Color Dominates Macworld Expo In Tokyo   
     Macworld Expo Tokyo has concluded in Japan and, as the turnstiles to the event closed, the organizers revealed that it was the most well-attended and largest show of its type ever in Japan.
     According to the organizers, the event was visited by a total of 97,349 people, although even this high figure is expected to rise, once the repeat visitor figures are included.
     On the evening of February 12, Macintosh for Macaid was held at the Makhuri Prince Hotel in Tokyo. The reception was held in a room, which was packed with people, who were treated to a variety of speeches from the likes of Steve Levy (author - Hackers) and Guy Kawasaki (ex-Apple Computer).
     Hardware and software for sale and raffling at the event was contributed by several companies, including Apple Computer Japan, which donated a Color Classic, and Seiko-Epson, which donated its latest generation laser printer. The event, which lasted two hours, raised 2.47 million yen (around $20,600).
     The dominant theme at the show was color, with several companies showing off color versions of their existing hardware and peripherals. Apple drew crowds to see its Powerbook 165C, with its fast super twist nematic (FSTN) liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.
     There is the promise of a TFT (thin-film-transistor) LCD- equipped Powerbook being readied for launch later this year. The TFT screen technology will be supplied by Sharp, which was showing the technology at its booth at the show. According to Sharp, the LCD screens will be made available to Apple and other manufacturers this coming summer.
(Source:Newsbytes/Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930216)

Apple Joins MacroMedia In Multimedia Deal   
     Apple Computer has linked up with multimedia specialist Macromedia to "stimulate the use of multimedia technologies in business, education, and home markets." Specifically, the deal calls for bundling of products, joint development of authoring tools, the establishment of training centers and educational efforts, and more resellers for the products.
     First, Macromedia products will be bundled with Macintosh computers equipped with CD-ROM drives. The bundle includes Action!, a multimedia business presentation package, SoundEdit Pro, a sound editing software package, and ClipMedia, a collection of video, animation andsound clips.
     The next initiative involves Apple and Macromedia jointly developing templates with Authorware Professional 2.0, in order to reduce the amount of time necessary for the development of interactive learning applications.
     Both companies also plan to establish training locations worldwide to support developers in making interactive titles.
     The companies will also collaborate on efforts to educate customers about multimedia. Activities planned include advertising, direct mail, seminars, and on-line information through services such as AppleLink, CompuServe, and America Online. The companies also plan to develop a new Multimedia Information CD.
     The two companies also plan to cooperate in educating and increasing the number of authorized multimedia resellers. Joint activities planned include recruitment, product and sales training, technical support, and sales tools.
(Source:Newsbytes/Ian Stokell/19930212)

RasterOps Designs New Video Board For Mac Centris   
     RasterOps has announced a new design of the 24STV video board for Apple Computer's new Macintosh Centris 610. RasterOps claims to be the first company to provide full-motion video-in-a-window, still frame capture, and QuickTime movie creation capabilities to Centris users.
     The new Macintosh Centris line, introduced Feb. 10, are midrange computers geared toward mainstream business and professional users. There are two systems -- the Macintosh Centris 610 and Macintosh Centris 650 -- both equipped with the Motorola 68040. The Centris 610 is retail priced at $1,859 while the Centris 650 carries a $2,699 price tag.
     The 24STV takes up a single slot and, according to the company, enables Centris users to capture and display 24-bit images from a variety of video sources and overlay graphics onto live, full-motion video.
     "RasterOps has redesigned the current 24STV into a compact seven-inch format that gives extensive multimedia capabilities to Centris users," said Randy Cook, RasterOps product marketing manager.
     According to the company, the video source for the 24STV can originate from videodisc, videotape, cable and television and can be composite or S-video in NTSC, PAL or SECAM.
     The 24STV supports 640 by 480 output to standard Apple or Apple-compatible 13-inch RGB (red-green-blue) monitors. It can also output to NTSC or PAL monitors using the RasterOps Video Expander II.
     The company says that the Centris-compatible 24STV will be available in April for the suggested retail price of $999 and will come bundled with RasterOps MediaGrabber 2.1 software. It will also include a three-year warranty.  
(Source:Newsbytes/Ian Stokell/19930212)

Now Updates Up-To-Date   
     Now Software has released a new version of its calendar and scheduling application Now Up-to-Date 2.0. The newest version features integrated To-Do Lists, WYSIWYG appointment book printing, off-line editing of shared events, AlarmsClock integration, and the ability to import and export calendars to the Sharp Wizard, as well as many enhancements to its existing features.
     Now Up-to-Date allows users to schedule appointments, manage To-Do lists, set reminders, share calendar information over networks, and print calendars for appointment books. In addition, Now Up-to-Date functions in both workgroup and stand-alone modes (through Public and Private Events), and even provides automatic updating of shared events. Thus, users with PowerBooks can take their calendars with them and even create and edit Public Events when disconnected from the network.
     One of the key new features in version 2.0 is the addition of an integrated To-Do list, which displays To-Do list items in a separate window in a list format. They can be scheduled (due on a certain date) or unscheduled (free-floating until they are checked off), prioritized, and automatically forwarded until completed (carried forward).
     Now Up-to-Date's Reminder function has also been enhanced with the integration of AlarmsClock, which was formerly part of the Now Utilities collection. Another benefit is the ability to enter new Events or To-Do list items without having to launch the Now Up-to-Date application.
     Now Up-to-Date 2.0 is shipping in four configurations: a single-user package for $99, a five-user package for $449, a ten-user package for $799, and a 50-user package for $3,799 (suggested retail prices). All versions can work on their own or as part of a multi-user configuration.
     Upgrades for registered users of Now Up-to-Date version 1.0 will be $29 and free for those who purchased their earlier version after September 1, 1992.  
(Source:Newsbytes/Computer Currents/19930211)

Preventive Maintenance With "Public Utilities"   
     Fifth Generation Systems is shipping Public Utilities, preventive maintenance and recovery software program for the Macintosh.
     "Public Utilities is an extraordinary program to help users of all levels protect against and recover from potentially damaging disk problems," said Barry L. Bellue, Sr., president and CEO of Fifth Generation Systems. It is the only product on the market that works transparently to prevent most common disk and data corruption problems from happening."
     Public Utilities' main focus is on preventive maintenance. It regularly scans users' hard disks in the background during idle processor time looking for potential problems. If an error is found, Public Utilities makes recommendations about fixing the problem. Depending on configuration by the user, Public Utilities can also scan at start-up and shut-down.
     The Public Utilities interface is structured toward the novice user, with additional settings available for advanced users. The default settings are set to automatically perform most operations transparently.
     Public Utilities has a suggested retail price of $149.
(Source:Newsbytes/Computer Currents/19930211)     

New Easy, Inexpensive Data Security For Macs   
     Trend Micro Devices is offering SafeLock for the Macintosh, software that incorporates password protected data security with virus scanning and removal capabilities.
     SafeLock restricts unauthorized access to all data on an unlimited number of Macintosh hard drives. Designed for PowerBooks, Portables and any Macintosh environment, SafeLock automatically prompts users for a password during boot up. Trend's president, Steve Chang, says, "SafeLock answers the need for an easy-to-use yet inexpensive hard disk security product, and provides instant security for any Macintosh environment."
     This new product gives users the choice of implementing a "Lock Now" feature for instant security or an unattended lock which becomes active after a manually set or pre-set period of idle time. An online help menu and simple user interface provide installation and use. SafeLock optionally prevents floppy disk access and makes files on the secured drive invisible to intruders.
     SafeLock is priced at $49. For more information, call 800/228-5651.
(Source:Newsbytes/Computer Currents/19930208)

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