Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/pc/text/mac_text/1992/nb920519

Text File | 1992-05-19 | 70.3 KB | 1,575 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00001)

New For PC: Kalon Manufacturing Software Coming 05/19/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Kalon
Software will release Opt-4, manufacturing control software for
networks of personal computers, on June 1. The seven-module
system works with Computer Associates' Accpac Plus PC
accounting software.

The initial seven modules in Opt-4 cover inventory control, bills
of materials, sales order entry, purchase order control, work-order
control, work in process, and material requirement planning.
Additional modules for requisitions and quotations and for
shop-floor control are planned later in 1992, according to Robert
J. McMenemy, sales manager.

McMenemy told Newsbytes that Opt-4 is based on the company's
existing mainframe-based manufacturing software, which is used
by McDonnell-Douglas in Toronto, among others. The PC version
will be aimed mainly at small to medium-sized businesses, he
said.

According to the vendor, the software is fully integrated from
purchase orders through sales orders and the modular design
allows a phased implementation. Major features include: engineering
change control; lot, bin, and serial tracking; multiple warehouses;
and multiple currencies.

Initially, McMenemy said, the software will work with Novell
NetWare networks. Other networks may be supported in future,
he added. The software will cost C$540 per module.

(Grant Buckler/19920519/Press Contact: Robert McMenemy,
Kalon Software, tel [phone] or 800-665-9500,
fax [phone])


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

Corel Announces Design Competition Winners 05/19/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- At a formal
ceremony held at the National Gallery of Canada, Corel Systems
gave out prizes to nine winners in its third annual World Design
Contest.

Corel launched the contest, for users of its CorelDraw graphics
software, to publicize the software, recognize designers, and
gather top-quality designs which it can then re-market to its
customers.

This year's grand prize went to Bill Frymire of Showmaker
Production in Vancouver, for "Rex," which also took top spot in the
"People, Plants, and Animals" category. The grand prize was a
gold bar worth $10,000.

Other category prizes went to: Guy Terrier of Herblay, France, for
"Techdraw" in the "technical drawing" category; Lea Tjeng Kian of
West Java, Indonesia, for "Magic" in the "holidays" category;
Steven Cousins of Coca-Cola in Atlanta for "World" in the "photo"
category; and Ceri Lines of Hsinchu, Taiwan, for "Lifetime" in the
"miscellaneous" category.

The other category winners were: Matti Kaarala of Helsinki,
Finland, for "Laiva" in the "business and transportation" category;
Gary Priester of San Francisco for "Bigfish" in the "desktop
publishing" category; Peter McCormick of Sun City West, Arizona,
for "Venice" in the "landmarks" category; and Chris Purcell of
Compaq Computer in Houston for "Corel3" in the "logos" category.

Michael Cowpland, Corel's founder, president, and chief executive,
told Newsbytes entries in the competition jumped from 1,000 to
3,000 this year.

"People have spent literally hours and hours on some of these
designs," he said. Corel recovers some of the cost of the contest
by selling a CD-ROM disk containing all the designs for $99. This
provides buyers with ideas and allows them to study the drawings
to learn about the techniques the winning artists have used,
Cowpland said.

A total of 72 winners in the nine categories were invited to Ottawa
for the final awards. In addition to the grand-prize gold bar,
there were other prizes donated by a number of computer
hardware and software vendors.

(Grant Buckler/19920519/Press Contact: Janie Sullivan, Corel,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00003)

University's Chip To Speed Handwriting Recognition 05/19/92
BUFFALO, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Researchers
at the University of Buffalo have a developed an integrated circuit that
will speed up text recognition by finding the connected lines in an
image. The university has received mask registration -- a copyright
on the chip design -- from the US Copyright Office.

The research is part of a United States Postal Service project
aimed at making it possible to read addresses on mail, whether
they are printed or handwritten, to facilitate automated sorting.

Recognizing printed or handwritten characters depends on first
identifying the separate characters before deciding what each one
is. When a system scans characters from top to bottom, it will
often see a single character as two unconnected lines at first --
the letter "V," for instance, will be stored as two separate pieces
of information.

In the past, text recognition systems have had to scan the entire
image, then update the data. The university's technique will find
all connected components in one pass.

Victor Demjanenko, an assistant professor of electrical engineering
and one of the chip's designers, said the chip takes about 50
nanoseconds to process each pixel of data. That is consistent
with the post office's goal of sorting about 13 pieces of mail per
second, he said.

The chip simply handles the problem of locating connected
components, and would be paired with other technology to
complete the task of understanding handwriting or type, he said.

According to Demjanenko, the post office hopes to be testing the
system by 1995. He added that the university's chip design could
have a number of other uses as well. For instance, its ability to
find connections would be useful in inspecting integrated circuits
in a chip-making operation.

(Grant Buckler/19920519/Press Contact: Ellen Goldbaum,
University of Buffalo, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

 ****UK: Fast Access On-line Service Renamed Computer Pages 05/19/92
SUNBURY, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Online
Services has relocated its Fast Access on-line service, as
reported last week on Newsbytes, to Sunbury-on-Thames,
changing its name to Computer Pages in the process.

The service, which is accessible at all modem speeds up to
V.32Bis (14,400 bits-per-second) on 081-893-7700, has been
renamed owing to a massive amount of interest among potential
advertisers on the service.

Computer Pages has gone live immediately as a result with 20
access ports. Plans call for another 20 ports to be introduced
over the next few weeks, once new modems from Dataflex Design,
Dowty and Miracom are hooked onto the host PCs that Computer
Pages runs on.

The Computer Pages service runs on a number of PCs, all
interlinked by a network. The PCs are standard 386- and 486-
based systems supplied by Datagen and Elonex.

"Although the service is available on a London number now, we
plan to introduce local numbers around the country. This will
allow us to introduce an executive service later this year,
probably around October, for UKP 25," explained Graham Rose,
chairman of Online Services.

Rose went on to tell Newsbytes that demand for Computer Pages,
which has been test-marketed in conjunction with Micro Mart, a
weekly computer ads magazine, has been tremendous. The reason
for the demand for the service amongst modem users, he surmised,
is that it is free.

"The computer and modem companies we have been talking to say
that it's exactly what Prestel and Telecom Gold should have been
-- a fast access on-line service that needs no special software to
log on to. The fact that it's free of charge means that users have no
worries about on-line charges," he said.

So where did the idea for a free on-line service come from? "It's
an idea that one of my programmers had a long time ago. It's only
in the past six months that I've had a chance to explore the
option more fully," Rose said.

Rose has some ambitious plans for Computer Pages. He wants to
introduce a comprehensive range of fax services for subscribers,
as well as number of contributor's areas, much like the Micronet
service was on Prestel, BT's viewdata service, which was closed
last October.

"The fax service will form part of our executive service. We
still have some work to do on that, which is why we're waiting
until later in the year," he said.

Computer Pages is accessible to all callers using scrolling
software, and color is available to callers with ANSI-compatible
communications software. Callers are offered the chance to
register for a free ID and password, plus an information pack on
the service, which is posted to them. Demo logons are achieved
using the ID and password of "Guest."

(Steve Gold/19920519/Press & Public Contact: Computer Pages,
tel [phone], modem access tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00005)

UK: Micrografx Offers Scanner With Picture/Graphics Software 05/19/92
WOKING, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Micrografx,
the UK subsidiary of Micrografx Incorporated in the US, has
announced it plans to bundle the Mustek Colorartist handheld
scanner free of charge with Picture Publisher 3.0, its recently-
launched image editing software.

According to Mustek, Colorartist is the only 18-bit handheld
color scanner currently on the market. The unit supports 262,144
color choices per pixel and can operate in gray scale and color,
as well as black-and-white modes.

"Until now, image editing and photo retouching users have had to
buy scanner and software separately. This can be cost-prohibitive
for first-time users. Instead, we are offering a highly integrated
solution, combining the best products from each category at an
unbeatable price," explained Julie Turner, Micrografx UK's
marketing manager. Turner went on to say that Micrografx is
offering users a one-stop solution to their input and editing needs.

The Color Artist scanner, which normally sells for UKP 395,
now comes with Picture Publisher 3.0, which sells for UKP 595.
Until the end of this month, users of the earlier software-only
versions of Picture Publisher can upgrade to version 3.0 for UKP
99.95, or the software plus scanner for UKP 349.

Picture Publisher 3.0 requires a 386-based PC with four megabytes
of RAM, Windows 3.0, DOS 3.1 and a mouse. A VGA graphics
card is also required.

(Steve Gold/19920519/Press & Public Contact: Micrografx, tel
0483-747526)


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

UK: Miracom Bundles Winfax Fax Pkg With Worldport Modems 05/19/92
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Miracom
has become the second UK modem manufacturer to dump
Iconographics' Faxnow! fax software owing to price rises. Effective
immediately, the company has begun bundling Delrina's Winfax
Windows- compatible fax software with its Worldport range of
modems.

Miracom joins Andest communications among the ranks of
dissatisfied modem manufacturers who have balked at the price
rise that Iconographics recent made for its fax software. It is
claimed that Winfax is at least 50 percent less expensive for
modem manufacturers to source than Faxnow!

Clive Hudson, Miracom's sales and marketing director, agrees
with Andest's managing director in his analysis of Faxnow! Like
Tony Sellars, he claims the package was overpriced. In addition,
he said it does not have the same level of market acceptance.

Larry Levy, Delrina's sales and marketing director, is pleased
with the Miracom deal. "The alliance reflects Winfax as the
Windows fax software standard, Winfax makes faxing documents
from the PC as simple as printing a document," he said.

For non-Windows users, Miracom is offering a copy of Delrina's
DOS fax communications package, Dosfax, as an option. Like
Faxnow!, Winfax allows PC users to send and receive faxes from
almost any Windows application and to select time plus date-
initiated transmission. The package also features a review fax
image facility and the ability to maintain a phone book on disk.

Because it operates under Windows, Winfax operates
transparently, saving incoming faxes to disk without interrupting
other applications. This facility is similar to some of the early
DOS "pop-up" fax packages although, unlike these packages,
Winfax does not occupy large tracts of PC memory.

(Steve Gold/19920518/Press & Public Contact: Miracom, 0753-
811180)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00007)

Data General Asia North Beefs Up Management Team 05/19/92
NORTH POINT, HONG KONG, MAY 19 1922 (NB) -- Data General
Asia North has announced the appointment of Daniel Ng as Asia
North regional marketing manager, and Paul Yeung as area
business manager for the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Ng is responsible for overseeing the marketing aspect of the
region which consists of the PRC, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Yeung is in charge of the overall development of business in the
PRC with special emphasis on Data General's MV and AV series.

According to Dominic So, general manager of the Asia North
operation, the appointments of Ng and Yeung complete the
new core structure of Data General Asia North.

Prior to taking up the current post in Data General, Ng was
the Asia region workstation marketing manager for Digital
Equipment Corporation.  Before taking up this position, Ng was
with Digital Malaysia and was a member of the team which won
the Plus highway project in Malaysia.

Before joining Data General, Yeung was the business manager
of Unisys Corporation in charge of channels business in the PRC.
In this capacity, he was involved in the sale of Unix systems
through business partners.

(Keith Cameron/19920519/Press Contact: Sofia Chen, The PR
Company, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00008)

Australia: Telecom Cannot Charge Directory Information Fee 05/19/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Australian
telecommunications  regulatory body Austel has ruled that major
carrier Telecom cannot charge for its directory information service.
The request was seen as the first attempt to recoup expenses in
non-revenue earning areas now that Telecom has a competitor.

Telecom has never charged for directory information calls, even
where the number is readily available to the caller via the printed
directory. Telecom made application to Austel to charge a 60 cents
(US45 cents) per call fee to most callers, but said it would make
exceptions.

Austel ruled on the application as presented, refusing it. A
spokesperson later said that two main areas had concerned the
regulatory body. First, the cost was too high, and second, the
exempted groups were not clearly defined. The spokesperson said
he felt Telecom had thought little about which groups would not be
charged, and hinted that if Telecom spent more time establishing a
list, and reduced the call cost, it might be successful on appeal.

Meanwhile, a French videotex-type terminal was being investigated
by Telecom. This would be installed in each household that has a
phone, giving extended services such as shopping and data
retrieval, and perhaps even a national videophone system.

(Paul Zucker/19920519)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00009)

Australia: IBM/College Center Resurrected Without IBM 05/19/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- IBM pulled out of a
joint education venture in Australia last year, causing the computer
training center to be put in mothballs. Now, it seems the center
may be reopened, but this time without any course emphasis on
IBM

The college planned to be producing more than 1,000 graduates
a year by now, but after producing just 49 graduates, IBM decided
to pull the plug and remove its $12 million  funding. Now, the
center will be reformed into the Computing and Communications
Technology Training Center, based in Crows Nest, Sydney.

The school will accept students in July, with courses running from
two to six months, full-time. This time the emphasis will be on
general business computing skills, not just "cutting Cobol" as one
director put it. Systems to be used include DEC, Apple, and IBM.
Courses will include all machine levels, networking, Unix,
database design, multimedia, education and object-oriented
programming.

Ironically, IBM has contracted to the center to provide training for
its staff, but this has fallen off dramatically with IBM's worldwide
staff cutbacks. Other vendors contracted to have staff trained
include Hewlett Packard and NCR, with Apple thought to be
about to sign.

(Paul Zucker/19920519)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00010)

Intel Chief Disappointed With Australian Channels 05/19/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Jim Johnson, Intel's
Product Group VP visited Australia recently for product and
distribution announcements. He told of his surprise at how
different (perhaps far behind) Australia's distribution and reselling
arrangements are compared to Asia, Europe, and of course, the
US.

He said the most important method of reselling in the US now
is mass  merchandising. operators such as Cosco set up
warehouses where buyers can collect a fully configured PC at
around 10 percent above cost, right off the pallet. "People buy
their computers along with their bulk peanut butter and shirts,
virtually out of the shipping container" Johnson said.

Service is not part of the deal. "You go to the manufacturer or a
service provider for service if you need it." he said, adding that
this was a great cost-saving method. "People don't expect to buy
service for their TVs when they purchase them so why pay for it
on a computer?"

(Paul Zucker/19920519)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00011)

PC Is Top-priority Office Equipment For Japanese Firms 05/19/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- The Japan Management
Association has taken a survey among large and mid-scale firms
in Japan concerning their office equipment. Many firms have listed
personal computers as the top priority product that should be
installed or updated at their offices.

At mid-scale firms, 24.3 percent have listed desktop personal
computers as the most necessary equipment at the office.
The second product was laptop and notebook-type computers
(23.6 percent). Next came word processors (23 percent),
workstations (22.3 percent), and fax machines with laser printers
(15.5 percent).

At large-scale firms, laptop and notebook-type computers came
first at 50.5 percent. Other necessary equipment included desktop
personal computers (45.5 percent), laser printers (41.7 percent),
workstations (38.8 percent), and fax machines with laser printers
(34.3 percent).

Apparently, many firms want to install personal computers for
each employee. According to the survey, fax machines with laser
printers have already been installed at a majority of firms. With
these laser printer-based fax machines, regular copying paper can
be used. Amazingly, already 88.5 percent of the mid-sized firms
have installed these fax machines, while 84.2 percent of
large-sized firms have installed these fax machines.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920519)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00012)

Japanese Lotus Realtime Debuts 05/19/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Lotus Development's
Japanese office has released a Japanese language version of
Lotus Realtime.

With this software, stock market data such as stock prices can
be automatically incorporated into the company's Lotus 1-2-3
spreadsheet.

The Japanese Lotus Realtime operates on Sun Microsystems'
Sparc workstation. The software is equipped with a "feed server,"
and it has a feature to take stock market or money exchange data
into Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet from time to time via a
telecommunication line. It updates the spreadsheet and the related
graphs and charts. The target data and the update time can be
set up by the user.

All Japanese language letters including Kanji are supported on
this software. Lotus Japan hopes to sell hundreds of units to
banks and securities firms.

The retail price of the Japanese Lotus Realtime is 270,000 yen
($2,100). A Unix version will also be released soon. Technical
support is provided by CIS.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920519/Press Contact: Lotus,
[phone]; CIS, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00013)

New For Mac: Snooper User Hardware Diagnostic Tool 05/19/92
GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Finding
the source of hardware problems and intermittent failures on
Macintoshes is the focus of the new Snooper hardware diagnostic
tool from Glendale, California-based Maxa Corporation.

The company says Snooper allows users to find their Macintosh
problems themselves and claims the product is the first diagnostic
product for the Mac widely available to users.

Maxa says Snooper offers a plug-in board as well as software for
users and technicians to find and identify problems even when the
system will not boot (i.e. the "sad Mac" is on the screen).

Snooper runs on all Macintosh platforms, performs 60 major
component tests, prints the test results, and logs the errors, Maxa
said. Benchmark tests, or performance testing, and system
information reporting to determine the configuration is also a feature
of Snooper, the company added.

The product offers pull-down interactive menus for testing for
problems with the hard disk drive, RAM, and video. Maxa says the
product does not just report there is a bad RAM chip, but has
additional tests to determine which RAM or single in-line
memory module (SIMM) needs replacement. SCSI (Small
Computer Systems Interface) testing is also available for
segmentation and termination.

The plug-in board allows testing for problems with the power
supply, system clock, and the ADB port -- all major areas of
component failure, Maxa said. Loopback plugs in the Snooper
package are for the purpose of running serial and modem port
tests for integrity and function, Maxa added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920519/Press Contact: Pat Meier, Pat
Meier and Associates for Maxa, tel [phone], fax
415-957-1733)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00014)

Comshare Joins IBM's Information Warehouse Effort 05/19/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- IBM
and Comshare, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based publisher of
decision support software, have announced they will work together
to define a technical environment for integrated decision support
applications in the IBM Information Warehouse framework.

Comshare will take part in a Decision Support Systems (DSS)
Design Council, which will define and publish a technical
environment for integrated decision support application systems
for Information Warehouse. Comshare is the first company other
than IBM to be represented on this council, said Ricia Hughes,
a Comshare spokeswoman.

IBM expects to add other companies to the council, but is not
ready to say what companies or when they might become
involved, said IBM spokesman Steven Malkiewicz.

The technical environment definition is meant to improve
interoperability and consistency among IBM, vendor, and
customer components within the framework, the companies
said.

IBM's Information Warehouse strategy is designed to provide
standard ways for applications to get at data regardless of where
and in what format it is stored. This is important to Comshare
because decision support systems rely on data created by a
variety of other applications. "Our customers use our products to
analyze data," Hughes said. "They want to be sure that they can
connect to the data wherever it's stored."

With help from IBM, Comshare plans to enhance its applications
to incorporate the Design Council specifications.

Neither company would discuss details of the timetable for the
work, but Hughes said the design council will hold its first
meeting within 60 days. The companies also plan joint
Information Warehouse promotional activities worldwide.

According to IBM, Information Warehouse is made up of three
elements: Enterprise Data, the base of the framework, consists
of all the data in the enterprise; Data Delivery is the means by
which appropriate business data is delivered to the end user;
and Applications and Decision Support Systems help facilitate
information generation.

An IBM Systems Application Architecture development partner
since 1987, Comshare was the first EIS (executive information
system) vendor to release software for OS/2.

(Grant Buckler/19920519/Press Contact: Steven Malkiewicz,
IBM, 914-642-5449; Ricia Hughes, Comshare, 313-769-6068)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00015)

Phoenix, NatSemi Offer Package To Printer Makers 05/19/92
NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) --
Phoenix Technologies and National Semiconductor, of Santa
Clara, California, are aiming at profit-starved makers of low-end
printers with a combination of hardware and software. The two
companies said they will sell National's Swift-Start printer
controller along with Phoenix's PhoenixPage page-description
language emulators.

The offering will be ideal for makers of low-priced printers
because it will free them from paying Phoenix a fee to adapt its
software to the National controller, said company spokesman
Tom Spillane. Also, Spillane said, the National Semiconductor
controller is already set up to work with several popular laser
printer engines, including models from Canon, Minolta, and
Fuji-Xerox.

Makers of low-end printers face severe pressure on their profit
margins due to falling prices at the bottom end of the printer
market, Spillane said, and Phoenix and NatSemi believe their
combined offering can help the manufacturers cut costs and get
products to market quickly.

The companies also think they can sell the combination to
personal computer manufacturers that want to add printers to
their product lines, he added.

The turnkey controllers come with Phoenix's PhoenixPage
LaserJet III (PCL 5) or PostScript language emulation, or both.
They will be available within 30 days from National Semiconductor,
Spillane told Newsbytes.

The Swift-start controllers are based on National Semiconductor's
32CG160 32-bit embedded processor, which is widely used in
laser and color printer applications. National claimed its highly
integrated two-chip processor design can cut the cost of
traditional laser printer controllers in half and at the same time
boost performance by a factor of two to five times over the HP
LaserJet III.

(Grant Buckler/19920518/Press Contact: Tom Spillane, Phoenix,
617-551-5030; Michael Deutsch, Phoenix, 617-551-4184; Roy
Newstead, National Semiconductor, 408-721-8347)

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

Ardis, RAM Take Their Radio Rivalry Worldwide 05/19/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- RAM Mobile
Data and Ardis, the two wireless radio data networks, are taking
the rivalry worldwide.

Ardis opened the bidding with an announcement that it would work
with the Deutsche Bundespost Telekom of Germany, Hutchison
Mobile Data of the UK, Bell-Ardis of Canada, and Hutchison Mobile
Data of Hong Kong to extend Ardis-like networks around the world.

DBT had been testing a new Motorola protocol for radio data
networks, now called DataTac, which will be implemented in the
US network over the next year to increase the service' speed to
19,200 bits-per-second (bps) from 4,800 bps. The Ardis partners
have opened their protocols to use by third-parties, will provide
interconnections among their networks to customers, and will
work together on standard terminal and application solutions.

RAM Mobile followed with an announcement that it, BellSouth
Enterprises, and Digital Equipment will provide mobile data
systems worldwide based on the Mobitex mobile packet radio
network. Ericsson's Mobitex scheme has always been seen as an
open, worldwide standard, and Mobitex networks exist in the UK,
Canada, and Europe. Mobitex is an 8,000 bps standard.

Digital will offer two-way wireless electronic mail to its All-In-1
integrated office system customers, and develop a version of
its Mobilizer for All-In-1 software so users of portable MS-DOS
PCs can access All-In-1 mail applications without a connection
to a telephone outlet. Digital's offering will be available in the
first quarter of 1993. Digital will also act as a systems
integrator to RAM and other Mobitex network providers, so
customers can have a single point of contact for their field
computing systems. The company also has relationships with
Ericsson Mobile Communications of Sweden, Fujitsu Personal
Systems, formerly Poqet Computer, and Husky Computers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920519/Press Contact: Bob Keener, for
Digital, 617-642-5971, Donna Hayes, RAM, 212-373-1930; Tim
Klein, BellSouth, 404-249-4135; Walt Purnell, Ardis,
708-913-4402)


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

AT&T Makes Use Of Videoconferencing, Cuts Prices 05/19/92
MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) --
AT&T and its divisions have made a number of product and service
announcements, highlighted by an innovative use of its
videoconferencing technology.

AT&T's NCR unit announced a comprehensive system which will
let banks add videoconferencing to their automated teller networks
(ATM), using AT&T's new video telephone, which was announced
in January.

The idea is that banks will develop "centers of expertise" on
specific products and services, from which people can discuss
the products via a video-call to any branch, teller machine, or
customer's home. For instance, if a customer needs help with an
ATM machine, they may touch the screen and bring up the video
image of a bank employee expert on the system. A branch
manager may use a videophone to call a "center of expertise" on
a particular transaction, or customers may call such centers from
their AT&T SmartPhones to conduct their banking activities.
Business customers could also use the centers, and the video
telephones, to conduct business face-to-face from their desks.
NCR calls this idea Financial Enterprise Architecture, and says
it is based on open standards.

AT&T's long distance unit has announced a small cut in consumer
rates, roughly $20 million, starting June 1. The two percent price
cut on evening calls will be paid for by a two percent hike on
daytime calls. AT&T attributed the changes to lower charges it
will pay for access to local telephone company networks.

AT&T's Submarine Systems unit won a $70.3 million contract to
design, engineer and install the first undersea fiber optic cable
system between the People's Republic of China and Japan. The
1,265 kilometer, or 800-mile, system will link Miyazaki, Japan to
Nanhui, Shanghai, China, and enter service in December, 1993.
It will handle up to 40,000 calls at once, or 560 million bits-per-
second of data, depending on how the capacity is used.

Finally, AT&T and US West finished a "concept" test of voice
recognition technology with 192 residences in Boise, Idaho,
discovering to no-one's surprise that the customers liked the
idea. A second trial this fall will test whether customers would
use voice recognition to "sample" phone features on a per-use
basis.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920519/Press Contact: U S WEST, Laura
Simenton, 206-346-9998; NCR, Jim Mazzola, 513-445-6148;
AT&T, Ellen Zundl, 908-221-5017 Cindy Pollard, 201-326-4908)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00018)

Wordperfect Shipping Office 3.1 For Xenix 05/19/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Less than 60 days
after announcing Office 3.1 for Unix, Wordperfect has started
shipping the program for SCO Xenix. Office is an electronic mail
and scheduling package for Unix networks and host systems, and
was originally released in February running on Unix System V 386.

According to Product Marketing Manager Brent McKinley:
"Wordperfect Office 3.1 is for use in all organizations using or
considering using Unix systems, PC networks and/or a variety of
multi-user platforms and would like to use global mail and
scheduling across platforms."

David Clare, Wordperfect director of development says Office 3.1
creates a bridge between Unix systems and MS DOS, Macintosh,
VMS, and Data General systems.

Office 3.1 includes an electronic mail system, a scheduler, and a
calendar. The mail feature allows the user to send messages, and
you can attach files to those messages. Carbon and blind copies
can be sent, and up to 100 enclosures are possible. Office 3.1 also
allows the creation of systems groups or personal groups from the
directory of user IDs, facilitating automatic message sending.

The program also includes security notices, message retraction,
password protection, and an automatic deletion option. WPtalk,
which Wordperfect describes an "interactive conversation program"
lets users read messages on screen and reply to them.

The scheduler feature provides for system wide scheduling of
meetings and events. There is a free time feature so a user
scheduling a meeting can scan for available dates and times.
Scheduled personnel are automatically notified of the meeting and
can accept or reject. Once a user accepts a scheduling request,
the event is posted in their individual calendars.

Calendar also keeps track of memos, allows prioritized to-do
lists, and tracks appointments. Items not marked as completed will
automatically be moved to the next day, and alarms can be set to
remind the user of events. An autodate function lets you set
recurring appointments.

A File Manager feature allows users to copy, delete, view, move,
lock, search or rename files. Notebook is a flat-file database that
can track items such as address lists and phone lists. Wordperfect
said Notebook files can be used as Wordperfect secondary merge
files.

WPEditor lets you edit macros, text, program and script files, and
has some word processing functions such as word-wrap, tabs,
search, and reveal codes.

Users can switch from one Office program to another with a single
keystroke. From the Shell menu system you can launch
Wordperfect programs or programs from other developers. There is
a clipboard feature which allows you to copy or move text from one
WordPerfect program to another.

Wordperfect said a package of Office 3.1 for five workstations sells
for $495 in the US and $595 in Canada. They also offer a one-user
license-only package for US$75/C$90 which provides for the
addition of workstations on the network. A five-user license-only
package retails for US$345/C$414, and license-only package
for ten users is US$670/C$804.

(Jim Mallory/1920519/Press Contact: Darin Richins, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5007; Reader contact: tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00019)

Aldus Enhances Imaging Center Program 05/19/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Aldus
said it has added several enhancements to its Imaging Center
Program, which supports service bureaus, slide houses, and
color prepress shops. Those businesses offer commercial output
services to Aldus product owners, such as preparing camera
ready art for magazine and newspaper advertisements.

The added services include increased technical support, free
software site licenses, access to pre-release versions of new
Aldus software. The membership fee to belong to the program
has also been reduced.

Aldus said program participants will now receive technical bulletins
about known incompatibilities, workarounds, and productivity tips.
The bulletins will be distributed regularly via fax. "Workarounds"
are methods programmers develop to avoid anomalies in programs,
making it possible to accomplish tasks the program could not
otherwise do.

Members will also receive a free copy of Aldus Imaging TechNotes,
a book containing technical tips developed especially for
commercial imaging centers. Aldus also distributes TechNotes for
other programs for use by advanced users. The TechNotes contain
advanced information not contained in the user manuals.

All Aldus Imaging Centers will now receive a free site license which
will allow them to legally install one copy of each registered Aldus
product on as many as 10 workstations being used for commercial
imaging. Those centers with "Authorized" status will also receive
selected pre-release copies of new or updated Aldus applications.

Centers can participate in the Aldus support program at either of
two levels. Aldus spokesperson Jill Miller told Newsbytes that a
feature of the enhanced program being announced was the drop
in price for Authorized centers. The new fee is now $350 per year,
down from the previous $750. Registered centers can take part in
the program for $50.

Craig Danuloff, Aldus graphic arts program manager, said receiving
pre-release versions of the software will make it easier for Imaging
Centers to prepare to support Aldus products. "It also gives them
the chance to test the software and give us feedback before its
release," Danuloff said.

Under the enhanced program all Imaging Centers will automatically
become a member of the National Association of Desktop
Publishers. Association members receive a monthly magazine,
numerous buying discounts, and specialized support.

(Jim Mallory/1920519/Press Contact: Jill Miller, Aldus Corporation,
206-628-2352)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00020)

Texas Instruments Now Shipping 16-MBit DRAMs 05/19/92
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Texas
Instruments (TI) says it is now capable of production volume
shipments of its 16-magabit dynamic random access memory
(DRAM) chips. TI claims it is one of the first semiconductor
manufacturers with a production-ready, 16-Mbit DRAM.

The 16-Mbit chip will be the first using 0.5 micron technology.
that refers to the size of the structure on the DRAM chip, which
is about 150 times smaller than a human hair. The 0.5 micron
technology is critical, said TI, to semiconductor companies
because it allows for the placement of more functions on a single
chip. That in turn enables more compact and powerful electronic
products.

According to Walden Rhines, executive VP of TI's semiconductor
group, the new technology will also help the company achieve low
cost manufacturing capability for advanced logic products at the
0.5 micron level. Rhines said the technology allows TI to guarantee
that the manufacturing equipment is compatible between product
lines.

TI said the 16-MBit DRAM is based on technology developed in its
one- and four-MBit DRAMs. The 16-MBit DRAM will use a package
design announced in early 1991, which was jointly developed by TI
and Hitachi.

TI said worldwide production of 16-MBit DRAMs should be less
than  two million units in 1992, but will climb to about 20 million in
1993 and 330 million in 1995. By 1996, TI said it expects that the
production of 16-MBit chips will pass that of the currently popular
4-MBit DRAMs.

Production of the 16-MBit RAMs is currently being done at the
company's Dallas wafer fabrication facility. A team of qualified
engineers will train personnel at each of the facilities where
manufacturing of the new chip will be done.

TI said 16-MBit DRAMs will initially be used with 32-bit
microprocessors in high performance computer systems such as
engineering workstations. The company said a military version is
planned for the third quarter of this year.

(Jim Mallory/19920519/Press Contact: Rickie Rosenberg, TI,
713-274-3361)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00021)

Motorola Chip Powers New Apple Quadra 950 05/19/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Motorola's
Microprocessor and Memory Technologies group said its 33
megahertz (MHz) 68040 powers the newly announced Apple
Macintosh Quadra 950. The same chip also provides the
computing power for earlier Quadra models, Motorola's Kristen
Hausman told Newsbytes.

Motorola said that using the power of the 68040 the Quadra 950
scored a 9.7 on benchmark tests conducted by Ingram Labs, a
Torrance, California-based research laboratory. Motorola said
the tests compared cross-platform applications on the Macintosh
Quadra and on PCs running Microsoft Windows. According to
Ingram, the 9.7 score indicated that the Quadra 950 runs 9.7
times as fast than the slowest machine tested. Motorola's
Hausman told Newsbytes the slowest machine was the IBM PS/1.

Motorola said the 33 MHz 68040 is a high throughput single-chip
processor using 1.2 million transistors. According to Motorola it
achieves sustained execution of 29 MIPS (million instructions per
second) and 4.6 MFLOPS (million floating operations per second).

As reported previously by Newsbytes, the Quadra 950 comes
equipped with eight megabytes (MB) of RAM, which can be
expanded to 64 MB. Built-in networking features allow the 950 to
be connected to Ethernet or Localtalk networks without the need
to  purchase network cards. Built-in support is also provided for all
Apple monitors.

Hausman told Newsbytes that the 68040 chip is popular with
computer makers. Hausman said it is in use in Hewlett-Packard,
Next, Bull, and TI machines, as well as several Japanese banking
machines. It also appears on the Radius Rocket accelerator board.

Newsbytes has learned that Motorola is close to signing deals with
several other companies to use the chip, and expects at least three
of those deals to be announced over the next three months.

(Jim Mallory/19920519/Press Contact: Kristen Hausman, Motorola,
512-891-2386)

(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00022)

DEC Demos Interactive Multimedia PC At DECWorld 05/19/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- In
and around DECWorld, people have been queuing up to preview a
PC-based interactive multimedia system, complete with touchscreen,
video-in-a-window, and networking capabilities, that Digital plans to
release in coming months.

Operated on 20 kiosks at DECWorld and local hotels, and on a PC
in one area of the exhibition floor, the system revolves around an
add-on AT board set, plus system and Ethernet networking software,
based on technology licensed from Fluent Inc. The PC has been
showcasing DECTouch, an innovative upcoming product originally
developed by Visage.

Digital will be announcing DECTouch, a monitor independent
touchscreen device, in July, a public relations spokesperson told
Newsbytes. The board and software products were announced by
the company in mid-April, for third quarter shipment.

On the PC and kiosks at DECWorld, Digital has used a multimedia
"show guide" to bring the new technology to life. From a series of
touchscreen menus, visitors have been choosing vignettes that
employ a mix of full-motion video, still image, and audio to tell
about topics that range from Digital's new Alpha technology to
Beacon Hill and other nearby historic sites.

Via one series of vignettes, "AllStars," passerby have been able to
"meet" top executives of Digital and its third party vendors.
Another, "Chronicle," has acted as a video "newspaper," offering
insights on such subjects as how the crew of the America3, the
US entry in the America's Cup Race, is using computers donated
by Digital to upgrade its sailing performance.

The multimedia guide has been operating off digital files stored on
a server in the "Image/Voice/Video" booth of the DECWorld floor,
said Will Lyons, who's been leading PC demos in the heavily
traveled area. From the server, the files have been run over a LAN
(local area network) to the kiosks at DECWorld. Playback at four
hotels involved transmission over a bridge through outside cable
TV lines, with conversion of signals from digital to analog and back
again.

The DECTouch product used in the PC demo differs considerably
from other touchscreen technologies, added Lyons, a staffer in
DEC's Multimedia Business Development Unit. Touchscreen
devices typically consist of panels, or "membranes," placed on
top of displays. In contrast, DECTouch is a thin box that rests
between the monitor and the CPU (central processing unit), he
explained.

Like other touchscreen devices, DECTouch measures the forces
being exerted on the screen. Unlike others, though, DECTouch
offers monitor independence, he emphasized. "A membrane must
be built to conform to a particular screen size. But DECTouch can
be used with any size monitor, from nine to 19 inches," he
commented. Easier installation is another advantage, according
to Lyons. DECTouch plugs right into the PC serial port.

Digital's new multimedia operating system uses a 25 megahertz
(MHz) 386-based PC or higher, running DOS and Microsoft
Windows, for capturing, compressing, and overlaying images and
video, and for synchronization with digitized sound. An API
(applications programming interface) uses DLLs (dynamic library
links), permitting production of multimedia programs on Windows-
compatible authoring packages equipped with OLE (object linking
embedding).

The networking software runs on top of Novell NetWare, supporting
playback on PCs and kiosks. The module comes with a set of
network management utilities that allow systems operators to set
frame rates, assign limits to the numbers of users who can access
video simultaneously, and establish other parameters defining video
quality, Lyons said.

The multimedia demo has been running throughout the three-week
length of the show, which started April 27. Pricing for the new
multimedia products has yet to be determined, the public relations
spokesperson said.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920519)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00023)

Experts Explain Leading-Edge Methods In Artificial Intelligence 05/19/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) --
"Blackboard inference engine," "fractal linguistics," and "model-
based reasoning" are terms many people haven't even heard of yet,
but these and other new forms of artificial intelligence (AI) are
starting to crop up fast at top corporations and universities.
AI researchers explained the leading edge AI technologies to
electronics engineers and sales reps in a seminar last week at
Electro '92, a trade show in Boston.

At the start of the session, Dr. Rajiv Bhatnagar of GTE
Laboratories talked about GTE's development of Target, a product
representing a less exotic variety of artificial intelligence, the
rule-based expert system. But subsequent speakers suggested
that rule-based systems are not always the best way to go, pointing
to the use of alternative methods at Boeing, Digital Equipment
Corporation, Apple Computer, Electronic Data Systems, and a
range of other organizations.

GTE's new AI system is designed for phone companies, and
aimed at letting outside plant technicians - trained only in outdoor
equipment - work on multiplexers, complex digital devices that are
typically consigned to central office troubleshooters. Target was
arrived at in much the same way as other rule-based expert
systems -- interviews with a human authority, followed by use of
the results to create "if/then" procedures for the less experienced.

GTE put together a database offering step-by-step tips on how to
deal with a full gamut of multiplexer glitches. The technicians
will use handheld terminals to access the database off a central
workstation, said Bhatnagar.

"Expert systems have their place," acknowledged Kevin E. Flood of
the AI Square, an AI-oriented consulting firm, when it was his turn
to speak. But in many product categories today, there just aren't
any experts, he said. Shortened product life cycles, together with
improved product quality, are creating an environment in which
equipment failures are increasingly rare.

"The only problem is that when a product does break down, there is
nobody who can repair it," he stressed. "You can't ask George and
you can't ask Harry." Without the existence of a human expert,
building an expert system is an impossible task, he elaborated.

As a result, many manufacturing firms have been turning to "model-
based reasoning" as an aid in servicing products. In this form of
AI, a software model of the product is the knowledge base, and the
model comes straight from the design specifications. "We look at
how the product works, instead of how an expert has experienced
its failure," Flood remarked. The model-based system is more
objective than a human would be, he added.

Boeing is applying a model-based system to robotics repairs, and
Electronic Data Systems is pursuing the approach in LAN (local
area network) and ground satellite equipment maintenance. Other
users include Prime Computer, General Dynamics, and Ortho
Diagnostics, a division of Johnson & Johnson that specializes in
medical instrumentation.

Dr. Mark R. Adler of Digital Equipment, another speaker
at the seminar, indicated that, for some uses, rule-based reasoning
can be too narrow-minded. Adler gave an overview of several new
applications that were presented in a recent IEEE symposium,
including Apple's implementation of "case-based reasoning" and the
deployment of "opportunistic reasoning" at DEC and a major credit
card company.

Opportunistic reasoning combines rule-based reasoning, or "forward
chaining" with "backward chaining," which "starts from a goal state
and reasons back from there," said Adler. "You get the best of
both worlds, because you can reason in both directions," he
commented. Analysis is coordinated by a "blackboard inference
engine." The blackboard "posts" knowledge from various parts of
the system, and lets either of the two reasoning processes modify
or erase this information.

DEC's application of opportunistic reasoning, ConMan (configuration
management), offers detailed guidance on software installation.
"People can experience very difficult problems when they try to
upgrade their software, because there are so many dependencies
that are hard to track," noted Adler. The system is available to
Digital's customer support staff, and directly to customers, too.

In ConMan, the blackboard engine interfaces between two
databases and a menu-driven, Motif-based GUI. One database
contains information on the hardware equipment, operating system,
and applications running at the customer site. The other is filled
with facts on the requirements of various software packages. "The
system puts these sets of information together, analyzes
constraints, and determines what the user must do to install new
software," reported Adler.

At the credit card company, opportunistic reasoning has slashed
letter preparation time from two days to five minutes, while
boosting accuracy to 95 percent, Adler said. The multitalented
automatic letter generator pulls the customer's name and address
from a client database and inserts these on a template.

The system also looks at client activity to guess what kind of
letter should be written, and composes sentences and paragraphs.
All this data is displayed on a blackboard that permits input and
management from a human operator. The system operates on
IBM PS/2s running DOS and Microsoft Word.

Case-based reasoning offers procedural recommendations for a
given situation from a library of cases of similar situations,
according to Adler. Apple's implementation, the NNAble
"Agent/Finder," is augmenting the computer maker's help desk
activities. A major feature of the Mac-based system is a GUI
(graphical user interface) that shields the user from search
functions and other complexities of the reasoning process.

The GUI blends "free text" with point-and-click capabilities. When
users call in, they can describe problems with whatever
terminology comes to mind, eliminating the need to know key
words. "The system then tries to ask pertinent questions, based
on the cases in the data base, that will lead the user to the right
solution," Adler explained.

Right now, NNAble is still in its pilot phase, and initial findings
demonstrate some dissatisfaction, he said. Users have
complained, for instance, that the case library is too small, and
the GUI too highly structured. "This goes to show that even Apple
doesn't always get the interface right the first time around," he
jested.

Dr. Marco Bitetto of Long Island University, the last panelist to
speak, described his use of fractal linguistics in enabling a
laptop to compose music. Bitetto maintained that until the
emergence of fractal linguistics, AI had not come close to
replicating the creativity of the human brain. Most other
attempts have neglected the limitations of the computer, he
stated.

"In the case of the human, creativity is usually the result of a
reaction to visual, audio, tactile, and emotionally generated data.
But the computer has no emotions, and no visual, audio, or tactile
feedback systems. Therefore, it must use feedback that is in the
form of electronically stored data. It must then react upon this
data as though the data were feedback being produced by
complex ancillary systems," Bitetto said.

The associate professor described fractal linguistics as "a hybrid
linguistic processing method using fractal equations as a major
component." In the first phase of his project, Bitetto combined
nonlinear algorithmic equations with an ANSI-based text file that
supplied an English language sort of structure. When the
algorithms reacted to the text file, the laptop produced "telephone
sounds."

In subsequent work, Bitetto added frequency modulation to the mix,
permitting the emission of "birdlike songs." He then honed the
frequency modulation scheme to the point where the machine could
come up with "Beatle-type melodies." Ultimately, Bitetto tested
the resulting system, Soundoff, on a group of subjects, playing two
songs for them - a computer-generated tune, and a piece by the
human composer Dvorak - and asking them to tell which was
which. Sixty percent of the respondents guessed wrong.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920519)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00024)

 ****British Govt Balks At High Cost Of European HDTV 05/19/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- In what may be the
death knell for European harmony over the development of high
definition television (HDTV), the British government has tabled a
formal comment to the European Community over the projected
high cost of developing the technology.

The comment comes at a time when European broadcasters are
protesting about EC plans to insist that, as new TV stations are
launched, either terrestially or on satellite, they provide HDTV
transmissions alongside their normal 625 line color signals.
British government officials are worrying out loud about the cost
of the subsidies that the EC is giving the industry for the
development of HDTV.

Britain is not alone in voicing its worries. Both Luxembourg and
Spain have made similar public announcements, although not as
vociferous as the British.

EC ministers are reported to be considering an 850 million
European currency unit (ECU) plan to give European broadcasters
the chance to develop and broadcast in HDTV alongside their
standard 625 line transmissions. A decision on the plan, which
has yet to be submitted to the EC general council, will be made
next month.

EC plans to develop a Euro-HDTV standards, so creating a third
set of standards alongside Japanese and US standards, have not
gone down well among European broadcasters. Some stations,
particularly those broadcasting on the Astra 1A and 1B European
satellites, which radiate across Europe, have said privately that
they will not implement HDTV transmissions, even if legally
obliged to by EC legislation. The EC would find it very difficult
to force the issue, since signals can be uplinked to the Astra
satellites from anywhere in Europe.

(Steve Gold/19920519)


(NEWS)(IBM)LON)(00025)

Olivetti Intros Palmtop PC With Digital Recording Feature 05/19/92
IVREA, ITALY, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Olivetti has unveiled the
Quaderno, a portable computer that comes in a black filofax-sized
case. The 80286-based unit, which tips the scales at 3.5 pounds,
has a flip-up screen, 20 megabytes (MB) of data storage capacity
and a 15 minute digital recording facility.

The unit will sell for UKP 700 ($1,150), with sales starting
across Europe from July onwards. Plans call for Olivetti, whose
Pegasus subsidiary designed the unit, to sell 80,000 units in the
first year of sales. This high sales figure is being made possible
with the cooperation of Ye Data, the Japanese company that is
manufacturing the machines.

Announcing the Quaderno in Italy, Olivetti's CEO Carlo de
Benedetti said that plans call for production of the unit to be
moved to Singapore before the end of the year.

The Quaderno is like a very stubby, black notebook PC. The
flip-up screen reveals a squashed keypad with full-travel keys.
When closed, the unit has an LCD (liquid crystal display) clock on
the right-hand side of the case, with a series of buttons arrayed
horizontally along the case top. These buttons control what is, in
effect, a digital dictaphone. Up to 15 minutes of digitized voice
recording can be stored on the 20MB hard disk, although this is
usually decreased by the number of DOS applications stored on
the disk.

Newsbytes can report that the Quaderno's keyboard has a good
feel to it, although the squashed nature of the keyboard causes
some problems until you get used to the key layouts, especially
the short space bar.

Data storage is via a PCMCIA slot on the side of the machine.
The slot accepts all PCMCIA cards, including modems. A
spokesman for Olivetti said that the Quaderno's low weight is
due to the reliance of data storage on the PCMCIA cards.

(Steve Gold/19920519)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00026)

Racal Bids For New British Army Mobile Radio System 05/19/92
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) --
Racal Electronics has announced it has submitted a bid for the
British Army's Bowman mobile radio system scheduled for
introduction over the next few years.

Some reports have suggested that the contract for Bowman,
essentially a mobile radio communications system for voice and
data for use in all situations including nuclear war, could be
worth as much as UKP 2,000 million over the next decade.

The Bowman radio system was conceived after early trials of the
technology in the Gulf War proved that the radio system worked
reliably, even under enemy gunfire and radio jamming systems.

If Racal is successful in its bid for the contract (the British
government will award it over the next 18 months), it will team
up with Siemens to fulfill the contract terms. Plans call for the
Bowman system to progressively replace the Clansman radio
system that the British Army currently uses.

Bowman is just one part of the British Army's mobile
communications service. A total of 60,000 mobile radios will be
required by the British Army over the next ten years, all of
which will be capable of linking with the Army's Battlefield
Artillery Target Engagement System (BATES)

Much of the technology of BATES and the proposed Bowman
system are classified, including the frequencies the systems work
at. Most industry analysts say, however, that Bowman will probably
use a combination of VHF and short wave frequencies, allied to
ultra-high radio frequencies to ensure that digital transmissions
are possible. Digital transmissions can easily be encoded and
scrambled to prevent enemy eavesdropping.

(Steve Gold/19920519)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00027)

Fractal Compression Migrates To PC Running Windows 05/19/92
READING, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Iterated
Systems has announced Images Incorporated for Windows, a
UKP 450 package that it claims brings the benefits of fractal image
compression to the PC. Previously, such technology was found on
mini and mainframe computers.

Dr Michael Barnsley, an Englishman who set up the company in
California, where the package is also being launched, told
Newsbytes that the fractal image compression system he has
developed over the past few years is way ahead of the competition.

"What I've done is to refine the technology and run it on almost
any PC running under Windows. It takes just a few seconds to
compress an image of several megabytes down to just a few tens
of kilobytes," he told Newsbytes.

Once the image is stored as a fractal image file (FIF), it can be
reconstituted in almost graphics format required. "The file
itself does not need any special work - it's a kind of universal
file image once it's been created to FIF standards," he said.

One interesting by-product of the FIF format is that, if a
file is expanded to, say, a VGA screen image, sections of the
that image can be zoomed and expanded, and the pixels on the
screen analyzed for further breaking down.

This means, for example, that a tiny area of a face can be
zoomed in, expanded to fill the screen, and the resultant
"blocky" image analyzed by the software. A fine grain image can
then be derived from this image. Barnsley was at pains to stress
that the image was not one perfect to the original.

"It's not the original, but it does make the blocky images better
to look at. You can keep on magnifying and de-pixelating the
image forever," he said.

In a demonstration shown to Newsbytes, a TIFF file was reduced
to just 20 kilobytes or so of hard disk space (FIF format) and then
reconstituted as a VGA picture file. The image was then
repeatedly magnified and the pixels analyzed. The result was that
a section of an eye was zoomed up to fill the screen. The five or
six pixels in the original image were replaced by several hundred
inserted pixels, which resulted in a pleasing overall effect.

(Steve Gold/19920519/Press & Public Contact: Iterated Systems,
0734-880261)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00028)

Expert Edge Intros Updated Windows Apps Development Pkg 05/19/92
HAMPTON, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Expert
Edge, a software tools developer, has announced a new version of
its Windows database apps development tool, Experience for
Windows. The new version has been updated to take account of
Windows 3.1.

Experience for Windows 1.1 retails for UKP 495 and, the company
claims, is backwards compatible with the earlier version. This
new version increases the available power of the software while
adding Truetype facilities and the ability to create .EXE files
automatically.

"The market for Windows database applications tools is set to
become one of the major markets of the 1990s. The recent
acquisitions of Fox Software and Nantucket by Microsoft and
Computer Associates, respectively, demonstrates the priority that
major companies are placing on the development of a Windows
database product," explained Donal Daly, Expert Edge's
managing director.

"For all the marketing hype and vast amounts of money invested
by leading software vendors, they still have to bring a Windows
database product to market. Experience for Windows is the only
database application development tool available which has been
designed specifically for the Windows environment," he added.

According to Daly, Experience for Windows supports the complete
range of colors available under Windows (256 from 16.8 million)
for "Dialog objects." Fonts are similarly well supported. The idea
behind the package is to allow the rapid development of database
applications under Windows.

What's interesting about EfW, Newsbytes notes, is that the
resultant .EXE files can be run as standalone code, yet Expert
Edge is not seeking any royalties on the programs. A runtime
license, however, costs UKP 795.

The company, which has been marketing program development
tools since 1986, says that EfW runs on an 286-based or better
PC running Windows 3.0 or 3.1 with at least one megabyte (MB)
of memory.

(Steve Gold/19920519/Press & Public Contact: Expert Edge,
081-941-7433)

(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00025)

Olivetti Intros Palmtop PC With Digital Recording Feature 05/19/92
IVREA, ITALY, 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- Olivetti has unveiled the
Quaderno, a portable computer that comes in a black filofax-sized
case. The 80286-based unit, which tips the scales at 3.5 pounds,
has a flip-up screen, 20 megabytes (MB) of data storage capacity
and a 15 minute digital recording facility.

The unit will sell for UKP 700 ($1,150), with sales starting
across Europe from July onwards. Plans call for Olivetti, whose
Pegasus subsidiary designed the unit, to sell 80,000 units in the
first year of sales. This high sales figure is being made possible
with the cooperation of Ye Data, the Japanese company that is
manufacturing the machines.

Announcing the Quaderno in Italy, Olivetti's CEO Carlo de
Benedetti said that plans call for production of the unit to be
moved to Singapore before the end of the year.

The Quaderno is like a very stubby, black notebook PC. The
flip-up screen reveals a squashed keypad with full-travel keys.
When closed, the unit has an LCD (liquid crystal display) clock on
the right-hand side of the case, with a series of buttons arrayed
horizontally along the case top. These buttons control what is, in
effect, a digital dictaphone. Up to 15 minutes of digitized voice
recording can be stored on the 20MB hard disk, although this is
usually decreased by the number of DOS applications stored on
the disk.

Newsbytes can report that the Quaderno's keyboard has a good
feel to it, although the squashed nature of the keyboard causes
some problems until you get used to the key layouts, especially
the short space bar.

Data storage is via a PCMCIA slot on the side of the machine.
The slot accepts all PCMCIA cards, including modems. A
spokesman for Olivetti said that the Quaderno's low weight is
due to the reliance of data storage on the PCMCIA cards.

(Steve Gold/19920519)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00029)

 ****World's Fastest Sparcstation Has Multiple Processors 05/19/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) -- The
world's fastest desktop workstation, the Sparcstation 10, has been
introduced by Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC).
The Sparcstation 10 is capable of processing 400 million
instructions per second (MIPS) and has four microprocessors, and,
according to the company, is the lowest cost reduced
instruction-set chip (RISC)/Unix multiprocessing server on the
market.

SMCC says it has redesigned the Sparcstation architecture in
introducing the Sparcstation 10, and made the design modular to
allow for higher performance and multiple processors. The
processors are the superscalar Supersparc chip from Texas
Instruments (TI).

The world's fastest computers are based on multiple processors,
like the Touchstone Delta Supercomputer housed at Cal Tech in
Pasadena. With the design of systems for multithreading, object-
oriented software, and multimedia, processing tasks can be split
up and run simultaneously on several processors instead of
queueing up for just one. Much faster overall performance speeds
can be achieved in this manner.

SMCC boasts the modular design allows users to upgrade their
microprocessors for more computing power by simply pulling out the
Sparc module that contains one or two processors, and plugging in
another one with a faster central processing unit (CPU). The design
was anticipatory of the 50 megahertz (MHz) Sparc chip expected to
be available from TI later this year, SMCC said.

The Sparcstation 10 comes in four models; the Model 30 with one
processor at 36 MHZ capable of processing at 86.1 MIPS;
the Model 41 with one processor running at 40 MHz capable of 96.2
MIPS; the Model 52 with 2 processors running at 45 MHz capable of
processing above 200 MIPS; and the Model 54 with four processors
running at 45 MHz, capable of 400 MIPS. The Sparcstation 10
Models 30 through 52 can all be upgraded by adding processors to
the systems modular design, SMCC said.

Fast processing doesn't mean much if the rest of the computer
cannot keep up. With that in mind, SMCC says it has quadrupled
the speed that data can be processed through memory on the 10
and doubled the rate information can be retrieved from the disks.
The bus speed, which is the central processing point for data to and
from other peripherals, has been doubled compared to other
Sparcstations, SMCC maintains. A new feature called Supercache
is one megabyte (MB) of external memory cache also built in to the
Sparcstation 10 to boost performance, SMCC said.

The modular design also allows for expansion of the hard disk
capacity up to 26 gigabytes (GB) and the memory up to 512 MB.
Four Sbus expansion slots, two serial ports, and a parallel port
allow for the addition of peripherals.

Despite its multiple processors, SMCC says the Sparcstation 10 is
binary compatible, meaning any software that will run on any other
Sun Sparcstation will run on the Sparcstation 10 Models.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) capabilities are built
into the Sparcstation 10, the first workstation to have such
capabilities built in, SMCC said. The company says the ISDN was
added in anticipation of the integration of telephones and computers.
SMCC speculates functions done on phones today -- including
dialing, answering, transferring and possibly identifying calls as
well as sending faxes and receiving voice mail messages -- will
all be done via a computer tomorrow.

The physical size of the Sparcstation 10 is still the "pizza box"
enclosure, and the company says the units have the same footprint
as the Sparcserver 2, but with five times the applications throughput,
five times the memory capacity, double the internal disk storage,
and 25 percent more expansion capacity. SMCC maintains that the
Sparcstation 10 is one-third to one-fourth the cost of competing
systems that can deliver the same computing performance. Retail
pricing for the Sparcstation 10 begins at $16.995, SMCC added.

SMCC is hailing the new workstation as a server for workgroups,
including IBM compatible personal computer (PC) local area
networks (LANs).

SMCC added that it has also licensed for resale the logic chips
for the Sparcstation 10, which the company says is evidence of
its commitment to open systems.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920519/Press Contact: Dan Stevens, SMCC,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00030)

 ****DEC To Market Intel Massively Parallel Supercomputers 05/19/92
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAY 19 (NB) --
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) will be selling some of the
fastest computers in the world under a new agreement with Intel.
Under the agreement, it will sell Intel's massively parallel processing
(MPP) computers.

The sale of sSupercomputers by DEC is only one aspect of the
agreement, the other being the identification and porting of third-
party software of applications for use on the MPP computer systems.
The Intel said DEC is attractive as a marketing arm because it has a
major presence in the mid-range computing market, a market Intel
hopes to penetrate with the MPP computers.

The MPP systems are based on the Intel i/860 chips, which work
in parallel processing separate tasks, rather than the traditional
approach of tasks queueing up for one processor to work on.

The first software development project the two companies have
announced for the MPP is the High Performance Fortran (HPF), a
Fortran programming language compiler that will facilitate creation
and porting of applications for the Supercomputers.

Intel says its Supercomputer Systems Division already has the
largest installed base of massively parallel supercomputers with
more than 300 systems worldwide.

Intel is celebrating the anniversary of its largest massively
parallel computer, the Touchstone Delta system housed at Cal
Tech in Pasadena, California. While the Touchstone Delta system
is larger than the systems DEC will be marketing, it is considered
by some analysts to be the fastest computer in the world and is
being used by scientists to do challenging operations that previously
computers didn't have the processing power to tackle, such as
human brain simulation, simulation of weather patterns, and
interpretation of data sent back from space voyages.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920519/Press Contact: Donna Ruane, Miller
Communications for Intel, tel [phone], fax [phone])