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/nb930709

Text File | 1993-07-09 | 81KB | 1,782 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00001)

Japan - Software Reads Japanese Text Aloud 07/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Tokyo-based software maker
Gengo Kogaku Kenkyusho has developed a program that reads text
aloud and does not require any peripheral equipment to work.

The software, called "Kotei Jr," is priced at 9,700 yen
($90) and can read MS-DOS text files aloud. According to Gengo
Kogaku Kenkyusho, the software analyzes the text data
and converts the beeping sound of a PC into speech. It can read
Japanese language with Kanji and Kana letters as well as numbers.
Unfortunately, it cannot read English. However, the user will
be able to register English words into the dictionary of this
software if spelled in Katakana lettering in a phonetic manner.
The software has a 70,000-word Japanese dictionary.

The speech is not very clear but can be understood despite
the fact that it reads sentences without the correct accent.

This software is currently available for NEC PC-9801 and the
Seiko-Epson's PC with an 80386 or an 80486 processor. The software
does not work on some PCs which have no sound volume adjustment
such as notebook-type PCs. There is no plan to develop a
Macintosh or other version of this software, according
to Gengo Kogaku Kenkyusho.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930702/Press Contact: Gengo Kogaku
Kenkyusho, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00002)

Nokia Gets Behind "Data Over Cellular" 07/09/93
SALO, FINLAND, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Packet radio technology, as seen
with Ram Mobile Data and Ardis in the US, is the coming trend,
but cellular phone networks are so well used that they are
likely to be the favorite for mobile data transmission in the
years to come. That's the message that Nokia Mobile Phones
wants to get across to the industry.

Nokia has developed a range of "mobile data" systems for cellular
phone users, including a PCMCIA card modem that plugs into its 101
and 121 series of handheld cellular phones. According to Reijo
Paajanen, Nokia's vice president of mobile data, mobile data
services will significantly expand the traditional cellphone market,
but the market will initially open up for cellular modem technology.

"We believe that, by 1997, as much as 20 percent of new cellular
phones will be used for data transmission. This means there will be
approximately five million cellular phone users in Europe alone, who
will also use their phones for data transmission," he said.

Paajanen claims that, in the future, as more of the business
population will be working with data networks, the transfer of data
must, and will be possible and easier, whenever and wherever.

"In the future, more and more people will work from their homes, and
the site of their workstation will be entirely inconsequential. At
that time, the cellular phone, the credit card-sized modem and the
laptop will be the tools they will use to take care of business --
regardless of time and place," he explained.

What about printing all this data out? No problem, fax the data to
the nearest fax machine. "Just imagine all the world's faxes become
your remote printers," he said.

Over the next few months, Nokia will begin shipping a range of
cellular modem products, including a PCMCIA type 2 9,600 bits per
second fax and data modem that plugs into several of Nokia's phones.
A special version of the unit has been developed for Hewlett-Packard
Omnibook 300 handheld portable PC.

If your need to use a mobile data system is to send and receive
messages, Nokia is suggesting an alternative to a packet radio
or cellular modem system. It's pointing potential users at the Nokia
1011 handheld GSM (Groupe Speciale Mobile) digital phone.

GSM is the pan-European digital cellular network. According to
Nokia, its 1011 handheld phone is the first to support the
preliminary Short Message System (SMS) implemented by selected GSM
service providers, including Vodafone in the UK.

SMS uses the data transmission features of the GSM network to
transmit and receive messages of up to 160 characters. Under the SMS
system, messages are passed from the mile to the network and only
delivered when the destination phone is on line. At this point, the
distant phone/mobile issues an acknowledgement which feeds back to
the message originator.

According to Nokia, the possibilities with SMS are almost unlimited,
since it influences all the network elements of mobile
communications. Many voice messages can be replaced with SMS text
messages, since they are more effective than the spoken word in
achieving the desired result -- the passing of information between
users.

(Steve Gold/19930708/Press & Public Contact: Nokia Mobile Phones -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00003)

UK - Hewlett-Packard Laserjet 4ML Laser Printer 07/09/93
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard
has announced in the UK the Laserjet 4ML, the latest addition to its
Laserjet 4 family of laser printers. The 4ML has been designed for
Apple Mac and Windows PC users who need the functionality of both
Postscript and enhanced PCL 5 printer languages, the company claims.

The 4ML is the same chassis printer as the Laserjet 4L, Newsbytes
notes, but with the addition of Adobe Postscript level 2 software.
The machine has Bi-tronics parallel and Localtalk (Apple's Mac
network system) facilities with automatic switching.

Key features of the printer include: Economode, which cuts the
amount of toner used by 50 percent, so cutting print costs in half;
auto power-on/off using an instant fuser, which reduces power
consumption; and a small footprint (14.5 x 14.0 inches) with a
6.5-inch height.

Announcing the Laserjet 4ML, which starts shipping next week,
Richard Bee, HP's Apple program manager, said that the 300 dots
per inch (DPI) printer is ideal for low volume Mac users. "This
printer meets the needs of individual Mac users in the home, small
business or corporate office who wants true laser printing with
mainstream business functionality, easy operation and affordable
pricing," he said.

The 4ML comes with a simplified front panel that has a one-button
front control panel that the company claims allows the user to
control the printer with a touch of a single button. The printer
also has an intelligent on/off system that eliminates the need for a
switch and on/off facilities.

(Steve Gold/19930708/Press & Public Contact: Hewlett-Packard - Tel:
0344-361265)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00004)

Japan Business Almanac Published On CD-ROM 07/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Tokyo-based major personal
computer dealer Catena Group has developed a CD-ROM business
almanac of Japan that operates on Apple Computer's Macintosh.
It is called Japan Business Today version 1.1 and is due
for release July 20 for 100,000 yen or $800.

The CD-ROM data is written in English, but the disc also comes
with an English and a Japanese manual.

This disc consists of three parts: Japan Business Today
News, Japanese Economic Statistics, and Make Your Own Presentation.
The first part is a collection of NHK (Japan Broadcasting
Corporation) satellite TV news broadcast during 1992. It includes
economic, financial and business-related news in English. 80
minutes worth of QuickTime Movies are also included here.

The second part, Japan Economics Statistics, includes corporate
data regarding 4,000 firms and various marketing data with
charts and lists.

The third part, Make Your Own Presentation, provides features
to create a users' own data. For instance, one would will be
able to create statistics on designated firms. Also, specific
firms could be analyzed using keyword search. The keywords
can be a name of a firm, an industry, or a date.

Version 1.0 of this software was released late last year.
Catena Group says it will provide a free upgrade to these
users.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930706/Press Contact: Catena Group,
 [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00005)

Next-Generation Cordless Phone To Be Tested 07/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Japan's next generation cordless
phone is due to be tested by major telecom firms this fall.
The Personal Handy Phone is a digital system.

NTT, Daini-Denden, Japan Kosoku Tsushin, Japan Telecom and KDD
are planning to test the Personal Handy Phone. NTT, Daini-Denden
and Japan Kosoku Tsushin will test this phone individually.
Japan Telecom and KDD will jointly experiment with this system.

The testing will start in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan in October
and is expected to last until the end of 1994.

The Personal Handy Phone is a digital cordless phone for home use.
It is a small mobile phone, which is connected to a main phone.
The user will be able to carry this phone just like a current
analog cordless phone. This digital phone is expected to use
both ground bases and space satellite to receive and transmit
data.

The Personal Handy Phone uses a simple system compared with current
mobile phones. And the biggest advantage of this device is the cost
-- it will be much cheaper than current mobile phones.

Meanwhile, the sales of current mobile phones dropped recently.
According to the Telecom Machinery Industry Association,
shipments of radio telecom devices including mobile phones
went down by 1.4 percent in April.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930708/Press Contact: NTT, +81-3-
3509-5035, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00006)

Japan - Laser Disk Software Rental 07/09/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Pioneer LDC, a laser disk
subsidiary of Pioneer, says it will start renting laser disk
software in October. This is the first time laser disk software
will be rentable through shops in Japan.

400 titles will be available, most of these are movies or
films that were shown in theaters. They include popular movies such
as "Back to the future," "Batman," and "Terminator 2."

Until now, Pioneer has banned the rental of laser disk software
but has changed its corporate strategy in homes of popularizing
the medium.

Pioneer started selling laser disk players in 1981 and claims to
have sold 4.63 million units in Japan. This represents a penetration
of 10 percent of the total number of households in Japan.

Laser disk software rental may stimulate sales of laser
disk players in the future because users will be able to enjoy
the titles at a cheaper price. Currently, laser disk
software costs 3,500 ($30) to 5,000 yen ($45) per disk. However,
rental is a more economical way to view laser disk titles --
the cost is expected to be 500 to 600 yen ($5) per day, or
roughly the price of a videotape rental. Pioneer expects that by
the end of this year, 1,000 of the 10,000 rental shops in Japan
will stock rental laser disks.

Pioneer will also release low-cost versions of its laser disk
players. The cheapest model will cost 59,800 yen ($550), which is
about 20 percent cheaper than the current lowest-cost model.
With this strategy, Pioneer hopes to raise sales of laser
disk players to 25 percent of households within a few years.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930708/Press Contact: Pioneer LDC,
 [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00007)

Catalog-On-A-Disk 07/09/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Catalog-on-a-
Disk says it has developed a Microsoft Windows-based program
for IBM and compatible personal computers (PCs) aimed at small-
to medium-sized companies which want to present products to
customers. The concept is a viable one, according to the
company, because it costs about a third of the cost of a
conventional color catalog.

The company claims users can see more with Catalog-on-a-Disk
than with conventional catalogs as animation can be added and
the user can begin ordering by clicking the mouse. Orders are
automatically calculated and custom designed order forms can be
printed for mailing or faxed by modem over the phone lines.

The cost effectiveness comes in several ways. One is using the
color in Windows instead of color printing. Since the product
is distributed on floppy disks, copies can be produced in small
batches or even on demand as duplication is easy and
inexpensive. Mailing costs are also lower as catalogs cost more
to handle and ship than disks and a single disk can easily
replace a 100-page catalog.

Catalogs have advantages -- the quality of an image
on a printed page could be better than the quality of an image
displayed in Windows, depending on the type of monitor the user
has.

But the company says changes to the catalog, such as scroll boxes
instead of printed lists, are the types of things users can
expect in taking a catalog from print to electronic form. An
added advantage for the catalog producer is being able to
display the company's logo on screen as an icon with the
catalog behind it.

Catalog-on-a-Disk limits itself to production of catalogs small
enough to fit on a floppy disk. The company is located at 1330
South Bascom Avenue, Suite C, San Jose, CA 95128.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930708/Press Contact: Joe Gagliano, Gagliano
PR, tel [phone]; Al Fisch, Catalog-on-a-Disk, tel 408-297-
4056; Public Contact, Catalog-on-a-Disk, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00008)

Microsoft News Roundup 07/09/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Microsoft Corporation
investment relations officials said the company had no comment on
upcoming release dates for upgrades of spreadsheet program
Microsoft Excel and its word processing program Microsoft Word,
saying it is company policy not to pre-announce upcoming product
shipments.

The statement was in response to a statement by Goldman Sachs
analyst Rick Sherlund that he expects a two to three-month delay in
shipment of the upgrades. Microsoft shares fell 3-1/2 this week to
82-1/2 after Sherlund lowered his fiscal 1994 per-share estimate to
$3.80 from $3.90. Microsoft also declined to comment on fourth
quarter earnings. The period closed June 30, and a Microsoft
spokesperson reportedly told the British news service Reuters the
company is currently in its pre-earnings release "quiet period."
Earnings are expected to be announced at an analyst meeting July 29.

Microsoft said earlier analyst estimates for the quarter, which
ranged from $0.85 to $0.90, were "do-able." Sherlund is on vacation
and was not available for comment. Industry watchers had speculated
that Word and Excel upgrades would be available in the first half of
fiscal 1994.

In other Microsoft news, Microsoft has joined the US
Environmental Protection Agency's Ally program, re-emphasizing its
commitment to providing consumers with software that supports energy
efficiency. Microsoft ships Advanced Power Management 1.0 drivers in
each MS-DOS 6.0, Windows, and Windows for Workgroups box. APM allows
firmware built into a personal computer to determine when the
software is not in use and when the system can conserve power.
Microsoft also says it is making a concerted effort to educate
employees about powering down idle computers and turning off their
PCs during weekends and evenings.

The company also disclosed a new audio compression technology for
deliveries of what it described as improved audio capabilities
across a variety of hardware platforms running Microsoft Windows.
Microsoft hardware accessories group Product Manager Bob McBreen says
voice and audio recordings occupy a large portion of a user's hard
disk space, and that has inhibited the adoption of audio. "The
creation of this audio compression technology offers significant
opportunities for audio uses to apply audio more efficiently,
whether on a network or individually," according to Mcbreen.

The software giant also says its Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows for
Workgroups is now available. TCP/IP is a low-level protocol
standard for use on non-proprietary networks and is designed to give
users running Windows access to Windows for Workgroups. Microsoft
TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups incorporates support for the
Windows Sockets API (application programming interface) that allows
developers to write client-server applications for Microsoft Windows.

The Windows Sockets interface is part of the Windows Open Service
Architecture (WOSA) and allows users running TCP/IP for Windows for
Workgroups to use applications developed by third-party vendors.
Microsoft TCP/IP has a suggested list price of $49.95 from
Microsoft.

(Jim Mallory/19930709/Press contact: Microsoft Public
Relations, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00009)

New Tandy Chief Probably Won't Make Radical Changes 07/09/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Tandy Corporation says it
brought in an outsider to head its Radio Shack division to focus on
retailing improvements, not make radical changes.

That's what Tandy Chairman and CEO John Roach told reporters earlier
this week. "We don't want to radically change the course, nor is it
indicated that we should," said Roach.

When asked by reporters if he was to be an agent of change, newly
appointed Radio Shack President Leonard Roberts said that when he
interviewed with Roach, he told the Tandy boss, "If you're looking
for a custodian, I'm the wrong person." Some industry analysts saw
the choice of an outsider over someone from within the Tandy family
as a sign the company might be looking for change.

Newsbytes reported earlier this week that Tandy has named Roberts as
the new Radio Shack president. Roberts joins Tandy Corporation from
restaurant chain Shoney's Inc, where he was chairman and CEO.

Roach told reporters the performance of Tandy's retail units,
including Radio Shack, has been "generally good" in 1993, and
characterized consumer electronics personal computer sales as "good
to strong" for both Tandy and the industry in general.

Roberts said his main goals at Radio Shack are to provide support
for store associates, enable the company to gain a greater
understanding of who its customers are and what they value, and said
he will use same-store sales growth as his "key measurement." Tandy
reported this week that in June same-store sales increased eight
percent over the same period last year. Total sales for the year
are up 17 percent to $266.7 million from $227.6 million last year.
Closed stores associated with the company's recently announced
restructuring are not included in the June results.

Neither Roberts or Roach envision increasing the number of Radio
Shack stores from the present 4,500 retail stores and 2,050 dealers.
"Radio Shack is a saturated organization, very limited in terms of
unit growth," said Roberts. Roach said in the future Radio Shack may
do more to determine what products sell better in which geographical
locations and adjust inventory to reflect that. Roberts said he
supports a strategy of using a portion of Radio Shack's profits to
fuel other Tandy businesses such as Incredible Universe and Computer
City. "New unit opportunities are really focused on Computer City
and Incredible Universe," said Roberts, referring to Tandy's
superstore operations.

Recent Newsbytes stories have reported on the formation of the
superstores as well as Radio Shack Express and Energy Express. Tandy
spokesperson Lou Ann Blaylock told Newsbytes Radio Shack Express
stores encompass about 1200 square feet of store that will carry
about 75 percent of the most popular products sold in Radio Shack
stores. Blaylock told Newsbytes the company expects to open about a
dozen of those outlets in 1993. Energy Express outlets are
free-standing kiosks in malls which will specialize in hard to find
batteries and a selection of name brand consumer electronics
products. At least one Energy Express operation has been opened to
date.

Tandy Corporation declined to reveal Robert's salary, but
Blaylock told Newsbytes his predecessor Bernard Appel was paid
$545,864 plus benefits such as stock options and other incentives.

(Jim Mallory/19930709/Press contact: Lou Ann Blaylock, Tandy
Corporation, 817-390-3487)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00010)

Chinese Sale Is Mitel's Largest Ever 07/09/93
KANATA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Mitel Corporation has
announced a sale of 175 public switching systems to a Chinese
telephone company in what Mitel said is its largest individual
sale ever.

The sale of switching systems to the Hunan Province Countryside
Telephone Exchange Bureau is worth about C$24 million, Mitel
said. Company spokeswoman Bonnie Perrigard said it is Mitel's
first sale of GX5000 switching systems in China and she believes
it is the company's first sale of any kind in that country.
GX5000 switches are installed in more than 15 countries, Mitel
said.

While this sale is sizeable, Mitel officials see it also as a
foot in the door in the growing Chinese market. A statement from
the company said China is expected to add 75 million
public-switching central-office lines by the end of the decade.

The switches for the Hunan sale will be built at Mitel's plant in
Kanata, near Ottawa. Perrigard said the company does not expect
to be hiring additional staff as a result of the deal. "I think
we've got enough of a contingent here now that we'll be able to
handle it." If this sale leads to further inroads in the Chinese
market, though, manufacturing might be expanded.

The initial shipment of 73,000 lines is set for March, 1994.

Mitsui and Co. (Canada) Ltd., a subsidiary of the Japanese
trading firm, played a role in setting up the deal and arranging
for service for the Mitel equipment in China, Perrigard said.

Mitel had revenues of C$423 million in fiscal 1993.

(Grant Buckler/19930709/Press Contact: Bonnie Perrigard, Mitel,
613-592-2122 ext. 1125)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00011)

Australia - Computers In Education Conference 07/09/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Speakers at the recent
Computers in Education conference held in Sydney claim that Australian
schools have been faster to accept technological developments than
most other countries, especially the US.

Apple Australia's director for consumer and education products,
Diana Ryall, predicted that by the turn of the century students
would be submitting assignments to their teachers on credit-card-like
storage devices. She said major leaps in technology should be
expected in several areas such as handwriting, speech and gesture
recognition, pliable plastic screens, long-life batteries, and
cheap mass storage.

The four-day conference had more than 750 delegates and was the
biggest in Australia since the 1990 World Technology in Education
conference was held here. An exhibition was held in conjunction
with the conference - the major platform supported was
IBM-compatible but Apple and Acorn had a strong presence.

Ryall told the audience that a number of technology in education
initiatives had been developed in Australia. "The electronic
classroom is a world standard piece of software that allows a
teacher to teach in remote classrooms via a common whiteboard
relayed to Mac screens. Recently Korean classes have been delivered
around the state of New South Wales. The challenge this decade is
that we must cease to be change-resistant and learn to manage
change. We must take hold of it and mold it to improve our
children's experience at school. We must prepare young people for
a world where technology will be an integral part."

Many Australian schools have adopted portables for student use,
some issuing them to 100 percent of pupils. While Toshiba and
Apple have long been active in this area, Compaq Australia has
recognized the potential market and had an active team demonstrating
at the conference.

(Paul Zucker/19930709)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00012)

Australia - Toshiba Drops Prices Again 07/09/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Toshiba Australia has reduced
the price of its mobile computer across the range by up to 18
percent. The company does not sell traditional desktop machines
in the Australian market.

It now claims to offer the lowest-priced color notebook in
Australia - the 386sx T1850C with 120M hard disk and 4M RAM is now
list priced at AUS$3681 (around US$2500), down from $4493
including tax. The entry level 486 T1900/120 is now AUS$3853.

The high performance T4400, 4500 and 4600 series of 486 machines have
each dropped by around 10 percent. "We are dropping prices on our
computers to maintain the momentum of the personal computer market's
shift to mobile computers," said David Henderson, general manager
of Toshiba's computer division.

Figures recently released by research company IDC show sales of mobile
computers are growing faster than desktops in Australia. They had 1
0.8 percent of the market in 1991, 13 percent in 1992 and are
expected to have 13.8 percent this year.

"Our Intel 486, active matrix color and monochrome models are equal
to any of the high-end desktop computers and customers can now see
the additional benefits they can gain from using a computer
which they can carry with them," said Henderson.

(Paul Zucker/19930709)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00013)

Radio Shack 486-based Multimedia PC 07/09/93
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Radio Shack has
introduced a 486-based entry level multimedia personal computer the
company says is designed for price-conscious consumers.

The $1,599 system is run by a 25 megahertz (MHz) Intel 486SX
microprocessor and ships with four megabytes (MB) of system memory,
or RAM. Memory can be increased to a maximum of 64MB.

Other features include a 3.5-inch high-density (1.44MB) floppy
drive, 130MB hard disk, a Kodak Photo CD-compatible CD-ROM drive,
and Super VGA graphics card. The unit also ships with an 8-bit
SoundBlaster Pro audio card, two-button mouse, and one game/MIDI,
one serial, and one parallel port. The Photo CD-compatible drive
allows users to view their pictures taken with a 35mm camera and
stored on a Photo CD ROM disc by the photo processor.

Factory-loaded software includes Microsoft's DOS 6, the multimedia
version of Microsoft Windows 3.1 and the multimedia version of
Microsoft Works for Windows. Works includes word processing,
database, spreadsheet, and WorksWizards. Wizards aid the user
in creating documents like form letters, mailing labels and
address books by providing step-by-step guidance.

Tandy says the system was primarily developed for the home user and
ships with several multimedia programs on CD-ROM disc that include
reference and education programs as well as communications software
for online access to Online America.

CD-ROM software includes The San Diego Zoo Presents The Animals and
The Software Toolworks World Atlas and Reference Library. The
Animals software includes: 60 minutes of video clips; pictures of
over 200 exotic mammals, birds and reptiles; more than 1,300 color
photographs with descriptions; and 2,500 pages of habitat
description, articles, and scientific data.

The Toolworks World Atlas includes video of what the publisher
considers the world's greatest cities; 1,000 location photographs;
information about over 200 countries; a currency conversion chart;
and country and city maps. The software can also create and combine
maps, charts and graphs.

In the Toolworks Reference Library users will find a national
directory of addresses and phone numbers; a collection of legal
forms suitable for business use; three dictionaries (standard
edition, 20th Century history, and famous quotes); a writer's guide;
and a thesaurus.

Radio Shack spokesperson Ron Trumbla told Newsbytes the retail price
of $1,599 does not include speakers for use with the sound card nor
a monitor. Trumbla said the Radio Shack speaker-amplifier
combination sells for $79.95, and a color monitor is $200.

(Jim Mallory/19930709/Press contact: Ron Trumbla, Radio
Shack,817-878-4969)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00014)

India - Computer Company Bosses Beat Blues In Beer Bash 07/09/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Last week, some of the top
members of India's recession-hit computer industry met in
a Bangalore pub on an unlikely mission -- to greet Bacchus and
bid farewell to their blues over mugs of beer.

Plummeting profits, flat sales, vicious price wars and deferred
big-ticket purchases joined hands with the bank scam, post-Ayodhya
riots and Bombay blasts to dip the Indian IT industry growth
rate in fiscal (Apr 92 - Mar 93) to 20 percent. This is poor
compared to the 40 percent growth until two years ago.

The 11 industry heavyweights, who are members of the MAIT
(Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology), the country's
lobby of computer hardware companies), feel that beer is a
time-tested antidote to drive away the blues. And to show that
they are serious about what they feel, the 11 have launched a
quaffing association devoted exclusively to the information
technology industry -- Beer Drinkers Association of Information
Technology (BAIT).

For most, BAIT might provide the funny side of the IT industry,
but for the founding members it is serious business as the objective
of the association is to "have and share beer-oriented view of the
Indian IT industry and to look for the IT market through the beer
glass!" That nothing but frothy, distorted images would be visible
through the chilled glass does not seem to bother the industry
bosses.

Founding members include such luminaries of the industry as Pravin
Gandhi, president of the Manufacturers' Association for Information
Technology (MAIT); Ashok Soota, CEO of Wipro Infotech, the second
largest computer company; Anal Jain, chief of marketing, Tata
Information Systems Ltd., the IBM joint venture; Bikram Dasgupta,
director of PCL, whose tie-up with Dell Computers makes it one
of the most exciting firms to watch; Kapil Jain, general manager,
marketing, Digital Equipment India Ltd., a subsidiary of DEC;
Vijay Thadani, Director NIIT, the leader in the training industry;
and Pradeep Kar, chairman of the Bangalore-based Microland.
Microland holds the distribution rights for Compaq products in
the country and has also tie-up with Computerland.

Kar has been chosen the secretary-general of the association,
which will be headquartered in Bangalore.

The next meeting of the association will be in August. By this
time membership to the group is expected to swell, especially
considering the state of the industry. The criteria for
membership are: any IT professional desirous of becoming a member
will be required to approach any of these executive council
members with a formal application; every new member will be
required to buy beer for all other members in the first meeting
that he/she attends; every member will be required to stay for at
least two hours in each meeting. Anybody who leaves earlier will
be required to pay for the next six rounds of beer.

Finally, members will have to accept anything said by another in
these meetings. But that is not all, the association plans to bring
out a bimonthly news bulletin called BAN-IT (BAIT's Newsletter
for IT industry). This bulletin will contain beer-related jokes
for IT professionals, a sure-fire method of bringing some cheer
to an otherwise gloomy industry.

Finally, DOS will be discussed at these meetings. Only for BAIT
members it stands for "Drown Our Sorrows."

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930709)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MOW)(00015)

Sun Opens Training Center In Siberia 07/09/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Sun has announced opening of a
training center in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. It is the second
such center that the company has established in Eastern Europe.

The center is equipped with five powerful SparcStations, which will
be used for training, scientific research, and advertising,
according to Robert Hall, Sun's Moscow operations boss.

Previously a similar center was opened by Sun Microsystems at Moscow
State University in mid-December, 1992.

As part of its educational program, Sun announced its intent to sell
more computers to the education ministry, and provide the network
equipment to link them together. Sun is also negotiating with the
Soros Foundation to pay for part of the computer shipments intended
for Russian universities, according to Hall.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930709)


(EDITORIAL)(GOVT)(WAS)(00016)

Editorial - Economic Summit Ends, Clinton Declares Victory 07/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- By John McCormick.
According to a CNN report, there were 11,531 reporters covering
this week's economic summit in Tokyo, more than 30,000 Japanese
security officials and police, and President Clinton alone had a
staff numbering in the hundreds. I didn't attend, and I am glad I
didn't waste my time going.

These yearly Group of Seven Economic Summit meetings have grown
from a small informal get-together, where heads of state could
get to know each other and really discuss problems, to events of
state rivaled only by the pomp and circumstance surrounding some
royal weddings. And, just as with those weddings, everyone knows
in advance what will happen; we don't even get to wonder about
how much the gown costs.

After Wednesday's announcement by US Treasury Secretary Lloyd
Bentsen that a great breakthrough had been made in reducing
tariffs, followed closely by Thursday's comments by some other
members of the Group of Seven who de-emphasized the impact of the
same memo of understanding, President Clinton, in a Friday
morning (US time) news conference, basically declared victory
and withdrew.

Any event that news department executives pay 11,000-plus
reporters to cover will automatically generate a lot of reports,
if only so the journalists can justify their expense accounts,
but what, if anything, really happened at this summit?

The first thing that happened was that every leader described the
state of his or her own domestic economy and said what they were
doing to improve it. President Clinton said on Friday that he was
very impressed by the fact that all the executives had a good
understanding of what was wrong with their own economies.
Well, duh, isn't that impressive? The Presidents and Prime
Ministers came to an economic summit prepared to discuss the
world's economy. Gee whiz.

Other than that, the US reached understandings about eliminating
some tariffs which, according to former Commerce Secretary Robert
Mosbacher, who is a Republican, could have been agreed to at any
time in the past five years. But since all involved ignored the
vital agricultural subsidy question, just what did happen at this
incredibly expensive summit?

According to the joint statement made at its close, Japan stated
that it is committed to spurring its economy and domestic
consumption, which may lead to a lowering of its massive
trade surplus.

Everyone agreed that trade sanctions are bad, tariffs are bad,
and economic growth is good.

European governments stated that they were committed to lowering
their interest rates.

The US said that it is attempting to lower its debt. The other
leaders said that was good.

The Group of Seven agreed to meet again this fall to discuss job
creation, presumably how to find jobs in the private sector after
they are voted out of office.

President Clinton called this a "Jobs Summit" and claimed that
the agreements reached would mean hundreds of thousands of new
jobs here in the US, and millions worldwide, but there were no
new agreements.

So just what does all this mean to the world economy in general
and the US computer industry in particular?

In a word, nothing!

Perhaps we shouldn't have expected any real advances to come from
this economic summit; after all, nothing much has come from any
of the dozen or so previous ones, and this one was attended by
very weak heads of state, most of whom don't expect to still be
in office next year. But with all the media hype that is sure to
follow this Tokyo conference it is important to cut through all
the talk of friendly discussions and "job summits" and look at
the reality which lies behind all the press releases.

Steven H. Axilrod of Nikko Securities said on CNN's Business
Morning today that both France and Germany will dramatically
lower their interest rates, but that this was going to happen
whether the summit had been held or not.

What didn't happen:

Despite some hype to the contrary, there was no major
breakthrough on world trade talks; France is still opposing any
reduction in its payments to farmers, so GATT is actually no
closer to being signed.

There was no mention of supporting the yen or stopping the slide
of the dollar.

There was no promise from Japan that it would take any concrete
steps to reduce its trade surplus.

There was no mention of lowering the present EC tariff structures
which include a 14 percent tax on semiconductors and a 4.9
percent levy on all imported computer products.

What could happen:

This summit could reinforce the Clinton Administration's resolve
to reach a good budget agreement with Congress and result in a
real deficit-reduction package for the US.

European interest rates could come down a bit faster than they
would have otherwise.

Japan's embattled leader, Prime Minister Miyazawa, COULD use this
as an opportunity to really boost domestic spending and lower
costs for Japanese consumers in an attempt to salvage his party's
poor position in the election polls and, at the same time, lower
the trade surplus.

None of what happened helps the computer industry in any way,
except in that a general improvement in world economic conditions
would help many business sectors, including computers.

(John McCormick/19930709/)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00017)

Wang Loses Big Patent Fight 07/09/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Faltering Wang
Laboratories, which is already in bankruptcy, suffered yet
another major blow when a federal judge reversed an earlier court
decision which had determined that Japanese computer companies
NEC, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi Electric were violating Wang patents
on computer memory.

In an ironic twist of fate, Wang was originally founded on the
money which IBM paid Dr. An Wang back in the 1950s over a patent
dispute regarding mainframe computer memory, and this latest blow
to Wang is related to a Wang patent on microcomputer memory,
specifically the way memory chips are mounted on small strips for
easy insertion in computer expansion boards and motherboards.

NEC and Toshiba had earlier been ordered to pay Wang Laboratories
for having used its memory chip mount technology without a
license, but yesterday's ruling probably puts an end to that
potential source of income and pushes Wang one step closer to
disappearing completely.

The actual ruling involved three-chip mounts which are widely
used to install memory in personal computers, but Wang retains
patent rights to the nine-chip SIMM, or single inline memory
modules, used in some computers and both NEC and Toshiba had
earlier said that they were willing to pay licensing fees for use
of the larger SIMMs which are not very common.

Using SIMMS to add memory is less expensive than having to insert
each chip separately, so they are popular with manufacturers and
users who want to upgrade their systems.

Wang had earlier announced that it expects to complete its
reorganization and emerge from bankruptcy this fall but that will
not be the end of red ink for the once major player in office
automation.

Wang held a strong position in the office market for years before
personal computers became available but continued to sell
proprietary hardware and software for years after other companies
had moved to far less expensive compatible PCs.

(John McCormick/19930709/)


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

International Telecom Update 07/09/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- The
telecommunications sector remains a world bright spot, with new
contracts, continued growth, and renewed efforts to privatizing
state-owned monopolies.

Italy's Anti-Trust Authority said it is investigating one such
monopoly, that held by SIP in cellular telephony. SIP wants
compensation before giving up the monopoly, which under present
rules lasts until 2003. But the formal inquiry could decide that
monopoly is illegal, breaking it up without compensation.

Also in Europe, prospects for Sprint or AT&T to make another play
on the continent rose as French telecom minister Gerard Longuet
began pushing for state-owned France Telecom to find an American
partner. MCI's decision to sell 20 percent of itself to British
Telecom, now being totally sold-off, is behind the turn-around.
France Telecom could not buy the equity. Thus, a review of its
status seems in order, Longuet says.

Alcatel Cable, meanwhile, won contracts for phone networks in
Thailand and Poland, worth a total of almost $50 million.

NYNEX of the US confirmed it has bought 20 percent of STET Hellas,
Greece's first celullar telephone service.

In Asia, Chinese Long March rockets should get another try-out,
despite past failures, as a joint venture among Chinese and Hong
Kong interests offer Asian nations bargain-basement rates of $30
million per launch for a shot at the business. Competition rose
in the Philippines, to the satisfaction of President Ramos, as
Singapore Telecom's Globe Telecom affiliate filed an application
to install 1.2 million new lines there over the next 7 years,
further denting the PLDT monopoly, while Ericsson signed a
contract to add 22 exchanges to the PLDT monopoly. Also, as
expected, tempers cooled as Indonesia replied to Tonga's
accusations it stole a satellite slot, denying the allocation had
ever been made after Tonga threatened to move a satellite into
Indonesian space in retaliation. Negotiations on the question are
expected to resume in September.

Finally, in Latin America, Peru began pre-qualifying companies
interested in buying Entel Peru and Compania Peruana de
Telefonos, known as CPT. President Fujimori considers
privatization the centerpiece of his effort to regain credibility
after staging a coup last year aimed at battling leftist rebels
and drug traffickers. Some analysts have called CPT the best-
available opportunity in Latin America for high profits, despite
its risks. That's because Peru has the lowest phone density on
the Continent, just 2.5 telephones per 100 inhabitants, and that
means there are ample growth opportunities.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930709)


(CORRECTION)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

Correction - AIN And BellSouth 07/09/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- In a story yesterday
on BellSouth's plans for its AIN, we got it right at first, then
got it wrong.

AIN stands for Advanced Intelligent Network, as reported in the
first paragraph of the story. It does not stand for Advanced
Information Network, as reported in the second graph. Thanks to
to reader David Lin at MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, for pointing out the error, which Newsbytes regrets.

The AIN is a US version of an international CCITT standard for
intelligent networking, Lin adds.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930709)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00020)

 ****Massive Effort Restored Snow White To Theater Quality 07/09/93
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Walt Disney's
first animated classic, Snow White, recorded originally 56
years ago, was in need of a refurbish and Kodak's Cinesite
digital film center in Burbank, California got the job.

The film had already been reworked once, but until Kodak announced
its Cineon digital technology, the quality of the restoration
wasn't good enough for the big screen.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was the first feature-length
animated film. The film made Walt Disney Studios, which struggled
financially both before and during the three years it took to
produce the film. Upon its release in 1937, Snow White
attracted 20 million viewers in the first three months, to the
surprise of Hollywood skeptics. Since at that time there was no
category for animated features, Hollywood had to create a
special Oscar to honor the film.

YCM Laboratories in Los Angeles handled the original
restoration of the classic film when Disney Studios decided to
start a preservation and restoration program for Snow
White's fiftieth anniversary in 1987. The nitrate base used with
all films produced prior to 1950 was deteriorating and was
potentially volatile as well, so the entire film classic
library had to be restored. The YCM equipment was state of the
art at the time, but Disney executives felt the quality of the
restoration was only good enough for videotape. YCM also
restored Fantasia, which was subsequently released for home
video.

In 1989 Kodak announced plans to develop a high-resolution
digital film system called Cineon. When the Cinesite facility
opened, postproduction manager at Industrial Light & Magic, Ed
Jones, an Oscar winner for his work in "Who Framed Roger
Rabbit," was named president. Bruno George, a veteran visual
effects artist and past producer of "Max Headroom," was assigned
creative director and was designated to oversee the project. In
late 1992 Kodak successfully restored one minute, or less
than two percent, of the Snow White film using prototype
components of the Cineon system. Based on the one-minute
sample, Disney committed to the restoration.

At one point Kodak says it had as many as forty people working
three shifts on the project. Some 119,500 individual frames of
35 mm film were restored, each frame requiring over forty
megabytes (MB) of hard disk space. A special scanner developed
by Kodak captured image information from the film at the rate
of one frame every three seconds, and the captured pictures
were converted to computer-readable binary data. At the peak of
the project, Cinesite was handling 2,000 frames of film per day
or some fifteen terabytes (trillion bits) of data.

Jones said: "If your dictionary is more than five years old, it
probably doesn't have a definition of terabytes. It was unthinkable
to handle that much data as recently as a few years ago, so there
was no need for a definition."

Workstation computers were implemented to eliminate flaws in
the film, such as fine dust on the glass platen of the
animation camera stands used in 1937 that ended up photographed
onto the film. Jones said regarding the anomalies: "They
probably weren't aware of it. Remember, everything has improved
today, including camera and print films and the projection
systems. In addition, expectations of audiences have been
heightened. We worked very closely with the Disney restoration
team to be extremely discerning about those anomalies we
corrected -- such as eliminating the dust which distracts
audiences -- and those we left intact for the purpose of
retaining the character of the original film."

Other flaws were due to age and normal handling of the film
over time. As flaws were eliminated, the computer used visual
information from other portions of the film to fill in the
gaps.

The restored "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," released to the
movie-going public this month, is authentic right down to the
width-to-height of the projected image (an aspect ratio of
1.33:1) which is somewhat squarer than the wide screen formats
of today's films. Restoration of the animated classic has led
to hope that other films may also be similarly preserved. Jones
said: "It has been the dream of filmmakers from the beginning of
the industry that movies are forever. We have now taken a giant
step toward making that dream come true."

(Linda Rohrbough/19930708/Press Contact: Alison Hofland for
Kodak, Creative Communication Services, tel [phone], fax
619-438-5230; David Harney, Eastman Kodak, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00021)

ISO 9000 Quality Program Implementation Up In US 07/09/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- The
American Electronics Association (AEA) says 22 percent more
companies in its survey are using the ISO 9000 and/or the
Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award criteria to implement
quality programs. The implementation of these standards has
become expected by European buyers. US companies wanting to
sell to European markets are adopting the quality control
measures.

This year's survey showed 64 percent of the 455 participants
currently are implementing quality programs as opposed to 42
percent in 1992, the AEA said. The assumption on the part of
buyers is companies which implement quality control programs are
better run, and will therefore produce a better product. The
Chairman of Grumman, Renso Caporali, was quoted in a July, 1992
issue of "Military Space" as being skeptical about the Total
Quality Management bandwagon up until recently. "In any
business, it seems to be a basic reaction when we are getting
our brains beaten out. We immediately want to know where the
rulebook is," Caporali said.

The ISO 9000 standards for Total Quality Management (TQM) are
widely known. Developed by the International Standards
Organization (ISO), based in Paris, the ISO 9000 standards have
to do with three phases of product development, design,
production, and the testing of the final product. The ISO 9001
standard includes all three phases, the 9002 standard covers
production and testing, shipment of the final product, and the
9003 standard is aimed only at the final product. The US
representative to the ISO is the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI).

TQM has been implemented throughout manufacturing by 41 percent
of the survey participants, including 35 percent that have
extended it to non-manufacturing areas, continuing a recent
upward trend. More than 70 percent of the participants said
they have a TQM program in place -- approximately the same
level as in the past four years. Of the 53 software companies
surveyed, only 35 percent said they had a TQM program in place,
putting software companies significantly behind the other types
of businesses in the survey. It can cost upward of $10,000 to
become ISO 9000 certified, but companies are saying it actually
saves them money in the long run.

Gunter W. Kirn of the German Business Machines and Information
Technology Manufacturers Association (VDMA) in the May, 1993
issue of "Marketing Computers," was quoted as saying: "As a
company takes steps to implement ISO 9000, there's a motivation
to improve the way things are done. When you have to describe
every step of a process, you often see that it can be done more
efficiently or more inexpensively."

Eighty-seven percent of the respondents in the AEA survey
listed "product quality" as the most important competitive
success factor for high tech firms. Product design automation
was cited as the most widely used approach to improving quality
and productivity. Yet of the 89 percent of software companies
implementing design automation, just 6 percent have a formal
plan.

J. Richard Iverson, AEA president and chief executive officer,
said: "The 1993 AEA Survey of Quality and Productivity Programs
shows that our companies are moving solidly to Total Quality
Management as a competitiveness tool. However, the positive
results that accrue from such commitments don't happen all at
once -- they take time and this time lag can have a dampening
effect on a company's enthusiasm."

The survey was conducted by Pittiglio, Rabin, Todd, and
McGrath, Survey participants are from a cross-section of
technology industry executives -- 36 percent are presidents,
chief executive officers or chairmen, and 38 percent are vice
presidents.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930709/Press Contact: John B. Hatch,
American Electronics Association, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00022)

Toshiba Mobile Multimedia PCs 07/09/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Toshiba has
introduced the T6600C, T6600C/CD, and T6600C/CDV, a series of
portable PCs that incorporate extensive voice, stereo sound,
digital video, graphics, and animation capabilities.

The T6600C, the basic unit in the new mobile multimedia family,
comes standard with a 66 MHz i486DX2 processor, 8 KB internal
cache, 8 MB of RAM (expandable to 40 MB), a 510 MB hard disk, an
integrated audio subsystem, a graphics accelerator, and a 10.4-inch
active-matrix TFT-LCD that displays 256 colors at 640-by-480
resolution.

Also included in the basic unit are a detachable full 101-key
keyboard with a tilt option, a Logitech Trackman, one PCMCIA Type
III slot, two full-length ISA slots, a SCSI-2 port, a parallel
port, a serial port, a PS/2 keyboard port, a PS/2 mouse port, and
a 5.25-inch half-height drive bay.

The T6600C/CD brings a CD-ROM to the basic system. The T6600C/CDV
provides a CD-ROM as well as a professional level video board.
All three PCs are bundled with MS-DOS 6.0, Windows 3.1, Asymetrix
Compel software for creation of interactive multimedia applications,
and MediaBlitz to add synchronized multimedia scores to
presentations in Windows 3.1 applications. A 128 KB turbo cache is
an option for each model.

In announcing the trio, officials said that the T6600C, a 17.1-
pound unit priced at $7,699, is aimed at such markets as field
service, field engineering, software/hardware development, network
analysis, database storage and retrieval, document image
processing, and desktop replacement.

The 18.7-pound T6600/CD, priced at $8,299, and the 19.3-pound
T6600C/CDV, priced at $9,499, are targeted at interactive training,
point-of-sale, professional presentations, CD-ROM development,
architectural design, CAD/CAM/CAE, video capture, and field
editing.

Each of the three models measures 15.4-inches wide by 12.4-inches
deep by 4.7-inches high. The audio subsystem offered in each
includes a Microsoft Sound System chipset, with audio, MIDI and CD-
audio generation capabilities, plus a high-resolution accelerated
video port, microphone, and self-contained speakers.

The CD-ROM that accompanies the T6600C/CD and T6600C/CDV provides
200mS 5.25-inch double-speed playback capability. The video
subsystem in the T6600C/CDV consists of a pre-installed
MediaShare Mambo (Indeo DVI) board supplying hardware-assisted
video compression expansion, full-motion digital capability with
stereo sound, and a built-in Ethernet port for networking.

The units give users an array of expansion options, officials
emphasized. The SCSI-2 port can be used for internal and external
hard drives, disk array, tape backup, or a scanner. The Type III
PCMCIA slot is able to accommodate Type III as well as Type I and
Type II cards. The two full-length ISA slots support a wide range
of expansion board possibilities.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930709/Public contact: Toshiba, tel 714-583-
3000; Press contacts: Howard Emerson, Toshiba, tel [phone];
Bob Maples, Maples & Associates for Toshiba, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00023)

Philips Head Steps Down, Starts Consulting Company 07/09/93
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Gordon
Stulberg, chairman of Philips Interactive Media International
(PIMI) and credited as being the driving force behind the
compact disc interactive (CD-I) laser disc format, is stepping
down. Stulberg said he is resigning as chairman of Philips but
will working with the company as a consultant.

Stulberg, a diabetic, said in a prepared statement that the
travel demands of the position were too taxing. Jan Timmer,
Philips Electronics N.V. president said: "It is with regret
that we comply with Gordon Stulberg's wish to relinquish his
active role in Philips Interactive Media International."

A new company, Digital Development, is being started by
Stulberg. Digital Development's focus is to offer consulting
services in the area of CD-I software.

Philips is attempting to make CD-I an accepted format and has
distributed its CD-I players, which hook up to television sets
and look much like video cassette recorders (VCRs), in retail
outlets such as Sears. The company announced a deal with movie
maker Paramount in June to develop and distribute theatrical-
length (seventy-two minute) movies in the CD-I laser format.

Prior to his position at Philips, Stulberg was president of
Twentieth Century-Fox and the president of the theatrical-film
division of the Columbia Broadcasting System. He has also
served as vice president and chief studio administrative
officer of Columbia Pictures.

Philips company officials said Stulberg will be leaving in
September. No announcement of a replacement has been made yet.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930709/Press Contact: Tom Wright, Philips,
310-444-6619, fax [phone])


(REVIEW)(APPLE)(SFO)(00024)

Review of - Kid Works 2, For Mac & DOS 07/09/93

Runs on: Macintosh and MS-DOS

From: Davidson & Associates, P.O. Box 2961, Torrance, CA 90509,
800-556-6141

Price: $59.95 for Macintosh, $49.95 for MS-DOS

PUMA rating: 4 (on a scale of 1=lowest, 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Naor Wallach

Summary: A great multimedia creative toolset for the younger set.

=======

REVIEW

=======

Take a kid. Put him or her in front of a computer. Load and run
a program that allows that kid to draw, doodle, write, and
create all kinds of different things. Add color. Stir in some
sounds and speech. And you have the recipe for a great product
that any parent might want to have.

The above paragraph sums up my feelings about the Kid Works 2
programs from Davidson. I had the opportunity to use both
versions and this review will cover both. There are no
major differences between the MS-DOS and the Macintosh version
so anything that you see described here is available to you
regardless of which machine you might have.

Kid Works 2 offers children a collection of four kinds of
activities. There is a drawing program (called Story Illustrator)
which gives children various tools. There is a Story Writer
that allows children to experiment with writing short stories
and hear them read to them. There is an area where icons and
their sounds can be created by the children (Icon Maker). And
there is an area where stories can be played as if on a
tape recorder while the story's text scrolls by (this is
called Story Player).

Once the program is started, the children are first shown a
little startup sequence that includes animation, music, and speech.
First, a picture of a backyard is shown with a secret club
house that only kids can enter. Then the contents of the
club house are shown. All the while, a bright and sprightly
tune is being played. Inside the clubhouse, each of the
toys that are strewn about does something and a female voice
welcomes you to the program. On the clubhouse's whiteboard
are four drawings representing the four activities available.

Story Writer looks like a page from an elementary school
notebook. There are five lines of familiar lined paper
that helps you write in straight and big script. On the left
is a toolbox with four tools while along the bottom are
five different drawers containing various objects. The idea
is for the child to write their own stories. The lines scroll
once the initial screen is all filled up. The child can type
the words that he/she wishes. When appropriate, the child
can choose an icon from one of the bins below. That icon
is then inserted into the text at the location selected.
Four of the five bins are filled with words and icons that
come with the program and are categorized in a certain way.
The fifth bin contains any pictures that the child itself
has created.

Each of the icons in the bins has a speech file associated
with it so that when the program reads the story out loud,
it speaks the name or contents of that icon. The four tools
along the left side allow the program to speak, play sounds,
and erase any of the text. This program has text to speech
technology built-in. Sometimes. it's really funny how the
program interprets words.

Story Illustrator is a drawing package. Those used to MacPaint
or Windows Paintbrush will have no problem identifying the
various functions. The impressive thing here is that there
are 18 different tools provided to children and they are
displayed in such a manner that children have no problem
at all figuring out how to use them. The tool bar is on
the left of the drawing area and takes the shape of a
bookcase. Each of the eighteen tools is actually a tool
on the bookcase. Once a tool is selected, the tool's icon
disappears from its shelf until a different tool is selected.

Along the bottom of the screen are icons that help the
child select both colors and patterns with which to draw.
In addition little stamps can be selected and then stamped
all over the diagram from a selector that has several
dozens of little stamps. Color selections made for the pens
also affect the color of the stamp.

Finally there is a little bin that allows the child to get
premade but uncolored pictures. This feature makes the
drawing program behave like a coloring book.

Story Player plays stories that have been saved by Story Writer.
The screen looks like a standard tape player with all of the
necessary buttons and those funny international symbols that
mean Play, Fast Forward, etc. Under the buttons are two
lines of text where your story line is shown and to the
right of the buttons is an area where pictures can be displayed,
especially those pictures that the child created on their own.

The final module is called Icon Maker and it is a more limited
drawing package intended for the creation of icons and stamps.
In addition to creating the icons, the child can also select
the bin into which the new icons get placed.

Davidson says this program is for children aged 4 to 10.
Certainly my four-year-old got into the program in a big way.
Practically every evening during the review period he would
ask to play with it. Of course, his capabilities are
currently limited to the drawing packages but it was fascinating
to see how quickly he mastered the Story Illustrator and the
drawing book. Within an hour of being introduced to the
program he had already figured out how to get the canned
pictures into the illustrator and how to fill in and color
the drawing according to his tastes.

We also tried the Story Writer but since he only knows how
to write his name at this point, he quickly lost interest
in that part.

I introduced other children to this program. The age of the
child clearly determined how much of the program they could
use but without a single exception, they all enjoyed the
various parts of the program and have been asking to use it
at every opportunity. The eight to ten-year-old set was
particularly impressed with the program which probably has
to do with their increased awareness of technology.

There are more colors in use on the Macintosh -- 64 compared to
16 on the PC. There are more fonts loaded on the Macintosh, and
there is a preview option -- pictures created and stored in the
picture box can be viewed as a thumbnail small picture
prior to display on the Macintosh.

To summarize, this program is a hit. It is a hit with the
children who saw it. It is a hit with the parents of the kids
who saw what their kids can accomplish with it. And it is a
hit with me in my roles as chief kid, parent, and reviewer.
Highly recommended.

=============

PUMA RATINGS

=============

PERFORMANCE: 4 The program runs quickly and with no glitches

USEFULNESS: 4 If you have a kid between the ages of four and
ten - get this program for them. They'll show you how creative
they can be in no time.

MANUAL: The manual is very detailed and thorough.

AVAILABILITY: 4 Available from mail order and software stores.
Davidson also maintains toll-free numbers for sales and
customer support.

(Naor Wallach/19930502/Linda Duttenhaver, Davidson and
Associates)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(DEN)(00025)

Review of - AutoWorks 07/09/93

Runs on: IBM-compatible PCs with at least 520 kilobytes of RAM, DOS
3.3 or higher, VGA graphics seven megabytes of hard disk space, and
a 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch disk drive. A mouse is recommended, but not
mandatory. The software ships with both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch
program disks.

From: Software Marketing Corporation, 9830 South 51st Street
Building A-131, Phoenix, AZ 85044 Tel: [phone]

Price:: $69.95 Suggested Retail Price

PUMA Rating: 3.75

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Jim Mallory 07/09/93

Summary: Autoworks is an interesting program that graphically shows
the various parts and systems of automobiles. It would be useful for
computer users who want to know more about modern automobiles and
how the various systems work.

======

Review

======

Autoworks uses graphics very nice graphics to display the various
systems and their components, including internal parts of the engine
such as pistons, timing chain, camshaft, fuel injection, cooling
system, heating and air conditioning, electrical and brake systems.

When you open the program you will find a menu bar across the top
which, if you don't have a mouse, can be activated by holding down
the ALT key while pressing the first letter of the menu you want to
see (Alt-F for the File Menu, etc). Below the menu bar the left
part of the screen displays a picture of a sporting convertible,
while the right hand portion contains a list of various parts of
the body, such as fender, mirror, rocker panel, bumpers and so
forth. Moving the pointer to one of the listed items, which you can
do using the cursor arrow keys if you don't have a mouse, and
pressing Enter causes a line to be drawn from the list element you
chose to the corresponding part of the car. This part is pretty
basic, since most people know what a mirror or a fender is.

Across the top of the screen, below the menu bar, is a tool bar that
graphically depicts other systems of the car. For example, clicking
on the icon for the exhaust system displays a schematic diagram of
the exhaust system, from perspective both above and from the side of
the frame with the body removed. Other icons activate similar
displays for other systems.

One of the menu choices is Animation. That drop-down menu lets you
select an animation of one of the systems. For example, if you
choose fuel injection, a schematic of the combustion chamber
appears, with the pistons moving up and down and the fuel-air
mixture firing. There is a Zoom feature that allows you to zoom in on
any image in two steps, each magnifying the picture to a larger
image. A full screen icon can be clicked to have the current
image fill the screen. A Bookmarks feature allows the user to place
bookmarks anywhere in the program. A maximum of five
bookmarks are permitted, and are retained until you exit the
program.

An Index Search choice allows you to find items you would like to
view. If you want a list of images on brakes, for example, you would
choose Index Search, then type the word BRAKE in the search box.
That will get you a list of all entries that contain the word
"brake." Highlight your choice from the displayed list will take you
to that image. There is also a "See Also" icon that displays a list
of items relating to the current image. The text explaining the
various systems seemed adequate to us, and was easy to understand.

Images from Autoworks can be exported for use in other draw or paint
programs, with the image being exported in the popular .PCX file
format. There is no import facility.

The program also has a game mode. Choosing the game presents you
with an image of one of the schematics, with a line pointing to one
part of the system. You choose the correct answer from the five
choices offered, and the program keeps score of your right and wrong
answers. In the Quiz Mode a correct answer takes you to the next
question. If you choose incorrectly, you can't move to the next
question until you answer correctly. In the Test Mode a right answer
moves you to the next question automatically. A wrong answer
requires you to click the mouse or press Enter to move on.

Autoworks comes with drivers for various laser printers, including
HP Laserjet, Deskjet and Paintjet printers and drivers that will
work with most Epson or IBM Proprinter-emulating dot matrix
printers. You can also specify the parallel or serial port where
your printer is connected.

============

PUMA RATING

============

PERFORMANCE: 3.5. Autoworks does exactly what it is supposed to do.
We tested it on a 486SX- based system with 6MB of memory, and its
speed was excellent. The only drawback we found was that it only
depicts a front-wheel drive automobile.

USEFULNESS: 4.0. We thought the program was worth the relatively
low cost of $69.95. It's a highly specialized product, so we
couldn't compare it with any similar software, since we didn't find
a similar program during a cursory check of our software listing
books.

MANUAL: 3.5. The documentation for the most part was adequate,
however, we would prefer that somewhere it contained the command
necessary to start the program. The 15-page manual devotes several
pages to configuration of your computer including four pages of
troubleshooting tips. It reads easily and contains numerous pictures
of the various menus and schematics. Included in our review copy was
a combination registration card and coupon for a drawing to win a
free week of auto rental from Avis. There is no index in the manual.
Online help is available from the drop-down menu bar.

AVAILABILITY: 4.0. Initially we had problems loading the program on
our test system, which was configured for Windows 3.1 and called
Tech Support. Our call was answered promptly and the technicians
advise (boot the system with a basic configuration floppy rather
than from the hard drive with all its Windows and additional drive
information) worked. We only waited about two minutes on SMC's toll
number.

(Jim Mallory/19930708/Press contact: Wyndi Ballard, SMC,
602-893-3377, ext 215)


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

 ****Apple Salary Cuts And Freezes, Earnings Awaited 07/09/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Apple
Computer representatives have confirmed reports that the
company has frozen all employees salaries, except top
management, who will receive a five percent pay cut. This
announcement was made to company employees on Monday when Apple
announced a reorganization that included cutting of 2,500, or
about 15 percent, of its workforce.

The company has been in turmoil beginning early last month with
hints that it was for sale from Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
John Sculley. Sculley stepped down as CEO later in June to
become the company's traveling search-light for new technology
opportunities. But now there are hints Sculley will not return
to Apple when his sabbatical ends in August.

Analysts say intense pressure from the IBM and compatible
personal computer industry, in the form of the graphical
Microsoft Windows 3.1 and the PC price wars, is what is
squeezing Apple. June was also the month Apple officially lost
the suit it brought for $5.5 billion against Microsoft over the
Windows user interface. Apple did say it plans to appeal, but
no word of any further action has been forthcoming.

In June, Apple said stockholders could expect lower earnings
for the second half of its current fiscal year due to profit-
cutting price wars. Apple's stock has dropped one-third in
value overall since the beginning of the year. Many analysts,
however, including those at California Technology Stock Letter,
are seeing Apple's stock drop as an opportunity for investors.
Confidence in the company is high, they say, and they are
urging their readers to buy as much of the stock as they can.

The wait now is for the company's second quarter earnings
statement, which company officials say is on track for about
the 15th of this month.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930709/Press Contact: Kate Paisley, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact
408-996-1010)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00027)

SunExpress Opens Distribution Center In Japan 07/09/93
SAGAMIHARA, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Hoping to push its Unix
hardware and Solaris software in Japan, Sun Microsystems'
SunExpress direct marketing subsidiary has opened its first
international distribution center, based in Sagamihara.

According to the company, the new center represents a
"significant expansion of SunExpress' international operating
company, SunExpress International."

The distribution center will increase delivery speeds on a
variety of Sun and third-party products for Sparc systems which
run the company's Solaris and other Unix computing environments.

The company says that SunExpress will provide next-day delivery on
currently stocked items for most of Japan (except Hokkaido, Kyushu,
and Okinawa), and optional same-day delivery service in the greater
Tokyo region. The company will deliver to more remote areas within
five working days.

In announcing the new distribution center, Dorothy Terrell, president
of SunExpress, said: "SunExpress is pleased to offer the breadth of
products, the knowledgeable telesales staff and fast delivery times
that have made our United States and European operations so
successful."

SunExpress has also named Yoichi Hosoi general manager of
SunExpress International's Japanese operation. Hosoi was
previously president and managing director of ViTel Japan Ltd.

SunExpress offers customers telephone access to a range of Sun and
third-party products. In addition to, what the company claims will
be, its fast shipping service, SunExpress will offer free freight,
as well as free telephone and fax lines, according to its
press release.

The company says that the new distribution center is the first
that the company has opened outside the United States. The
company is hoping that its presence will broaden SunExpress'
presence in Japan. SunExpress says it first entered the Japanese
market in May 1992, initially targeting educational institutions.

SunExpress will market its products through advertising in
Japanese trade publications, direct mail promotions, catalogs, and
trade shows. SunExpress' first Japanese catalog was released last
May. The company is planning to issue larger catalogs shortly.

As reported by Newsbytes at the time, SunExpress was created
in September, 1991, and was geared to the delivery of products
for use within Sun's client-server environment.

In September, 1992, Newsbytes also reported that SunExpress
had extended its telemarketing operations to Europe.

(Ian Stokell/19930709/Press Contact: Maraya Byrne,
508-442-3279, SunExpress)


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

Dell Targets K-12 Market 07/09/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- Dell Computer
Corporation announced that it will target the Kindergarten through
12th grade education market with a new Partner Program designed to
enable Dell to better meet the needs of specialized resellers. The
program is also designed to offer a much wider range of
custom-configured systems suitable for the education market.

Dell says as part of its new Education Partner Program, it has
initiated an outreach effort for third-party resellers who have
already penetrated the K-12 market. Specifically the company wants
to form a limited number of strategic partnerships with the
resellers, who will have a direct relationship with Dell maintained
by dedicated account teams. The teams consist of sales
professionals, customer service and technical support experts
specifically designated to meet each reseller's needs.

The company says the Education Partners will be able to choose from a
variety of specially designed purchasing and financing options such
as volume purchase discounts and the "DellTA option, through which
Dell fan factory install a reseller's hardware and specialized
software on a PC then ship it direct to the end user. "DellTA" also
provides for direct billing to the school with a rebate to the
reseller.

Education Partners will also have access to other Dell programs such
as service training and qualification and a spare parts inventory.
Both resellers and customers can elect to participate in Dell's own
service program of guaranteed next-business-day on-site service and
up to five years of extended warranty coverage.

Dell VP of Government, Education and Medical Sales AnnMarie Randle
says joint activities between resellers and Dell will benefit the
customer. "Education customers are looking for the best value for
their PC dollar," according to Randle.

Dell says it will also make available demonstration units,
electronic bulletin board access, and sales support literature for
its Education Partners.

(Jim Mallory/19930709/Press contact: Jill Shanks, Dell Computer
Corporation, 512-728-4100; Reader contact: Dell Computer
Corporation, 512-338-4400, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00029)

Lightning Offers Complete 486-66 System For $1,395 07/09/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- One of the
true inevitabilities of the computer hardware business is that PCs
powered by what was leading-edge semiconductor technology, will
over a matter of just a couple of years, virtually halve in price.
That's already happening to 486-based systems, which previously
took over the top rung of the ladder from 386-based PCs.

Intel's new Pentium processor will likely replace the 486 at
the leading edge of the desktop PC market, when it finally reaches
mass production. But in the meantime, Lightning Computers
claims its new trade-in program allows users to send in any
working 286 or 386 system and receive a "complete," American-made,
Pentium-upgradable i486-66 megahertz (MHz) local-bus SVGA
system with 170 megabyte (MB) drive, for only $1,395.

In announcing the trade-in offer, company President Richard McCabe,
said: "We're offering users a chance to get a state-of-the-art 486/66
MHz local-bus system for under $1,400 and get rid of their old PCs
at the same time. We'll build your dream machine to your
specifications, at our manufacturing cost, with trade-in of any 286
or 386, regardless of brand, speed or architecture."

The company claims that, for $1,395, the Lightning Omniflex 486/66
includes: 128 kilobyte (KB) of cache, expandable to 256KB; six ISA
(Industry Standard Architecture), two VESA (Video Electronics
Standards Association) local bus slots, AMI BIOS (basic
input/output), P24T Pentium ZIF socket; 4MB RAM, expandable to
32MB; 170MB IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard disk with
13 millisecond (ms) average access speed; 1.2MB 5.25-inch or
1.44MB 3.5-inch Teac floppy disk drives; local bus SuperVGA card
with 1MB RAM; 14-inch non-interlaced SuperVGA monitor with .28
dot pitch; standard desktop chassis with 250 watt UL/CSA power
supply; 101 key enhanced AT keyboard; one parallel, one game and
two serial ports.

Lightning also says that it offers "hundreds" of options which users
can select in order to create their own custom-built PC.

The company offers customized PCs directly to users or through
value-added resellers. The company also offers a standard warranty
term that includes one year parts and labor with on-site service.
Extended term warranties are optional.

Lightning claims to have received a number of industry awards for
their computers, including "Editor's Choice" from PC Magazine,
"Byte Best" from Byte magazine and "Best Bet" from PC Computing
magazine.

(Ian Stokell/19930709/Press Contact: Rick McCabe,
415-543-3111, Lightning Computers)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00030)

Adobe Systems Splits Stock 07/09/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 9 (NB) -- High
revenue has led to Adobe Systems splitting its stock.

The company says that its board of directors has approved a
two-for-one stock split, payable in the form of a stock dividend.
The record date for the stock split will be July 27, 1993, with a
distribution date of Aug. 10, 1993.

The company also says that upon completion of the split, the
number of common shares outstanding will be approximately
45,162,650.

In announcing the split, John Warnock, chairman and chief
executive officer of Adobe, said: "The stock split should serve to
broaden the shareholder base by reducing the price per share and
increasing the availability of shares for trading."

Adobe says that revenue for 1992 exceeded $265 million.

The company has been in the news lately mainly because of its
new Acrobat product. In June Newsbytes reported that Adobe is
planning Power PC and Sun Solaris, HP, DEC, and SGI Unix versions
of the viewing software for Acrobat, as well as a multimedia-
capable second release of the entire Acrobat family of viewing
and document creation products.

Also in June, Newsbytes reported that Business Link, a service
bureau which uses fast ISDN (Integrated Services Data Networks)
data lines to collect print jobs from magazines and designers, said
it will use the new Portable Document Format, or PDF, of Adobe
Acrobat.

(Ian Stokell/19930709/Press Contact: Linda Prosser,
415-962-3840, Adobe Systems)