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(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00001)

JEAN-LOUIS GASSEE ON AMERICA ONLINE MAY 21}
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- America Online
will feature departing Apple Products President Jean-Louis Gassee
during an online conference May 21 at 10 PM Eastern time.

The chat, featured in the service's "Center Stage" Auditorium
area, will be hosted by Guy Kawasaki, Macintosh evangelist.

Gassee will take questions from the America Online audience during
the live conference event.

For more information, contact America Online, which is for
Macintosh and Apple II users, by calling in the US 1-800-
227-6364.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00001)

NEW HYPERCARD DUE IN MID-JUNE}
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- A new
version of Apple's Hypercard, version 2.0, is due out in the
consumer market in mid-June, according to Macweek
magazine.

The new Hypercard is expected to allow simultaneous access
to multiple stacks, offers additional window types, floating
palettes, hooks for attaching windows to externals, multifont
text editing, color picture display, and custom menus,
according to the report.

The report also indicates that a file-compatible Apple II
version of Hypercard has been delayed until later this
summer.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(EXCLUSIVE)(APPLE)(LAX)(00000)

DIAGNOSTIC SOFTWARE FOR MACINTOSH DUE}
BUENA PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 22 (NB) -- System
Sleuth, the diagnostic software utility for IBM PCs and
compatibles from Dariana Technology Group will soon be joined by
System WinSleuth for Windows and System MacSleuth for the Apple
Macintosh II.

Both new products will be unveiled during Comdex/Spring, June 3-6
in Atlanta, GA. All three Sleuth products help users set up new
computers, unravel configuration problems, delve into
hammerlocked programs, check memory and hard disks, and generally
allow the user to monitor and diagnose hardware and software
difficulties without removing the computer case.

System WinSleuth requires Windows 2.1, Windows/286 or higher, 512
K RAM (random access memory), a graphics adapter and DOS 3.0 or
higher. MacSleuth requires a Macintosh, Macintosh+ or higher.
System 6.0 or later is recommended. Each lists for $149.

Also being introduced by Dariana Technology Group is an
integrated set of software tools called NetCompanion for managing
Novell NetWare-based local area networks (LANs), servers and
workstations. Suggested retail price for NetCompanion will be
$349.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Frank Westall, Dariana
Technology Group, 714-994-7400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(HKG)(00002)

APPLE DONATES TO HONG KONG SCIENCE MUSEUM}
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Hong Kong's Urban Council is
to receive Apple hardware, software and peripherals for the new
Museum of Science and Technology in preparation for its opening in
March 1991.

Some exhibits are already in place, though the museum is not due to
open for another ten months. Most notable is the first aircraft owned
by Cathay Pacific Airways when it was established just after the war.
The ancient DC3 was discovered in the early 1980s still flying
passenger routes in Australia. Cathay bought it back and returned it
to Hong Kong where it was restored to its original Cathay livery
before being moved by night at the end of last year to the museum
site where its exhibition hall is being built around it.

Now Apple Computer has joined the growing list of sponsors donating
high technology and scientific equipment and materials to the museum.

At the formal hand-over at the urban Council Chambers on Wednesday
(May 23rd), Apple Computer International Ltd will be represented by
its managing director, Bill James, and the Urban Council by Dr Philip
Kwok, the chairman of its Museums Select Committee.

The ceremony will include demonstrations of the software to be
featured in the exhibits.

(Norman Wingrove/19900519)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00001)

LEADING EDGE/QUANTUM IN DISK DRIVE DEAL}
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Quantum Corp.
has announced a high volume supplier agreement with Leading Edge Products
Inc. of Westborough, Mass.

Quantum says that Leading Edge has contracted to receive $20-$25
million worth of 3 1/2-inch IDE and SCSI hard drives, ranging in
capacity from 40 to 210 megabytes, over the next 12
months. The drives are to be used for newer model fixed disk
systems from Leading Edge, including the D3/MC,
D3/SX, D3/25 and future personal computer products.

Leading Edge Products Inc. is a subsidiary of Daewoo Corp.

(Wendy Woods/19900517/Press Contact: Catherine Hartsog,
Quantum Corp., 408/432-1100)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(NYC)(00005)

WESTINGHOUSE, CARNEGIE MELLON, REDZONE ROBOTICS FORM PARTNERSHIP}
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Westinghouse
Electric Corp., Carnegie Mellon University and RedZone
Robotics Inc. have announced the formation of CRW Robotics
Partnership, a joint venture arrangement which will develop
robotic technology for applications in the nuclear service
and nuclear waste markets.

Under terms of the partnership, CRW will contract research and
development projects with Carnegie Mellon and RedZone. The Field
Robotics Center of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute will
perform the basic research, RedZone will develop concepts as
far as the application stage with its engineering and fabrication
capabilities, and Westinghouse will use the technologies in
commercial applications.

CRW's first project is to develop an advanced computer vision
and control system for Westinghouse's ROSA-3, the latest
generation of the company's remotely operated service arm.
ROSA-3 is used in servicing nuclear power plants. "Nuclear
services and nuclear waste management are strategic growth areas
for Westinghouse," said Thomas A. Christopher, general manager of
the Westinghouse nuclear services division. "The advanced
technologies to be developed by CRW Robotics Partnership will
strengthen our leadership in these markets."

A committee composed of Vincent J. Esposito, service technology
and training manager for Westinghouse's nuclear services
division, David M. Pahnos, assistant director of Carnegie
Mellon's Field Robotics Center, and Simonds will jointly
manage the new partnership. Carnegie Mellon also will
maintain a financial interest in the technologies developed at the
university and transferred to CRW through licensing and usage fees.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519/Press Contacts:
Michael J. Stock, Westinghouse, 412-642-3424; Anne Watzman, Carnegie
Mellon University, 412-268-2900)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(ATL)(00004)

NTN EXPANDING BEYOND GAMING}
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- NTN
Communications is raising $8 million in a private stock placement
to enhance its interactive games software and turn it into an
educational tool. NTN is best known for its NFL interactive game,
played while watching football on TV.

Using handheld terminals, NTN also lets viewers participate in
baseball, hockey and other games. A version of the software is
also running on U.S. Videotel's Home Market system in Texas
and Canada -- Home Market was called SourceLine last year when
it was a joint-venture with Southwestern Bell. The product is also
being used in GTE's "Main Street" tests in which cable
television is delivered over phone lines in Needham, Massachusetts and
Cerritos, California, and in Great Britain, where NTN has a
licensing agreement with The BBC, Whitbread Breweries, and
VTV Entertainment Inc. of London which will open a system in
mid-year.

More important work may be coming, however, NTN recently
completed a test of its system in conjunction with Kentucky
Educational Television Network, using it to teach in classrooms.
Additional programs are now being set up to expand the testing
service in Kentucky and 14 other states. Finally, the company
has an agreement with Visual Services, a marketing services
company which works with automobile manufacturers and importers
as well as other firms, to turn the terminal into a direct
marketing tool.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: NTN Communications,
Robert Klosterman, 619/438-7400)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00000)

COMPAQ OPENS SUBSIDIARY IN FINLAND}
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Compaq Computer has
announced the opening of a wholly owned subsidiary in Helsinki,
Finland, Compaq Computer OY.

In a published statement, Zelmir Ilic, managing director of
Europe International Division, Compaq Computer GmbH, noted that
the new subsidiary achieves two major objectives in Compaq's
European strategy. "Firstly, it ensures our ability to meet the
growing needs of Finnish end users as well as the needs of our
dealer network and secondly, it represents a further step toward
our goal of total European market coverage. Ilic's division
located in Munich, West Germany previously was responsible for
supporting dealers in Finland.

The entire Compaq line will be marketed through authorized
dealers in Finland and fully supported by Compaq Computer OY.

The opening of this subsidiary in Finland is part of Compaq's
continuing international expansion program. Earlier this year,
Compaq established a subsidiary in Austria and in 1989 Compaq
established subsidiaries in Norway, Denmark, Chile, Venezuela and
Colombia bringing Compaq's total number of international wholly-
owned subsidiaries to 16.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Bob Beach, Compaq)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00001)

TECHNOLOGY STOCKS: Company Quarterly Results, Friday May 18}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Technology
company losers continue to outstrip gainers, despite the current
share prize bonanza in the technology stocks marketplace.

[] AW COMPUTER SYSTEMS lost $166,640 in its first quarter ended
March 31, 1990. The losses compare unfavorably with last year's
like quarter $106,056 losses. AW Computer Systems has been
selected to upgrade Safeway Stores Point of Sale (POS) cash
register systems.

[] FA COMPUTER reported a loss of $257,000 on revenues of $45.86
million for its third quarter which ended March 31, 1990. Last
year's comparable period produced income of $104,000 on revenues
of $27.66 million.

[] COMPUTER MEMORIES reported profits of $299,000 for its first
quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $648,000. In
1989's comparable period, CM reported earnings of $280,000 on
revenues of $469,000.

[] COMPUTER DATA SYSTEMS posted earnings of $842,600 for its
third quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $30.84
million. In 1989 the company had reported earnings of $94,000 on
revenues of $29.04 million.

[] WARNER COMPUTER SYSTEMS earned $475,000 in its second quarter
ended April 30, 1990 on revenues of $11.86 million. Last year,
Warner earned $943,000 for the full six months while this year,
it reported income of $718,000. Warner provides computer
facilities to insurance companies.

[] TOUCHSTONE SOFTWARE earned $42,940 in its first quarter ended
March 31, 1990 on revenues of $839,195. Touchstone Software CEO
Shannon Jenkins said, " The success of Checkit, a best-selling
software add-on product for PCs, has been instrumental in the
increased revenues and earnings." Touchstone produces and markets
software for PCs.

[] TELEQUEST lost $491,000 in its first quarter ended March 31,
1990 on revenues of $1.84 million. In last year's comparable
quarter, the company lost $465,000 on revenues of $799,000.
Telequest manufactures and markets a diversified line of
telephone products.

[] COMPUTER AUTOMATION earned $69,000 in its third quarter ended
March 31, 1990. CA reported revenues of $993,000 for the period.
For the full nine months, CA reported revenues of $3.4 million
while the loss decreased to $1.04 million.

[] RAMTEK lost $353,000 for its third quarter ended March 31,
1990, on revenues of $3.9 million, as compared to an income of
$221,000 and revenues of $4.7 million for the same period the
previous year. RAMtek manufactures high-performance imaging and
graphics systems.

[] TELE-COMMUNICATIONS posted a net loss of $57 million for its
first quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $861
million. In last year's comparable quarter, the company reported
revenues of $655 million with a net loss of $51 million.

[] HEWLETT-PACKARD earned $186 million in its second quarter
which ended April 30, 1990. Earnings from operations rose 2 percent
but net earnings were down 8 percent. H-P reported revenues
of $3,300 million compared with $2,900 million for the same
period last year. For the full six months, H-P reported revenues
of $6,400 million - up from $5,500 million during the same period
last year.

[] INFORMATION SOLUTIONS posted a loss of $394,330 on revenues of
$821,000 for its first quarter ended March 31, 1990. This
compares with earnings of $19,956 on sales of $1.5 million for
the comparable period in 1989. ISI provides turnkey applications
software systems to industries such as transportation.

[] INMAC earned $1.6 million in its third quarter ended 28 April,
1990, on sales of $81.7 million - up 16 per cent from last year's
like quarter. Last year the company reported sales of $70.5
million and net income of $249,000.

[] ALPHA MICROSYSTEMS reports net income of $20,000 in its fourth
quarter ended February 25, 1990, on revenues of $15.09 million.
For the full year, AM reported sales of $55.88 million and net
earnings of $772,000 - down from last year's income of $3.3
million.

[] SOFTWARE DEVELOPER'S CO. earned $204,000 in its fourth quarter
which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $7.6 million. Last
year, the company reported revenues of $3.5 million while
earnings stood at $124,000. For the full year, SDC saw revenues
of $21.66 million and earnings of $623,000.

[] STANFORD TELECOMMUNICATIONS reported losses of $741,000 on
revenues of $89.4 million for the full year. For the fourth
quarter, ST reported losses of $1.49 million on revenues of $21.5
million.

[] CYBERTEK INC. posted net income of $707,000 in its fourth
quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $6.93 million.
For the full year, CI reported revenues of $24.1 million which
produced income of $1.89 million. Cybertek produces computer
software.

[] UNITED SOFTWARE SECURITY reported losses of $16,645 for its
first quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $144,615.
This compares with a loss of $42,066 on revenues of $227,656 in
last year's comparable quarter.

[] INFORMATION SOLUTIONS moved $394,330 into the red for its
first quarter which ended March 31, 1990 on revenues of $821,375.
Figures for last year's like quarter show earnings of $19,956 on
revenues of $1.57 million.

[] TELETEK reported losses of $150,000 on revenues of $1.44
million for the third quarter which ended March 31, 1990. This
compares with a loss of $193,700 on revenues of $1.49 million for
1989's similar period.

[] ANALOG DEVICES earns $4.7 million on revenues of $116.4
million for its second quarter which ended April 28, 1990. In
1989, Analog Devices reported revenues of $115 million and income
stood at $9.5 million. Analog Devices manufactures and markets
integrated circuits.

[] SPINNAKER SOFTWARE reported a net loss of $1.41 million on
revenues of $3 million for its third quarter ended March 31,
1990. Last year, the company reported $2.44 million in revenues
and net profit of $29,000 for the like period.

[] BOSTON TECHNOLOGY reported earnings of $627,000 in its first
quarter ended April 30, 1990 on revenues of $10 million. The
company markets voice processing systems.

[] NATIONAL DATACOMPUTER lost $528,026 in its first quarter ended
March 31, 1990. Revenues for the period were $738,392. The
figures compare with net profits of $45,000 and revenues of $1.8
million for the same period in 1989. National DataComputer
manufactures and markets point of sale systems and terminals.

[] MICROLOG posted a net loss of $381,557 in its second quarter
ended April 30, 1990 on revenues of $3 million. The figures
compare with a net loss of $253,000 and revenues of $2.7 million
in last year's comparable quarter. For the full six months, the
company reported revenues of $7.55 million and net income of
$84,400.

[] EVEREX SYSTEMS reported income of $6.86 million in its third
quarter ended April 30, 1990, on revenues of $114.3 million.
During the same period last year, the company reported revenues
of $98.48 million and $5.95 million in profits. Everex
manufactures and markets PCs.

(John Verhelst/19900518)


(EXCLUSIVE)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00002)

MICROSOFT SHOOTS UP BY $3.50 - WALL STREET HITS RECORD LEVELS}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Microsoft moved
up by $3.50 on Friday to close at $68.25, while the Dow Jones
Industrial Average (DJIA) shot up to a record high level of
2,831.71, recorded on Thursday, before retreating 11.8 points on
Friday. Profit taking on blue chip stocks promoted the retreat.

Other stocks in the spotlight in the OTC market in New York,
included: Apple Computer, down $1.75 to $39.75; MCI
Communications, up 50 cents to $42.25; Intel Corporation up 25
cents to $45.125; and Sun Microsystems up by 12.5
cents to end at $29.875. Finally, Scitex kept its movement up and
finished the week up $3.25 at $35.375.

On the big board, IBM moved up to $115.375, AT&T was also up
$1.25 to $43.75 and Hewlett Packard ended down $1.875 even though
the company reported earnings of $175 million.

The Newsbytes Stock Index (NSI) of 423 stocks moved to 11.33, up
from 11.05 last week. On Friday, the total price volume was
4,793.53 and 34,283,300 shares changed hands.

(John Verhelst/19900519)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00004)

TANDY ABOUT TO BE INTRODUCED TO HONGKONG}
CENTRAL, HONG KONG 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Mention the name "Tandy" in
Hong Kong and 99 people out of a hundred would think you were talking
about a recent Oscar-winning actress. Now, thanks to personal
computer distributor Microwave, a new name is about to become known
to computer users.

Strangely, although Tandy Corporation was among the first companies to
introduce microcomputers, its products have never been sold in Hong
Kong and the name, as familiar as apple pie in the USA, is almost
unknown to the general public here.

That should change now with the appointment of Microwave as Tandy's
first distributor in Hong Kong. Until now the company's machines have
been a rarity, usually having accompanied their doting owners across
the Pacific.

Microwave is to take on the formidable task of making Tandy machines
competitive with the vast and expanding range of high-quality,
low-priced IBM PC-compatibles built in the region. Many of these
offer, as standard, options only available as expensive extras
with big-name models. One leading local company, for example,
supplies its machines fully configured to the user's needs, with DOS
4.1, a slide-out hard disc, one 5.25-inch and one 3.5-inch floppy
drive, and VGA monitor with monochrome as an option, plus a
basic dot matrix draft printer -- all at a price comparable with that
for the computer alone from competitors.

One factor in the company's favour is the great number of people
now moving into serious computing with genuine machines replacing
the illicit copies that took them through the introductory and
learning stages.

(Norman Wingrove/19900519)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(0000)

WANG AUSTRALIA RETRENCHES 90}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- Wang Australia has
announced a major restructuring involving the retrenchment of 90
staff members. According to a letter to all staff members from
Mike Clarkin, Wang Australia's MD, the restructuring was carried
out from a "clean sheet of paper" to ensure that the company
could perform to expectations, rather than just being reduced to
a mathematical measure of the previous structure.

The restructuring was reportedly brought about by the general
downturn in the market which has put increasing pressure on
computer firms to perform competitively.

The breakdown of the reductions were: support - 45; sales - 14;
commercial sales organization - 10; finance and administration -
8; education - 6; MIS - 3; personnel - 3 and arsenal nil. Clarkin
expects marketing to play a more important role in the
performance of the company, with increased direct marketing, the
establishment of sound working relationships with software
houses, and the expansion into new markets. As part of the
restructuring, all staff will attend a 5-6 hour workshop on
quality ownership, as well as participate in a questionnaire
conducted by Macro Research, an independent research company.

(Sean McNamara/19900518/Contact: Felicity Blake, phone in
Australia [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(0000)

QANTAS CHOOSES COMPAQS FOR RESERVATIONS SYSTEM}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Qantas, Australia's
international airline, is to install approximately 500 Compaq
computers in reservations centres worldwide by the end of this
year.

The purchase follows the successful trial in 1989 involving 40
Compaq PCs in a Melbourne test site running the Qantas
Intelligent Keyboard Reservations System (QIK-RES). The system is
aimed at giving reservations staff quicker and more powerful
information relating to the products offered by Qantas.
Reservations staff were involved in all stages of development and
application of the system, and Qantas feels this is what makes
the system so successful.

The system will be installed initially in four of Qantas' 20
reservation centres, with all centres expected to be part of the
system within five years. One of the major features of the system
is its superior compatibility and connectivity to existing
reservation systems. Several overseas carriers, including major
American and European carriers, have expressed interest in
acquiring the system for their own use.

(Sean McNamara/19900518/Contact: Ian Stanton, phone in Australia
[phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

SPREADSHEET SHOOT-OUT SLATED FOR PALO ALTO}
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Spreadsheet
products from Borland, Lotus, and Microsoft will feature in a
"Spreadsheet Wars" event, designed to determine the fastest and
best software for their needs, at Stanford University on May 30.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored
by the Stanford-Palo Alto IBM PC User's Group, and will feature
representatives from each of the leading spreadsheet companies.
There will be demonstrations, questions and answers, and a
drawing of free programs to members.

Jan Altman, vice president of the group and a local computer
consultant, dreamed up the event, "because people have a need
to see spreadsheets from the experts," she told Newsbytes.

The shoot-out will be staged at 7:30 PM, Wednesday, May 30,
at the Stanford University Campus' Turing Auditorium in
Polya Hall.

For more information, call Jan at 408-243-5955.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

FEDERAL COMPUTER CONFERENCE SEP 17-19}
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- The thirteenth
annual Federal Computer Conference will be held September
17-19 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center.

The conference presents seminars, as well as an expo where
more than 300 vendors will be showcasing their products.

The conference is held in Washington DC each fall and in
Anaheim, California, each spring and is sponsored by the
National Council for Education on Information Strategies.
For more information contact Larry Den at 301-587-9344.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

NEW BAY AREA RADIO SHOW ABOUT COMPUTERS}
SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- A
new radio show devoted to technology airs in the San Francisco
Bay Area Saturdays from noon to one on KALW FM 91.7.

Hosted by Harry Goodman, "ComputerTalk" consists of
interviews, news, and opinions, and is aimed at "the
naive user without losing the experienced user," says
Goodman.

The show is offered free of charge to non-commercial
radio stations nationwide which are National Public
Radio or American Public Radio affiliated.

For information on guests, other stations broadcasting
the show, or general information, call Harry Goodman
and Associates, 415-332-5945.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR COMPUTER, SAYS NEW BOOK}
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Make Money
Moonlighting! The 4 Best Ways to Earn Money With Your Computer
is a new book from The American Institute of Computer
Technology.

The $995 book, plus $2.50 shipping, is aimed an enterprising
individuals who want to work in a home-based business
with their computers. The book contains business development
information and marketing ideas.

Among the careers explored by the book are word processing,
desktop publishing, shareware development, and computer
consulting.

The four careers author John Mortz warns people *not* to
try are software locator services, information brokerages,
home-based accounting services, and tax preparation
services. The reason he discourages readers is that the
above pursuits are either too crowded or specialized for
a novice to enter.

To order a copy of the book, call the company's 24-hour
hotline at 818-793-8429.

(Wendy Woods/19900517)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00000)

NEW PRODUCTS: New SCSI ISA and EISA Controllers From DPT}
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- Distributed
Processing Technology (DPT) has announced the release of
SmartConnex/ISA for the PC/AT and SmartConnex/EISA, a 32-bit SCSI
(Small Computer Systems Interface) controller for EISA (Extended
Industry Standard Architecture) bus computers.

The ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) model runs SCSI disk
drives without special software drivers or BIOS (basic
input/output system) ROMs (read only memory) allowing its use in
environments that currently do not support SCSI drives.
SmartConnex/ISA works with all operating systems and
applications.

Dave Race, director of market development at DPT, told Newsbytes
that when using this controller, there are no compatibility
problems with other hardware or software. He noted that this can
be attributed to the fact that SmartConnex/ISA is built around
existing disk controller standards.

Two versions of the SmartConnex/ISA are available, the PM2001/90
SCSI controller that lists for $333 and the PM2001/95 SCSI and
floppy controller that lists for $365.

SmartConnex/EISA is aimed at the high end of the market. Its
features include bus mastering, 33 megabytes per second
transfers, overlapped command processing, SCSI-2 command queuing
and scatter/gather. SmartConnex/EISA can be used in multiuser
systems, local area networks and engineering workstations.

Race told Newsbytes that DPT has shown the SmartConnex/EISA to
all of the leading EISA computer manufacturers all of whom have
praised the controller because of its advanced architecture.
SmartConnex EISA has been designed to work with the current EISA
computers and with the larger EISA computers that will be coming
out in the future.

The SmartConnex/EISA comes in two versions, the PM2012/90 SCSI
controller at a suggested price of $655 and the PM2012/95 SCSI
and floppy controller that lists for $715.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Michael Cerni,
Distributed Processing Technology, 407-830-5522)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00000)

ASIC VERIFICATION TESTING MADE AFFORDABLE}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Hilevel
Technology has introduced ReadyRent, a new rental program for
their ETS 7000 benchtop ASIC (application specific integrated
circuit) verification and characterization tester.

The rental program requires only a one month commitment allowing
engineers who previously could not justify an onsite testing
system to have one. Hilevel's Vice President Arch Conway
explains that the ReadyRent program removes the need for
companies to make large capital investments. "With just a 30-day
commitment," he adds, "engineers will be able to determine how
much margin key operating parameters have and if the device
(ASIC) works under all conditions."

ReadyRent features month-to-month rental agreement for nine
percent of the original purchase price with up to 80 percent
equity accrual. The program offers full rental flexibility. Users
have the option to extend the rental agreement after the first 30
days, upgrade their system with additional pin modules and
software utilities at any time, purchase the unit or discontinue
the rental as needed.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Teri Bruno, White &
Cromer, 714-752-2216)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00009)

BELL-NORTHERN TO CONSOLIDATE LABS}
NEPEAN, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Bell-Northern
Research will build a C$100-million, 600,000-square-foot
expansion to the research labs here.

The new facilities at BNR's headquarters in Nepean, near Ottawa,
will bring together some 4,400 employees. About 2,200 of these
already work at the Nepean site, while the other half are
scattered among several facilities in the Ottawa area. No net
increase in R&D staff is planned, company spokesman Dan
Mothersill told Newsbytes.

The project is expected to be completed in 1992. Bell-Northern
Research is jointly owned by Northern Telecom and Bell Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19900518/Press Contact: W.D. Mothersill, Northern
Telecom, 416-566-3100)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00001)

CRAY CREATES AIR-COOLED SUPERCOMPUTER}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Cray Research Japan has announced
its first air-cooled supercomputer, the Cray Y-MP2E. The air-cooled
number-crunching machine has inherited functions from Cray's
Y-MP and is fully compatible with the parent series, but comes at
the lowest price in the Cray supercomputer lineup.

The machine is available with either one or two CPUs (central
processing units) and it performs 0.5- or 1-giga FLOPS (floating
point operations per second) and 166 or 333 MIPS (million
instructions per second). The OS (operating system) is Unix-based
UNICOS.

Cray claims customers can start running the Y-MP2E within
24 hours after installation due to the simplicity of
the machine structure.

This plug in-and-play approach will figure heavily in Cray's
promotion of the new, lowest cost supercomputer, which the
company hopes will account for sales of one unit per month to
Japanese corporations and institutes. Sample shipment of the machine
is slated for September, and commercial shipment is slated for
April, next year.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19900517/Press Contact: Cray Research Japan, 03-239-
0711)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00007)

JAPANESE CONTRIBUTE TO AMERICAN EDUCATION}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- On the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of its arrival in the U.S. market, Toshiba America has
established the Toshiba America Foundation with $10 million
to assist science and industrial technology education at U.S. secondary
schools.

Toshiba started the subsidiary in April 1965 to sell products
to the U.S. and has grown to employ over 8,000 Americans.

Tadao Taguchi, chairman of Toshiba America, chairs
the foundation, and its five directors are presidents of Toshiba
America's divisions, Information Systems, Electronic Components,
Consumer Products, Medical Systems, and Toshiba International Corp.
Toshiba plans to invite other directors from outside the company.

Meanwhile, Nintendo chose the same week to announce that it has
given three million dollars to Dr. Seymour A. Papert, director of
Learning Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, so that
he may study ways to apply Nintendo's Family Computer
to primary education.

Dr. Papert is known as the developer of the computer language LOGO
for primary education. Dr. Papert is expected to analyze the use
of the Family Computer as a motivational tool for study during
a child's primary education.

Nintendo will provide information on its Family Computer to
Dr. Papert and in return will receive the fruits of the research
to use in its own marketing plans.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19900517)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00011)

JAPAN: NEC PC-9800 MARKS 3 MILLION SHIPMENTS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 12 (NB) -- Cumulative shipment of
NEC's PC-9800, Japan's standard personal computer, has
passed the 3 million mark.

PC-9800 sales have accelerated since its debut in 1982 in the
Japanese market; cumulative shipments reached one million
in March, 1987, and 2 million in February, 1989.

Nowadays PC-9800 is available in 19 configurations from desktop
to book-size, and runs about 10,000 application programs.
Many industry analysts believe the abundant hardware and software
will continue to stabilize NEC's dominance in the Japanese personal
computer market. NEC, for its part, aims to ship 1 million units alone
in the fiscal year ending March, 1991.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(EXCLUSIVE)(GOVT)(NYC)(00001)

DECEASED COMPUTER EXPERT SAID TO HAVE RUN HOOKER RING}
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- The sudden
death of James William Dayton, a computer scientist at the
U. S. Naval Avionics Center in Indianapolis, has led
Indianapolis police investigators to an apparent electronic
homosexual prostitution network that reached into 39 states,
Canada, South Korea and Guam.

Dayton died suddenly while staying at the Zelzova Inn in
Tiffin, Ohio and, in the course of investigating the death,
Seneca County sheriff's detective Jim Browning found material
implicating Dayton in the running of the prostitution ring.

An unidentified man who was with Dayton at the time of
his death stated to Seneca County investigators that he had
had sex with Dayton at the inn and had been discussing becoming
a prostitute in the ring. Browning told Newsbytes that "It
was a routine investigation of an untimely death that led me
to find computer print-outs and financial statements in
Dayton's car. This information coupled with the statement of
the companion was enough to establish the existence of a
prostitution ring. As Dayton's home and employment was in
Indianapolis, we contacted the Indianapolis police and made
them aware of the evidence."

Browning added that Dayton's companion had made his
statement voluntarily and had not been charged with a crime
because "there was no indication that any money changed hands
relating to sexual activity."

Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Michael Loomis told Newsbytes
that there had been an on-going investigation of Dayton
before his death and "that the information received from Browning
provided sufficient to obtain a search warrant. In executing the
search warrant, the Indianapolis police found material that
substantiated the findings of the Seneca County Sheriff's
Office."

The prosecutor says he is continuing the investigation into the
prostitution ring using the material found in Dayton's apartment.
Loomis did not comment on local newspaper reports that said that
information found on at least 50 prostitutes and 300 patrons
implicated Indianapolis banking executives, a Cincinnati priest
and a Marion County police officer as members of the ring.

Although Loomis told Newsbytes that he believed that Indianapolis
police had informed Naval Avionics security personnel of the
on-going investigation of Dayton, Diana Hogue, director of
public relations for the Naval Avionics Center, told Newsbytes
that the Center had no knowledge of the investigation until after
Dayton's death.

She also said that a wire service report which said
there was no indication that Dayton had used government
computers for the prostitution ring was incorrect, "What we said
was that there was no connection between Mr. Dayton's home
personal computer and computers here at the Avionics Center.
We did find, in fact, that he had been using an old Honeywell
system to maintain lists of names apparently for this ring.
The system was no longer in general use and only Mr. Dayton
had access to it." She added that Dayton had been employed by
the Naval Avionics Center for six years and that his supervisors
have stated that he had always been a good employee.

The first public indication of the use of computers in the
running of a homosexual prostitution ring came on April 11,
1987 when Dayton, using the sign-on "Blue Boy," left a message
on the Indiana University - Purdue University electronic bulletin
board advertising employment for Muscles USA: "Muscles USA is a
nationwide service based in Indianapolis which provides well-built
guys to well-to-do-gentlemen. We are now hiring."

Don Smith, who runs the bulletin board, informed police of the
message. Smith, named in wire service reports as aiding the police
in breaking Dayton's computer codes, told Newsbytes that his only
contact with the police or involvement in the Dayton case had been
the reporting of the bulletin board message, "If I had been
responsible for breaking of the case, it would have
occurred three years ago. I was simply behaving properly as a
bulletin board system operator and I don't understand how the
current stories got started. There was no breaking of any coding
structure then or since."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00001)

HACKER INDICTED IN ALLEGED THEFT OF UNIX}
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- A federal
grand jury has indicted Leonard Rose, Jr., an alleged member of a
nationwide hackers group, the Legion of Doom, that has been
charged with criminal activity involving computer networks
and online databases.

In the five-count indictment. Rose is charged with two
counts of computer fraud for allegedly introducing Trojan horse
programs into online systems. A Trojan horse is a program which,
while masquerading as another type of program, allows the user
to gain illegal access to an online system, often for
destructive purposes.

The remaining three counts of the indictment deal with interstate
transportation of stolen property for allegedly attempting
to disseminate stolen copies of AT&T's UNIX operating system.

David King, assistant U. S. attorney told Newsbytes that, although
Rose is affiliated with Legion of Doom members pending
indictment in Atlanta and Chicago for allegedly tampering with 911
emergency systems, "he is not charged with activities in that case."

King also said that "The evidence against Rose leading to his
February arrest was obtained through a Secret Service execution
of a search warrant. The obtaining of this search warrant
was a direct result of previous Secret Service work in the
nationwide investigation of the illegal activities of the
Legion of Doom."

King added that the investigation of this particular case
is continuing to determine how the 31 year-old Rose obtained
copies of the UNIX system.

U.S. Attorney for Maryland Breckinridge Wilkins was quoted as
saying that the indictment has "far-reaching implications for
the security of computer systems in the United States." Stating
that the investigation which began in Chicago and expanded to
Maryland and Georgia revealed that hackers gained access to
computer systems belonging to federal research centers, educational
institutions and private businesses, Wilkins added "We
know what computer systems were accessed. It may be very difficult,
if not impossible, to determine what, if any damage was done."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519)


(EXCLUSIVE)(GOVT)(NYC)(00003)

CUSTOM AGENTS SEIZE BULGARIA-BOUND SUPERCOMPUTER}
MIAMI, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- U.S. Customs Agents
have seized a Control Data ETA 10 supercomputer allegedly
slated for shipment to Bulgaria in violation of the U.S. Export
Administration Act.

When seized, the computer, described by a Customs spokesperson
as "the second most powerful computer in the world,╙ was in a
48-foot trailer in Charleston, South Carolina ostensibly awaiting
shipment to Marseilles, France for delivery to Bulgaria.

Robert Wheeler, president of the American Technology Group in San
Francisco, was arrested in Charleston in connection with the
computer seizure while Nick Spiliotis, president of CID Corp
of Long Beach, CA was arrested in Miami where he was allegedly
picking up payment for the transaction. Both were charged with
violating the Export Administration Act, punishable by up to
ten years in prison and $1 million in fines.

Thomas Williams, Customs Dept. Group Supervisor and Acting
Special Agent-In-Charge for the Charleston action, told
Newsbytes that the seizure was made during the execution of a
search warrant issued in Miami. He did not comment on wire
service reports that a trap had been set up for Wheeler and
Spiliotis as a result of information furnished to the Customs
Department by a Miami businessman approached by Wheeler and
Spiliotis in January.

Customs spokesman Michael Sheehan told Newsbytes that Customs
is still investigating the source of the computer, "We believe
that Wheeler and Spiliotis obtained the computer from a broker,
Adaptive Systems, Inc. of Minneapolis, who, in turn, had
obtained it from a computer brokerage subsidiary of Control
Data which had curtailed operations. We are not, in
any way, implying any implication of these firms in illegal
acts. We are just trying to trace the path of the computer
back to its manufacture."

Sheehan added that he understood that the $6 million computer
which Wheeler and Spiliotis were allegedly attempting to sell
for $1 million "is wired for European power systems making it
difficult to sell in the United States." Sheehan also told
Newsbytes that Customs is still looking into the background
of Spiliotis' firm which "is not registered in the State of
California and is apparently run out of his home."

Sheehan, speaking earlier to press regarding the power of the
computer seized, was quoted as saying "This computer in and
of itself could run a fairly large-sized city. It could run
its entire communication system, its entire phone system networks,
etc. It's military applications are vast as well. It could run a
radar installation. It could program missile guidance. It could
do virtually anything and the damage that could have been done to
the United States by this getting to an Eastern Bloc country
would just be immeasurable."

Sheehan told Newsbytes that "the investigation is continuing and
indictments are possible against Wheeler and Spiliotis."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00001)

PEROT TO ADVISE IBM}
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- It has been
announced that IBM and Perot Systems Corp., founded by ex-EDS
chairman and one-time IBM employee H. Ross Perot, have reached an
agreement under which Perot Systems Corp. will advise IBM in the
expansion of its computer processing and service organization.

Bill Wilson, general manager of IBM's systems service unit of
its national services division, was quoted as saying "As we
started enlarging our computer service unit, we realized we
had to know more about this business. The first thing Perot
is giving us is advice on the business and how to expand it."

An IBM source expanded on the rationale of the move for Newsbytes.
"We realize that many large companies are consolidating national
networks into smaller data centers and are reconsidering the
cost of maintenance, computer operations and the necessity of
remaining current in technical knowledge. We see our business
changing as some of these firms reduce their requirements for
large 370-type mainframes and feel that we can be a significant
player in the services business."

The sources said that IBM's success to date with such firms as
Eastman Kodak bears that out. "One of the most successful firms in
this aspect of the computer business has been EDS so it seems
logical that its founder can be extremely helpful as we move
more aggressively in this area."

Terms of the consulting arrangement were not made public by
either firm and, when wire services contacted Perot Systems
President Pat Horner, he refused to discuss the details of
the arrangement saying that it is against firm policy to
discuss contract awards.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00007)

NEWBRIDGE VOWS TO FIGHT SHAREHOLDER'S SUIT}
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Newbridge
Microsystems intends to defend itself vigorously against a class-
action lawsuit launched by an angry shareholder, company
spokeswoman Sandra Plumley told Newsbytes.

The suit by John Abato, filed in a Washington federal court May
11, names Newbridge and its American subsidiary, as well as some
company officers, as defendants. It accuses the company of making
false statements or neglecting to disclose pertinent information
concerning its stock. Traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange,
Newbridge's shares hit a high of C$21.375 last July, before
dropping back to about C$9 now.

Plumley said suits of this type are frequently launched with the
hope of getting a company to settle quickly. Newbridge will not
do so, she said.

(Grant Buckler/19900518/Press Contact: Sandra Plumley, Newbridge
Networks, 613-591-3600)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00001)

NEW FOR IBM: POP's Utilities! for DeskMate}
EVERGREEN, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- POP
Computer Products has announced shipment of its Utilities!
program to Tandy Corp. Utilities! runs under Tandy's
DeskMate graphical interface; it is the first package of
file and hard-disk management tools designed specifically
for DeskMate.

Utilities! consists of 18 programs and supports both keyboard
and mouse. Radio buttons start each program, and a
consistent DeskMate interface with on-screen help guides
users through the learning process. Utilities! includes Retrieve,
a program which on execution copies a file into a Trashcan
directory from which users can later recover files. After
a user-defined holding period, files are purged from
Trashcan.

The Optimize disk reorganization program, designed in
conjunction with Revolution Software, gives first priority
to file safety rather than speed.

POP Utilities sells for $49.95. Call 303/674-0200 for more
information.

(Computer Currents/19900517)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00001)

NEW FOR IBM: Re:organize Your Computer}
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Re:organize,
a reference guide and organizational kit available from Hartley &
Associates, is designed for nontechnical managers and PC
business users.

Re:organize assists in learning the basics of PC operation,
DOS, and keeping records of a computer's history and status.
The package includes a reference guide, organizational forms,
color-coded diskette labels, diskette box labels,
and a utility diskette to help determine system configuration.

Re:organize sells for $49.95 with a short-term introductory
price of $39.95. Quantity discounts are available. Call
714/549-8441 for more information.

(Computer Currents/19900517)


(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00002)

LOTUS & IBM ANNOUNCE 1-2-3/G PROMOTION}
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corp. and IBM have jointly announced a promotion called
Lotus 1-2-3/G Bonus Pack which will bundle Lotus 1-2-3/G, IBM OS/2
Standard Edition Version 1.2 and four megabytes of IBM PS/2 memory
into one package. The Lotus 1-2-3/G Bonus Pack will be available from
June 5 through Aug. 31, 1990 through those IBM hardware and software
dealers certified by IBM to market advanced products.

Lotus 1-2-3/G is the version of 1-2-3 designed to run under OS/2's
Presentation Manager interface while IBM OS/2 Standard Edition is the
most current version of the OS/2 operating system developed jointly by
Microsoft and IBM.

IBM's Tracy O'Neill told Newsbytes that no prices for Lotus 1-2-3/G
Bonus Pack were quoted because "this is a dealer promotion and the
individual dealers will set the prices." Lotus spokesperson Martha Isham,
added that the prices to purchasers "would be significantly lower
than if the components were bought separately."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519/Press Contacts:
Tracy O'Neill, IBM, 914-642-5412; Martha Isham, Lotus, 617-225-1554)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00001)

NEW FOR IBM: PC Security Offers Hardware-Based Security}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- PC Security
Systems introduced the Stoplock line of security devices for PCs.
According to president Thomas Burke, "The PC has become the door
to the corporate vault" and "these doors rarely have latches,
much less locks."

Stoplock creates such locks with hardware half-cards and
software which prevent PCs from being booted without
proper passwords. The Stoplock line is made by Sentry Systems of
Kansas City, and PC Security Ltd. of Marlow, Buckinghamshire
represents the line overseas.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Thomas Burke, PC
Security, 212-949-1825)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00002)

NEW FOR NETWORKS: Mustang Ships Brainstorm 2.0}
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Mustang
Software has begun shipping Brainstorm Version 2.0, an idea
manager for local area networks.

As with computer conferencing systems like Participate,
Brainstorm lets users create open-ended "invitations" to solve
problems on specific "topics" and can reply in notes which are
reviewed by everyone. Unlike Participate, however, Brainstorm
uses a system of pull-down menus rather than simple commands
as its user interface. Mustang is best-known for the "Wildcat!"
multi-line bulletin board system.

Mustang President Jim Harrer told Newsbytes that Brainstorm is
priced differently than Wildcat because the two products are
aimed at different audiences. "For Brainstorm we're shipping a
version at $649 for unlimited use on a single server, and a $995
version which can be used across multiple servers." Wildcat,
however, is priced per user, at $129 for the single-user version,
$229 for a 10-user version. "We ask what's really fair, how are
we going to recover our development costs," he explained. "We
have a lot of hobbyist customers in the bulletin board industry,
and it's a long punt to put the burden on those hobbyists to pay
the costs of a corporation."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Jim Harrer, Mustang
Software, 805-395-0223)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00012)

NEW FOR NETWORKS: DMA Announces pcAnywhere IV/LAN}
HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- DMA announced
pcAnywhere IV/LAN, the first all-in-one communications program
for remote computing across PC networks. Prices start at $495,
and the product will ship August 1.

According to DMA president Lee Raufenberg, "pcAnywhere IV/LAN
permits one workstation to control another workstation on the
LAN, or on another LAN, or control a stand alone PC at a remote
location The software also allows any workstation to publish its
modem to the network, which makes that modem-equipped workstation
a non-dedicated communications server."

The single-user version of pcAnywhere IV, priced at $179. From
the remote side, it adds a new point and select menu, which
displays files available for transfer in either direction. The
new version also supports enhanced data compression, XMODEM file
transfers, and transfers in the background. An automated process
control function helps with repetitive procedures.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Virginia Bare, DMA,
516-462-0440)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00000)

NEW PRODUCT: Antex Intros Audiographics Board For PCs}
GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Antex
Electronics has introduced an "Audiographics" AV-16 add-in board
for PCs and compatibles that integrates high fidelity digital
stereo audio output, extended VGA graphics and NTSC (National
Television Standards Committee) compatible video output on a
single card.

This controller board is designed for use by OEMs (original
Equipment manufacturers), systems integrators and corporate PC
users for interactive audio-visual and multimedia presentations.
It integrates an extended VGA graphics adapter based on the
Headland Technology LSI video processor, a high fidelity audio
playback subsystem with 4:1 compression and standard NTSC
composite video output. The three functions are integrated onto a
full size, low profile card that fits into the expansion slot of
any IBM-AT, PS/2 Model 30 or 286/386 compatible.

According to the manufacturer, the AV-16 is ideally suited for
applications where audio must be digitally stored, processed and
interleaved with full color computer graphics. The AV-16 will be
available after June 30 at an introductory price of $895.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Robert Bird, Antex,
213-532-3092)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00000)

AST RESEARCH ADDS EISA TOWER, DESKTOP UNIT TO PREMIUM LINE}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- AST Research has
introduced four new products based on i486, 386 and EISA
(Extended Industry Standard Architecture) technology including
three towers and a desktop model.

All of the new computers are part of AST's Premium line; the
Premium 486/33TE EISA tower, the Premium 486/33E EISA desktop,
the Premium 386/33TE EISA tower and the Premium 386/33T ISA
(Industry Standard Architecture) tower. Each of the new systems
features AST's CUPID-32 (Completely Universal Processor, I/O
Design) architecture that provides a simple, easy-to-install
growth path for the end user.

According to Larry Fortmuller, AST director of high performance
systems, true upgrade paths for the future are provided as a
central part of AST's customer philosophy. "Our customers can
make a simple change and have a new CPU (central processing unit)
and advanced systems capabilities within minutes," he said.

All of the new systems and upgrades will be available in the
second quarter of 1990.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Jeanne Jalan, AST
Research, 714-727-7960)


(EXCLUSIVE)(IBM)(LAX)(00000)

DIAGNOSTIC SOFTWARE FOR WINDOWS PCS DUE}
BUENA PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 22 (NB) -- System
Sleuth, the diagnostic software utility for IBM PCs and
compatibles from Dariana Technology Group will soon be joined by
System WinSleuth for Windows and System MacSleuth for the Apple
Macintosh II.

Both new products will be unveiled during Comdex/Spring, June 3-6
in Atlanta, GA. All three Sleuth products help users set up new
computers, unravel configuration problems, delve into
hammerlocked programs, check memory and hard disks, and generally
allow the user to monitor and diagnose hardware and software
difficulties without removing the computer case.

System WinSleuth requires Windows 2.1, Windows/286 or higher, 512
K RAM (random access memory), a graphics adapter and DOS 3.0 or
higher. MacSleuth requires a Macintosh, Macintosh+ or higher.
System 6.0 or later is recommended. Each lists for $149.

Also being introduced by Dariana Technology Group is an
integrated set of software tools called NetCompanion for managing
Novell NetWare-based local area networks (LANs), servers and
workstations. Suggested retail price for NetCompanion will be
$349.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900518/Press Contact: Frank Westall, Dariana
Technology Group, 714-994-7400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LONDON)(00001)

NEW FOR IBM: Borland Announces C++ Compiler in UK}
READING, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Days after
its US debut, Turbo C++ Professional, a development environment
from Borland, has been launched in the UK.

The company claims the software product allows programmers to
develop C language programs more effectively. The package retails
for UKP 249-95 ($400).

Announcing the package in the UK, Denis Moran, Borland UK's
managing director, said that Turbo C++ Professional offers
complete support for AT&T's C++ 2.0 specification, as well as
retaining full compatibility with the Ansi C specification.

"Turbo C++ gives programmers access to the world of object-
oriented technology while maintaining the performance and
efficiency of C" he said.

Key features of Turbo C++ Professional are the Programmer's
Platform, a new development environment, and the inclusion of
Borland's VROOMM memory manger system. VROOMM allows programmers
to code their own programs in C++ which bypass the normal 640K
DOS RAM limits.

VROOMM stands for Virtual Runtime Object Oriented Memory Manager
and is a memory overlay manager which allows applications to use
EMS, extended memory of disk swap space to create larger
executable programs. Borland claims that using VROOMM is completely
transparent as far as the user is concerned.

Turbo C++ and Turbo C++ Professional will be available in the UK
from next month (June) onwards for users of IBM PCs and PS/2s,
plus close compatibles. System requirements are 640K of RAM, a
hard disk and DOS 2.0 or later.

Turbo C++, the language on its own, will cost UKP 149-95 ($240)
as an alternative to the Professional package which costs UKP
249-95 ($400). Turbo C 2.0 users can upgrade to the C++ language
for UKP 79-95 ($130) or C++ Professional for UKP 149-95 ($240).
Users of Turbo C 2.0 Professional can upgrade to C++ Professional
for UKP 99-95 ($160).

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press & Public Contact: Borland UK - Tel:
0734-67034)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00002)

NEW FOR IBM: SPC Launches Harvard Graphics V2.3}
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Software
Publishing Corporation (SPC), based in Mountain View,
California, has announced Harvard Graphics v2.3,
a major new version of its business presentation graphics
package. The package is available in June at UKP 395 or US$630
with current users being offered an upgrade path for UKP
75 ($120).

According to SPC, the new version of Harvard Graphics includes
several new features for international users, as well
an improved 'Screenshow' facility called Hypershow. According to SPC,
Hypershow allows business users to tailor the flow of a presentation
during its delivery.

In parallel with the launch of the English-language version of
Harvard Graphics v2.3, SPC has announced that local language
versions in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish
are under active development for release later this year.

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press & Public Contact: Neil Davison,
Software Publishing Corporation - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00003)

DR DOS 5 TO SHIP THIS MONTH}
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, USA, 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- Digital Research
has announced the imminent shipment of its latest version of DR
DOS. Version 5 (the company having skipped version 4 completely)
incorporates many advanced features not available in Microsoft
DOS.

The product, unlike Microsoft DOS, is available for end-users. It
has a list price of $199 though the price to OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) is expected to be well below $100.
Existing users can upgrade for $70. Beta testers have told
Newsbytes that the product contains features normally found
only in add-in products which would conceivably cost in
excess of $600 if purchased separately.

For instance, MemoryMAX is a built-in memory manager which
intelligently moves applications, TSRs and drivers to the best
memory location, utilizing "every last scrap" as one tester said.
More than 620 kilobytes is often available to applications on
a basic AT.

ViewMAX is a graphical interface for DR DOS which allows
keystroke or mouse operation. It allows icon-driven system
set-up. Passwords can be set for different levels of user access.

FileLINK is a PC-to-PC file transfer utility which can be
installed on the second machine via the serial cable (on "less
functional DOS systems" says the tongue-in-cheek press release).

BatteryMAX is a system for assisting battery-powered PCs to
shut down unused subsystems to extend battery life between
charges. DR claims that BatteryMAX may extend battery life by up
to three times.

(Paul Zucker/19900517/Contact: US 800-443-4200 for details)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00003)

ODESTA AND DIGITAL TO DEVELOP MAIL SOFTWARE}
NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Odesta
announced a joint venture with Digital Equipment to develop
electronic mail software for PCs under MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows,
the OS/2 Presentation Manager, and the Apple Macintosh.

The product will conform to the X.400 message-handling standards,
which allow messages to be passed between disparate computer
systems, and will be linked to Digital's All-In-One Mail product
under the VMS operating system. The result, the companies say, is
that companies will be able to integrate all computer users into
a single messaging system

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Jim Harrer, Mustang
Software, 805-395-0223)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00005)

LOTUS TO CONNECT SOFT-SWITCH MAIL INTERFACE WITH ITS NOTES}
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Lotus
Development and Soft-Switch announced a joint effort to integrate
the Soft-Switch Network Application Programming Interface into
Lotus Notes, Lotus' group communications software. The resulting
product will enable Lotus Notes users to exchange mail with any
electronic mail system linked using the X.400 message handling
standard.

The SNAPI Server, announced in April 1989, provides full Soft-
Switch electronic mail distribution and directory services via a
remote procedure call capability. Soft-Switch Central is an
electronic mail switch that implements all of the major
electronic mail protocols, including X.400, IBM's SNADS and PROFs
protocols, TCP/IP and other proprietary protocols.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lotus has licensed the SNAPI
client library and will develop the Lotus Notes Gateway to the
Soft-Switch SNAPI Server. Soft-Switch will support and
distribute the resulting product through its direct sales force
and international distributors. Lotus Notes began shipping last
December.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Lotus Development
Sue Jensen, 617/225-1138; Soft-Switch, Donald M. Fisher, 215/640-
9600)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

U S WEST ANNOUNCES SELF-HEALING NETWORK}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- U S West
announced the creation of U S West Self-healing Services,
designed to provide increased reliability on high-capacity, high-
speed, private-line services. U S West is offering a guarantee of
one free month's service if a customer suffers any downtime.

"Our research shows reliability is the primary need among large
businesses and carriers. We're confident of our ability to meet
that need with these new Self-Healing Services," said Tom Pardun,
vice president and general manager of U S West Communications'
Large Business Services unit.

U S West Self-Healing Services consists of two products: U S West
Self-Healing Alternate Route Protection, or SHARP, and U S West
Self-Healing Network Services, or SHNS. SHARP increases
reliability with backup electronics and physically separate fiber
optic paths through 2 telephone central offices. U S West
Communications will offer SHARP in Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Portland, Seattle and Phoenix. SHNS is a dedicated service
designed for customers with large amounts of traffic, in which
two concentric fiber optic are joined with intelligent network
elements that detect problems. In the event of a failure, the
service "heals itself" by sending the transmission in the
opposite direction around the ring.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Robin Baca, U S West
Communications, 303-896-9338)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

NORTHERN TELECOM TO SUPPORT IBM CALLPATH/400}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Northern Telecom
announced its Meridian 1 Communication System product line will
support IBM's new CallPath/400, on IBM's AS/400 computer systems.

The company also announced it will support CallPath Services
Architecture products on other IBM computers. This support will
enable customers who have Meridian 1 private branch exchanges
to use a range of advanced voice and data applications based on
linking with the data processing power of IBM computers.

Northern Telecom also introduced the Meridian Link module, a
UNIX-based processor to be contained within the SL-1 Options of
the Meridian 1 Communication Systems product line. The Meridian
Link module provides peer-to-peer communication with attached
processors using standard protocols such as X.25. Meridian Link
integrates the call-processing functions of the Meridian 1 with
the data-processing functions of a host computer. Meridian Link
supports X.25, IBM 3270 SNA, and LAP-B protocols. In the future,
Meridian Link will support additional interfaces such as ISDN
Q.931/Q.932 and IEEE 802.3.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Northern Telecom,
Linda Henson, 615/734-4251)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

AT&T, IBM TO MAKE THEIR SYSTEMS MORE COMPATIBLE}
BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- AT&T
announced plans to work with IBM to ensure compatibility between
AT&T's Definity Communications Systems and IBM's computers.

The companies will work to develop an interface linking AT&T's
Adjunct/Switch Application Interface to IBM's CallPath Services
Architecture. For mutual customers requiring near-term solutions,
AT&T and IBM will work to support current PBX-to-host
applications using IBM systems and AT&T's existing Gateway
products.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: AT&T, Sue Fleming,
201/658-2604)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

AT&T AND UNIONS AGREE ON EARLY-RETIREMENT PLAN}
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., MAY 15 (NB) -- AT&T and its
two main unions, the Communications Workers of America and the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, agreed on a
voluntary early-retirement plan for non-management employees that
will add 3 years of age and years of service to the records of
most workers, doubling the number of people eligible for a
pension.

Currently, some 18,000 non-managers are entitled to a
service pension; the new plan will add 15,500 to that total.

The plan also allows AT&T to offer special incentives to non-
management employees where there are more people than the
workload requires. Such measures include tacking on 2 additional
years of age and years of seniority for workers -- and offering a
"sweetener" that will boost pension payments by 15% a month.
Employees with at least 5 years of service will be covered by the
plan.

The company employs 281,000 people worldwide -- about 28,000
fewer than January 1989 and about 92,000 fewer than January 1984.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Burke Stinson, AT&T,
201-221-2062)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

AT&T INTRODUCES TWO NEW FAX MACHINES}
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- AT&T
announced two facsimile machines designed for businesses that send
or receive up to 1,000 pages of faxes per month.

The Model 9020FX helps control expenses by limiting use to
specific hours or to selected employees. It eliminates junk fax
problems when programmed to receive messages only from designated
machines. It sounds an alert when the 328-foot paper roll has run
out, and stores messsages afterward in memory. The 9020FX also
has 130 speed dial numbers and side mounted trays. Its automatic
document feeder holds up to 20 pages.

The 9022FX adds a privacy feature that requires the recipient to
enter a code before receiving confidential information. Users
can also forward their fax messages to another fax machine using
the 9022FX, and get added memory.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Simone Acque, AT&T,
201-581-5619)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00011)

NATIONAL DATA SUED, ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCT}
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- National Data, a
credit card authorization and online services company whose
share price plunged $9.50 per share May 11, to $14.25, was sued
by shareholders in U.S. District Court. The class action suit
represents people who bought common stock between September 27
and May 11, and claim buyers were misled about the company's
financial condition.

National Data called the suit without merit,
and promised to fight it. The stock plunge was the result of its
expectation of a fourth quarter loss and lower annual earnings.

The company, whose main business is verifying the credit of those
who use credit cards, also announced that it will now provide
this service via radio. In an agreement with Digital Radio
Networks of Vienna, Virginia, NDC will offer radio authorization
as an option to its merchant customers throughout the United
States. This produces a response in 5-7 seconds, against 21
seconds or more using telephone lines. NDC will push the new
service to high-traffic hotels, restaurants, and stores, as well
as non-traditional retail locations like parking lots, ski
resorts and sporting events.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518/Press Contact: Bob Murphy, National
Data, 404-728-2502)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

AMERICAN FIRMS ADDED TO NTT MOBILE PHONE BID}
SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- AT&T and
Motorola will be asked to join Ericsson of Sweden and 7 Japanese
firms in creating a digital cellular phone network for Japan,
starting in 1992.

NTT's analog system has today about 400,000
subscribers, representing about one-fourth the market
penetration found in the U.S. The number of subscribers is
expected to increase sharply with the introduction of the digital
system. The Japanese system will have a different standard than
the European Group Special Mobile and the American
Digital Cellular systems.

U.S. trade officials, who recently withdrew the threat of "Super
301" sanctions from Japan in the wake of promises it would open
its telecommunications market further, hailed the move. Motorola
is expected to supply voice encoding and decoding technology for
NTT's digital cellular system, while AT&T is expected to supply
radio transmitters, receivers and amplifiers used to pass calls
between cells.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

AT&T RUNNING INTO FLACK OVER UNIVERSAL CARD}
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- As AT&T counts the
apparent success of its Universal Card after three months on the
market, the company is running into heavy criticism from
competitors. Citicorp, the largest Visa and MasterCard issuer in
the nation, was joined by three of its largest competitors --
Chase Manhattan, Bank America and MNC Financial -- in asking the
Federal Reserve, the Federal Communications Commission, and
Georgia Banking Department to look into whether the AT&T venture
violates the law. The four also raised banking issues with the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The four charge that AT&T controls the new Universal Bank, a unit
of Synovus Financial of Columbus, Georgia. That, they say,
would be illegal under U.S. banking laws, which forbid commercial
and industrial companies from owning banks. In fact, AT&T says,
it merely owns a small stake in the new bank and buys its credit
card receivables.

Synovus is the parent of the Columbus Bank and Trust and it owns
80% of Total Systems Services, which is handling the processing
of merchandise purchases made with the Universal Card. The bank
has $3 million in capital but plans to serve 5 million customers
in the next few years.

The 10% discount on AT&T calls made with the Universal Card is
also drawing criticism. If AT&T is offering the discount
directly, a charge the company denied when it offered the card,
that would represent a tariff reduction which has not been
sanctioned by the FCC. If the bank is giving the discount, as
AT&T says, then it's reselling phone service, which is again
without FCC sanction. AT&T's position is that the Universal Bank
is discounting its phone receivables 10%, so that AT&T is not
offering a discount and the bank is not reselling time, yet
consumers save anyway.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900518)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00005)

CANADA: UNITEL TRIES AGAIN FOR LONG-DISTANCE APPROVAL}
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Unitel
Communications, a Canadian communications carrier, has applied
for permission to offer long-distance telephone service in seven
Canadian provinces.

Unitel's previous application to offer long-distance service was
turned down in 1985, when the company was still known as CNCP
Telecommunications. The Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) questioned the carrier's
financial ability to provide the service.

Since then, Unitel has acquired new backing through the purchase
of a 40-percent stake by Rogers Communications, a cable
television operator. The new name was announced early in May.

"We tend to believe the (current) application addresses the kind
of social and economic questions that were missed in the first
application," added Peter Janecek, director of public affairs for
Unitel.

Initially, Unitel wants to offer long-distance telephone service
in the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
Telephone companies in those provinces are regulated by the CRTC.

Phone companies in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are
provincially regulated. The Canadian government has proposed
legislation to bring them under federal control, and Unitel said
it would apply to extend its service to the three Prairie
provinces as soon as that legislation is passed.

In the meantime, Janecek said, Unitel customers in the other
seven provinces would be able to place calls to the Prairies. The
calls would be routed through telephone company lines.

Unitel is asking the CRTC to let it charge long-distance rates 15
percent below those of the telephone companies. Janecek said the
discount would be necessary to induce customers to change
services, and to compensate for the inconvenience of dialing
extra digits to place a call through Unitel. The need for the
extra digits can be eliminated later, Janecek added.

The Canadian Business Telecommunications Alliance (CBTA), which
represents large telecommunications users, reacted positively. In
a prepared statement, Brian Callihoo, president of the CBTA,
called the application "a well-documented approach towards making
the case for competitive long-distance services in Canada."

Graham Davies, the CBTA's executive director, told Newsbytes
continued regulation of prices, with Unitel permitted to
undersell the phone companies, is not unreasonable. Such
regulated competition "seems to be par for the course in most
jurisdictions," he said.

(Grant Buckler/19900518/Press Contact: Peter Janecek, Unitel,
416-232-6365; Graham Davies, CBTA, 416-865-9993)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00004)

RACAL-VODAPAGE LAUNCHES EUROCALL PAGING SYSTEM}
NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Racal-Vodapage
has announced its Eurocall/Euromessage alphanumeric radio paging
system. The system allows simple bleep or complex alpha-numeric
messages to be transmitted to tiny pagers across most of Europe.

According to Julian Horn-Smith, managing director of Racal-
Vodapage, the system is the first of its type. "Euromessage will
be the first mobile communications service to link the UK with
other European countries. Subscribers will be able to roam
between countries and still be in paging contact," he said.

Initially, Eurocall and Euromessage facilities are available in
France, Italy, West Germany and the UK using a common UHF
frequency link. Switzerland's radio-data network will go live
later this year, permitting roaming over much of Switzerland.

Renting a Eurocall and/or Euromessage radio pager will also be
inexpensive, claims Racal Vodapage. This is because coverage
areas can be limited and extended as and when required.

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press & Public Contact: Racal Vodapage:
0635-33251)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00006)

CELLULAR RADIO SYSTEM PLANNED FOR ITALY}
MILAN, ITALY, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Fiat, Fininvest and the Racal
Telecom group have announced they are working together to
investigate the feasibility of providing a cellular mobile phone
network in Italy. All three companies aim to gain the agreement
of the Italian government to operate such a service.

The Fiat group is the largest industrial group in Italy,
operating in more than 50 countries around the world. Fininvest
is a diversified company owned by the Bellisconi family of Italy.
Racal Telecom is a UK-based telecoms service group best-known for
providing and maintaining one of the UK's two cellular mobile
phone networks.

Although plans to launch an Italian mobile phone network are
still at an early stage, Racal has said its plans to provide the
technical expertise for the Italian mobile phone network, leaving
Fininvest and Fiat to do the marketing.

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press Contact: Richard Poston, the Racal
Group - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00007)

PACKET DATA NETWORK EXPLAINED IN NEW BOOK}
BASILDON, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Sigma Press has
unveiled a new book entitled 'Packet Switched Networks - theory
and practice.' The UKP 19-95 ($32) book aims to give students,
professionals and network users a thorough grounding in
networking concept and packet switched fundamentals.

The book is authored by Richard Barnett and Sally Maynard-Smith,
both of whom are directors of Netcomm Limited, a specialist
supplier of high-performance WAN, LAN and PC networking
equipment. Chapters in the book cover subjects ranging from
hardware and software right through to concepts used in the CCITT
X.25 networking standard and PDNs (packet data networks)
generally.

The book is available from UK bookshops, or by mail order from
Netcomm for UKP 21-55 including postage.

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press & Public Contact: Sally Maynard-Smith,
Netcomm, Olympic Business Centre, Paycocks Road, Basildon, Essex
SS14 3EX. Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00008)

COMPUSERVE NIXES INTERNATIONAL ACCESS VIA SPRINTNET}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- In a surprise move,
Compuserve has blocked European subscribers from accessing the
Compuserve network using the recently-unveiled Sprintnet
international data network.

Previously, subscribers were able to use the Sprintnet
international service on a host-paid basis using the same system
as domestic US subscribers use. The surcharges were at normal
Sprintnet/Telenet rates of $12.00 an hour at peak times and $2.00
an hour at off-peak times.

The rates charged for accessing Compuserve via Sprintnet compare
favourably with Compuserve's Teleserve network - used to access
Compuserve in Europe - which cost from $9.50 an hour upwards.

Although Compuserve could not be contacted as Newsbytes went to
press, sources close to the service suggested that the
International Sprintnet network access was a loophole which
actually cost the company money.

One informed subscriber to Compuserve said on Compuserve's IBM
Europe forum that Sprintnet access was only available while bugs
in the system were sorted out. Eventual plans call for the
introduction of a flat-rate $18.00 an hour charge for using
International Sprintnet access to Compuserve from outside of the
US and Canada, he said.

Subscribers to other Sprintnet-accessible online services such as
American Peoplelink, EIES, Mnematics and PC Pursuit are
unaffected by Compuserve's decision to block host-paid
international Sprintnet access facilities.

(Steve Gold/19900519)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00001)

CANADIAN CHAMBER LAUNCHES HONG KONG BUSINESS NETWORK}
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- The Canadian Chamber of
Commerce in Hong Kong (CANCHAM) has launched a new service providing
an electronic link between the Chamber and its 900 members.

The service, called CANCHAM-NET, is carried through INET and is the
first private online network serving chambers of commerce in Hong
Kong.

It is anticipated members will use the new service to gain access to
information previously available only by phone or on paper. Outgoing
Chamber president, Philip Marcovici, says CANCHAM-NET creates a
virtual private network by which members are able to distribute vital
business information faster and more efficiently than before.
"Members will not only be able to exchange information on a local
level, but will eventually also be able to access the thousands of
Canadian Chamber members throughout Canada, thereby strengthening and
expanding business trade link opportunities between Hong Kong and
Canada."

In addition to electronic messaging, the network will offer online
business directories, membership lists, calendars of forthcoming
events, Canadian trade and immigration information, contact lists of
Canadian associations in Asia and access to Canadian newspaper and
stock databases.

CANCHAM-NET will also link members to the Canadian Trade Commission's
CAN-EXPORT-NET, while numerous databases and communications
facilities will be available to members through the regular INET
service.

(Norman Wingrove/19900519/Press Contacts: Heather Allan, CANCHAM,
[phone]; Alice Ting, Inet, [phone]; Jonnie Oden, Hill &
Knowlton Asia, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00005)

MOTHER'S DAY FEATURES U.S./HONGKONG TELECONFERENCE}
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1990 MAY 13 (NB) -- You used to do it with a pen
and paper; then a cassette tape let you say it; next, you said it live
by inexpensive international phone call. But now, today's kids can
talk to their absent mothers on their special day by television.

On Mother's day (May 13th), four Hong Kong families held
conversations with loved ones in San Francisco over a video
conferencing link set up for the occasion by Hong Kong Telecom and
AT&T in the US.

During the event, staged by the government radio station, the
participants chatted and joked with their overseas relatives and one
youngster sang a song for a grandmother he had never met.

(Norman Wingrove/19900519)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(0000)

AUSTRALIA: PRICE FOR OVERSEAS PHONE CALLS TO BE REDUCED}
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- OTC, Australia's
international carrier, has announced that international phone
calls to major destinations will be reduced in the third quarter
of this year.

Even before these reductions can be taken into account, a study
by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) has revealed that Australia has the least expensive
international call charges in the world. The study took into
account the purchasing power of currencies in their home country,
and is considered to be an accurate measure of comparative
charges in the telecommunications industry.

The next least expensive international call charges were
experienced by users in the following countries, in order:
Japan, second; the United States, third; Switzerland, fourth;
Sweden, fifth; and Canada, sixth. The reductions follow reductions
last year when rates to 45 countries (which account for more
than 75% of calls out of Australia) were reduced. Off-peak
hours were also extended last July.

(Sean McNamara/19900518/Contact: Jeff Bird, phone in Australia
[phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00001)

SILICON VALLEY TO HOST SOVIETS IN TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT}
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- As Soviet
President Gorbachev wraps up his visit to the U.S. next month,
another summit involving the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A., this one
devoted to technology, will open.

The Soviet Silicon Summit, as it's called, is expected to bring
together Soviet and U.S. high-technology business leaders
who will discuss ways to expedite high-tech trade, and take
advantage of the expected loosening of trade restrictions between
the two countries.

Scheduled for June 4-June 14 at Techmart in Santa Clara, the Soviet
Silicon Summit will consist of nine days of meetings between Soviet
executives and Silicon Valley high-technology companies, and one
day, Friday the 8th of June, devoted to a conference on doing business
with the Soviet Union.

Jeffrey Armstrong, vice president and chief operating officer
of Global Development Corporation, the orchestrator of the
event, says Techmart has dedicated a suite of offices for the
event, and along with Atari, and the East/West Report, is
one of the sponsors.

The summit and conference come on the heels of the Bush-Gorbachev
Summit in which the United States is expected to grant the USSR Most
Favored Nation Status, President Gorbachev's visit to Silicon Valley on
June 4, and the anticipated lifting of restrictions by the Coordinating
Committee on Multilateral Expert Controls (COCOM) on the export of
computers and other high-technology products and processes to the Soviet
Union.

Asked why Global Development Corporation is taking the
initiative to bring together Soviet and US technology leaders,
Armstrong said, "We're really excited about this moment of history and
want to be a part of it."

After the Summit, the Soviets will open a full-time sales office at
Techmart, operated by Global Development Corp. It will feature
demonstrations of Soviet software, Soviet market research data, a
research library and a Soviet speakers bureau.

Amstrong tells Newsbytes that monetary restrictions, and
specifically the inability to cash rubles in the U.S., will no longer
stand in the way of Soviet deals with the US since a bank in
Europe is being set up to convert rubles to dollars. He adds
that most people don't realize that the Soviets already have a
great deal of hard currency to use.

He says one resource Moscow can offer the U.S. is "brain
power." In Moscow alone, there are 600,000 people with PhDs.
He says the Soviets "produce excellent programmers, whose talents
will be available on the international marketplace. So for $800 a
month you can hire a programmer for any language. This
represents quite a resource for new venture products."

Opportunities abound for US firms seeking to sell their wares
in the U.S.S.R. While the Soviets now have approximately 600,000
PCs, their desire is to have 20 million by the year 2000.

The Soviets are also taking steps to use their satellites for
commercial rather than strictly military purposes, he says.

(Wendy Woods/19900517/Press Contact: Rebecca Hurst, PR,
Global Development Corp., 408/562-6230)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00001)

NATIONAL SEMI TO UNVEIL IMAGING PRODUCTS}
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- National
Semiconductor is planning to unveil new VLSI (very large scale
integration) processors designed for the facsimile, laser printing, and
other desktop imaging markets, on May 23.

Accompanying National Semiconductor for the announcement
will be representatives of C. Itoh, Canon, Olivetti, Goldstar, and
Samsung.

(Wendy Woods/19900517/Press Contact: Margaret Mehling,
National Semi, 408-721-2639)


(EXCLUSIVE)(TRENDS)(NYC)(00004)

ALSOP SEES SUCCESS FOR WINDOWS, PROBLEMS FOR LOTUS}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Industry
analyst Stewart Alsop, editor of P.C. Letter, speaking to
NYPC, New York City's IBM User Group, said that he feels
that Windows 3, to be announced on May 22nd by Microsoft, will capture a
major portion of the personal computer market.

Admitting that this projection is a major revision from his
previous estimates which saw OS/2 as dominating the future of
user interfaces, Alsop says that he now expects Windows to capture
45% of the PC interface market and OS/2 to wind up with only 5%
of the market, a figure well below his original estimate of
40%.

Alsop also said that he changed his view of complex operating
systems such as OS/2 to now regard them as "fascist; by that I
mean operating systems that run the computer as they want to
rather than as the user wants to. To manage the multi-threading
and multi-processing of OS/2, the operating system must have
control of the machine at all times. What I think users
really want is an interface like Windows or the Macintosh
where the user has the availability of launching and keeping
a number of programs in memory at once but actually only runs
one at a time."

"OS/2 and UNIX will be fine as networking operating systems.
But I no longer believe that any operating system designed for
complex environments will ever become a mainstream system,"
he added. Alsop also increased his forecast for the Macintosh
percentage of the personal computer market from 15% to 25%.

In response to a Newsbytes questions, Alsop stated that he
believes the impending Lotus and Novell merger will benefit
neither firm, "There is tremendous energy required to bring
together such a merger of two large firms. Unfortunately, neither
firm brings to the table any assistance in solving the other's
most pressing challenge. Lotus is faced with responding
to the transition to the graphical interface."

Alsop said that Lotus must contend with Microsoft's Excel which
is already "well established in the Windows environment." Novell,
on the other hand, must make the transition to operating in complex
protected memory operating environments. "The large expenditure
of personnel time and energy required to bring the firms
together does nothing to address these challenges. I don't
think it's a good move for either firm."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(NYC)(00006)

BELLCORE CREATES FIRST WORKING QUANTUM WIRE LASER}
MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Bellcore
has announced that its scientists have created the world's
first working prototype of a "quantum wire" laser. Bellcore feels
that the development of this process, for which it has applied for a
patent, heralds a new generation of lasers that might require nearly
100,000 times less electrical current than conventional diode lasers
used in today's compact disk players.

The narrow, wire-like structure of the laser's active region is
what gives the quantum wire laser its name. Electricity flows
through the laser and is transformed into a beam of light that is
directed along the wire. The width of the quantum wire device
Bellcore produced is one thousandth the thickness of a human hair
and only one-quarter of a millimeter long -- more than 20 times
smaller than today's compact disk lasers. A cross section of the
wire core measures only 30 atoms high by 300 atoms wide.

When size is reduced to near atomic dimensions, new "quantum
mechanical" effects occur that permit lasers to operate at extremely
low levels of electric current.

The width of the quantum wire device Bellcore produced is one
thousandth the thickness of a human hair and only one-quarter of
a millimeter long -- more than 20 times smaller than today's
compact disk lasers.  A cross section of the wire core measures
only 30 atoms high by 300 atoms wide.

In a presentation of the prototype, Bellcore scientist Eli Kapon
told fellow members of the American Physical Society's Division
of Condensed Matter Physics, "Even though other research
organizations have created quantum wire structures, Bellcore
is the first to actually produce coherent, or single wavelength,
light from the laser's wire core."

Quantum wire lasers might well exceed the functional efficiency
of today's extremely fast, low current "quantum well" lasers,
Kapon added, saying also that while today's compact
disk lasers typically operate on about one tenth of an amp of
current, in the future, quantum wire lasers will need 100,000
times less than that, or one millionth of an amp.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen & Dana Blankenhorn/19900519/
Press Contact: Barbara Kaufman, Bellcore, 201-740-4324)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(NYC)(00008)

NYNEX TO DEMONSTRATE INTELLIGENT CHARACTER RECOGNITION}
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- NYNEX
has announced that it will conduct the first interactive
demonstration of its Intelligent Character Recognition System
from May 20th to 22nd in San Diego at the American Bankers
Association National Operations and Automation Conference.

The NYNEX Intelligent Character Recognition System, which utilizes
technology patented in January by NYNEX Science & Technology's Keith
Loris and James Euchner, has the ability to read printed text,
handwriting, diagrams and graphics. The system uses neural
network technology, external knowledge sources, and probability
theory in its recognition and reading of documents. The system
to be shown at the conference will run on parallel processing
Sun SPARCstations.

The showing at ABA-NOAC will demonstrate character recognition on
both business and personal checks in a live remittance environment
in four steps -- field finding, amount isolation, segmentation
and recognition. Visitors to the booth will write out a dollar
amount on a personal check, and NYNEX will scan both the check
and a remittance stub for that amount. For business checks,
NYNEX will demonstrate the machine's capability to discriminate
between preprinted maximum amounts and actual check amounts.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519/Press Contact:
Victoria Petrock of NYNEX, 914-644-7245)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00006)

NEW ENCRYPTION CHIP HONORED}
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- A data encryption
chip from Cryptech Systems of Mississauga, Ontario, was named
best new Canadian product at this year's High Technology Show in
Ottawa.

Cryptech's CA34C168 Data Encryption Processor resulted from
research at the University of Waterloo, supported in part by the
Information Technology Research Centre, a funding agency for
high-tech research. It uses public-key cryptography to protect
transmissions of computer data, electronic mail, facsimiles and
even telephone conversations.

Tim Davey, vice-president of marketing for Cryptech, told
Newsbytes his company builds the product into enhancement boards
for IBM and compatible computers. Under a strategic alliance with
Newbridge Microsystems of Ottawa, Newbridge manufactures the chip
and sells it to original equipment manufacturers who build it
into custom products.

Banks and financial services companies are big customers for the
security boards, Davey said, as are customers who want to protect
fax transmissions. An add-on PC board using the chip sells for
less than C$1,000, he said.

(Grant Buckler/19900517/Press Contact: Tim Davey, Cryptech
Systems, 416-672-3700; Doug Powell, ITRC Waterloo Site Office,
519-888-4774)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00008)

MAJOR COMPUTER FIRMS CLIMB IN CANADIAN BUSINESS 500}
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- IBM Canada rose
from 34th to 27th place, but rival Apple Canada made a bigger
move up the Canadian Business 500 ranking for 1989, rising from
322nd to 275th place.

General Motors of Canada led the monthly magazine's annual
ranking of Canadian companies by sales again this year. BCE, the
parent company of Northern Telecom and Bell Canada as well as
other companies, elbowed Ford Motor of Canada out of second
place, though Northern Telecom itself slipped from 12th to 13th.

In a ranking of high-technology companies by net income, IBM
Canada and Digital Equipment Canada held on to the first and
second positions. CAE Industries, a Montreal aerospace company,
came third, followed by NCR Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19900518/Press Contact: Canadian Business, 416-
364-4266)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00003)

UK TELECOMS TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS UP RAIL TRACK REPAIRS}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- Racal Vodafone and British
Rail have developed a mobile rail track recording system that
allows remote capture of data in real-life situations.

The system works by installing a track strain gauge and data
capture unit at strategic sites along the rail track. As trains
pass over the track, so strain data is recorded by the unit. At
regular intervals, headquarters engineers then dial up the track
unit using the Vodafone cellular mobile phone network and, using
a special modem, download the data to a central computer.

Previously, data had to be collected from the track-side systems
manually, resulting in long delays between data samples and the
collation of data at a central point. According to British Rail,
the Racal Vodafone systems allows track strain data to be
monitored continuously and at low cost.

British Rail say that, once the trackside system is fully
operational, the trackside strain measurement system will enable
engineers to identify when track is causing problems and allow
them to schedule repairs quickly and efficiently at off-peak
times, rather than meet an emergency track replacement situation
during busy times.

(Steve Gold/19900519/Press Contact: Terry Barwick, Racal Telecom
- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00005)

TRANSATLANTIC ATM LINK BEING COMPLETED}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 MAY 19 (NB) -- The final stages in linking
up the European end of the Nexus International automated teller
machine (ATM) network have been completed. The network will allow
customers of banks and financial institutions on both sides of the
Atlantic to use other Nexus-linked ATMs anywhere, anyplace, without
special arrangements.

In the US, the Nexus International network is more familiar as
the Plus network. In the UK, Link and Matrix ATMs are used. In
Europe, Telebanco in Spain and a group of Portuguese bank ATMs
are already online. Other European bank and financial
institutional ATMs will come onstream later this year.

The Nexus International network is made possible by the use of a
standardised magnetic stripe technology by the various
institutions. Central computers are linked using CCITT X.25-
compatible packet data network links, with data calls switched in
real time as customers use their cards.

Although Visa bank card holders have been able to use their
plastic cards in foreign countries for some years, the service is
fragmented and highly dependant on one-to-one agreements between
the Visa card issuers themselves. As a result, exchange rates are
unpredictable, and service is erratic. Newsbytes has discovered
that even when a particular brand of ATM displays the Visa
symbol, foreign Visa cards do not necessarily work in them.

Using the Nexus International network, plastic card-holders can
use ATMs to draw cash at very competitive rates. Transactions are
'cleared' through Nexus using the Royal Bank of Canada's exchange
rates which compare very favourably with the normal interbank
rates.

For further information on the availability of the Nexus
International services in foreign countries, Newsbytes readers
are asked to contact their Link, Matrix, Plus or similar card
issuer before dispensing with their traveller's cheques!

(Steve Gold/19900519)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

VLSI, SANYO DEVELOP 32-BIT RISC I/O PROCESSOR}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 11 (NB) -- Sanyo and U.S.-based VLSI
Technology have jointly developed a RISC (reduced instruction set
computer) I/O processor, dubbed the VL86C050, for IBM PC/AT
and compatible machines.

For the development of the VL86C010 family RISC microprocessor,
Sanyo and VLSI agreed to exchange technology in April, 1988. Under
the agreement, Sanyo sent three engineers to VLSI to apply their
semiconductor know-how to VLSI's RISC technology.

The RISC microprocessor contains the ISA standard bus interface of
an IBM PC/AT and transfers eight megabytes of data per second.

Both firms are expected to develop hard disk and optical disk
controllers, and a controller for LANs (local area networks).
Sanyo also seeks to sell the controllers in Japan in the near future.
VLSI Technology will only produce the microprocessor in the
U.S., for now.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00012)

JAPAN: BUSINESS SHOW '90 FEATURES BOOK/COLOR LAPTOP COMPUTERS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Business Show, one of the largest
trade shows in Japan, has opened at International Trade Fair Ground
at Harumi, Tokyo. There were 326 exhibitors, the largest ever,
occupying the 32,900-square-meter hall.

Business Show is a showcase of business-related
equipment and products which has been held since 1949 here in
Japan. In essense, however, it has now become a major computer
exhibition.

With a theme of "New Offices in the '90s -- With Enhanced Technology
and Amenities," the show this year features book-sized and color
laptop personal computers.

Business Show this year is expected to attract 400,000 visitors
during the four-day run; the show attracted 439,000 visitors
last year.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00013)

BUSINESS SHOW: BOOK-SIZED COMPUTERS ABOUND}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Competition has been getting
fiercer among several makers of book-sized computers.
At the Business Show in Tokyo, NEC, Fujitsu, Seiko-Epson,
and Sharp have exhibited their latest book-sized computers.

NEC showed off its 98NOTE SX, which attracted a huge crowd. The
computer, a high-end version of NEC's 98NOTE, runs on a 32-bit
80386SX, a microprocessor which has never been in conventional
book-size computers. It comes standard with a 640 KB (kilobytes)
of main memory expandable to 3.6 MB (megabytes). It has a built-in
3.5-inch floppy drive and a 1.25-inch RAM (random access memory)
drive as a memory storage systems. The standard NiCad battery pack,
when fully charged, operates the machine for only 1.4 hours.

There are two models for the 386SX-based book-sized computer.
The basic model, which weighs 2.8 kilograms, prices at 298,000
yen ($2,000) and a 20 MB hard disk model with 2.95 kilogram-
weight prices in at 448,000 yen ($3,000). NEC intends to achieve
 initial annual sales of 90,000 units of 98NOTE SX when
shipment starts early next month.

The long-awaited book-sized computer from Fujitsu, its FM
NoteBook, was finally unveiled. The unit attracted a
good many spectators. The book-sized computer with an 80C286
processor incorporates technology from Poqet Computer in
California, a company of which Fujitsu owns 46 percent.

The FM NoteBook is significant in that it adopts what Fujitsu calls
"triple drive" method -- it includes a 3.5-inch floppy drive,
a 1.25-inch RAM drive, and an IC (integrated circuit) memory card
slot. The standard 2 MB memory, quite large for a book-sized
computer, can be extended up to 4 MB. The computer, which weighs
2.7 kilograms, operates for 2.5 hours with the standard NiCad
battery pack fully charged. It runs more than 1,500 applications
for the company's FMR series personal computers. Fujitsu
will ship the computer in September this year, with a price of 238,000
yen ($1,600), and expects sales of 100,000 units in the initial year.

Fujitsu, also exhibited a prototype of IC card-type
book-sized computer. The company intends to set the final
configuration at an A4 file size, only one kilogram of weight,
a battery operation of 8 hours, 80C286 processor, two slots for
IC memory cards, and in ROM version 3.22 of Japanese MS-DOS.

Seiko-Epson has exhibited a large quantity of its PC-286 Book with
two 3.5-inch floppy drives, which also gathered a huge crowd. With
a no-wait 80C286 processor, the computer taps the equivalent power
of a desktop personal computer. The standard memory of 640 KB can
be expanded to 4.6 MB. PC-286 Book is compatible with Japan's defacto
standard PC, NEC's PC-9800 series personal computers. It operates
for as long as 1.5 hours with its standard NiCad battery fully
charged. It weighs 4.3 kilograms, heavier than other book-sized
computers. The basic price is 258,000 yen ($1,700), and a 20MB hard
disk model is 378,000 yen ($2,500). Sales start on the 18th of
this month.

Sharp exhibited its super-compact, lightweight All in One, but not
many of them were at Sharp's booth, thus almost no spectators could
be seen. The machine, which is IBM PC/AT-compatible and has
Japanese language features, weighs only 2 kilograms, adopts an 80C286
processor, and comes standard with a 1MB memory expandable to
3MB. It has a built-in 20MB hard drive, but an optional 3.5-inch
floppy drive must be attached from the outside. Priced at 398,000 yen
($2,600), it will be shipped early next month. Mitsubishi Electric
will also ship the machine under its brand name of MAXY NOTE286
in July this year.

With so many potential PC buyers interested in book-sized computers,
the units have made this show a success.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00014)

BUSINESS SHOW: COLOR LAPTOPS IN PROGRESS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Though several color laptops were
premiered at Business Show last year, some never made it to market.
Those that did adopted a STN (super twisted nematic) color
screen, which is unpopular because it is darker and less clear
than a CRT (cathode ray tube) screen. This year, however, there
color laptops being shown sport new color screen technologies.

NEC has unveiled its most-advanced laptop PC-9801 T Model F5 which
attracted many viewers. Though high-priced at 1,150,000 yen
($7,600), the new machine adopts a color LCD (liquid crystal
display) screen incorporating TFT (thin film technology),
which can display as clear a picture as a CRT (cathode ray tube)
screen. The TFT color LCD laptop, which can display eight colors,
will appear first in Japanese market. Many industry
analysts regard the TFT as essential for future color LCD screens.

NEC's new color laptop has dual CPUs (central processors),
an Intel 80386SX and a V30 processor. The standard 1.6MB
(megabyte) main memory can be expanded to 14.6MB. Built-in
storage systems are a 40MB hard drive and two 3.5-inch floppy
drives. The keyboard can be separated from the machine.
NEC will ship it next month.

Seiko-Epson, first developer of color LCD laptop, has finally
released its color LCD laptop, which was exhibited in large
quantity at the show. Epson's PC-386 LSC adopts an original
MIM (metal insulator metal) active matrix color LCD panel,
which can display 16 colors from a palette of 4,096 colors. The laptop
is priced at 980,000 yen ($6,500) which is significantly
cheaper than NEC's PC-9801T Model F5. Epson, an NEC-compatible
PC maker, intends to steal market share from NEC with the cheaper price.

The PC-386 LSC centers around an 80386SX, and has a standard
640 KB (kilobyte) main memory expandable to 8.6MB. It has two
built-in 3.5-inch floppy drives; a 20MB or 40MB hard drive
is optionally available.

There were trial color laptops seen at other booths. They
incorporate TFT technology, the same as NEC's.

Hitachi exhibited its HL500C which is IBM PC/AT compatible.
The trial machine includes an 80386SX, a 1MB memory, and two
3.5-inch floppy drives. Hitachi will launch it into the European
market in the near future, with a price of about 20,000 Deutche marks
($12,500), and will release a Japanese version by year's
end. Two AX PC makers, Oki Electric Industry and Sharp, also
exhibited trial TFT color laptops.

Current color laptops are high priced, because the color LCD screens
cannot be made in large quantity. Several makers, however, are
eager to drop prices by next year with the establishment of volume
production technology.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


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

BUSINESS SHOW: OTHER HIGHLIGHTS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- There were so many other products
new and attractive to show visitors at Tokyo's major computer industry
trade show.

Personal computers centered around Intel's leading-edge 80486
processor were exhibited by several makers, such as Sony and NEC.
AX-configured Quarter L PCX-700, shown at Sony's booth, has five units
of the 32-bit EISA (extended industry standard architecture) bus, capable
of high-speed data transfer. The prices range between 1,980,000 and
3,280,000 yen ($13,000 and 22,000). Shipment starts this summer.
NEC, on the other hand, exhibited its trial PC-H98 machine with an
embedded 486 processor and a built-in 100MB hard drive.

Sony exhibited two data entry and retrieval units. Showgoers
crowded around Sony's PalmTop, released last month, which can read
characters written on its pen-sensitive screen. Another innovation
is its new product called DATA Discman, which looks like a CD
(compact disc) Walkman. Based on a portable CD player, it is
a combination of a CD-ROM (compact disk read-only-memory)
player with a LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, capable of easy
retrieval of data from an 8-centimeter CD-ROM disc. It can also play
an 8-centimeter musical CD disc. Sony will release the player,
otherwise called Electronic Book Player, on the first of July this
year at the price 58,000 yen ($380).

AST Research Japan has unveiled a dual-compatible machine
which can run a wide variety of application programs
for Japan's standard NEC PC-9800 and the world's standard IBM PC/AT.
The machine, called AST PC-DUAL SX/16, was demonstrated running
applications for PC/AT, but none for PC-9800. A dual-compatible
machine has never appeared in the Japanese market, so it is eagerly
anticipated.

Apple Computer Japan demonstrated several multimedia products. It
showed interactive play between a Macintosh computer and Pioneer's
multimedia-oriented laserdisc player.

Sharp showed for the first time what it claims is the world's
first "full color" desktop facsimile machine. No facsimile
copy was on display, however.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00003)

CATHAY PACIFIC EMPLOYEES TICKET THEMSELVES}
QUARRY BAY, HONG KONG, 1990 MAY 15 (NB) -- Cathay Pacific Airways has
introduced self-service international ticketing for staff. Although
the system is restricted to staff tickets at present, it is
anticipated that it will eventually be extended to the travelling
public in due course.

Self-serve ticketing is common on domestic services of many
airlines, but has not been introduced so far to international
travel because of the complications arising from the need to
identify the passenger and check his or her passport and
visas. It will also be necessary to link a public system into
international reservations systems.

The Cathay system works in a similar manner to the familiar bank
automatic teller machines (ATMs) and is based on a Nixdorf personal
computer running software developed jointly by Nixdorf and the
airline's data processing division. Eventually it will be fully
integrated with Cathay's main administration system, which runs on IBM
mainframes, but the current pilot scheme will not be fully
implemented until extensive trials have been successfully completed.

At present, Cathay issues about 16,000 tickets each month to its
staff. The volume of transactions has resulted in delays and it
typically requires four days to issue a ticket under the manual
procedure. The self-service operation takes only two minutes.

Staff tickets are issued on a standby basis and each employee is
issued with an ATM-style card which is inserted in the terminal
before a secret identity number is keyed-in. The booking procedure is
fully menu-driven and payment is effected by an automatic salary
deduction.

Under the pilot programme, the scheme is limited to the airline's
4,000 crew, though it will be extended to the rest of the staff
later.

(Norman Wingrove/19900519)


(EXCLUSIVE)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00001)

COMPAQ READIES 386 NOTEBOOK WITH VGA SCREEN}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- Sources close to
Compaq have told Newsbytes about the new laptop 386sx to be
released in July. It will be based on the 3 kilogram LTE, but
with much needed VGA graphics built-in, and available on a socket
for external monitor.

This may also be the base machine for the color screen expected
around the end of the year, though it may not be VGA resolution.
The LTE 386 will have 3.5-inch diskette and 20 or 40 Mbyte hard disk,
with an 80 Mbyte expected later.

Meanwhile, the company is expected to broaden its range of
machines over the next year with a number of intelligent network
workstations and docking modules for connecting laptops to
existing networks while allowing them to be used stand-alone as
well.

(Paul Zucker/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00002)

AUSTRALIA: SYSTEM SHOWS HOTEL FACILITIES}
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 17 (NB) -- The high-tech hotel
Como in Melbourne has added a new client service -- a
computer-based room layout guide. The AWA PC 2860 system has
details of the layout and facilities offered by all rooms and
centres within the hotel.

Enquiries at the front desk can be answered by allowing the
inquirer to take his or her own guided tour of the hotel from the
PC, seeing floor plans of rooms, lists of inclusions, and so on.
Guests requirements can also be keyed-in to show suitable rooms.

The hotel has been designed around the provision of high-tech
features such as a PC, modem and printer in every guest room.

(Paul Zucker/19900517)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(0000)

AUSTRALIAN INSURANCE COMPANY ADOPTS FAX CARDS}
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- One of Australia's largest
insurance companies, FAI Life, has introduced fax cards into
computers in its head office in a move to greatly enhance
communications between agents and head office.

The fax cards allows the user to prepare insurance quotations for
the agents in FAI's quotation software, and send faxes directly
from this software, including FAI header sheet, a scan of the
user's signature and the quote itself. This procedure has not
only reduced queues at the standard fax machine, but also saved a
large amount of paper previously used to print the quotes for
facsimile transmission, according to Lyn Barclay, Consultant to
FAI. The fax card used is the Australian built NetComm PC Fax
Card.

(Sean McNamara/19900518)


(CORRECTION)(UNIX)(SFO)(00001)

CORRECTION - NEW APPLE A/UX 2.0 PRICING}
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Note that
prices listed for the new A/UX 2.0 from Apple Computer, reported
in Newsbytes' May 14 story, are somewhat misleading.

While as reported the prices for A/UX are $275 for the CD-ROM
version, $395 for the tape version, and $550 for floppy disks,
these prices pertain only to those who have previous versions of
the Unix operating system.

For new buyers, the operating system comes in several
configurations, including hardware bundles, according to
Carol Clettinberg, A/UX 2.0 product manager.

A/UX 2.0 with a Macintosh IICX, 4 megabytes of RAM, 80 MB
hard disk, is $7,169.

A/UX 2.0 with a Macintosh IICI, above configuration, is
$8,769.

A/UX 2.0 with a Macintosh IIFX, above configuration, is $10,469.

Installed on an 80 megabyte hard drive, the cost is $2,395.

On tape, the cost is $995, in the 27-floppy configuration
the cost is $995, and the CD-ROM version is $795.

(Wendy Woods/19900514/Press Contact: Carol Clettinberg,
408-974-0775)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(NYC)(00007)

UNISYS AND INFORMIX FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCE}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 MAY 18 (NB) -- Informix
Software Inc. and Unisys Corp. have announced the formation of a
strategic alliance under which Unisys will offer a new version of the
Informix-Online OLTP database engine for its new Open/OLTP
environment.

The agreement calls for OnLine, along with Informix's
family of 4GL application development tools, to be offered by
Unisys as part of the Open/OLTP system, introduced on May 17th.

Under the strategic alliance, Informix and Unisys will pool
development resources for Open/OLTP products. The companies
are also developing a comprehensive service and support program
designed to ensure availability and performance of
mission-critical On-line Transaction Processing (OLTP)
applications.

The new version of Informix's OnLine will be compliant with X/Open's
XA protocol, which specifies the interface between the OLTP transaction
monitor and the database management system. This interface allows the
monitor, based on AT&T's Tuxedo Transaction Processing System/T, to
control transactions distributed across multiple systems and across multiple
XA-compliant databases. The XA-compliant version of OnLine is currently
scheduled to be available for the Open/OLTP environment in early 1991.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19900519/Press Contacts:
Brian Daly, Unisys, 215-986-2214; Cathy Donohue, Informix, 415-926-
6651)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00002)

JAPANESE OSF/MOTIF FROM HITACHI}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 14 (NB) -- Hitachi, one of the members of the
OSF or Open Software Foundation, has unveiled a Japanese version
of the OSF/Motif Unix operating system.

Several Japanese versions of Motif have already been developed for
single platform, Unix-based WSs (workstations), but Hitachi aims
to attract buyers by providing a uniform development and
operating environment across a wide range of its products.

Hitachi is offering OSF/Motif for its supercomputer M series, super
minicomputer E series, Engineering WS 2050G series and WS 2050/32E.
The Hitachi OSF/Motif costs 80,000 yen ($530) per month for
supercomputers and general purpose computers, from 160,000 yen
to 400,000 yen ($1,065 to $2,670) for super minicomputers, and
30,000 yen or $200 for workstations. Shipment is slated for
July.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19900517/Press Contact: Hitachi, 03-258-1111)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00009)

JAPAN: LOTUS 1-2-3 RUNS ON UNIX}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 8 (NB) -- Lotus Development Japan, a subsidiary
of U.S.-based Lotus Development, will launch an English version of its
spreadsheet program Lotus 1-2-3 which runs in the Unix environment
by the end of next month.

The software, used for Sun Microsystems' Sun workstations, is based
on Lotus 1-2-3 Release 3, and has been shipping since March in
the U.S. It can display 26 worksheets and allows a user to
move charts and worksheets to other windows on the screen.

Lotus Japan will sell the software through dealers and OEM (original
equipment manufacturing) distributors of Sun workstations.
The price is 198,000 yen ($1,300).

While Lotus Japan has already started to rewrite the software into
the Japanese language, further details on that project are not
available.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00010)

JAPAN: TANDEM LAUNCHES UNIX NONSTOP SYSTEM}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 10 (NB) -- Tandem Computers Japan, the
Japanese arm of U.S.-based Tandem Computers, has released its first
Unix-based Nonstop computer, called the Integrity 2, as it expects
Unix to become the standard operating system in the future in the Japanese
market.

Integrity 2 runs Unix System V and is based on Tandem's original
architecture. It centers around a RISC (reduced instruction set computer)-
type R2000 processor developed by U.S.-based MIPS Computer Systems,
and can deliver 12 MIPS (million instructions per second).

The basic price is 5.3 million yen ($350,000). Tandem Japan
aims to sell 200 units in the coming three years.

Tandem Computer's Nonstop computers consists of two machines,
one to replace the other in the event of an accident or data loss.

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00015)

BUSINESS SHOW: WORKSTATION BREAKTHROUGHS}
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 MAY 16 (NB) -- Omron and Toshiba have exhibited
their leading-edge workstations at the show.

Omron's LUNA-88K WS (workstation) is the fastest in the WS arena
and the smallest as a multi RISC (reduced instruction set computer)-
type WS. The WS performs at 100 MIPS (million instructions per second)
when it is embedded with four units of Motorola's RISC
88100 processor with 25 MIPS ability. In order to exploit the full
power of the processor, Omron has incorporated the Unix-based Mach OS
(operating system) developed by Carnegie Mellon University in
Pittsburg, PA, USA. Omron has become the first Japanese maker to
adopt the OS.

The basic price is 2,700,000 yen ($18,000). Omron will begin
sales at the end of this month, and intends to sell 1,000 units in the
first year.

Omron also exhibited a trial portable Unix WS called LUNA-EL at the
show. Weighing only 6 kilograms, the WS adopts an EL
(electroluminiscent) display with a resolution of 1,024 by 768
pixels. With a 4 MIPS ability, it includes a 68030 processor,
a 250 MB hard drive, and an 8 MB main memory. It is compatible
with the company's conventional LUNA WSs.

Toshiba, on the other hand, exhibiting a large quantity of what
it claims is the world's first SPARC laptop EWS (engineering
workstation), was mobbed by showgoers. The WS, called SPARC LT, has a
fast processing ability of 13.2 MIPS, thanks to an embedded
state-of-the-art 32-bit SPARC RISC processor. It weights 7.8
kilograms, and the size is almost equivalent to a personal computer.
It comes standard with an 8MB main memory expandable to 40MB, and
it has a built-in 180MB hard drive. It is compatible with Sun
WSs, as it runs under SunOS attached with Japanese language
features. Shipment starts in the middle of July this year,
and it is priced at 1,980,000 yen ($13,000).

(Ken Takahashi/19900517)


(REVIEW)(APPLE)(SYD)(0000)

Review of: Disinfectant v1.7, anti-virus program for Macintosh

Runs on: Macintoshes with at least 512K memory and System 3.2 or
later

From: John Norstad, Academic Computing and Network Services,
Northwestern University, 2129 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois
60208 USA. (Bitnet: jln@nuacc, Internet: [e-mail],
AppleLink: a0173, CompuServe: 76666,573)

Price: Free

PUMA Rating: 4 on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Sean McNamara, 10/05/90

Summary: Disinfectant is a public domain virus detection and
repair utility which is easy to use while providing high level
detection recovery of virus infected systems.

======

REVIEW

======

As has become apparent in recent years, the problem of viruses
is not about to disappear overnight. Because of this, it is
necessary for users of all computer systems to safeguard their
systems by using virus detection and repair software which is
comprehensive and frequently updated. Disinfectant is one such
program. The current version (1.7) was released on April 2 to
combat the latest virus discovered on the Mac, the ZUC virus. The
program allows you to scan any disk (400K, 800K, 1.4MB, hard disks
- in HFS or MFS) and repair any infections found.

The scanning is fast - on the review machine, an SE/30 with 2
megabytes of memory and a three quarters full 40 megabyte hard
disk drive - Disinfectant took only 1.5 minutes to complete the
scan and report all problems. Repairing infections is just as
fast, and comprehensive. The program compiles a report of errors,
virus infestations etc, and this can be saved to a text file for
later reference. Online help is always available, and is provided
on many topics, including the most effective way to protect
against viruses, what the more common Mac viruses do and common
anti-virus software.

The program is regularly updated to take care of new viruses as
they are discovered. When used in conjunction with Gatekeeper (as
recommended by the author) the utility provides maximum
protection against virus infections.

Without reading the manual I was able to run the program, scan
the hard disk on my Mac, see there was an infestation of the nVIR
B virus, and disinfect the whole hard disk, all within 5 minutes!
Although I didn't know I had an infestation on our (borrowed)
machine, with Disinfectant, the experience became a positive one.
I was happier that I had had the problem and was able to address
it so easily, rather than end up with a more violent virus
destroying files due to my lack of concern because I'd never had
an infection.

With the minor investment you make in obtaining a copy of
Disinfectant, you are ensuring you are ready for any infected
files you may encounter in the future. The program is updated as
regularly as commercial software, but does not cost you anything.
By only needing to spend time (a five minute download and a
few minutes every time you receive new disks/files) instead of
money it is probably the best program to use to combat the
virus threat.

===========

PUMA RATING

===========

PERFORMANCE/PRICE: 4.0. Disinfectant does what it sets out to do
with little or no fuss - and it does it well. It quickly scans
disks for viruses and can repair any infections that may have
occurred.

USEFULNESS: 4.0. This rating is for the program only. The user
has to ensure that the program lives up to its potential. If
Disinfectant is used as directed, and the user updates their copy
as new releases are made, the program is obviously an essential
part of any Macintosh system. With the current spate of viruses,
users cannot afford to become lax, and Disinfectant is a good way
to stay on your toes.

MANUAL: 4.0. The manual is contained within the program itself
(it can be saved as a text file) and is comprehensive and well
indexed on the main program screen.

AVAILABILITY: 4.0. The program is available through user groups
and bulletin boards (if yours hasn't got it, make sure they get
it) and Genie, or from John Norstad at the address above (make
sure you send a stamped self-addressed envelope and 800k floppy).
Suggestions, bug reports, etcetera, can also be sent to the same
address.

(Sean McNamara/19900510)


(REVIEW)(GENERAL)(WAS)(0000)

Review of: Spectacular Computer Crimes, a book by Buck
Bloombecker

From: Dow Jones-Irwin, 1818 Ridge Road, Homewood, Ill. 60430.
ISBN 1-55623-256-X.

Price: $22.95 (hardback)

PUMA Rating: 4 (on a scale of 1=lowest to 4=highest)

Reviewed by : John McCormick, 05/18/90

Summary: Buck Bloombecker's latest book takes a realistic look at
computer crime, not from the standpoint of a hacker or that of a
systems engineer who has tracked down a problem but as seen by an
attorney and criminologist with many years experience in the
field.

======

REVIEW

======

If you think computer crime is all fun and games, that it can't
affect you because you are thoroughly protected against virus or
worm infections and you are comfortable with that way of looking
at the subject, then don't read this book. On the other hand, if
you are thoughtful, if crime concerns you and you work with
computers, then it is an important addition to your library.

In the first book I have read on this subject that studies the
subject of computer crime as a social phenomenon divorced from
the fantasies often associated with the subject, Mr. Bloombecker
investigates the question of just what are computer crimes, who
commits them, and what can be done to prevent them in the future.

While this book does look at specific crimes and criminals in non
technical detail, its most important contribution to the subject
is the author's ruthless puncturing of the hacker myth (the
vision of a lone genius pitting his skills against both the
computer and the establishment), which so many in the media and
the computer industry buy into.

The reality of most computer crime is that it is either theft, as
sordid as that practiced by any mugger, or vandalism as blatant
as any book burning or scrawling on a subway car, nothing
glamorous, and for the most part not a demonstration of any
particular skill or knowledge.

The crimes explored in this book range in sophistication from
conning a bank employee into making a computer funds transfer, a
crime which required no knowledge of or contact with any
computer, to Robert Morris's fairly sophisticated attack on the
Internet computer system, but this book reminds us that computer
crime is also using the boss's computer for writing your personal
letters and copying software for your friends.

Along the way Mr. Bloombecker takes a look at Col. North's
adventures with the White House's PROFS memo system, something
which even now is causing reporters to take a long and careful
look at just how involved President Bush was in the Iran Contra
affair, and at how parents can encourage responsible computing in
their children.

This book won't tell you how to commit a computer crime, nor will
it provide specific guidelines on how to prevent a crime against
your computer; rather, it is intended to provide background
information about why computer crimes are committed and how
society as a whole can start formulating a computer ethic which
will make computer crime unglamorous and as unacceptable as it
should be.

While not as exciting as a good spy novel, this book will be hard
for any computer professional to put down and should be on the
reading list for any college computer class as well as a part of
all law enforcement courses.

Buck Bloombecker has spent 10 years as the director of the
National Center for Computer Crime Data and he knows what he is
talking about. Just as important, he can communicate what he
wants to say in simple and clear prose.

===========

PUMA RATING

===========

PERFORMANCE: 4 In providing a clear look at computer crime and
criminals this book does what the author says it will do.

USEFULNESS: 4 Without offering any quick and easy solutions, this
work nevertheless provides a lot of background for those who need
to understand what computer crime is all about.

MANUAL: 4 (Not applicable)

AVAILABILITY: 4 As available as any computer book, this one is to
be found in the larger chain's computer sections or by order
through any book store.

(John McCormick/1990518)


(EDITORIAL)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00005)

COMPUTING COMEDY OF ERRORS - Editorial by N. Wingrove}
KOWLOON BAY, HONG KONG, 1990 MAY 12 (NB) -- This is 1990. The first
practical computers went into service forty years ago. Today, there
is not a single person on the planet whose life is not to some extent
affected - or even governed - by computers. Countless millions of
individuals either own or routinely use computers. So why can't the
information technology profession get its act together?

Stories of customers receiving bills for a zero amount in whatever
currency are as old as the commercial use of computers. It was
probably the single phenomenon that generated in the mind of the
layman the still widespread belief that computers are not reliable -
that they make mistakes.

The truth, of course, is that computers are incapable of making
mistakes; they can only follow instructions on how to deal with the
data they are given. If the instructions or the data or both are
wrong, the computer can be absolutely relied upon to give the correct
answer in terms of the instructions and data it received. The fact
that the answer is intrinsically wrong is a totally different matter
and is the fault of the programmer, the person who prepared the data,
or both.

The programming mistake that leads to bills for $0.00 being prepared,
let alone sent out, is so fundamental that a child of five should be
able to foresee and circumvent it. Yet it is still perpetrated by
highly paid programmers who, by rights, should not be allowed within
a thousand miles of a computer.

You don't believe me when I say it still goes on?

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

A month ago, I moved house. Among the routine tasks to be attended to
was the arrangement of new utility accounts. Or at least, the opening
of Autopay facilities to ensure automatic transfer of funds from my
bank account to the companies concerned - the owner of the flat and I
agreed that I should simply take over payment of his existing
accounts, saving us both time, trouble and money. Or so we thought.

Neither of us had taken the Hong Kong and China Gas Company into - no
pun intended - account.

Indeed, not having used town gas for some years, I had more or less
forgotten the company existed. Not any longer.

I went to the local branch of my bank and asked for Autopay
application forms for the various utilities. In the efficient
tradition of the bank, the forms materialised in the young lady's
hand as if by magic before I had finished telling her what I wanted.

The gas company has an office just opposite, so flushed with my
success so far, I went straight there, sat down, filled in the form
and gave it to the assistant behind the counter. First she asked me
to add, in one of the computer-form boxes, information for which the
form itself did not actually ask. Then she said, "Please pay the
monthly bills by cheque until your Autopay request has been
processed."

Somewhat nonplussed, I asked how long that would be: it could and
should be complete in microseconds, once the details on the form had
been keyed into the terminal.

"Three months, at least."

You could have knocked me down with a quill pen.

Prior to this, I had always assumed the Hong Kong Government's Water
Supplies Department had the world's most inefficient accounts
department. That is a living monument to misapplied computing.

Every quarter, thousands of Hong Kong households experience the
classic nonsense to which I referred earlier - the demand for $0.00.
But the WSD takes things a stage further. If, after two threatening
reminders imposing a surcharge, you have still not sent your cheque,
you are in serious peril of having your water supply cut off. Then,
to have it restored, you have to pay a hefty fee.

Water charges are so low that many small families are never able in
three months to exceed the free allowance, let alone consume enough
water to run up a bill even equalling the WSD's costs in preparing,
printing and mailing it. These has been estimated in the region of
HK$25 (US$3.20 approx). For as long as I can remember, I have never
had a water bill amounting to more than HK$1.00. Every time I neglect
to pay my bill for $0.00 - or $1.00, come to that - the WSD spends
another $25 of taxpayers' funds sending me a reminder.

During a radio programme a few months ago, I asked the government's
Financial Secretary why this sort of nonsense was allowed to continue
at the taxpayers' expense. "It would cost us too much to reprogram
the computers," was the glib and preposterous reply.

But cloud cuckoo land is not restricted to the government. It
extends universally, embracing business institutions with strict
impartiality.

Two prominent information technology businessmen were recently
victims of the illogical logic of the misinforming information
technology practitioner.

The first has only been in Hong Kong a short time. To ease his
frequent travels, he acquired a credit card offering the facility of
large amounts of instant cash at automatic teller machines (ATMs)
around the world, plus a guarantee of replacement of the card within
24 hours in the event of loss.

With unexpected business visitors arriving just as the Easter weekend
was starting, he was relieved to know that, although the banks were
closed, he could go to his nearest ATM and withdraw some extra cash
to carry him through.

Alas, when he inserted his brand new, never-used-before card, the ATM
kept it and displayed a message telling him to contact the bank.
Since the bank would not open again for four days, matters could have
been serious. Fortunately, he had had the sense to obtain the right
card - the one that would be replaced in 24 hours.

He called the emergency number, reported the loss and asked for a
replacement. "Oh, we can't do that. Your card is in the ATM machine,
so we all know where it is and that means it is not lost, so our 24-
hour replacement service does not apply. Please contact the bank on
Tuesday."

Around the same time, the founder of a leading computer consultancy
attempted to draw cash at another ATM machine. After grinding away
for some time, it flashed up a message saying the transaction was
cancelled and telling him to remove his card. When he checked the
advice slip, it bore the words "Code 5296."

When, back at his office, he phoned the bank to complain, he was told
the code simply meant the computers were overloaded. If he had waited
a minute or two and tried again, all would have been well. So why
didn't the screen and/or the advice slip say as much?

How is it that, after forty years of computers, the incompetent
programming, thoughtless implementation and arrogant application of
what is supposed to be mankind's most helpful tool in history are so
common?

Perhaps the most outrageous example of all three was a case a couple
of years ago of a Hong Kong consultant trying to install an Apple
Macintosh II system for a large company. Nothing would work as
expected. The principals were getting angrier by the minute as the
equipment they had bought failed to get any nearer doing its job.

Then, suddenly, a light seemed to appear at the end of the tunnel in
the shape of an error message that had not been seen before. Reach
for the manuals. Look up the error messages. Nothing resembling this
one was listed. More manuals are obtained after considerable
difficulty. Ah! here it is... Now what does it say?

"This error will never occur."

Meanwhile, my Autopay application to the Hong Kong and China Gas
Company is presumably now on its way to its destination by carrier
pigeon - on foot.

(Norman Wingrove/19900512)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00001)

 The BoCoEx Index / Closing Prices on the Boston Computer Exchange
 for the week ending May 18, 1990

 Machine                       Closing Price    Ask       Bid

 IBM PC 176          Floppy      400 -          660       250

 IBM XT 089          20 MgB      600 -          700       475

 IBM AT 099          20 MgB     1150 -         1375       850

 IBM AT 239          20 MgB     1250 -         1325       700

 IBM AT 339          30 MgB     1370 -         1400      1000

 IBM PS/2 Model 30   20 MgB     1150 up 50     1400       875*

 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z  30 MgB     2060 -         2200      2000

 IBM PS/2 Model 55SX 60 MgB     2700 -         2900      2525

 IBM PS/2 Model 70   60 MgB     3200 -         3800      3000

 IBM PS/2 Model 80   70 MgB     4025 -         4225      3960

 Compaq Portable 286 20 MgB     1700 -         2000      1500

 Compaq Portable III 40 MgB     2300 -         2500      1900

 Compaq Portable SLT 20 MgB     2400 -         2500      2100

 Compaq Portable SLT 40 MgB     3375 -         3800      3000

 Compaq Portable 386 40 MgB     3200 -         3650      2750

 Compaq Deskpro      20 MgB      825 -          900       800

 Compaq Deskpro 286  40 MgB     1400 -         1625      1300

 Compaq Dskpr 386s   40 MgB     3050 -         3100      2900

 Macintosh 512       Floppy      550 up 100     775       450*

 Macintosh Plus      Floppy      900 up 50     1000       850*

 Macintosh Plus      20 MgB     1050 -         1200      1000

 Macintosh SE        Floppy     1385 -         1570      1300

 Macintosh SE        20 MgB     1625 -         1750      1400

 Macintosh SE        40 MgB     2200 -         2350      1900

 Macintosh SE-30     80 MgB     3300 -         3400      3100

 Macintosh II        40 MgB     3300 -         3500      3050

 Macintosh IIX       80 MgB     4550 -         4600      4000

 Macintosh IICX      40 MgB     3800 -         4000      3600

 Macintosh IIFX      40 MgB     7100 -         7400      7100

 Apple IIc           Floppy      575 -          600       400

 Apple IIe           Floppy      500 up 100     600       350*

 Apple IIgs          Floppy      900 -          950       800

 Toshiba T-1000      Floppy      575 up 25      700       550*

 Toshiba T-3100      10 MgB     1200 -         1300      1100

 Toshiba T-3100      20 MgB     1425 -         1650      1200

 Toshiba T-3100SX    40 MgB     3225 -         3400      3100

 Toshiba T-5100      40 MgB     2825 down 575  3800      2825

 Zenith SSport 286   Floppy     1875 -         2200      1800

                                       * Top Demand This Week

Market Mostly Up - Toshiba 5100 Drops BY
BoCoEx Staff Economists

Volume was up this week among the most popular microcomputers on
the Big Board of the Boston Computer Exchange.  Prices were
remarkably stable with five models posting gains and only one
dramatic drop.  The Toshiba T-5100 dropped significantly as
buyer's bargained with the fact that the manufacturer had ceased
production and therefore lowered the value.

The most dramatic drop of the week was the Toshiba T-5100 which
took a tumble dropping $575 this week and closing at $2825.  The
manufacturer is no longer producing the model, and while
retailers are still selling their accumulated stock, value falls
at the end of a model cycle.  While this model was state of the
art a mere year ago, it is now on its way into the sunset.

Among the IBM computers, there was only one model with a price
change.  The PS/2 Model 30 was up $50 in modest trading and
closed the week at $1150.  The AT's were more stable this week,
but there is downward pressure on their prices.

Compaq models were all stable.  Volume was strong on the 286
models as buyers opt to buy new 386 machines and pass on their
286's.  Trading was strongest among the laptop models.

The Apple market was stable among the Macintosh's.  Volume on the
Macintosh SE is still leading the market. SE 20's proved to be
the most popular again this week closing at $1625 with buyers
bidding as little at $1400 hoping for a bargain, while sellers
are asking as much as $1750.  The old Macintosh 512 was up $100
and closed the week $550 and the Macintosh Plus was in the market
up $50 at $900.   There was action in the Apple 2 family of
computers.  While these models have been slow traders in recent
weeks, the Apple 2e was up $100 this week to close at $500 and
the 2gs stable at $900.

Other than the big drop of the Toshiba T-5100, the laptop market
was solid with volume and stable in prices.  The T-1000 was the
only model to change, and it was up $25 to close the week at
$575.

Index prices are based on configurations of complete systems with
a keyboard, monochrome monitor and adapter, less the value of any
software or other peripherals.  Call: 617-542-4414 or the Buyer's
Hot Line: 1-800-BoCoExx or FAX: [phone].

(BOCOEX/19900519)