.8 percent) in BT
in November of 1991. The share sale was so vast, that the government
was forced to allow instalment payments over almost two years, so as
not to cause a drain on savings institutions. Similar arrangements
look likely for this year's sell-off of the remaining stake in BT.
The original privatization of BT took place in 1984. Since then,
analysts calculate that the British Treasury has generated billions of
pounds from sales of its shares. Interestingly, by retaining a stake
in BT, the government has enjoyed the boom in the share price that has
resulted since the 1984 privatization. Had the Government sold all of
its shares in 1984, then it would not have received anything like the
amount of cash it generated in the 1991 sell-off. Analysts expect a
similar cash bonanza for the government with this year's sell-off.
Despite the cash inflow that would result from the sale of the
remaining BT shares, it is still a drop in the ocean when compared
with the British Government's 1993 borrowing requirement, which is
estimated to be around UKP 44,000 million.
(Steve Gold/19930315)
(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00029)
Britain's Premier Stock Exchange Computer Scrapped 03/15/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- Peter Rawlins, the chief
executive of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), has resigned as news
has broken that the LSE has decided to abandon its stock exchange
computerization system, known as Taurus.
The idea behind Taurus was to computerize the mountain of paperwork
that is currently involved with stock trading on the London exchanges.
Taurus was named after the bull, the Zodiac name. Stock exchanges are
said to be populated by "bulls" and "bears," respectively, the names
of upbeat and downbeat market entrepreneurs.
Currently, deals are "closed off" every fortnight, with the
expectation that all the necessary paperwork associated with the sales
and purchases can be completed in the next two weeks. Unfortunately,
because of the large number of trades taking place on a daily basis,
some paper transactions, notably the issuing of share certificates, is
several weeks behind.
Taurus would have solved this problem by allowing electronic trades to
take place, with share certificates being removed from the chain. The
original plans were to have brokers issue the paper certificates on
request to those shareholders, usually small investors, who wanted a
paper docket to confirm their stock holding.
To date, the LSE has spent around UKP 40 million on the Taurus
project. The crunch came, Newsbytes understands, when the LSE was
asked to approve several millions more for further development,
despite the fact that Taurus should have been online this year after
two years of development work.
Now the Stock Exchange has appointed a task force with the express aim
of developing a solution, but at a reduced cost. Sources within the
LSE have told Newsbytes that a likely solution will be a two-tier
extension of the existing settlement system, using computers for major
trades and paper-based technology for small investors.
This will mean that major traders, accounting for as much as 85
percent of the trades in the LSE every day, will run daily
computerized settlements, with the smaller investor having to wait
several weeks while the paper side of his/her transaction is input
into the computerized system on a batch basis.
While the LSE has spent UKP 40 million on Taurus, some sources have
suggested that the London investment houses have spent ten times this
amount modifying their system to meet the LSE's requirements. Even
among the "gentlemanly" confines of the LSE, Newsbytes understands,
tempers are running high over the whole affair.
In the immediate term, more than 200 staff involved on the Taurus
project have been laid of and several dozen redundancies are likely in
the brokerages that deal through the LSE.
(Steve Gold/19930315)
(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00030)
EC Stands Firm On High Definition TV Plans 03/15/93
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1993 MAR 15 (NB) -- In the face of a rising tide of
support for the digital high definition television (HDTV) system in
the US, the European Commission (EC) has characteristically stood firm
on its plans for a completely different technology.
The bad news for taxpayers in Europe is that it is looking
increasingly likely they will have to pick up the tab for the
development costs, simply because the European TV manufacturers cannot
afford it.
According to Joan Majo, an advisor to the EC's directorate on
telecommunications, there is scope for the EC plans on HDTV to be
modified to include other standards, provided that the technology
works to ratios of 16:9. Newsbytes notes that the US HDTV system does
not conform to these ratios.
Until last November, the EC was in strong favor of analogue HDTV
technologies such as D2-MAC or H2-MAC systems. Since then, however,
the EC has climbed down on this requirement for European HDTV, mainly
because no broadcaster was willing to give the EC its support on the
issue.
What does seem likely, despite all the posturing on the part of US,
European, and Japanese officials on the subject of HDTV technology, is
that a compromise will be forthcoming. That compromise looks likely to
include the digital technology being developed by Philips in the
Netherlands and Thomson of France.
According to Majo, once the EC has agreed which HDTV technology it
will support, then plans can progress on a 500 million European
currency unit (ECU -- about $430 million) grant to the HDTV
developers. Currently, Britain has blocked the grant, claiming that
the project is worthless, given that no one outside the EC has any
intention to support the EC's proposals.
Majo's comments came in the wake of an official statement from the
office of Martin Bangemann, the EC's industrial affairs commissioner,
who said that the EC intends to press ahead with its plans to develop
an analogue HDTV system, despite the incidence of high support for US
digital technology.
(Steve Gold/19930315)