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/nb930324

Text File | 1993-03-24 | 67KB | 1,488 lines

(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00001)

FedWorld Gateway To Federal BBS 03/24/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- FedWorld at the
National Technical Information Service has built a major
coordinating bulletin board system (BBS) to serve anyone wishing
to contact other federal bulletin board systems. Whether it makes
any sense for you to call a Virginia BBS which will then dial out
to another BBS depends on where you are located.

FedWorld claims that it operates 24 hours a day, utilizing a 486
50 megahertz (MHz) system with two 1.4 gigabyte (GB) hard drives.
The 46 high-speed modems are intended to make for easy access
during busy business hours.

One hundred and nine other federal bulletin boards are available
to callers directly from within FedWorld by selecting from a
menu that includes the FAA Headquarters BBS; Public Taxpayer
Statistical Information; Some Congressional Committee
Press Releases; Federal Register Electronic News Delivery;
Pesticide Information Network; and Library of Congress News
Service. All of these boards are free to the public, as are most
of those available through the gateway.

As for FedWorld itself, if you ever wanted to browse through a
MIL-spec manual then this board is heaven, because it is just
loaded with text file versions of government documentation.

CALS or Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistic Support-related
files also occupy a significant portion of the board, amounting
to more than 500 files, and this should be of some interest to
companies wanting to do business with the Pentagon.

Of much more general interest are the 75-plus GIF-format
weather satellite images which are downloadable from the
SAT-IMGS file library. These files, which cover everything from
full-Earth images (one side only) to images of areas as small as
a part of one state, average about 150 kilobytes (KB) in size.
There is also a zipped GIF viewer program available for
downloading.

Apparently, older maps are removed from the system regularly
because some of the map files were taken by satellites and are
just a week old.

Nearly 90 White House press releases and other administration
documents are available in ASCII TXT files in the W-HOUSE
Library.

How do you reach this major federal BBS coordinating board?
Simple; set your communications software for maximum
speed and have it dial 703-321-8020.

Address on-line e-mail questions and comments to: Tom
Walker - FedWorld Project Director; Ken Royer - Manager,
FedWorld System Development/Tech. Services; Bob Bunge -
Manager, FedWorld Info. Resources/GateWay Support; or SYSOP.

(John McCormick/19930322/Press Contact: U.S. Department
of Commerce, Public Affairs, 703-487-4650)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00002)

Reference Software For Windows, Mac 03/24/93
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Microlytics has
announced shipment of an encyclopedia, a language translator, and
a thesaurus in Microsoft Windows and Macintosh versions.

The products include the Random House Encyclopedia in compressed
form on diskettes, the five-language Berlitz Interpreter, and an
updated Word Finder thesaurus - called Word Finder Plus - that
provides definitions as well as synonyms.

Microlytics claims its Random House Encyclopedia is the only
on-line encyclopedia that does not require a CD-ROM. Company
spokesman Peter Mason said data compression is used to fit the
complete 20,000-entry encyclopedia on three diskettes, and it
does not have to be decompressed when loaded onto the computer's
hard disk. Mason also maintained that the compression does not
affect the speed of text retrieval.

The Berlitz Interpreter contains 12,000 words in each of English,
French, German, Italian, and Spanish - allowing users to look up
translations from any of these languages to any other. Parts of
speech and gender are also covered, and there is a quiz feature
intended to let students test their knowledge.

The new Word Finder Plus adds definitions to about one million
synonyms. As an example, Microlytics said the word "wrote" would
return "authored" as a synonym. The program's database is not
based on a printed thesaurus but was put together by Microlytics
with input from "a number of periodicals," Mason said.

Suggested retail prices are: $99.95 for the Random House
Encyclopedia; $49.95 for the Berlitz Interpreter; and $59.95 for
Word Finder Plus.

(Grant Buckler/19930321/Press Contact: Peter Mason or Mike
Weiner, Microlytics, 800-828-6293 or 716-248-9150, fax
716-248-3868)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00003)

McAfee Intros New Anti-Virus Software For DOS 03/24/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- McAfee
Associates has introduced Pro-View, a menu-driven product for
viewing and editing system memory, hard disks, floppy diskettes,
network drives, and CD-ROMs.

According to the company, users of Pro-View can view the system
interrupts, drivers and programs resident in memory, or view data
specified at physical memory locations. Data can be viewed in
Hexadecimal, ASCII, or in assembly language.

Jim Lynch, spokesman for the company, told Newsbytes that the
product is designed for the DOS platform. "It runs on a workstation.
Like any DOS program is could be accessed from a file server. It is
not a network product per se, because what it does is analyze
what's going on in the memory of the workstation it's on."

In announcing the product, John McAfee, founder and chief executive
officer of the company, claimed: "Pro-View represents a major
milestone in the evolution of our product-line and overall business
strategy. We believe electronic distribution has enormous market
potential, and our strategy is to continue to capitalize on the benefits
of electronic distribution over shrink-wrapped software packages."

The company says that electronic distribution is a simple, low-cost
means of accessing products from a bulletin board system or on-line
service such as CompuServe or the Internet. Users download products
on a free trial basis and later license those products they choose to
keep. The company claims that its products available through
electronic distribution are updated more frequently than
shrink-wrapped products.

The company claims that it releases regular product updates on
an accelerated schedule compared to shrink-wrapped software
products.

Pro-View is only available through electronic distribution and
can be obtained by calling the company's BBS at 408-988-4004,
or through CompuServe or the Internet.

Lynch told newsbytes that, "If someone decides to use it, we offer
a two-year licensing program. We do not sell our software, we
license the use and support of it, and access to updates."

Lynch said that a single-user product license costs $80 for two
years. License pricing is also available for multiple machines.
For example, up to ten machines costs $395. Site licensing is
also available.

(Ian Stokell/19930322/Press Contact: William S. McKiernan,
408-988-3832, McAfee)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00004)

Raytheon Bags $106 Million Indian Airport Order 03/24/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Raytheon, of the US, has
signed an agreement with the National Airports Authority of
India (NAAI) for modernizing the airports at Bombay and New Delhi.
The turnkey project, estimated to cost $106 million, involves
installation of state-of-the-art aircraft landing facilities at both
locations.

The Indian project will include radar, navigational aids, displays
and air traffic automation systems. Its open architecture
automation system is similar to those being delivered to Norway
and the Netherlands by Raytheon. It will also feature the high
resolution color display unit that Raytheon is providing for civil
aviation controllers internationally.

The company will manufacture short range airport and long range
surveillance radars for the modernization program which is aimed
at facilitating the handling of up to 40 aircraft landings per hour
against the 10 landings per hour currently. The Tatas, one of India's
major industrial houses, will provide in-country support.

The decks for the agreement were cleared when the Delhi High
Court dismissed a petition by the French company Thomson CSF,
challenging the award of the contract to Raytheon, a company
release said.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930323)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00005)

India Playing To Asiasat Satellite Tune 03/24/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- When the minister of state
for Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India - K.P.
Singh Deo - told the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian
Parliament) that the ISRO-(Indian Space Research Organization)-
made INSAT series of satellite's footprints are limited to Indian
borders, it not only surprised ISRO, but others connected with the
INSAT utility in the Department of Telecommunication (DoT).

Some satellite experts contend that the Information and
Broadcasting Ministry is playing into the hands of Asiasat and Star
TV by trying to hire a transponder at a huge annual fee of $2.5
million. Satellite Television for Asian Region (Star), a Hong-Kong
based company, Hitchison, introduced the concept of satellite
television in this region.

Some are also surprised at this sudden turnaround of the ministry.
For the I and B ministry had rejected an earlier offer from Asiasat
for a transponder at a lower price. In fact, the ministry even wanted
to ban dish antennas in the country, or at least regulate their use,
stating that such international media invasion was not in the
country's interest.

All the more interesting is the ministry's eagerness to strike a deal,
with Asiasat, even as the next series of India's own INSAT 2-B
satellite is to be launched in July this year, adding to the already
existing transponder facility for broadcast and telecom purposes.

A close look at INSAT's satellite footprints shows that it covers
the area from West Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) countries to Singapore and parts of Indonesia. The
Asiasat-2 footprint extends from the middle of Africa to parts
of New Zealand. The footprint also touches Eastern Europe and
Russia, almost up to Siberia.

However, critics contend that there are already a number of
satellites with the same footprint, available at a cheaper rate.
Sources said that ISRO had given a presentation on the transponder
facilities over India to the I&B ministry, as any hire of transponders
involves foreign exchange in millions.

However, it is claimed that the ministry has ignored such
considerations. They feel that advertisers are abandoning
Doordarshan, the national television company, for Star TV, and hence
if Doordarshan shifts to the same satellite, it can get back the
advertisers. Critics contend that the ministry does not seem to
realize that it is due to the poor quality of programs on
Doordarshan.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930323)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00006)

Asymetrix Ships Windows Multimedia Software 03/24/93
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Asymetrix
has announced Compel, a software package that allows users to
create interactive multimedia business presentations.

Compel can combine text, video, animation, and sound for on-screen
presentations, slides, overhead projections, or hard copies. A
hyperlinking feature allows the user to click on any word, bullet or
graphic to display supporting information in response to questions
or comments, or to skip to another part of the presentation.

Compel supports MCI-compatible multimedia devices under Microsoft
Windows, include Microsoft's Video for Windows, CD, WAVE and MIDI
(musical instrument digital interface) audio, animation, and
 videodisc. The program has a built-in sound recorder that allows
objects to have voice annotation attached, and animation can be
triggered automatically.

Compel ships with over 100 megabytes (MB) of multimedia clips,
including sound files and clip-art drawings that can be edited.
Kodak's Photo CD, which stores pictures taken with a conventional
35 millimeter camera on a CD disk, is also supported.

A run-time module, Compel Show, allows royalty-free distribution
of prepared presentations, while Package Presentation compresses
files and can automatically split large files, such as video, across
multiple disks to aid distribution. MAPI support allows the user to
package and send a fully-formatted interactive multimedia
presentation through Microsoft Mail. The program also supports
Windows OLE (object linking and embedding).

Compel includes a selection of slide transitions, bullet
transitions, graphical bullets, and can customize, dim, and build
bullets. More than 100 templates are included in the software, as
are charting and drawing tools and a selection of palettes. A slide
sorter displays thumbnail views of available slides for easy
sorting, claims the company. Asymetrix' companion product, Media
Blitz!, is bundled with Compel, allowing the user to create
synchronized multimedia storyboards which can be inserted in
Compel presentations.

The company says Compel will carry an introductory price of $99
until the end of June, when the price is scheduled to return to the
regular $295 suggested retail price. Asymetrix is offering a trade-in
program for users of competitive presentation software programs,
also for $99.

System requirements include an IBM-compatible PC using a 386 or
higher CPU (central processing unit), Windows 3.1, a minimum of
2MB of system memory (Asymetrix recommends 4MB), a VGA or
Super VGA video card, and a Windows-compatible mouse or other
pointing device. A sound card and a CD-ROM drive are also
recommended.

(Jim Mallory/199303022/Press contact: Susan Pierson, Asymetrix
Corporation, 206-637-2428; Reader contact: Asymetrix,
206-455-3071 or 800-448-6543, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00007)

Japan - Apple To Open AppleLink To Regular Users 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Apple Computer (Tokyo) says
it is planning to open its international AppleLink network to
regular Macintosh users in April.

It is expected that the network will be well-accepted by
Japanese Macintosh users due to the increasing popularity of the
Macintosh. Apple Computer's AppleLink is currently available only
for its dealers in Japan.

AppleLink contains the latest technical information on the
Macintosh, and includes product information, library search
capabilities and a bulletin board system.Apple Computer (Tokyo)
is preparing the network menus for regular users.

Apple Computer (Tokyo) is thinking of providing, not only
information, but an opportunity for users to exchange ideas
through the network. Some analysts predict that the network
will grow as large as Japan's major PC networks, such as NEC's
PC-VAN and Fujitsu's Nifty-Serve.

In Japan, about 700 firms and organizations currently use the
network. A major advantage of AppleLink is easy operation
using a mouse. Regular users need to get proprietary telecom
software and a modem.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930323/Press Contact: Apple
Computer, Tokyo, [phone])


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

Japan - Sharp Intros All-In-One Notebook Word Processor 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Sharp has developed an
all-in-one-type Japanese word processor. It is A5-size, which is
smaller than regular notebook-type PCs or word processors.

It can also be used as an English word processor. The WV-S250
weighs only 920 grams and is 28 millimeters thick. This device
has a thermal printer at the back. The screen is backlit-type.

Due to the all-in-one-type feature, almost all the necessary
features are built-in to the device. It includes a scheduler, an
address book, a memo pad, a spreadsheet program, a calculator,
and a database program.

The word processor can be switched between Japanese and English
modes. A spelling-check program is also built-in in the device,
along with a 560,000 user dictionary. Sharp has added its original
program called the "Action List." Under this mode, the program
automatically places jobs in order of priority.

The built-in printer can print 81 letters per second. It is claimed
that the word processor can operate for 19 hours with removable
batteries. It includes power management capabilities and it has
a switch to vary the brightness of the screen.

The word processor has a feature to exchange data with a desktop
word processor using optical data transmission through infrared
technology. The retail price of this device is 150,000 yen ($1,250).

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930323/Press Contact: Sharp,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00009)

KDD Develops Low-cost Color PC Transmission Board 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- KDD claims it has developed a
low-cost color picture transmission board for personal computers.
With this extension board, color pictures can be transmitted at
fast speed.

KDD's new picture transmission board has pictorial processing
feature, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) transmission
chips and telecom software. The board compresses full-color
pictorial data and can transmit this data at four to five seconds
per screen via ISDN network.

It is said the quality of the picture is extremely high. Interestingly,
the board also support the data transmission speed of one second
per screen with an inferior picture mode. Under this mode, the
quality of the picture is slightly degraded.

A low-cost version of a television conferencing system can be
created with this board in combination with a camcorder.

The board is claimed to be useful for various industries, such as
design firms, the housing and automobile industries. Color
pictures of cars, houses and designs can be sent quickly to allow
customers to see them at shops or offices.

The board supports database structured query language (SQL).
Also, the JPEG data compression technology is applied in the
board.

The board is expected to be released this summer through
OSI Plus, which is a 90 percent-owned subsidiary of KDD. The
retail price of this board is expected to be around $5,000.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930323/Press Contact: OSI
Plus, [phone], KDD, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(MOW)(00010)

Russian Banking Computer Market Now Competitive 03/24/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- The Financial
Izvestia newspaper has published a report on the rising
competition among the large Western companies within the
banking computer market.

The newspaper revealed results of the tender of the Russian
Central Bank to supply computer equipment to a number
of its branches.

According to the newspaper, the Central bank, which is
willing to spend large sums of money on computers, is
unwilling to tie with the one single supplier, and is
actively using the competitors in various parts of the
country.

Unisys won the right to supply the banking center in St
Petersbourg and 11 neighboring regions. NCR will be
working in the Pskov region, North-West Russia. Siemens
Nixdorf is to supply the banking center in Kaliningrad
(formerly Koenigsberg), the Russian enclave on the Baltic
sea. DEC is setting up the banking computers in the large
Moscow center. IBM works in the remote siberian city of
Irkutsk.

Nickolay Dunaev, the head of the Central bank information
processing division, said that they plan to build up the
complete electronic banking network in two-three years,
making it accessible from a number of hardware platforms
and not subject to demands of a single equipment supplier.

A number of Japanese companies, which were not chosen, are
believed to be planning to offer communications and banking
equipment to smaller commercial banks, rather than the
Central Bank itself.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930323)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00011)

PictureTel Intros Video App Development Environment 03/24/93
DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Hoping to
expand the market for videoconferencing by encouraging others to
develop specialized applications, PictureTel has announced
a video application development environment made up of hardware
and software that third parties can use to create their own
applications.

Steve Johnson, manager of developer programs for PictureTel's
applications business line, said the company has packaged and
priced its technology for end users in the past. Now it will also
offer that technology to developers, he said.

Johnson added that PictureTel will focus on three application
areas it sees as especially promising: medical applications,
remote monitoring, and professional services such as financial
services kiosks.

The PictureTel Application Developer's Program includes the
PictureTel Developer's Toolkit, the VM-4000 video modem, the
Developer's Response Center, technical consulting, and the
PictureTel Connection program.

The company said its developer's toolkit is the first in a series
of development tools for writing applications based on its visual
communications technology. Running on IBM and compatible PCs, it
gives programmers access to major system functions for set up and
control of video, audio, windowing, configuration, and network
communications.  The kit includes an application program
interface (API), code samples, international language tools, and
documentation.

The VM-4000 video modem is compatible with the PictureTel
System 4000 family of videoconferencing products, PictureTel said.

The PictureTel Developer's Response Center provides technical and
educational assistance through a toll-free phone line, electronic
bulletin boards, and videoconferencing.

All the pieces are available now to qualifying value-added
resellers (VARs), Johnson said. To qualify, he added, VARs must
have a combination of expertise in telecommunications, computing,
video, and their own application area. The PictureTel environment
will work with hardware and software from third parties, Johnson
added.

(Grant Buckler/19930322/Press Contact: Ron Taylor, PictureTel,
508-762-5178; John Coulbourn or Pam Austin, Rourke & Co. for
Picturetel, 617-267-0042)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00012)

KeyData Plans Lightweight Notebook 03/24/93
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Leaving
out the diskette drive will be one key to producing two smaller,
lighter, notebook computers that Keydata International hopes
to begin shipping in April. A smaller screen will also help.

Keydata officials said their two 33 megahertz (MHz) 486-based
notebooks will be 40 percent smaller than most such machines and
weigh four pounds. One will come with a monochrome screen, the
other with an active-matrix color screen.

A spokesman for the company said there will be no diskette drive
built into the machines, although an external one will be available
as an option. From talking to users, he said, Keydata concluded
that most need a diskette drive only for loading software and
thus can use an external one that they can leave at home while on
the road.

The two units will also come with 8.5-inch screens, smaller than
those used in some other notebook computers.

Both the Monochrome Keynote Compact and the Color Keynote
Compact will come with an 86-key keyboard with palm-rest, a
recessed trackball, parallel and serial ports, and a Personal
Computer Memory Card Interface Association (PCMCIA) Type 2.0
slot for memory cards and expansion options such as modem and
fax cards. Keydata also said the machines will use nickel-cadmium
batteries and run three to four hours per charge.

The Monochrome Keynote Compact is to have a $1,695 price tag. The
Color Keynote Compact is to sell for $3,295. Both will come with a
choice of bundled software including Borland's Quattro Pro
spreadsheet and Symantec's Norton Desktop, the company said.

(Grant Buckler/19930322/Press Contact: Mark Bruce, GHB
Marketing Communications for Keydata, 203-321-1242; Public
Contact: Keydata, 800-486-7010 or 908-755-0350)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00013)

Fulcrum Text Search Tools Supports SQL 03/24/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Fulcrum
Technologies has introduced its Fulcrum Search Tools software
for developing full-text search applications.

In a bid to make the software easier for corporate information
processing people to use, Fulcrum has put in support for structured
query language (SQL), the de facto standard for requesting
information from database software.

Peter Eddison, vice-president of corporate marketing at Fulcrum,
stressed that the company is not making its full-text search
technology more like relational databases. Full-text search
software deals with unstructured information, such as
correspondence or manuals, where users need to be able to search
for any word or combination of words, rather than the structured
data stored in databases.

SQL support will make Fulcrum Search Tools easier for those used
to database software to understand, Eddison said. As a result,
Fulcrum expects to sell more of the software to corporate
information systems departments as opposed to its traditional
market, commercial applications developers that build their own
applications for resale.

Fulcrum Search Tools are based on the company's Ful/Text search
technology, which a variety of major vendors use in their own
products, Eddison said.

The product line includes: SearchTools, a developer's toolkit for
creating text-searching applications in Visual BASIC or C;
SearchServer, an indexing and retrieval engine needed on the
server to support client applications built with SearchTools; and
an extended version of SQL, called SearchSQL.

SearchServer can run on "most flavors of Unix," OS/2, and
Microsoft Windows, Eddison said. A version for Digital Equipments
VAX minicomputers is also planned. Client applications can run
on Unix, OS/2, Windows, and Apple Macintosh computers.

Prices for the SearchTools development kit start at $7,500. Prices
for SearchServer depend on the number of users and start at $1,000.

Fulcrum sells its software mainly in the United States and Europe,
with about five percent of its sales in Canada and about five
percent elsewhere, Eddison said.

(Grant Buckler/19930323/Press Contact: Wendy Rajala, for Fulcrum
Technologies, 416-338-8532, fax [phone]; Public Contact:
Fulcrum Technologies, 613-238-1761, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00014)

Syquest Intros 3.5-Inch SCSI Removable Drive For Mac 03/24/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Syquest
Technology is now shipping a fast, 3.5-inch SCSI (Small
Computer System Interface) removable Winchester disk
drive. The small form factor SQ3105S drive offers 100
megabytes (MB) per cartridge of storage and a 4 MB per second
transfer rate.

The company said it has been shipping an integrated drive
electronics (IDE) version of the drive, but the SCSI version is
expected to be attractive to the Macintosh market.

Syquest says it is also addressing, with its vendors, the
problems associated with using cartridges from different
vendors in its SCSI drives. The problem has arisen because each
vendor for Syquest writes their own drivers for the Syquest
cartridges, and the drivers are resident on the cartridge when
it is mounted.

If a user changes from one vendor's cartridge to another, a new
driver for the new cartridge needs to be recognized and loaded
or the cartridge will not mount. The SCSI probe is a specification
developed by Syquest to solve the interchangability problem.
Syquest representatives told Newsbytes the company feels it has
gotten its system integrators to comply with the SCSI probe
standard, so any vendor's cartridge will be recognized in any
Syquest drive.

Syquest says the new SQ3105S drive is reliable with a 100,000
hour mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) rating. It is also able
to be used in laptop and notebook computers as it uses only three
watts of power and requires only a single five-volt power source.

Newsbytes discovered the French company Nomai is not making
3.5-inch Syquest compatible cartridges, according to Syquest
representatives. Syquest is currently embroiled in a legal
battle with Nomai to try to prevent the marketing of Nomai
5.25-inch Syquest-compatible cartridges which Syquest claims,
not only violate its patents, but could also harm user's drives.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930323/Press Contact: Will Matlack, Syquest
Technology, tel [phone], fax )


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00015)

Texas Instruments Intros PostScript Laser Printer 03/24/93
TEMPLE, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
announced a family of page printers that can use Adobe Systems'
PostScript software.

The company says the three new microWriter laser printers are
designed for small business users using Macintosh and Windows-
based personal computers and use a LED (light emitting diode) print
engine that can produce five printed pages-per-minute (ppm) at a
 resolution of 300 by 300 dots-per-inch (dpi).

The entry level system can be upgraded to support PostScript
software, while the other two models incorporate PostScript and
Adobe's Type 1 fonts as a standard feature.

All three models include AppleTalk and parallel interfaces, with
an optional RS-232C serial interface available as an option. A
250-sheet paper supply tray that can handle letter and legal paper,
and an optional universal media feeder is available for use when
feeding envelopes, labels, and transparencies.

The basic model comes with 512 kilobytes (KB) of memory, which
is expandable to 4.5 megabytes (MB). The other two models,
designated the PS17 and PS35, come with 2MB of memory which
can be expanded to 4MB. The PS17 includes 17 Adobe Type 1 fonts,
while the PS35 comes with 35 Type 1 fonts. An optional second
paper tray allows the printing of a letterhead for the first page,
then plain second pages and envelopes during the same print job.
All models include a Windows driver.

TI spokesperson Jerry Rycaj told Newsbytes that the basic
microWriter has a suggested retail price of $729. Rycaj said the
33-pound printers are 13.8-inches wide by 14.8-inches deep, and
are just over 10-inches high. The PS17 carries a price tag of $999,
while the PS35 sells for $1,299. The printhead has a five year
warranty.

(Jim Mallory/19930323/Press contact: Jerry Rycaj, Texas
Instruments, 817-774-6110; Reader contact: Texas Instruments,
800-527-3500)


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

BellSouth On Track For Pan-European Radio Data Net 03/24/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- BellSouth is
adding its own radio data network in the Netherlands to its
newly-announced venture with France Telecom on a French radio
data net under the Mobitex standard.

"We're going it alone in the Netherlands," spokesman Tim Klein
told Newsbytes. "That does not preclude the potential of partners
down the road. The significant element in the France Telecom
investment is that this is the first time France Telecom has
allowed an equity interest from a foreign company in an in-country
project. And with France and the Netherlands added to the other
countries with Mobitex in Europe, and with Germany and Belgium
beginning the licensing process, you could have a pan-European
Mobitex net in two years."

Klein said that all the European Mobitex nets are within roughly
the same frequency range. "The bottom is 402, the top is 460
something," he said. "Most are 412-421, and every nation has its
own allocation."

BellSouth expects to see radio data modems which can access all
these systems through a "frequency list." Said Klein, "It's not just
scanning, because there are synchronization patterns. You come
into a country, turn on, and it will find its first frequency on the
list. Then the unit will tune the whole band. You'll be able to take
your portable device and use it anywhere" in Europe, even the
United Kingdom.

BellSouth's strategy is to have as many investments as possible
in that coming pan-European Mobitex network, Klein said.
Eventually it wants to see that messages sent on it can be received
by Mobitex networks in the US and Canada, which operate at much
higher frequencies, around 900 megahertz. The US Mobitex net,
RAM Mobile Data, is a joint-venture between BellSouth and Ram
Broadcasting. "They're working on the trans-Atlantic technology,"
Klein said. "Unlike some of the other mobile data systems, at
least Mobitex has a distinct capability and potential of trans-
Atlantic roaming."

Still, he warned, no one should expect fast profits. "This
is not the cellular business. It's not that easy."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930324/Press Contact: Tim Klein,
BellSouth Enterprises, 404-249-4135)


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

Some Industry Leaders Back Clinton Telecom Plan 03/24/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- In testimony
today before the US House and Senate, some leaders of the
telecommunications industry are giving a strong endorsement to
the Clinton Administration's telecom infrastructure plans.

Executives and lobbyists from AT&T, Bellcore, Sprint, Ameritech
Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, Cincinnati Bell, GTE, MCI, Nynex,
Pacific Telesis Group, Southwestern Bell, Southern New England
Telephone, and US West, all signed a statement endorsing the
plan's goals. However, they claim that private industry, not the
government, should run the resulting networks.

In fact, the Clinton Administration may be unclear as to its own
policy. Vice President Gore, while in the Senate, expressed
continuing frustration at the reluctance of phone firms to
improve the capacity of their networks at the local level. He
bemoaned the limited capacity of residential ISDN (Integrated
Services Digital Network) service, which offers total data
throughputs of 128,000 bits-per-second (bps), plus a 16,000 bps
signaling channel, and chided the industry for rolling out the
network too-slowly. He also urged support for a research
network running at speeds measured in gigabits-per-second.

In the last year, however, many phone companies have stepped up
their activities. New technology may make it possible for phone
companies to offer TV pictures on their existing copper wires.
Breakthroughs have also been announced in increasing the capacity
of single fiber pairs, and in optical switching, which could spur
development of the gigabit-per-second network. Bell Atlantic is
experimenting with delivery of TV pictures in Virginia, has a
joint-venture with a local cable company to build a new cable-
phone infrastructure in Pennsylvania, and has new rate-making
power in New Jersey to fund installation of fiber cable
throughout that network.

Under Donald Linberg of the National Library of Medicine, the
Administration is also moving toward adding support for a
National Information Infrastructure, or NII, to its High
Performance Computing Consortium initiative. That could mean
more government research funding to groups like AT&T's Bell
Labs and the Bell companies' Bellcore research consortium.

Spokesmen for Dr. Linberg have had difficulty delineating, however,
where business' interests end and government support should stop,
but have expressed interest in finding such a line.

The move by the executives seems aimed at securing just such a
line. In testimony before Rep. Edward Markey's House
telecommunications subcommittee, and then before the Senate
Commerce committee, AT&T chairman Robert Allen is expected to
encourage research funding, but insist that private industry be
given total authority to invest and expand the networks as they
see fit.

What's coming? Some observers see a telecom summit in the Vice
President's future, with executives committing to increased
funding to upgrade their networks while the government lends its
support to the effort, perhaps with more liberal depreciation rules.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930324/Press Contact: Ameritech: Mike Brand
202-955-9381; AT&T: Herb Linnen 202-457-3933; Bell Atlantic: Ken
Pitt 703-974-5547; Bellcore: Mike Giovia 201-740-4762; BellSouth:
Bill McCloskey 202-463-4129; Cincinnati Bell: Kyle Hill  513-397-
1240; GTE: Julia Spicer 202-463-5206; MCI: Dave Thompson 703-887-
2223; NYNEX: Bob Jasinski 202-416-0125; Pacific Telesis: Janice
Rylander 202-383-6431; Southwestern Bell: Joyce Taylor 202-293-
8553; Sprint: Janice Langley 202-828-7427; SNET: Bill Seekamp
203-771-2136; U S WEST: Mary Hisley 202-429-3105)


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

BellSouth Expands VoiceMail Throughout System 03/24/93
WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- BellSouth
has placed orders with Boston Technology which will help it
provide its MemoryCall voice mail system throughout its network.

MemoryCall, first introduced in Georgia a few years ago, is a
low-priced voice mail service which was at first highly
controversial. Georgia regulators attempted to learn how the
service was being priced, with voice mail service vendors fearful
that, at $6.95 per month, the service would drive them out of
business. In the end, the Federal Communications Commission
preempted any state regulation, and has since issued no rules
controlling how or what phone companies charge for that service.

Boston Techology's Co Access systems go into phone switch
offices and provide the service. Other companies also provide
similar equipment which BellSouth has purchased.

In the latest order, Louisiana is slated to get the MemoryCall
service through Co Access equipment, with New Orleans being
turned-on later this month. Boston Technology also supplies the
MemoryCall equipment used in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Tennessee.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930324/Press Contact: Katherine
Raphaelson, Boston Technology, 617-246-9000 ext 3504)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00019)

IBM PS/1s To Include Support For America Online 03/24/93
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- IBM is dropping
its Promenade program and offering the interface software of
America Online for its PS/1 family of computers.

IBM hosts a special support section on America Online, which
was accessed by the Promenade package. It also hosts a service
called the "PS/1 club" on Prodigy. Instead of Promenade, users
will get the standard America Online interface software under
the name "IBM PS/1 Edition of America Online for the IBM
Personal System/1" in April, which will let them access the
entire service. As with Promenade, the software will be pre-
loaded onto users' computers at the factory.

In recent months America Online's graphics-oriented access
software has won a number of important industry endorsements,
which has helped the company in its moves to rise from its
current number four status among the nation's consumer on-line
services. The top three networks remain Prodigy, CompuServe, and
GEnie.

On America Online, IBM PS/1 users can access their own answer
bank of answers to common questions, their own forum for getting
tips from other PS/1 owners and IBM support people, posted tips,
a suggestion box, a software library, and an interactive
classroom environment called "PS/1 Live." IBM support people can
even be reached through pager technology, through the system, to
offer individual help to PS/1 users at a small surcharge. The
PS/1 Edition of America Online will be preloaded on future PS/1
product shipments.

There will be cost to this, IBM added. Jill Balmuth told Newsbytes
that Promenade offered both pay-as-you-go pricing or a
monthly fee. The former option is now gone, in favor of America
Online's monthly charge. She added that the decision by IBM to
pre-load America Online software is not an endorsement of that
network over Prodigy. "If anything, it's now more equal," she said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930324/Press Contact: IBM, J. Ralph
Hammock, 914-642-5464; Jill Balmuth, for IBM, 212-505-9900)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00020)

Canadian Show And Conference Schedule Busier 03/24/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Computer shows
and conferences have been multiplying in Canada in recent years,
with an assortment of specialized events added to the roster, and
with major show operators from the United States entering the
market in competition with established contenders.

This April, Toronto's Canadian Exposition and Conference Centre
will host the second Canada's Pen-Based Systems Conference.
Expanded to two days, the event will take place April 21 and 22,
with the exhibition floor open only to conference registrants on
the first day and to the general public on the second.

Conference sessions are organized into general and technologies
streams, a series of workshops, and a "show-me" stream focused on
hands-on looks at pen-based hardware and software. Speakers are
to include: Vern Raburn, chairman and chief executive of Slate;
Alain Rossman, president and chief executive of Eo; Stratton
Sclavos, vice-president of sales at Go; and Norm Francis, president
of PenMagic Software.

An old standby returns to Place Bonaventure in Montreal June 2-4.
The Montreal International Computer & Office Exhibition is now in
its 11th year. This year's show will include Interoperability
Expo, a special section devoted to open systems and networking.

The first Toronto FoxPro Developers' Conference is set for June
11 and 12 at the Sheraton East Hotel in Toronto. Seminars,
workshops, and panel discussions are on the agenda, with a trade
show focused on FoxPro development tools, applications, and
other database-related products.

The first Comdex/Canada is slated for the Metropolitan Toronto
Convention Centre July 13-15. The Interface Group, US-based
producer of the mammoth Fall Comdex show in Las Vegas, has
combined the former PC/Canada and LAN Expo shows, and is
projecting there will be about 200 exhibitors and more than
20,000 visitors at the 1993 event, up from 120 exhibitors and
just under 9,500 visitors at PC/Canada and LAN Expo, which
were held together in 1992.

LAN Expo remains as a section of Comdex/Canada, and there
will also be a Windows World section.

Montreal consulting firm DMR Group, with Toronto-based trade
show company International Conferences + Exhibitions and
marketer Motivational Strategies, will stage InfoTech '93 at
the Metro Toronto Convention Centre September 27 and 28.
DMR calls the conference Canada's only national symposium
and showcase for strategic technological issues.

The 16th Ottawa Business and Government Computer Show will
take place at Landsdowne Park September 29 and 30. More than
150 exhibitors and 6,500 visitors are expected, organizers
Industrial Trade & Computer Shows said.

(Grant Buckler/19930324/Press Contact: Sandra Trabucco, Plesman
Exhibitions & Conferences, 416-497-9562 ext. 371; Diane Laporte,
ECM Ltd., 514-288-8811; Patricia Marshall, ECM Ltd., 416-497-9562
ext. 372; Valdis Matison, Toronto FoxPro Developers' Conference,
415-256-4495; Kim Pappas, The Interface Group, 617-449-6600;
Roland Klassen, International Conferences + Exhibitions,
416-581-8797; Gail Bergman, Industrial Trade and Consumer Shows,
416-422-1414; Public Contact: Plesman Exhibitions & Conferences
and ECM Ltd., 514-288-8811 or 416-497-9562; Toronto FoxPro
Developers' Conference, 416-256-4495 or 800-268-2841; The
Interface Group, 416-283-3334 or 617-449-6600; International
Conferences + Exhibitions, 416-581-8797 or 416-480-1551
Industrial Trade and Consumer Shows, 416-252-7791)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00021)

Sony Develops 1.5-Gigabyte 2.5-inch Disk Technology 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Sony says it has developed a
technology capable of creating a 2.5-inch hard disk, which can
hold 1.5 gigabyte od data. The firm has already produced a
prototype version of the disk. It is reported that the technology
is the combination of a Mini-Disks and a compact disk (CD).

Sony's latest 2.5-inch original hard disk technology is called the
Pre-Embossed Rigid Magnetic, or the PERM. The disk has embossed
tracks or grooves on both sides of the disk. Basically, it uses the
same mastering and stamping process as that of a music CD.

Sony claims that it is a totally new technology. A prototype
2.5-inch hard disk prototype has already been developed, which
has 5,000 tracks per inch and can store 200 megabytes (MB)
of data. The disk measures 10 by 7 by one centimeter in size.

The grooves on the disk prevents noise, which is usually created by
the friction between the tracks. With narrower grooves, Sony is
preparing to produce a disk with 15,000 tracks per inch in the
near future. This disk will hold 1.5 gigabyte of data.

Sony will unveil the details of this technology at Electronics
Data Communication Meeting in Nagoya on March 30. Sony's 2.5-inch
hard disk has lots of potential. It can be applied to notebook-type
personal computers as well as regular desktop computers.

According to Sony, the hard disk will be commercially
available in about two years.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930324/Press Contact: Sony,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00022)

Japan - Ricoh Upgrades Neuro-Computer 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Japan's major office equipment
maker Ricoh has developed an upgraded version of its neuro-
computer that is claimed to be 20 times more powerful than its
predecessor.

Ricoh says it is more practical than the previous version and
wants to apply it to computers and industrial robots.

Ricoh's upgraded neuro-computer simulates the human brain. It is
called the RN200 and comes in a computer board, which has seven
units of Ricoh's original digital neuro chip and a multiple number of
memory elements. Each neuro chip has 16 neurons and 256 units of
Synapse or neuron circuits.

The board itself measures 45 by 45 centimeters. This neuro-computer
is extremely powerful compared with its first version the RN1000,
which was developed by Ricoh in June 1992. The new neuro-computer
has 16 times more neurons per chip, and the processing speed is
almost 20 timers faster.

The company claims that the computer is capable of processing
at a maximum speed of six billion calculations per second. It can
recognize a written letter at 0.1 second.

Ricoh is thinking of applying this neuro-computer to various
industrial robots. It can also be connected with a personal
computer. Ricoh is also said to be developing a general purpose
neuro-computer.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930324/Press Contact:
Ricoh, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00023)

India - HCL HP Steps Up Customer Support 03/24/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- HCL Hewlett-Packard, the
joint venture company between Hewlett-Packard and HCL of India,
has launched a nationwide network of 14 independent units to
provide increased support services. Through these units - called
Frontline Solutions Ltd., (FSL) - HCL HP will strive to regain its
share of the non-corporate market that has diminished to 10 percent
from a whooping 40 percent in the eighties.

"The increased focus on larger accounts caused the slip down,"
said Sujit Baxi, program manager for the FSL project. "These smaller
units have been launched to woo lost clients and ensure swift
redress of their woes and needs."

While HCL HP will handle only 1,000 national accounts, the balance of
the business will be handled by these independent units spread across
the country. Operating as exclusive sales outlets for HCL HP products,
these centers will provide support services to the large localized
accounts and clients requiring specialized integrated systems.

Working closely with a dealer network, the FSLs will have the
freedom to chose the software vendors, but the selected packages
will have to undergo quality audits by HCL HP.

The three-tier strategy to strengthen its support services network is
seen as another bid on part of HCL HP to sustain its lead in an industry
market where customer support makes all the difference.

"The aim of the FSLs is to  provide the same level of service to those
customers who got ignored as we expanded operations," explained Ajai
Choudhry, director, HCL HP. The company will use the HP expertise and
techniques to make up. It will have 80 percent equity stake in each of
the FSLs while the remainder will be with the respective CEOs. The
 HCL HP stakes in these units is expected to lower to 51 percent as the
employees' share increases to 30 percent, with the rest being made
public.

While the FSLs at Calcutta, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Pune are
expected to be opened shortly, those at Bombay and Madras have been
operational since September 1992.

Set up with a paid up capital of about Rs 1.5 million, Frontline
Solutions Bombay has already raked in a net profit of Rs 1.15 million
over a billing of Rs 350 million (around $11.6 million) in the past
five months. While another Rs 600,000  has come in through Frontline
Solutions Madras that has managed Rs 20 million billing in the same
period.

"We are expecting these FSLs to bring an incremental increase of
about Rs 350-400 million from the same market within a year," added
Baxi. The company also expects these units to generate about Rs
650-700 million in their first year of operation. FSLs are being
planned for all those areas where the HCL HP business ranges to about
Rs 20-30 million. "Once this experiment is successful in India, HP
proposes to introduce the same in the far east," revealed Baxi.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930323)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00024)

 ****Lotus Intros Notes 3.0 03/24/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Lotus Development
has unveiled Release 3.0 of Notes, its work-group application
development software.

The new release, which is to ship in April, includes a new Notes
client for the Apple Macintosh computer as well as a new server
component that runs on Microsoft Windows. Lotus said Notes will
be available for the most popular Unix systems later this year.

Lotus also introduced new support options for the software and
revealed distribution deals with major PC distributors Merisel
and Ingram Micro in the United States and Canada, and its
availability through major corporate resellers such as Egghead
Software, Corporate Software, Softmart, and Software Spectrum.

A new developers' program is meant to encourage other software
developers to build applications on top of Notes, and new
packaging and Starter Pack options will make the software -
once aimed almost exclusively at large users - more accessible
to smaller customers, the company said.

Lotus also announced an education program to try to make
Notes-related training more widely available.

Lotus said enhancements to the software include support for
new networks; usability and feature enhancements for end users;
application development tools and an improved development
environment; changes aimed at making Notes installations easier
to administer; and new technologies ways of integrating with
other applications.

(Grant Buckler/19930324/Press Contact: Nancy Scott or Diane
Horak, McGlinchey & Paul for Lotus, 617-862-4514)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00025)

 ****42 Vendors Form Int'l Computer Fax Association 03/24/93
NORWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- To
promote the benefits of fax boards, fax servers, and other aspects
of computer-based faxing, 42 companies have come together to
form the International Computer Facsimile Association (ICFA).

Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Intel, DEC, WordPerfect, NEC, Hayes,
National Semiconductor, Canon, and Xerox are all on the initial
membership list, and so are many smaller vendors specializing in
the areas of modems, OCR (optical character recognition)
software, fax machines, LAN (local area network) servers, and
printers.

"Our members felt we needed a united front to bring the many
advantages of computer-based faxing to the computer user.
Computer faxing is simple, saves time and money, and increases
productivity," said Ken Ryan, president of the ICFA and vice
president of BIS Strategic Decisions, a Norwell, MA-based
information technology research firm that is also a member.

Added Janet Fugazzotto, senior market analyst at BIS: "Computer-
based faxing is still an emerging technology, and many of the
vendors believed their voices needed to be louder. Now they can
speak as one big voice."

Computer faxing lets users send and receive faxes right on their
PCs and workstations, instead of trekking to a departmental fax
machine and then standing in line, Fugazzotto explained.  The
technology also provides fax management features that simplify
document flow and help reduce costs.

One capability, fax broadcasting, allows simultaneous transmission
of multiple faxes, saving the user from feeding the same document
through a fax machine over and other again. Another feature -
automatic scheduling - defers fax transmission to a user-specified
time. By delaying transmission to off-peak hours, for example, the
user can cut down on fax-related phone bills.

Fax broadcasting, automatic scheduling, and many other functions,
including notification of incoming faxes, are available through
standalone PC fax boards and associated software, the analyst said.
However, more sophisticated management capabilities are coming
into play with the rising new market segment of fax servers.

Fugazzatto told Newsbytes that fax servers come in three basic
configurations: a computer equipped with a board and software;
an external box containing the same components; and the even
newer technology of a fax machine outfitted with a fax board and
software.

Traditionally, mainframe- and midrange-based systems have used
a dedicated PC as a fax server, she said. Unix- and PC-based
networks have employed either a box or a PC with a board and
software.

In the LAN environment, the fax server is used in conjunction with
a file server residing somewhere on the network, Fugazzatto noted.
Client workstations are equipped with fax software. On some LANs,
the same machine doubles as file server and fax server.

Fax servers can be interfaced to both network management and
corporate electronic mail (e-mail) systems, permitting them to
carry out such tasks as tracking billing codes by department and
converting e-mail messages into fax format.

According to Ryan, the new ICFA intends to launch an aggressive
public education program on computer-based faxing this spring.
Also in the works are plans to promote technology and
compatibility standards for the new industry.

Other members of the group include Alcom, All the Fax, American
International Forest Products, Artisoft, Ascom Telecommunications,
Brooktrout Technology, Calculus, Castelle, Cheyenne Software,
Communique, Cracchiolo & Feder, DCE Communications Group, Dex
Business Systems, Dialogic, and Eicon Technology.

Also on the roster are Gammalink Graphics, Hitachi Telecom, Human
Communication, Konica Business Machines, Nuntius Corp., OAZ
Communications, Okidata, Optus Software, Pure Data Research,
Samsung Software, SofNet, T4 Systems, Tele-Data, Teubner &
Associates, Ubitech Systems, and US Robotics.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930324/Press contact:  Chad Hill, Hill
Communications for ICFA, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00026)

 ****Apple PIE Division Intros Portable CD Player 03/24/93
HANNOVER, GERMANY, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Apple Computer,
at the Cebit show in Hanover, Germany, has announced PowerCD, a
compact disk (CD) player for compact disc read-only memory
(CD-ROM) discs, Kodak Photo CDs, and audio CDs.

The company maintains that this is the first product to come out
of its Personal Interactive Electronics Division (PIE), which is
the same division working on the Newton personal digital
assistant (PDA).

Apple says the PowerCD is portable, battery operated, and can
be connected to a television for replay of digitized 35 millimeter
photographs or negatives stored on a Kodak Photo CD or to a
stereo system for replay of audio CDs. A built in Small
Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) port enables connection to
the Macintosh and a remote control for image viewing that works
with a television or a Macintosh comes with the unit, which
allows users to zoom in, rotate, crop, and view images in any
order.

Users with Quicktime - Apple's multimedia extension to the
System 7 operating system for the Macintosh - will also have
the ability to access, cut, copy, and paste high-quality digitized
images into documents, and edit them using Macintosh graphics
applications.

The portability of the PowerCD may cut into a market Philips
and other CD-Interactive developers had hoped to penetrate.
Apple says sales people can use the PowerCD to connect to a
television and give sales presentations. The high storage
capability of a single CD makes it possible for an entire product
catalog with photographs, images, video clips, and text to be
placed on a single CD.

The corporate sales force is a market Philips and Sony have been
boasting they could capture with the portable CD-I player. However,
CD-I is a new format and one not widely accepted, while Apple
claims its PowerCD supports the ISO/High Sierra file format and
the CD Digital Audio Format (CD-DA).

Apple says the PowerCD will be available this summer. The
company has not released any pricing information. Company
representatives said the PowerCD is planned to come with
a remote control for Photo CD and CD playback, an AC power
adaptor, and a CVBS cinch-style video cable to connect the
unit to a television.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930324/Press Contact: Tricia Chan, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00027)

 ****Apple Claims Japanese Market Share Growing 03/24/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Apple Computer says
it is experiencing strong growth in its Japanese market. Apple
Japan is reporting revenues in excess of $500 million for
fiscal year 1992 and International Data Corporation (IDC) is
reporting Apple is the second in market share in the Japanese
personal computer market.

Apple currently holds 8.8 percent of the personal computer
market share in Japan. The company says its current market
share is an increase of 2.8 percent over last year. NEC still
holds the number one spot in personal computer market share
and has held steady at 51.7 percent.

Apple is crediting the introduction of Kanjitalk 7, the
Japanese version of System 7, and the availability of over
1,000 localized applications, for the growth.

Apple entered the Japanese market in 1983 and since then has
translated nearly all of its products to Japanese, as well as
offering help and resources to third party software developers
to aid in the translation process. As a result, Apple says the
number of software products for the Macintosh on the
Japanese market has increased 100 times since 1989.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930324/Press Contact: Nancy Kelly, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Lynne Lawler,
Regis McKenna for Apple, 415-354-4490)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00028)

Add Landscaping To Virtual Reality With Vista Pro 03/24/93
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) --
Virtual Reality Laboratories says its new version of Vista Pro
makes landscapes you create more real than ever. The company
says you can add surfaces with texture, trees with shaded
leaves, and even generate images that you can view with three
dimensional glasses and it is getting ready to release a
product that will perform morphing.

Vista Pro allows users to create three dimensional landscapes,
then with a product called Flight Director, move through the
landscapes. However, the types of landscapes you could create
were very barren and rocky, based on the capabilities of the
product. Now the company says it has added trees such as oak,
pine, palm, cactus, and sagebrush with three dimensional leaves
which users can add to Vista Pro landscapes. Granite texturing
has also been added so rock surfaces can be made to appear more
realistic.

In addition, users can now add roads, buildings, animals or
other landscape additions because PCX files can now be
superimposed on the landscape. Clouds, waterfalls, and buildings
have also been added to the product for use in landscapes.

Larger landscapes are possible in version 3.0 with support for
up to 1,026 by 1,026 data points. The company says images can be
rendered in 24-bit color in both AT&T Targa and Windows 3.1 BMP
formats and 24-bit backgrounds and foregrounds may be loaded
either behind or in front of landscapes. Screen resolutions up
to 1,280 by 1,024 are supported, but the image resolution can be
as high as 4,096 by 4,096, Virtual Reality Labs added.

Vistamorph, a product expected for release in April of this
year, was also announced by Virtual Reality Laboratories.
Morphing is a process by which one image is visually transformed
into another and is popular in television and movie special
effects.

The company says Vistamorph will allow personal computer
users, through the use of morphing, to create landscapes that
are changing as the user moves through the landscape. Only
landscape features can be used and one landscape feature can
only morph into another landscape feature, so for example, you
can turn a mountain into a molehill.

The company says users will be able to create landscapes to
fly through that have moving clouds, a rising and setting sun,
shadows traveling across the landscape, moving waterfalls,
and trees growing.

Vistamorph will retail for $69.95 and is only geared toward
use with Vista Pro. Vista Pro version 3.0 is $129.95, but
current users may upgrade for $45, the company added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930324/Press Contact: Susan Woeltjen,
Virtual Reality Laboratories, tel [phone], fax 805-781-
2259)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00029)

 ****Microsoft's Gates To Wed Co-Worker 03/24/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates has reportedly become engaged.

Gates, is considered to be America's wealthiest individual with an
estimated net worth of about $7 billion, and has been called the
nation's most eligible bachelor. He apparently will relinquish
the latter titles when he marries 28-year old Microsoft product
manager Melinda French. Gates, 37, and French, reportedly became
engaged this past weekend. Microsoft spokesperson Marty Taucher
said the couple has dated off and on for the past five years. No
date has been set for the wedding.

French, a native of Dallas, Texas, works as a product manager on
one of Microsoft's products, Microsoft Publisher, a low-end
desktop publishing program. She reportedly holds a bachelor's
degree in Computer Science and a master's degree in business
administration, both from Duke University. The company is not
saying much about the  engagement, but one spokesperson
described French as "a very strong computer science person."

Gates is well known for his propensity for work to the exclusion of
socializing, but company observers are now wondering if that might
be tempered once the couple marry. However, the spokesperson said
Melinda understands the company's work ethic. "I expect Bill and
Melinda to continue to work very hard. I don't see any change
forthcoming in the way we do business."

Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to co-found the company that
has since grown into the world's largest computer software firm.

This is reportedly not his first public relationship. In the book
"Hard Drive-Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire"
authors James Wallace and Jim Erickson claim that Gates dated
a Digital Equipment computer sales representative, describing
that as "his first serious relationship." Wallace and Erickson
quote the woman as saying "Girl friends are clearly peripheral
in the whole scheme of things." That relationship reportedly
ended in 1984.

The company declined to comment on whether French would
continue to work at Microsoft.

Gates is building a huge house on four acres fronting on 415 feet
of Lake Washington, east of Seattle. The house has been called San
Simeon North, a reference to the William Randolph Hearst castle
in San Simeon, California. About 80 percent of the house will
reportedly be below ground level. The home is estimated to be
worth about $40 million, and will reportedly have dozens of
wall-size computer screens to display artwork and video programs,
a pool, a 20-car garage, three kitchens, a movie theater, two
elevators, a library and game room, and a reception hall that
can accommodate more than 100 people.

(Jim Mallory/19930324/Press contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-88208080)


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

Lucid Utility Pack For PC Laptops 03/24/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 24 (NB) -- Lucid is now
shipping the Battery Boost Notebook Utility Pack, a collection of
six utilities for laptop users.

Included in the pack, which has a suggested retail price of $179.95,
is: Battery Boost, a power management utility; FastLynx, a program to
transfer files between PCs; Double Density, for disk compression;
screen enhancement program Laptop Ultravision; COP, which provides
security for your laptop; and NoMouse, a cursor enhancement program.

"We identified the six primary problem areas that most portable
computer users face, and assembled a collection of utilities that
addressed each of these concerns," says Lucid President Mark
Lambright.

Battery Boost is published by Lucid, and is designed to extend
battery life, a critical concern for mobile computer users. Battery
Boost includes a battery gauge that acts like the gas gauge in your
automobile, and a deep discharge feature to eliminate the "memory
effect" experienced by laptop batteries when they are recharged
after a partial discharge. According to Lucid, the Battery Boost
power management features can extend battery life up to 50 percent.

FastLynx transfers files between computers. It uses a split-screen
technique to show the files on each computer simultaneously. A
special cable is included that connects the parallel ports of the
two machines, allowing data transfer at up to 8 megabytes per
minute. FastLynx by itself has a suggested list price of $169.95.

DoubleDensity is a file compression program that performs "on-the-
fly" data compression and decompression so more files can be stored
on an existing hard disk without having to install a larger-capacity
disk. When DoubleDensity is in use, hard disk password protection is
also provided.

UltraFont, a derivative of Laptop UltraVision, is designed to
enhance the screen clarity of the LCD (liquid crystal display)
displays used in many laptop computers. The program provides
larger, bolder characters.

NoMouse eliminates the need to carry a mouse with your laptop but
still be able to work in Microsoft Windows. NoMouse allows you to
move your cursor in any direction using the cursor control keys.
NoMouse also includes an EasyFind triple-size cursor, an inverse
mouse pointer, an enlarged hour glass and enhanced I-beam cursor.

COP is designed to protect your computer against theft by embedding
a unique encrypted serial number on your notebook's hard drive for
positive identification if the stolen machine is recovered.

Lucid spokesperson David Hayden told Newsbytes buyers of the utility
pack also receive a free subscription to PC Laptop magazine. Present
users of Battery Boost can upgrade to the utility pack for $79.95.
Lucid says it plans to release a CD-ROM version of its DOS-based
Lightning, a performance enhancer for CD-ROM drives.

(Jim Mallory/19930324/Press contact: David Hayden, Lucid
Corp., 214-994-8100 ext 1551)