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/nb930426

Text File | 1993-04-26 | 69KB | 1,432 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00001)

"India Direct" Service Debuts In US 04/26/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- AT&T and Videsh Sanchar Nigam
(VSM), the state-controlled company that handles international calls
in India, have teamed up to offer an "India Direct" service that
mirrors the USA Direct service available in many countries.

The idea is that callers wishing to place a call back to India can
dial a special number (000-116) in the US and have their calls
switched to a Hindi-speaking AT&T operator who completes the call for
them. The service is known as USA Direct Namaskar Seva. Namaskar,
Newsbytes notes, is a common word of greeting in the Indian language.

On dialling 000-116, callers in the US have their calls answered by a
Hindi-speaking AT&T operator. Calls can be made on a collect basis,
or are billed to an AT&T card.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930426)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00002)

Image Searching Utility For Mac 04/26/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- The Mac may have text
retrieval programs aplenty, but what if you are trying to find a
particular set of pixels in a database of images? General Image has
the answer -- Full Pixel Search, an image searching program that
allows users to search for similar regions within a database of
8-bit TIFF or PICT images on Apple Computer's Macintosh.

Priced at $700 to $900, the program is not for the casual user, but
is aimed at anyone involved in general scientific imaging, remote
sensing, biomedical imaging and computer art. Users are presented with
a search template in which they can author a search by creating a
pattern of pixels or by copying an interesting region of pixels into
the search template. Copied regions to be searched can also be edited
by the user. Full Pixel Search then searches on the authored or copied
pattern throughout any image of up to 3,000 lines and columns.

Search templates can be saved as separate files, as can the location
of all matches or "finds" generated from the search. Users can specify
absolute, or 100 percent accuracy of the search routine, or relative
accuracy incremented in one percent intervals.

Full Pixel Search generates histograms for any selected region of an
image and also shows the co-ordinates and spectral class value for any
pixel under the cursor. It can generate a census report for all the
pixels that neighbor on any selected pixel class. This gives the user
the ability to quantitatively explore the degree of non-randomness in
any image.

For more information on the package contact Dr. Richard Podolsky, 235
W. 56th St. Suite 20N, New York, NY 10019-4330, Fax: [phone].

(Wendy Woods/19930426)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00003)

"Business As Usual" After Bomb Hits London 04/26/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Saturday's IRA bomb blast that
rocked London's financial district, causing havoc at the Natwest
Tower, was not in the same league as the World Trade Center bombing at
the end of February, but it achieved the same effect as far as the
terrorists were concerned -- the interruption of the normally smooth
flow of information and shares plus currency dealing in London
areas, albeit for a short while.

As Newsbytes goes to press on Monday afternoon, London time, the
streets around the City of London have been cleared of debris and
people are back in their offices, less than 48 hours after the IRA
bomb -- thought by many to be the most devastating on the British
mainland - went off.

The bomb blew out the walls and windows of several buildings, cutting
a 40-foot crater in the City of London's Bishopsgate section and
blowing out whole sections of glass in the sides of the Natwest
Tower, a familiar City landmark. Incredibly, British Telecom claims
that virtually all those offices that had phone service at close of
business on Friday would have had some sort of service provision
when business opened on Monday.

Because the London City bomb hit on a Saturday, officials had the
weekend to mop up the damage, including breaking the sad
news to the relatives of the one reporter known to have died in the
incident. At press time, it looked as though several others might be
unaccounted for, although officials were painting a positive picture.

The damage in material terms to the City is put into the billion pound
bracket - about 20 percent less than the World Trade Center bombing.
Surprisingly, however, the losses due to lack of trading as a result
of the bomb appear minimal, as an estimated 250,000 office
employees arranged alternative accommodation.

Disaster recovery experts suggest that the real reason for the
"business as usual" signs going up today were less to do with the fact
that managers had done their homework on disaster recovery planning,
but more to the 48 hours that companies had to sort their affairs out
before their businesses reopened.

Disaster contigency planning is still very much in its infancy, at
least, as far as financial companies are concerned. The World Trade
Center bombing, which affected around 55,000 office workers in 900
companies, clearly illustrated this. As the IRA bomb went off on
Saturday, 350 of those 900 New York companies have still to relocate
their staff back to their original offices, despite the two-month gap
to get things back up and running.

IBM has just completed a timely exercise in conjunction with the
Loughborough University of Technology that concluded that, even if
firms did initiate disaster recovery plans, they frequently failed to
include the ability to recover the business functions lost as a result
of a disaster striking their computers in their plans, rather than
just the loss of their computing facilities.

The IBM study also queried whether firms were including their PCs in
their disaster recovery plans. The study found that 33 percent of
more than 400 UK companies surveyed had no written anti-computer virus
procedures for their PCs, for example.

Part of the problem may be due to information technology (IT) managers
being unable to fund their disaster recovery plans. Tony Elbra, a
senior computer consultant with the Manchester-based National
Computing Center, claims that the result of a funding shortfall is
that IT professionals spend their time selling the idea to the holders
of the purse strings in their organizations.

"The management of a company might be willing to look at the problem,
but not at the costs involved in securing against the problem
affecting their operations. For this reason, many IT managers are
forced into having to cobble something together rather than taking a
strategic approach to the problem," he said.

Elbra agrees with the conclusions of the IBM/Loughborough University
report that organizations fail to look at the effects of a disaster on
their systems, but instead, concentrate solely on their computing
center resources.

This is understandable, he said, since, because of the inability of
management to come up with the funds to finance contingency planning
effectively, the initiatives he has come across have invariably been
led by the DP managers in charge of the computer center.

Back in London, the devastation was summed up by Vincent Jones, a
publisher with IBC Publishing, who said that the City of London had
been blown apart by the bomb. "Our offices are three miles from the
center of the blast, yet the alarms still went off," he said.

Other eyewitness reports of the blast told to Newsbytes included one
girl whose flat was 300 yards away from the blast, facing away, but
whose windows rattled in their frames and who reported a blinding
flash of light.

"This is clearly something that will stick in the minds of many city
workers for several years to come," said one senior police official on
TV over the weekend.

(Steve Gold/19930426)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00004)

Laplink V For Netware 04/26/93
BOTHELL, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Traveling Software
has announced it is now shipping Laplink V for Netware. According to
the company, the package supports peer-to-peer file transfer
capabilities over a Novell network.

Laplink V for Netware also includes three levels of password security,
a SmartXchange feature for automated file transfers, and will operate
in the background under Microsoft Windows.

Before the network version, Laplink had been popular with laptop users
to transfer files between a laptop or notebook and a desktop computer,
and many of the features found in the Netware version first appeared
in the laptop software, which uses an included cable that can handle
transfers through the two computer's serial or parallel ports.

The company claims that any user of Novell Netware version 2.2 or 3.11
can run Laplink V for Netware and have access to any other user on the
network. Laplink V provides a list of all active users on the network
available to send or retrieve files peer-to-peer. The package supports
Novell's Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) and works across bridges
and routers so users connected to different servers can still be
accessed. The Netware version is claimed to be fully compatible with
Laplink V for laptops.

The security features' three levels of access include machine, drive,
and directory. Unique passwords may be designated to different users
or groups of users and each user may have rights to information at
different levels. The package also claims to adhere to Novell
Netware's security features.

Using SmartXchange, Laplink V claims to fully automate file transfer
tasks. It features recorder and scheduler functions allow users to
schedule unattended events like backups or software distribution
across a network. The recorder memorizes any file transfer routine and
will play it back later at any specified time. A calendar interface
allows the user to schedule any recorded event to automatically play
back at specified intervals such as monthly, weekly or daily. Other
SmartXchange features include Refresh Directory, Synchronize, and
Clone directory.

Synchronize makes the files in a specified directory identical on both
computers, with the latest version of each file updating the older
version on the other computer. Clone directory is an easy process for
duplicating an entire directory on one computer to another.

Laplink V for Netware is a DOS application optimized to run in the
background under Windows so users on the network can continue working
while other users send and retrieve files. The program also provides
dial-in capabilities for workers at home or in the field, with access
to the same drives on the network as they would have using their
desktop PC. The program works with the Shiva NetModem to dial directly
into the network server and access network drives and workstations,
supporting about 70 different modems.

A feature called UCO (Universal Communications Object) allows PCs to
communicate whether connected by cellular modem, infrared, or spread
spectrum radio links. System requirements include 470K of system
memory, PC-DOS or MS-DOS 3,1 or higher or DRDOS 5 or 6, and Netware
2.2 or 3.11. Traveling says it will support Netware 4.0 in its
products in the future. To run Laplink V in the background you have to
be able to run Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode.

A five workstation license for Laplink V costs $499.95, but you can
get it for $50 less on an introductory offer that expires June 30th.
The software is available on both 5.25 and 3.5 inch diskette. Cables
and additional documentation can be purchased directly from Traveling
Software. The single workstation license costs $129.95, with the
introductory offer making it available for $99.95 until June 30.

(Jim Mallory/19930426/Press contact: Marci Maule, Traveling
Software, 206-483-8088; Reader contact: Traveling Software,
206-483-8088,fax [phone])


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

Act! For Windows Users Get Free Upgrade 04/26/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Contact Software
Incorporated (CSI) has announced that it will ship a free upgrade to
all registered users of its contact management software Act! for
Windows. CSI has also reduced the price for first time buyers.

The company claims that Act! For Windows version 1.1 performance has
been significantly improved, with some functions running as much as
300 percent faster on a 386-based system.

Act! for Windows 1.1 also contains several new data integration and
portability features which allow users to exchange data between Act!
programs, as well as to and from other Windows programs. A point-and-
shoot feature has been added to import dBase IV and ASCII files, as
has a data link for Hewlett-Packard 95LX palmtop computers.

An advanced merge feature allows reconciliation of data between
multiple versions of Act!, and users can move records between Act! For
Windows databases. The program will also import data from other
contact managers and personal information managers (PIMs) such as
PackRat, Lotus Organizer, and Maximizer.

Another new feature is the ability to link popular Windows-based word
processors such as Microsoft's Word For Windows, Lotus' AmiPro, and
Wordperfect for Windows through included dynamic data exchange (DDE)
links. There's also a DDE link to WinFax PRO that allows Act! for
Windows to capture a contact record name and fax number and use it as
the address for a fax prepared in the word processor.

CSI notes that it has also included some user-requested features in
the new version, including optional auto-rollover of uncompleted
activities, a quick-dial phone list, and enhanced lookup features for
searching within existing groups.

The company has also introduced new packaging and the new user
price has been reduced from $495 to $395. CSI also publishes Act!
for Apple Computer's Macintosh platform and for DOS-based systems.
CSI spokesperson Heidi Munin told Newsbytes users of the DOS version
of Act! can upgrade to the windows version for $99 to $199,
depending on the DOS version they are using. Munin said Act For
Windows 1.1 is expected to ship by the first of May.

(Jim Mallory/19930426/Press contact: Heidi Munin, Contact Software
International, 214-919-9584; Reader contact: Contact Software
International, 214-919-9500, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00006)

Gulliver's Lilliputian Mouse 04/26/93
PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- If you need
portability in your computer and you want to use a mouse, Appoint has
a new mouse just for you. The company calls the $119 mouse "Gulliver"
and says it is thirty percent smaller than normal, yet can be operated
almost anywhere.

The Gulliver mouse operates using friction so it can be used on any
surface at any angle, according to Appoint. The company claims that
the new mouse does not require a mouse pad or tablet because it has a
unique ability to track smoothly on uneven surfaces. This means it can
be used on an armrest or tray table of an airplane or even on a user's
knee.

In use, Gulliver can be held either as a conventional mouse or like an
artist's chalk. It can be controlled with the fingers and not just
with wrist and arm movements. Left or right handed users can make use
of Gulliver as it is equipped with two horizontal buttons on its
rounded front. An adjustment for cursor speed is available via a third
button which lets users quickly adjust cursor speed from normal to
fast.

Versions of Gulliver are available for PC and Mac users. Serial or bus
connectors are supported on the PC version, while the Mac version
supports the serial port connector.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930426/Press Contact: Shannon Squyres,
Corporate Relations Group for Appoint, tel [phone], fax
714-955-1868; Michele Cimera, Appoint, 510-417-0611)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00007)

UK - Aashima Signs OEM Agreement With IBM 04/26/93
WITHAM, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Aashima Distribution has
signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with IBM.
Terms of the agreement call for IBM to allow its hard disk technology
to be used in Aashima's range of Trust and unbranded PCs.

The agreement allows Aashima to use IBMs IDE interface-equipped hard
drives in sizes ranging from 40 megabytes (MB) to 1 gigabyte (GB) data
capacities. Stuart Greenfield, Aashima's managing director, notes that
IBM's drives have historically offered a high price/performance
ratio when compared with the rest of the computing industry.

"Combined with our relationship with Intel, the IBM OEM agreement is
especially good for our dealers as it allows us to offer them the most
reliable solution -- Intel and IBM," he said.

Aashima is a trade-only distributor of PCs. The company claims to be
vendor-independent, which it says frees it from potentially
restrictive distribution agreements and allows it to source the
most cost-effective solution to any PC-based computing problem,
dependent on prevailing market conditions.

The company is part of a European distribution network known as
Aashima International, with offices in France, Germany, Italy and the
Netherlands, as well as the UK.

(Steve Gold/19930426/Press & Public Contact: Aashima Distribution -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00008)

Australian Dealer Coop Formed To Offer Bulk Priced PCs 04/26/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- An Australian dealer
cooperative has been formed to supply competitively priced products
to its members. General Manager Brad Curran said it is perhaps
the only way the dealers can stay viable.

Curran quoted Dell Australia marketing manager, Denis Rowe, as saying
that "Australians are sick of paying for inflated dealer margins
without getting service." He also quoted Michael Dell himself as
saying "we didn't start the demise of the dealer channel, it was
already well underway."

But Curran disagrees strongly with this, saying: "With apologies to
Sam Clements, I believe these predictions regarding the death of
dealers have been exaggerated. During my fourteen years in the
industry I have found most Australian computer dealers enjoy an
enviable reputation for understanding customer problems and suggesting
affordable solutions."

Curran said that Comnet had been formed to give dealers a weapon
against the move to discount store purchases, by networking the small
to medium resellers. It operates by negotiating the best price on a
range of "common" products and services needed by members and also by
providing a central database/communications system where they can
share information and resources.

Comnet claims to have the same level of buying power as the large
retail chains or distributors. Each member is free to operate as he
did before, but has the buying advantage of a large group. It expects
to eventually have a buying power of up to AUS$400M (around US$290M)
with a base of 200 members.

"What we're offering is survival by volume," said Curran. "With central
administration the independent reseller's power becomes much greater.
They've always offered superior service and now they'll match any
price as well."

(Paul Zucker/19930426/Contact: Jeff Wood at Comnet on phone +61-2-429
5956 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00009)

New Apple Distrib/Reseller Groups In Australia 04/26/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Two new groups were formed
in Australia this week. The first is a distributor of Apple
peripherals, the second is a reseller body.

Axon Technology has been formed, partly as a result of the demise of
Australian Apple peripheral distributor Allaw Technology. It claims to
be able to "address the needs of resellers and VARs in the Macintosh
market... with an emphasis on service and support for the resellers
which will allow them to concentrate on the task of satisfying the
ever growing demands of the Australian end-user."

Axon Managing Director Bruce Dembecki (who was Mac sales manager with
Allaw Technology) said: "Axon will focus on the level of technical and
logistical factors that affect distribution in a country as large and
remote as Australia." Bruce can be contacted on phone [phone]
or fax [phone].

The Independent Australian Apple Resellers Association (IAARA) has
been formed to represent businesses around Australia, to help them "to
better handle the challenges which face them in the future." The goals
of the association are that:

It ensures viable, profitable businesses for all members of
the association and to maintain mutually beneficial business
relationships with Apple Australia.

It provides a forum for communication with third party suppliers
by its members to ensure viable, profitable businesses for both
members and third party suppliers.

Phillip Kerrigan, president of the new association, said that despite
the problems currently in the industry, there is an opportunity for
well-positioned resellers. Contact IAARA on phone [phone] or
fax [phone].

(Paul Zucker/19930426)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00010)

 ****EFF's Godwin - "Don't Self-Censor" 04/26/93
TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Mike Godwin, staff
counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), speaking at the
18th Annual Trenton Computer Festival, advised computer bulletin board
System (BBS) operators not to engage in self-censorship as a reaction
against possible government action.

Godwin, in response to a question asked by audience member Lewis
Tannor concerning what individuals might do to insure that
constitutional guarantees are preserved in the online world, said
that one of the worst things that individuals could do in this area
would be to willingly give up rights in order to avoid
confrontations.

He pointed out that the judge in the recently concluded "Steve Jackson
Games" case had, while interrogating a Secret Service agent concerning
motivation, even mentioned something to the effect of "you didn't
think that he would sue you." Godwin said that the Jackson case has
already caused other law enforcement agencies to modify their search
and seizure procedures.

Godwin pointed out that, had it not been for Jackson standing up for
his rights, these modifications would not have occurred. EFF supported
Jackson in the litigation.

In his informal talk, Godwin touched a wide range of issues in
addition to the Jackson case. He spoke of the FBI's "digital
telephony" initiative, current controversies concerning encryption,
and the press statements reflecting the Clinton position on these
issues; the recent EFF reorganization, and the impending trial of
Phiber Optik in a federal computer intrusion case.

Godwin told Newsbytes that he expects to move to Washington, DC within
the next two months. EFF has recently closed its Cambridge,
Massachusetts office and has consolidated its operations in its
Washington office under the direction of EFF executive director, Jerry
Berman.

As part of the same three-hour program, Simona Nass, founder of New
York City's Society for Electronic Access (SEA), spoke about the
myriad of issues relating to online communications and policy.
She described some activities of SEA in these areas and provided
general information concerning the goals of the organization.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930426/Press Contacts: Mike
Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 617-864-0665, Internet email:
[e-mail]; Simona Nass, Society for Electronic Access, 212-982-
4320, Internet email: [e-mail])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00011)

India Discovers Customer Support 04/26/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Customer support is fast
becoming the latest buzzword in the Indian computer industry. The
change in emphasis has a lot to do with increasing competition on the
pricing front, Newsbytes notes, forcing many suppliers to look to
methods other than pricing to persuade customers to buy their PCs.

Customer support, though expensive, is a relatively easy method to
"improve" the level of service to customers. This perhaps explains why
HCL Hewlett-Packard, which has been enthusiastically pursuing
increased sales this past year or so, has unveiled a new telephone
response center that will provide "dynamic, multi-faceted support
service dedicated to maintain computers in multi-user or LAN
environments," even in the most remote areas.

HCL Hewlett-Packard claims that, by using its HP Laser RX/UX software,
it can support even the remotest users by dialling in and checking out
the user's computer system over a modem link. The center also claims
that its normal response time is under four hours, once a problem has
been reported.

Initially, the center will offer a wide range of software planning,
problem assistance and update services to the diverse base of HP 9000
system users in India. The response center, which has been set up at
Noida, near Delhi, at a cost of Rs 3 crore, can also link via
satellite to the network of HP response centers worldwide.

Several companies have already adopted a remote service line while
tackling the support issue. Wipro Infotech has been experimenting with
remote support for sometime, and offers software support remotely. The
company has set up a database, called QSS, to record the nature of all
problems its engineers have encountered in the past. Plans are on to
make QSS available online.

Even the IBM-Tata joint venture, Tata Information Systems, which is
currently setting up its support network, is scouting for leased lines
to make its remote diagnosis systems more effective. Since the company
is also eyeing existing IBM installations in the country, it plans an
online access to IBM's central distribution center.

Not to be outdone, Digital Equipment (India) Limited (DEIL) is banking
on its predictive maintenance systems to give it the edge. The
company is relying on its TIMA and DSIL databases to give its
engineers access to a wide range of information on potential problems
encountered.

There are, however, a few dissident voices who are clearly
apprehensive of using remote dial-in support. Pradeep Kar, head of
Microland, says he does not favor remote support services, as he
doubts that customers are willing to invest in the communications
hardware required.

(C T Mahabharat/19930426)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00012)

Bill Gates Headlines PC Expo 04/26/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Bruno Blenheim, the
producer of PC Expos, has announced that Bill Gates, Chairman and CEO
of Microsoft Corporation, will be the keynote speaker at PC Expo in
New York, to be held June 29th through July 1 at New York City's Jacob
Javitts Convention Center. A one-day slate of tutorials precedes the
show on the 28th.

Gates' talk, entitled, "New Technology for the Information Age," will
be delivered at 9:00 am on Tuesday, the 29th. Other speakers during
the show's three days include: Alex Randall, president, Boston
Computer Exchange; Dan Spiner, managing director, Progressive
Strategies; Jim Hansel, vice president, UBS Asset Management; Howard
Marks, wizard, Networks Are Our Lives, Inc.; Fred Langa, editorial
director, Windows Magazine; Rick Segal, technical evangelist,
Microsoft; and Bill Laberis, editor-in-chief, Computerworld.

According to the Blenheim, more than 800 exhibitors will be present at
PC Expo. Firms scheduled to exhibit include Apple Computer; IBM;
Microsoft; Lotus Development, Tandy; Symantec; Official Airline
Guides; Hayes Microcomputer Products; and Ex Machina.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930426/Press Contact: PC
Expo In New York, 800-829-3976)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00013)

3Com, Cascade In WAN Strategic Partnership 04/26/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Building large
corporate multiprotocol wide area networks (WANs) can be problematic.
In order to address the situation, 3Com and Cascade Communications
have announced joint marketing and co-development plans.

The strategy calls for the combining of 3Com's NETBuilder routers and
Boundary Routing System Architecture with Cascade's STDX family of
frame relay switches. According to the companies, the result is the
capability to build large WANs through new architectures which are
highly scalable, simple to administer, and cost-efficient.

Dan Smith, CEO and president of Cascade, told Newsbytes that the deal
is an important one for Cascade as, "3Com is one of the leading
participants in the local area network (LAN) and bridging and router
marketplace."

3Com's Boundary Routing System Architecture provides a means of
reducing router administration requirements. Cascade maintains that it
provides the ability to build easily managed and cost-effective WAN
backbones through switching technologies.

The joint 3Com-Cascade strategy is primarily designed for users
building large WANs, where a large number of remote sites can be
economically concentrated into a single regional site.

Said Smith to Newsbytes: "We built the company looking at changes that
have occurred with data communications, caused by the growth of LANs
and bridges and routers, and the proliferation of intelligent
workstations. We focused Cascade's products on solving the needs and
requirements of that changing landscape."

3Com's Boundary Routing System Architecture enables customers to add
five to ten times more remote site connections without adding
resources, complexity or risk, claims the company.

Cascade's STDX family of broadband packet switches supports frame
relay, SMDS (switched multimegabit data service) and ATM (asynchronous
transfer mode). According to the company, the scalable STDX switches
incorporate highly reliable transport infrastructure, dependable
hardware and bandwidth management features of a WAN, and the network
management standards and state-of the art OSPF (Open Shortest Path
First) packet-forwarding technology of LAN internetworking
environments.

The companies claim that, in addition to providing a higher degree of
reliability, the combined offerings will dramatically lower the cost
structure of implementing and maintaining large WANs.

Announcing the partnership, Desh Deshpande, Cascade's vice president
of marketing and customer services, said: "The combination of 3Com and
Cascade products eliminates the need for costly leased lines and
reduces network administration problems. Customers can take advantage
of the economies of frame relay to connect their remote offices and
build a tightly integrated WAN infrastructure."

The deal will involve joint sales and marketing, as well as
co-development for interoperable network management, traffic
congestion control techniques, and support of frame relay with
boundary routing.

(Ian Stokell/19930426/Press Contact: Donna Stein, 408-764-5960, 3Com;
Joann Anderson, 617-252-0606, Cascade Communications)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00014)

Ungermann-Bass Lowers Ethernet Prices 04/26/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Ungermann-Bass
has announced a new lower-density, eight-port version of its
DragonSwitch for Ethernet product. At the same time the company has
also introduced two new Token Ring and Ethernet adapters.

According to the company, DragonSwitch for Ethernet is the first
hardware product that implements its Virtual Network Architecture
(VNA), providing users with many ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
benefits including dedicated bandwidth, multimedia support, and nearly
unlimited logical segmentation on their existing Ethernet networks.

An eight-port and a 16-port version of DragonSwitch for Ethernet are
now available. The new eight-port product is field-upgradable to the
16-port version, providing a migration path to those users who require
enhanced performance.

The company claims that the new DragonSwitch model supports up to
eight Ethernet ports with dedicated 10Mbps performance, and switches
traffic across the high-speed PlusBUS backplane in the Access/One
Enterprise Hub. A single Access/One hub enclosure supports up to five
DragonSwitch modules (either eight-port or 16-port).

The Access/One DragonSwitch eight-port model is set for availability
late this quarter, with the 16-port version to follow in the third
quarter. Pricing begins at $900 per port for both versions. The
company's two new Token Ring and Ethernet adapters are designed to
provide enterprise network "plug and play" support.

The UB-UTPTRA provides full four or 16Mbps support Token Ring networks
and is reported to be fully software configurable for ease of use and
trouble-free installation. The adapter automatically selects either
unshielded twisted pair (UTP) or shielded twisted pair (STP) wiring.

The UB-UTP16B is a 16-bit 10Base-T Ethernet adapter, designed to
provide connections for file servers and high performance workstations
into the local area network (LAN) or the enterprise. The UB-UTP16B is
also software configurable. It is also claimed to be is 100 percent
compatible with the Novell NE2000 driver.

According to the company, the UB- UTP16B software provides automatic
conflict-free configuration for interrupt level, input/output (I/O)
address and memory address and supports both unshielded twisted pair
(UTP) wiring and thick Ethernet wiring.

The UB-UTPTRA contains a built-in processor and RAM in order to handle
the media access control (MAC) and logical link control (LLC)
protocols.

The UB-UTPTRA is priced at $615 for a single adapter and $2,800 for a
five-pack bundle ($560 per card). The UB-UTP16B is available for $189
for a single adapter, $895 for a five-pack bundle ($179 per card) and
$3,380 ($169 per card) for a 20-pack bundle. Both adapters come with a
three-year warranty.

(Ian Stokell/19930426/Press Contact: Suzan Woods, 408-562-7958,
Ungermann-Bass)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00015)

Hacking At The End Of The Universe Conference 04/26/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Hack-Tic has announced
that it will host "Hacking at the End of the Universe: A Hacker Summer
Congress" from August 4th to 6th at Flevopolder, the Netherlands. The
three day "in-tent summer congress" is billed by the organizers as the
successor to the 1989 Galactic Hacker Party.

According to the announcement, the congress is intended for "hackers,
phone phreaks, programmers, computer haters, data travelers, electro-
wizards, networkers, hardware freaks, techno-anarchists,
communications junkies, cyberpunks, system managers, stupid users,
paranoid androids, Unix gurus, whizz kids, warez dudes, law
enforcement officers (appropriate undercover dress required),
guerrilla heating engineers and other assorted bald, long-haired
and/or unshaven scum."

The cost of attendance at the conference will be approximately $100 US
dollars. Events planned for the conference are "lectures, discussions
and workshops on hacking, phreaking, people's networks, Unix security
risks, virtual reality, semafun, social engineering, magstrips,
lockpicking, viruses, paranoia, legal sanctions against hacking in
Holland and elsewhere and much, much more."

English will be the lingua franca for this event, although some
workshops may take place in Dutch.

Included in the price are four nights in your own tent. Also included
are "inspiration, transpiration, a shortage of showers (but a lake to
swim in), good weather (guaranteed by God), campfires and plenty of
wide open space and fresh air."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930426/Press Contact: Hack-
Tic, 31-20-600-1480 (voice); 31-20-690-0968 (fax); heu.hacktic.nl on
the Internet)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00016)

 ****KDD Sends Movies By Satellite 04/26/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Japan's KDD has started testing its
compressed digital motion picture transmission on an Intelsat link
between Japan and the US. The introduction of the test service marks
the first time that digital motion picture data transmissions have
taken place over a satellite link.

Using the MUCCS45 data compression system, KDD is encoding four
digital satellite channels on to a single satellite video and audio
link. The signals being transmitted are news and sports programs.

So why squash four TV signals on to a single channel? In a word -
transmission costs. Moving TV signals around the globe is an expensive
business, so any system that allows better use of the video spectrum
is bound to attract the interest of telecom companies such as AT&T
and KDD. Given the current shortage of satellite airtime, even the
satellite TV stations are looking seriously at using the technology as
a stop-gap for the time when extra satellites can be blasted into
orbit.

To control the technology, telecom and broadcasting companies have
formed the Association of Digital Motion Picture Data Transmission
Experiments Via Telecomms Satellites. The association is being backed
by the Japanese Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930426/Press Contact: KDD, +81-3-
3347-6934, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00017)

Bill Rodgers Lends Running Expertise To Sports Software 04/26/93
HOLLIS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Whether
you're a real fitness nut or a weekend warrior, you may find you
need help staying motivated. Personal Performance Software
has developed a software package -- with the help of runner
Bill Rodgers, a master of motivation -- to keep you on track.

"Bill Rodgers' WinTrainer," written for Windows, targets the
more than 50 million Americans who participate in such health
and fitness activities as running, cycling, aerobics and walking.
Priced at $59.95, WinTrainer is said to combine athletic/fitness
training and tracking on the personal computer.

"I've always used a log [to keep track of my running]," Rodgers
said in a recent telephone interview. "I think it might have been
convenient to have had this type of software [during my marathon
running career], in terms of checking up on progress, looking
back at previous race results, and the previous month or even a
year or two earlier, to see what I had done on certain courses."

WinTrainer not only offers an electronic log, "but we've
interspersed training tips throughout these programs," Rodgers
said. "It's very easy to use and all the information you need is
easily accessible."

Rodgers, who has won both the Boston Marathon and the New York
Marathon four times, recently retired from marathon racing,
although he still runs about 25 races a year in the 5K-10K
distance range.

WinTrainer was the brainchild of Master's Division Runner Jerry
DiGrezio, who several years ago approached Paul Johnson, creator
and developer of the popular One-Write Plus software, while
Johnson was still at Great American Software. (Johnson left
Great American after it was sold to Meca Software early last
year.)

In April 1992, DiGrezio and Johnson founded Personal Performance
Software, then approached Rodgers for his involvement. WinTrainer
started shipping in December. Personal Performance Software
can be reached at 603/672-9224.

(Marguerite Zientara/19930426)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00018)

Marketing Help For Software Developers 04/26/93
PROVO, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- So you're a great programmer,
and you can write useful software, and it works. But how do you get it
all to market? That's where a Provo, Utah-based company called Gazelle
Systems come in. Gazelle recently announced its "Get To Market"
program to help developers get their software into the distribution
channel.

Gazelle's Mark Child told Newsbytes that the program helps both the
developer and Gazelle. The developer benefits by getting evaluation
and marketing help for his program, and Gazelle, if the program fits
its niche, gets another program to offer to its distributors. Child
claims that distributors are always looking for good programs, but
it's difficult to crack the channel if you don't know what you're
doing.

"Get To Market" has three phases. Phase I, which costs the developer
$500, gets an evaluation in-house by Gazelle research and development
and marketing staffers, and by an external focus group selected
specifically for the individual product. Once the evaluation is
carried out, Child told Newsbytes, the developer will receive a Phase
I evaluation Report detailing everything the evaluators have learned
about the product, its potential market, and its prospect for success
within that market.

If the product gets past the first phase, and the developer wants to
continue, Phase II has Gazelle performing a market research study on
the product and its market, as well as an analysis of the "look and
feel" of the interfaces, the appeal of the packaging, and the
usability of the documentation. Gazelle will also have the product
evaluated by executives in the computer distribution and software
industries. Finally, the developer will get a Phase II Evaluation
Report that details significant additional information that has come
to light about the product, its market, and its prospect for success.
Phase II of the project costs $5,000.

You think $5,500 is a lot of money? Not so, says Child, who told
Newsbytes it's quite common for costs to go as high as $50,000 to get
a new product into the distribution channel.

If the software still looks good after Phase II, the developer and
Gazelle can move to Phase III. There's no cost for that part of the
program, and the company works with the developer to determine what
action to take next.

"For example, we'll go through a variety of questions together, such
as how much control the developer wants to retain, how much is he
willing to take, and how much is he willing to spend for out-of-pocket
marketing costs," explained Sig Schreyer, Gazelle president and CEO.

"Unless you are an established company, its almost impossible to
launch a new software product today," according to Keith Bateman,
Gazelle VP for sales and marketing. Child agrees, telling Newsbytes
that the process is similar to the dilemma faced by prospective book
authors, who find it almost impossible to interest a publisher in
their book unless they are represented by a literary agent known by
the publisher.

Software Success, a computer industry newsletter, says that major
software distributors receive thousands of unsolicited programs each
year, and only about three to five percent of those ever appear on
retail shelves. "We've already established a track record with the
distribution channel," says Schreyer.

(Jim Mallory/19930426/Press contact: Mark Child, Gazelle Systems,
800-786-3278 or 801-377-1288; Reader contact: Gazelle Systems,
801-377-1288 or 800-786-3278, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

America Online Shuffles To Accommodate Partial Buy-In 04/26/93
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- America Online has
amended its shareholder rights plan. According to Lennert Leader, the
company's chief financial officer, the plan was amended after the
company learned that Asymetrix President Paul Allen had already
crossed the plan's original 20 percent threshold.

The plan now kicks-in after a person or company buys 25 percent of the
common, and Leader said Allen now holds about 24 percent. "Our
incentive was not to trip him up," Leader said of Paul Allen. "So we
increased the threshold." The majority of America Online stock is held
by people outside the company.

Leader also said the rights plan, which gives existing shareholders
options on additional stock in order to force those who would takeover
the company to deal with the board of directors, was not aimed at any
specific individual or company.

"For the last several months the board has been reviewing a rights
plan. The board had intended to pass the rights plan at the regular
meeting held last week. The reason is we're the only public online
service company" with a relatively small capitalization, "operating in
an industry which has a lot of attention from very large players. As a
result of those factors, and the fact the company was built with
strategic alliances, which will continue to play an important role,
the board feels it's important that the company remain independent."

Leader also said that remarks made by AT&T Chairman Robert Allen about
buying an online company had no bearing on the America Online
decision, either. "It was driven by our small size and the fact we're
the only online services company. Because we ally ourselves with
various companies, including competitors, we felt it was important to
stay independent. We wanted anyone who gained a large share to deal
with the board of directors.

America Online says it is the third-largest consumer online service in
the US, with 220,000 members. GEnie also claims the number three spot.
The company recently announced a re-structuring of its prices allowing
5 hours of use on the service for $9.95 per month, an offer aimed at
luring users from Prodigy, which is instituting hourly charges on some
services for the first time.

Allen is a co-founder of Microsoft and also owns the Portland Trail
Blazers basketball team. In filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Allen said he bought 371,000 shares of America Online
between April 20 and 21 for $18.50 to $21.50 a share, adding he may
buy more shares based on stock market conditions and America Online
business prospects.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930426/Press Contact: Lennert J. Leader,
America Online, 703-448-8700)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00020)

 ****Digital Cellular Standards Battle Hits Court 04/26/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Qualcomm has filed
suit against InterDigital Technology to invalidate two of its
digital cellular patents and lift a cloud it says InterDigital has put
over Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of California, also seeks a judicial determination
that the InterDigital patents in question would not be infringed by
CDMA equipment built by Qualcomm in compliance with a proposed CDMA
standard of the Telecommunications Industry Association.

InterDigital, which holds patents on Time Division Multiple Access, a
competing digital cellular standard, bought SCS MobileComm last fall.
SCS held patents on a broadband version of CDMA. The cellular industry
has for the last few years been fighting an internal battle over which
digital cellular scheme -- TDMA or CDMA -- it will eventually adopt in
order to increase system capacity and security.

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, or CTIA, had
repeatedly endorsed TDMA. McCaw and Southwestern Bell are already
installing it. But recently CDMA, which claims 10 times the capacity
of analog cellular, against a 300 percent improvement for TDMA, has
gained a lot of momentum. US West and Bell Atlantic endorsed it.
Since PacTel and NYNEX own equity in Qualcomm, they're expected to
follow suit. And Korea endorsed CDMA, with major manufacturers
planning to make phones and other equipment for export as well as
domestic use.

Recently, after examining the SCS patents, InterDigital sent a letter
to the TIA saying that Qualcomm's patents, which are now before TIA as
a proposed CDMA standard, may be infringing in InterDigital's SCS
patent portfolio. SCS' CDMA scheme, called Broadband-CDMA, can work on
a wide frequency band, and in addition to questioning the basic
Qualcomm standards claims InterDigital is also proposing that its
version of CDMA can be made compatible with TDMA systems. But the
validity of both patent claims will now be decided in court.

"InterDigital has publicly stated that certain of its patents may be
infringed by our CDMA equipment," said Steve Altman, vice president
and general counsel of Qualcomm, in a press statement. "We are
confident that our CDMA equipment does not infringe InterDigital's
patents and prefer to adjudicate this issue immediately, rather than
permit InterDigital to make unsubstantiated public threats.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930426/Press Contact: Richard Grannis,
Qualcomm, 619-597-5146, David Smith, InterDigital, 215-278-7800)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00021)

Canadian Product Launch Update 04/26/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the
Canadian market on announcement by international companies that
Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Digital's Alpha AXP
announcements, and Texas Instruments signs Merisel Canada as a
distributor.

Digital Equipment of Canada Ltd., of Toronto, joined its US parent
company in launching several new workstations in its Alpha AXP line
(Newsbytes, April 21). The new top-of-the-line DEC 3000 Model 500X AXP
workstation is priced at C$75,250 in Canada. The midrange Model 300
AXP is C$9,795 for a base configuration. The new low-end unit, the
Model 300L AXP, starts at C$6,995.

Toronto-based Merisel Canada announced that it will distribute
printers and notebook computers from Texas Instruments. The
distribution agreement covers TI's microWriter LED page printers,
which work with Apple Macintosh computers and systems based on the
Intel 80x86 chips, as well as TravelMate notebook computers.

(Grant Buckler/19930426/Press Contact: Dave Paolini, Digital
Canada, 416-597-3529, fax [phone]; Lisa Held, Merisel
Canada, 416-660-2864)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00022)

 ****Adstar Becomes Separate IBM Subsidiary 04/26/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Continuing a
trend to giving its business units more autonomy, IBM has made Adstar,
its storage systems operation, into a separate subsidiary.

IBM has also named an outsider as chairman and chief executive of the
newly autonomous company. Dr. Ed Zschau, formerly chairman and chief
executive of Censtor Corp. of San Jose, California, and former
California politician, becomes Adstar's chairman and chief executive.

Ray AbuZayyad, Adstar's former general manager, will take the titles
of president and chief operating officer, and will report to Zschau,
IBM said.

Adstar's new status as an IBM subsidiary will mean its financial
results will be fully broken out from IBM's and its management will
operate at arm's length, said Jon Iwata, a spokesman for the parent
company. Costs that IBM formerly allocated to Adstar in its accounting
will now be charged directly to the subsidiary, he added.

However, Iwata said, the technical details of the change are not the
most important point. "Probably more significant is the symbolism
behind it."

Adstar's future lies largely in selling its products to companies
other than IBM, he said. To date, the storage systems unit has had a
fairly small share of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) market
for storage products. IBM hopes that by turning Adstar into a separate
subsidiary, it will encourage the company's management and staff to
think of themselves as an independent entity and capture more of that
market.

IBM's naming someone from outside the company to head the new
subsidiary would have seemed unthinkable only a couple of years ago.
Zschau's appointment, however, is less surprising because it follows
closely on the hiring of Louis Gerstner, formerly of food and tobacco
products firm RJR Nabisco, as IBM's chairman.

(Grant Buckler/19930426/Press Contact: Jon Iwata, IBM,
914-765-6630; Gerry Marmion, Adstar, 408-256-2100)


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

Private Wire Service Available To India 04/26/93
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- IDB Worldcom
has announced it now has digital private line service to Bangalore,
India. The deal is part of an exclusive agreement with Software
Technology Parks of India, a newly created scientific society of the
Department of Electronics within the Indian government.

Under the agreement, IDB will provide digital private line services to
STP locations in Bangalore and Hyderabad, with discussions underway
for service to Trivandrum. STP has launched "high tech" industrial
parks at all three locations.

At Bangalore, STP will offer "SoftNET" services, which include
X.25 networking, software exporters. It's handled by an Intelsat
satellite system linked with fiber facilities jointly owned by
IDB and the Netherlands PTT. Customers include IBM/TATA Systems;
Wipro Systems/Geisco; VeriFone; Digital Equipment India Limited;
Motorola; and Hewlett Packard.

Small scale exporters can use X.25 services provided by Sprintnet from
Bangalore. Service to Hyderabad will be operational in June. Customers
already committed include Control Data Corp., Intergraph Inc. and
Satyam Computers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930426/Press Contact: Lori Gutknecht, IDB,
213-240-3758)


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

University Of Waterloo Opens Windows NT Lab 04/26/93
WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 21 (NB) -- The University of
Waterloo, which is noted for its computer science program and
sees a good many of its graduates hired by Microsoft, has opened a
small computing lab dedicated to Microsoft's upcoming Windows New
Technology (NT) operating system.

Initially, the laboratory will have four personal computers on a
Microsoft LAN Manager 2.1 local area network, with a Windows NT
server. The client PCs will run a mixture of NT and Windows 3.1. Since
the final release of NT is not yet available, the systems are
currently running beta-test software, said Dr. Johnny Wong, associate
provost for computing and information services at the university.

The software is being supplied by Microsoft Canada and the
hardware by the university, Wong said, adding that the lab will be
available to senior students, faculty, and staff. The intention is to
"let them experiment" with Windows NT, he said.

As part of a separate arrangement, Microsoft is working with the
university to provide software for curriculum and administrative
tasks. The university has installed Microsoft Windows and other
software on personal computers in faculty and administrative offices
as well as student labs.

(Grant Buckler/19930426/Press Contact: Frank Clegg, Microsoft Canada,
416-568-0434 ext. 4254; Scott Lee or Mary Sturgeon, CMN for Microsoft
Canada, 416-539-0694; Johnny Wong, University of Waterloo, 519-888-
4431)


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

Digital Video Announcements 04/26/93
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- In the wake of
the National Association of Broadcasters' show, which turned into a
"coming out" party for digital video software vendors, a number of
announcements have been made.

Alias, a maker of software for digital media creation and design on
Silicon Graphics workstations, announced integration of its software
with standard formats, and a strategic alliance with George Lucas'
Industrial Light & Magic.

Under the alliance agreement, Alias will incorporate ILM's expert
feedback into future software releases, putting engineering resources
at ILM offices. In exchange, ILM could triple the number of people it
has using the latest versions of Alias software, including Alias
PowerAnimator 4.0 and Alias Studio. The deal is an expansion of a 5-
year working relationship. ILM is using Alias power modeling
technology and digital special effects software in Steven Spielberg's
film, "Jurassic Park."

Perhaps more important is Alias' move toward open standards. It calls
this the Open Digital Studio Environment, which will mean open
interfaces to Alias Animator and Alias PowerAnimator Version 4.1. ODS
is aimed at supporting mixed-vendor all-digital environments for
special effects, post-production, corporate video and other digital
media. The move follows Silicon Graphics' announcement of "Silicon
Studio," an integrated set of digital video solutions from its own
engineers and those of other companies.

Under ODS, Alias software also integrates with Apple Computer's
QuickTime, Pixar's RenderMan Interface Bytestream, and the Open Media
Framework Interchange standard proposed by Avid Technology. Alias
supports Apple's QuickTime desktop video format via AliasTime, a
Macintosh-based utility which converts Alias-format animations to
QuickTime movies. As a result, digital media creators working in mixed
Apple/Silicon Graphics environments can preview animations, that were
developed using Animator of PowerAnimator on a Silicon Graphics
system, on their desktop Macintosh screens.

Also, Data Translation's Multimedia Group announced Media 100, an
online, non-linear video production system for creating finished video
programs with quality rivaling broadcast results. The system works
with Apple Macintosh systems to output video at 60 fields and 30
frames per second with 4-track, CD-quality, stereo audio. In separate
announcements, Data Translation and Adobe Systems disclosed a
licensing agreement permitting the Data Translation Multimedia Group
to build the Adobe Premiere effects architecture directly into Media
100 allowing it to render, play and edit nearly 50 different effects.
Media 100 is aimed at people who are not trained video professionals.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930426/Press Contact: Data Translation,
Patrick Rafter, 508/460-1600x877; Lee McEnany, for Alias,
310/785-0515)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00026)

 ****Radio Shack Chairman Steps Down 04/26/93
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Radio Shack says that
Bernard Appel will step down from his job as chairman of the nation's
biggest consumer electronics chain on June 30th.

Appel, 61, will continue as a consultant for the company he's worked
for 33 years, starting when the company had three stores. According
to a company spokesperson, "This is something Bernie has been
contemplating for quite a while."

Appel took over reins of the company in 1984. Early last year he was
ousted as president, named chairman, and assigned responsibilities
for international business, and corporate and educational sales. A
trio of managers took over day-to-day control of the company.

At the time Newsbytes reported the reorganization, a Tandy
spokesperson told Newsbytes that Appel would probably remain with the
company until age 65. Tandy does not have a mandatory retirement age,
but that's when its retirement benefits maximize. The company said the
management reorganization was a move made to spur sluggish growth.

This is the second top management change to be announced by Tandy
Corporation recently. In early April the company said D. Bruce
Walter, president of subsidiary Grid Systems Corporation, was also
leaving the organization.

Appel's departure coincides with the Tandy split into separate
retailing and manufacturing companies, which Newsbytes reported in
January of this year. The company also announced at that time that
it was closing almost 25 percent of its retail outlets.

(Jim Mallory/19930426/Press contact: Fran McGehee, Tandy
Corporation, 817-390-3487)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00027)

Iomega Bundles CorelDraw With Drives 04/21/93
ROY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Iomega Corporation, long known
for its Bernoulli removable media drives and most recently for
Floptical drives, says it will bundle CorelDraw 3.0 software with
three of those drives.

The company says that CorelDraw 3.0, an illustration, photo editing,
painting, charting, and presentation package, will be bundled with
Iomega's 21 megabyte (MB) Floptical Insider, the Bernoulli MultiDisk
150MB PC Powered, and Bernoulli PC Powered 90 removable disk drives.

The Iomega Floptical Insider installs in a standard PC floppy drive
bay and reads and writes on 21MB disks, with data transfer rates up
to 1.6 megabits per second. The drive is also backwards compatible,
being able to read and write on 72 kilobyte (K) and 1.44MB floppy
disks.

"With the Iomega Floptical Drive, CorelDraw users can transport and
manage up to 15 times more data on a single diskette," said Iomega
Product Manager Jim Jones, who added that the Floptical drive's
capacity removes storage limitations and makes large project and file
management much simpler.

The company says it expects the street price will probably be about
$449. The term "street price" refers to the actual price buyers can
expect to pay for products, compared to the suggested retail price
(SRP). Some computer industry companies, including Iomega, are no
longer announcing SRPs, preferring to let resellers set prices.

The Bernoulli PCPowered MultiDisk 150 and 90 drives will also be
bundled with CorelDraw 3.0. Both drives draw their operating power
from the PC rather than requiring a separate AC power cord. Data and
power are combined in one cable that connects the computer to the
Bernoulli drive. The Bernoulli 150 can read and write 35MB, 65MB,
105MB and 150MB disks. It can also read and write Bernoulli 90 disks
and read Bernoulli 44 disks.

Iomega says it expects the street price for the Bernoulli 150 with
corelDraw to be about $889, while the Bernoulli 90 combination will
probably sell for $579.

Included in CorelDraw is CorelTrace, a stand-alone color/black and
white autotracing utility, and CorelMosaic, a visual file manager
that allows importing, exporting, and printing of files. A CD-ROM
disc is also included that contains more than 14,000 uncompressed
clipart symbols and images, over 250 TrueType and Type 1 fonts,
animations and CorelChart templates, bitmaps, and special effects.

(Jim Mallory/19930426/Press contact: Linda O'Neil, Iomega
Corporation, 801-778-1000, ext 3345; Reader contact: 800-777-6179 or
801-778-1000)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00028)

Sun Offers Software Test Drive CDs 04/26/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Sunpro, the
division of Sun Microsystems that develops software for the company's
SPARC workstation computer and for the IBM-compatible computer
platform, is letting its customers can get a compact disc (CD) packed
with software titles, each of which can be evaluated without charge
for thirty days.

Sun resellers have the "try and buy" CDs which offer either the
company's SPARCworks or Proworks compilers and development tools. The
software on the CD comes complete with on-line Answerbook
documentation, product, and installation information, the company
said. Users who wish to evaluate a product can request access via a
telephone call, a fax, or by electronic mail.

Since the capacity of CDs make them an ideal vehicle for distributing
large quantities of software, other vendors have come up with similar
ideas. Boulder, Colorado Infonow offers an annual subscription service
for a monthly CD with nearly 60 commercial software titles available
for a sixty day test drive by subscribers. The $995 subscription
includes the use of an IBM-compatible CD-ROM drive.

Sunpro says it is not charging for its CD, however. Genelle Trader,
director of marketing and business development for Sun's direct
marketing subsidiary Sunexpress, said: "This new program complements
our own strategy to deliver product quickly and easily to the
customer. As a fulfillment piece, Sunpro's Try and Buy Evaluation Kit
allows Sunexpress to respond to customer inquiries about SunPro
products and also enables us to reach the repeat customer."

The SPARCworks Try and Buy Evaluation Kit CD is available now and
offers SPARCworks Professional C, C++, Pascal, and Fortran. It also
includes SPARCworks/Teamware code management tools for both Solaris
1.x and 2.x.

The Proworks CD is not expected until June of 1993, and will offer
Proworks C, C++, Fortran, and Proworks/Teamware for the IBM-compatible
x86-based personal computer (PC). Both CDs will be available through
Sunpro authorized resellers worldwide, the company added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930426/Press Contact: Pattie Walters,
Sunpro, tel [phone], fax [phone] mail stop MTV12-03)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Symantec Intros Low-Overhead Windows Word Processor 04/26/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Symantec is
introducing Q&A Write 3.0 for Windows, a version of its word
processor that it claims is conservative on both disk space and
memory, not to mention user's wallets.

Claiming users want less, not more for their everyday work, Symantec
says it investigated the features regular word processor users
actually use the most and included those features in the product.
Those features include a spell checker, a thesaurus, the ability to
insert graphics, text, and tables, direct mail merge capability with
popular database formats, communications for fax and electronic mail
capability, and transparent file conversions from Microsoft Word and
Wordperfect.

By eliminating excess features that Symantec calls "fat," the company
says a minimum installation of the product takes up only 1.7 megabytes
(MB) of disk space, while a full installation takes up 4 MB. Symantec
proudly compares the disk space required for Q&A Write to the maximum
of 15 MB needed for Microsoft Word for Windows, 15 MB for Ami Pro for
Windows, and the 12 MB needed for Wordperfect for Windows.

The company said it did add some fat in the form of a "fat" mouse
pointer so users could see the mouse more easily on the screens of
laptop computers.

Q&A Write 3.0 for Windows is the word processing portion of the
popular Q&A database product from Symantec. The company says that's
why it offers the mail merge with popular database formats and it can
work as a stepping stone until the company releases the full blown Q&A
for Windows product. No time frame for release of Q&A for Windows was
announced, however, it is expected some time this year and will be the
next Windows product released by Symantec, company representatives
added.

Suggested retail price for Q&A Write 3.0 for Windows is $69.95. The
company says the package will be available in the retail channels, but
also offers a toll-free information line for Symantec products.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930426/Press Contact: Rebecca Fuller, Wilson
McHenry for Symantec, tel [phone], fax [phone];
Margaret Pfeiffer, Symantec, 408-446-8809; Public Contact at
Symantec 800-441-7234)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00030)

 ****Novell Enhances Windows Mainframe Connectivity 04/26/93
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 26 (NB) -- Even though the
trend in corporate computing is away from host-based environments and
towards local area networks (LANs), there are still a multitude of
companies using those architectures. In order to improve connectivity
between the two environments, Novell has announced it is shipping
version 1.2 of NetWare 3270 LAN Workstation for Windows, which is
designed to provide Windows users with access to mainframe data and
applications when used with NetWare for SAA.

Pam Eaken, spokesperson for Novell, told Newsbytes that NetWare 3270
LAN Workstation for Windows 1.2 is an IBM terminal emulation "designed
for users of NetWare who use NetWare for SAA." It is designed to
provide IBM host connectivity for Windows 3.0 and 3.1 users on a
NetWare network. Windows users get access to SNA (Systems Network
Architecture) mainframes and AS/400 minicomputers.

Announcing the new product, Gerry Machi, vice president and general
manager for Novell, said: "The new release of NetWare 3270 LAN
Workstation for Windows helps our enterprise computing customers
continue to tie their mainframe and network resources together. To
accomplish this, we have better integrated desktop applications
with the mainframe environment."

According to Novell, the new software includes a number of features
designed to deliver automatic reconnection capabilities, dynamic and
transparent integration of network and mainframe data, and a platform
for front-end applications development.

With the "hot standby feature," users are automatically provided an
alternate connection to the host or to a backup host, if the original
connection is lost. The "Hot Link" "dynamically" connects Windows
applications with host-based applications and data so that data in
programs such as spreadsheets and word processing are updated when the
mainframe data is updated. The "Hot Spots" feature allows users to
click on predefined areas of the screen in order to execute 3270
commands and scripts."

Novell maintains that the product also includes enhancements to
EHLLAPI, an application programming interface that enables customers
to develop their own custom. Novell has also added support for the
HLLAPI Command Scriptor, a command-level scripting facility.

The product also supports multiple concurrent host display and printer
sessions per workstation. A file transfer menu option allows files to
be moved to and from the host.

NetWare 3270 LAN Workstation for Windows 1.2 carries a suggested list
price of $195 for a single user and $4,995 for a file server-license.
With a server license version, only one copy is required per file
server for the users on that server. Users of NetWare 3270 LAN
Workstation for Windows 1.0 and 1.1 customers can upgrade to version
1.2 for a suggested price of $50 for a single user and $600 for a file
server.

(Ian Stokell/19930426/Press Contact: Pam Eaken, Novell - 408-747-4984)