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/nb920617

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

Canon To Beef Up Chinese Recycling Facility 06/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Canon plans to beef up its
recycling and reprocessing plant in China. The firm says it will
double the facility for recycling used copier's cartridges.

Canon has currently been processing 150,000 cartridges per
month at the facility.

Canon is planning to build another two recycling buildings at its
plant site in Daireng, in China, and will start processing used
copier cartridges. The facility will be 12,000 square meters. At
this processing plant, Canon is planning to process 300,000 units
per month by the end of 1993, and 600,000 units by the end of
1994.

Canon has been processing cartridges for regular copiers and
laser printers at the plant. The firm says it has been re-using
almost 95 percent of these cartridges. These cartridges are
collected in the Japanese and US markets.

Under this system, users bring used cartridges to dealers.
Then, these dealers send them back to Canon. So far, it has
been relatively costly for Canon to collect these cartridges.
Consequently, the firm wants to simplify the procedure in the
future. The firm is also thinking of collecting more used
cartridges from users.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920615/Press Contact: Canon,
[phone])


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

Hayes Intros Netware/Windows Drivers For ESP Card 06/17/92
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Hayes,
the modem communications company, has released a series of
software drivers for its Enhanced Serial Port (ESP) card. The new
drivers allows Novell Netware and Microsoft Windows applications
software to "drive" the card, which allows the PC's serial port to be
by-passed and very high speed data transmissions used.

According to Hayes, the drivers support the Hayes ESP direct
memory access (DMA) system to provide reliable serial port
speeds of up to 57,600 bits-per-second (bps). Dennis Hayes, the
company's founder, claims that the ESP card is fast becoming a
first choice for high-speed modem users who experience problems
with the limited speeds of the PC's standard serial port technology.

"If you don't include Hayes ESP as part of your communications
set-up, you will get less from your high-speed modem or ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) system adapter than you
expect," he explained.

Hayes will formally unveil the new drivers for its ESP card at
the upcoming PC Expo computer show in New York. The drivers
are now available with the ESP card, which is shipping worldwide.

(Steve Gold/19920616/Press & Public Contact: Hayes - Tel: 081-
848-1858; Fax: [phone]; email on Internet -
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00003)

UK: Microsoft Unveils Stand For Ballpoint Mouse 06/17/92
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --
After pressure from users, Microsoft has unveiled what many
portable Windows users have been hankering after for some
time -- a desktop stand for the Ballpoint Mouse.

Pricing in at UKP 30, the stand allows the Ballpoint Mouse to be
used with a desktop computer. It consists of a flat base stand
with an arm that rotates on two axes and swivels on the third
axis. The Ballpoint Mouse clips on to the end of the arm, which
Microsoft claims can be swiveled into almost any position the
user requires.

Gillian Kent, hardware and consumer product manager at
Microsoft, said that the company was excited to hear that a
number of Ballpoint Mice users wanted to use their mouse with
a desktop PC, in place of a conventional mouse.

"In developing the stand, we looked at how to make the
positioning of Ballpoint more flexible, to suit a variety of hand
sizes and preferences in position," she said.

Kent reckons that the UKP 30 stand will encourage users of
Ballpoint and conventional mice to switch over to the Ballpoint
Mouse for all their mice needs.

"Although we expect many users to continue to use the Microsoft
Mouse as their primary mouse on the desktop, we feel there are
current users, as well as potential new users, who may prefer the
Ballpoint Mouse as their desktop mouse," she said.

Kent assesses potential users of the mouse stand as falling into
three categories: users who prefer a thumb-driven pointing
devices; users who prefer a stationary pointing device owing to
space limitations; and users who are used to the Ballpoint
Mouse technology on their portable computers,

The stand is available in the UK though the Microsoft Upgrade
Center on 081-893-8000. Potential users of the Ballpoint Mouse
should note that the unit requires DOS 2.0 or later to be
present, along with two megabytes of RAM available on the PC.

(Steve Gold/19920616/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft - Tel:
0734-270001)


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

UK: PPCP Intros Compaq LTE Lite Notebook Modems 06/17/92
FELTHAM, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- PPCP,
the portable computing specialist, has begun importing a range of
internal fax/modems for use with the newly-launched Contura
family of notebooks from Compaq.

Both modems have been designed and built by Megahertz, the US
modem company, and are expected to ship in early July. The UKP
399 data-only modem supports all speeds to 2,400 bits-per-second
(bps) with V.42Bis data compression, while the fax/data version, at
UKP 499, adds a 9,600 bps fax modem facility to the features list.
Both modems have a five year warranty.

John Nolan, PPCP's managing director, claims that both modems
will be among the first add-ons to be available for the Contura
range of notebooks. They are also compatible with the New LTE
Lite series portables.

"Compaq notebooks, with their power-saving features and long life
batteries, are undoubtedly a big hit, particularly with corporate
users and the Megahertz modems and fax/modems are just the
sort of products that Contura and LTE Lite users are going to
need to get the best out of their notebooks," he said.

(Steve Gold/19920616/Press & Public Contact: PPCP,
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MOW)(00005)

DEC Festival Opens In Russia 06/17/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- DEC has presented its
"open advantage in action" series of seminars during the three-day
International computer forum, which has opened in Moscow. DEC
has also announced its educational program in the C.I.S.

Peter Sipos, DEC C.I.S. general manager, said the main lines of
the company business in the country will be, in addition to the mere
sales: the establishment of science and technical research centers;
creating the company's engineering and service facilities; massive
educational programs with the wealth of equipment to be granted;
and local manufacturing.

The company opened its Moscow office six months ago.

Sipos said the first educational project has been started by the
DEC's Kiev branch and the local Politechnical Institute, which
already has 17 computers installed. As a next step, Russian
colleges and universities will receive computer equipment. The
Moscow Aviation Institute, the five-years technology college, was
the first colleges to receive three microVAX computers, which
are to be installed at the radio, plane, and engine facilities,
according to the Institute.

DEC will also teach students at its engineering centers in
Europe, starting from the next month.

"Numerous generations of students has grown up on the DEC
computers worldwide. We would like to extend this tradition into
this part of the world," Peter Sipos said.

Meanwhile, the company is a long way from its sales goals,
Sipos said. He gave no figures but added that the sales amount
is unsatisfactorily small.

In addition to its Moscow office Digital has its representatives in
St Petersbourg in Russia and Kiev in the Ukraine. The company
said it plans to further expand its presence in other regions of the
former USSR.

Company now has its technical support groups in Moscow and St
Petersbourg, and is practicing ruble sales along with the dollar
ones.

DEC says it has begun negotiations with the Russian
communications ministry "about various possibilities of DEC
computer usage in telecoms," according to Sipos, although he
declined to give further details.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920616/Press contact: DEC Moscow office,
phone [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00006)

Computervision Ports CAD Software To DEC's 5000 06/17/92
BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 16 (NB) --
Computervision has announced the port of its Personal Designer
CAD and Personal Machinist CAD software to Digital Equipment
Corporation's DEC 5000 workstation.

Personal Designer, a mechanical CAD (computer-aided design)
package, offers three-dimensional design modeling and two-
dimensional drafting/detailing. Personal Machinist is an integrated
CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) application with design and
NC capabilities.

"This announcement is further evidence of our expanding
relationship with Digital," commented Jerry Kokos, vice president
of Computervision's Altenrate Channels Business Unit, in a
prepared statement.

Prior to the port to the DEC 5000, Personal Designer and Personal
Machinist ran on DOS and Sun Unix platforms only, a public
relations spokesperson told Newsbytes.

In announcing the port, Computervision officials also pointed to
the power and graphical capabilities of the DEC 5000, a workstation
that combines a RISC-based architecture with a Unix operating
system.

In addition, the company took note of the 5000's use of a
removable, three-inch by five-inch daughter card to house the
CPU/FPU (central processing unit/floating point unit), a feature
intended to help the computer keep pace with future technological
advances.

Personal Machinist comes standard with a 2.5-inch axis for
surface machining, and is expandable to a three-inch axis through
the addition of another module. Pricing for the new DEC 5000
version starts at $4,500.

Features of Personal Designer include Beizer and NURB surfaces,
multiple views with full associativity, and faceted and smooth
shaded pictures. Pricing for the new version begins at $4,995.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920616)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00007)

Adobe Releases Suite Of PC-Oriented Products 06/17/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --
With PC Expo on the horizon, Adobe has released a suite of
announcements meant to strengthen its position in the PC market.

Among the announcements are three typeface offerings:  two
software packages, plus a customizable CD-ROM disk that lets
users choose typefaces from out of the Adobe Type Library.  One
of the software packages is a low-cost item containing 30
preselected typefaces, and the other one introduces typefaces in
Cyrillic, the alphabet used in Russian and other Slavic languages.

Also included in the announcements are a licensing agreement
allowing WordPerfect Corporation to incorporate Adobe Type
Manager (ATM) technology into its software, and a system that
extends Adobe's Display PostScript technology to users of X
Windows terminals and PC and Mac X emulators.

A common denominator among the five announcements is their PC
focus, a public relations spokesperson told Newsbytes.  To boost
Adobe's visibility among PC users, she added, the company timed
its news to come out just before PC Expo, a major exhibition being
held June 23 to 25 in New York City.

The CD-ROM disk, "Type On Call," previously available for Macs
only, is now slated to ship in September for IBM-compatible PCs.
According to the company, the disk contains the entire Adobe Type
Library of 1,500 typefaces.  The $99 initial purchase price provides
the user with access to ATM font management software and 13
standard typefaces, and a choice of any two type packages out of
eight possibilities.

The 13 standard typefaces are ready to use straight from the box,
but the eight other packages are encrypted.  To gain access to a
pair of additional packages, the user obtains access codes over the
phone from Adobe.  The user then enters the access codes into
Type On Call, de-encrypting the type.

Once the type has been unlocked, the fonts can be installed into an
application.  Fonts from the new PC version can be used in either
Windows or DOS applications.  For extra fees, the user can unlock
individual type faces, or entire type packages, beyond those
covered by the initial price.

The company's new preselected typeface selection, Adobe Type
Set Value Pack, is compatible with either Windows or OS/2.  The
company stresses that for only $60 the user receives ATM software,
along with 30 different Type 1 typefaces in the categories of text,
decorative headline, script, ornament, and symbol type.

Adobe's new "Minion Cyrillic" type package is aimed at users who
communicate with the newly opened former Soviet Union and
Eastern Bloc countries.  A PC version is scheduled for availability
in the third quarter, and a Macintosh version will be announced at
a later date, the company said.

The PC version of the Cyrillic package supports Windows
applications as well as DOS versions of WordPerfect. The program
includes six type faces, along with ATM software and a Windows
utility that provides keyboard layouts for Russian, Transliterated
Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Serbian, Macedonian, and
Bulgarian.

The utility was jointly developed with ParaGraph International, a
Russian/American business venture with headquarters in Moscow
and Boulder, Colorado.

According to Adobe, its newly announced licensing agreement
with WordPerfect Corporation lets the licensee incorporate ATM
into word processing software, as well as into DrawPerfect and
other applications.  The agreement covers the DOS and Windows
environments, in addition to Mac and Unix.

The company also said that its latest Display PostScript software
lets users of X Windows stations and PC and Mac X emulators
achieve WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) correspondence
among computer displays and PostScript output devices.  Versions
of Display PostScript are already shipping for DEC, IBM, NeXT and
Silicon Graphics workstations, and have also been announced for
Silicon Graphics and NCD.

Adobe's new X Windows version, known as the Display PostScript
NX System, will run initially on hosts from Digital Equipment
Corporation and Sun. Display PostScript NX will be licensed for
bundling with X terminal hardware, software applications, or as a
standalone product. The product will ship with Adobe ShowPage, a
PostScript language file previewer.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920615; Press Contact:  LaVon Peck, Adobe,
tel [phone];  Patricia Pane, Adobe, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00008)

Japan: Kyodo's Overseas Personal Security Info Service 06/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Kyodo Tsushin says it will
begin a unique service to provide security information for overseas
firms in an effort to avoid being involved in such "risks" as terrorist
activities and kidnappings.

Many overseas offices of Japanese firms are becoming very
cautious about terrorist activities and kidnappings because several
Japanese business people have been involved in such incidents.

Kyodo Tsushin will provide various safety information for such
business people in overseas Japanese firms. Also, the firm will
give up-to-date incidents and happenings related to terrorist
activities and kidnapping.

The news and information will be gathered through Kyodo's own
worldwide network as well as other news networks such as AP and
UPI. Kyodo will also gain information from the Japanese and the
US governments concerning safety life in overseas countries.

The information will be provided three times a day except
weekends and national holidays. It is a flat fee basis and the firm
charges 150,000 yen ($1,150) per month.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920612/Press Contact: Kyodo Tsushin,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00009)

Computer Virus Victims Increase In Japan 06/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- The victims of computer
viruses have been increasing in Japan. According to the
government-affiliated Information Processing Association, the
number of the victims of computer viruses has risen to 80, which
is the worse in the past two years.

The computer viruses were rampant in Japan in this past March.
This was mainly due to the "Michelangelo" virus, which erased
data on Michelangelo's March 6 birthday. It is said 32 computers
were infected by the virus in March.

In January, the number of the victims were only three, but that
increased in March and thereafter. In May, 29 computers were
infected. The total number of victims for January through May
was 83.

The virus program called "Yankee Doodle Doo" was rampant in
May. A total of 30 computers were infected by this virus this year.

The number of victims is already more than that of last year.
About 60 cases were reported last year, while already 83 cases
have been reported this year.

One of the main reasons for the increase in virus infection has
been due to the usage of illegal copying of software. Because
of this illegal copying, many people are not eager to report the
infection. Consequently, the Association is now accepting
anonymous reports.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920612)

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

 ****Bellcore Claims Business Ready For ISDN 06/17/92
LIVINGSTON, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- In an
attempt to push its member phone companies to install ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) services on their phone
switches faster, the Bellcore research consortium has released a
study claiming nearly half of the nation's businesses would buy
the features.

ISDN transforms phone lines from carriers of analog waves into
carriers of digital datastreams. Under a standard called National
ISDN, individual business lines would get two lines carrying 64,000
bits-per-second (bps) each, and a signaling channel at 16,000 bps
each, which they could use as they see fit. While some tariffs
filed by local phone companies for ISDN have been complex, on
average they've priced the lines at about 30 percent more than
current business lines. A single ISDN line could handle a
videoconference, a fax call, a data call, and a voice call all at
once, eliminating the need for an extra phone number at most
businesses.

In the study, according to Carl Batt, Bellcore director of market
research, researchers polled 1,307 residential customers and 654
small businesses. About 17 percent of the homeowners were
defined as having a high need for ISDN-services, since they have
more than one line, or subscribe to many services like call-waiting,
or use a computer and modem frequently, or work-at-home. Since
there are 86 million residential customers in the US, this
indicates that there may be as many as 14.5 million good
residential prospects. And the rest should not be ignored, the
study indicated -- a full third said they would be interested in
video-calling, and 35 percent liked the idea of buying security
services through ISDN lines.

About 38 percent of the small businesses surveyed, who had an
average of 20 lines each, expressed high interest in the basic
ISDN feature that would let them send messages to other people
without having to talk to them directly, for example, when they
are already on another call.  Another third liked having access
to two calls at once, and 70 percent called their likelihood of
subscribing to ISDN services as moderate to high, once the
benefits were explained.

Still, ISDN continues to face hurdles. Major switch makers still
do not support ISDN in one uniform way. While they have agreed
to implement the National ISDN-2 standard, it will take years for
them to update their software. And some Bell companies, like
Bell Atlantic, are pricing ISDN services in a very complicated
manner. Finally, some of the Bells are reluctant to upgrade their
lines at all out of fear their ability to own information sources
might be taken away by Congress.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920617/Press Contact: Bellcore, Barbara
Kaufman, 201/740-4324)


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

MCI Gets CIS Telecom Lines 06/17/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- IDB
Communications Group, which already sells capacity to Sprint
for calls to the Commonwealth of Independent States, the former
Soviet Union, has opened another seven lines on the route and
sold the capacity to MCI.

The result is that MCI now offers direct-dial service to all CIS
member states, joining its primary competitors.

IDB's long distance service unit said it is already experiencing
heavy demand for its capacity from Sprint, handling an average
traffic volume of over 15,000 minutes per day.

MCI's traffic is expected to increase IDB's current usage levels
by 30 percent, with the additional seven circuits raising to 30 the
total number of IDB's international public switched circuits.

The company said it has more demand than it can satisfy.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920617/Press Contact: Doug Sherk, for
IDB, 415/296-7383)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012)

SkyTel Enhances SkyWord Wireless Message Service 06/17/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- SkyTel has
enhanced its "SkyWord" wireless messaging service with software
that lets PC owners input messages directly onto the system.

SkyWord Access is a name of the package which links directly to
the SkyTel network via an 800 phone line.  SkyWord Operator
Service, provided through an agreement with the National Dispatch
Center in San Diego, will allow non-computer users to send a text
message simply by making a toll-free phone call to an operator.
Both offerings are available form SkyTel beginning this week.

SkyWord Access is message origination software that enables
users to compose and send text messages, as well as telephone
numbers and other numeric information via modem to SkyWord
subscribers.

The software is written for IBM PS/2 and IBM compatible personal
computers with PC-DOS or MS-DOS operating systems. SkyWord
Access also requires that users have 512,000 bytes of memory and
a Hayes-compatible modem.

To use the SkyWord Operator Service, subscribers dial the toll-
free number, 1-800-SKY-GRAM, and enter the personal identification
number (PIN) of the person they wish to reach.  After entering the
PIN, users are connected with an operator who takes the message
and then dispatches it via computer to SkyTel's network.  The entire
process of composing and sending a typical message of 20 average
length words usually takes about one minute, according to
SkyTel's market tests. SkyTel will offer the new Operator Service
to SkyWord subscribers for a $5 enrollment fee and a 50 cents per
message surcharge.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920617/Press Contact: David Allan, for
SkyTel, 212-614-5163)


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

AT&T Confirms It: You Like Mom Best 06/17/92
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --
Figures  from AT&T have confirmed what you always suspected --
you like mom best. The nation's largest long-distance company
estimated it will handle 84.2 million calls this Father's Day, a
number that pales in comparison to the 101.8 million calls made
on Mother's Day.

AT&T says it can't explain the disparity, but will try to
encourage calls to dad with a sale. Every evening through June
19, you can reach dad anywhere in the US he happens to be,
including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, for just 11 cents
per minute.

AT&T standard evening prices for such calls range from 13 to 22
cents a minute depending on call distance.  Those special 11
cent-per-minute prices will not apply to AT&T calling plan calls.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920617/Press Contact: AT&T, Ellen Zundl,
908/221-5017)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00014)

Storagetek Enhances SCSI 9-Track Tape Subsystem 06/17/92
LOUISVILLE, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --
Storagetek has announced the availability of three enhancements
to its SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) on one of its tape
subsystems.

The most significant enhancement to the nine-track 9914 OEM tape
subsystem is referred to by Storagetek as "Fast SCSI," a data
transfer rate of up to 10 MB (megabytes) per second synchronous
or 7KB (kilobytes) per second asynchronous.  That's about five
times as fast as was previously available using the 9914 system.

According to Storagetek the 9914 can accommodate the widely
used 5 MB per second transfer rate even in applications where
Fast SCSI has not been implemented.

One model of the 9914 also now offers single-ended and differential
capabilities, which alleviates the need to change cards. The third
enhancement is the increase in buffer size from 512 KB to two
megabytes (MB), a four times improvement in buffer capacity. The
performance improvement is possible, said Storagetek, because
tape repositioning is masked and the fast-burst host transfers are
accepted.

According to Storagetek's Larry Hemmerich, VP of OEM (original
equipment manufacturing) and indirect operations, the demand for
SCSI enhancements has been on the increase. "That's why it was
so important for us to provide these enhancements to our
customers who already have 9914 subsystems," he said.
Hemmerich said all 9914 systems in use can be easily upgraded.

The 9914 is a drawer-mount, automatic loading, half-inch open reel
nine-track tape storage subsystem.

Storagetek, who's stock suffered recently due to a delay in its long
awaited Iceberg product, has made several announcements recently
which could reassure users. In addition to the 9914 enhancement,
the company recently re-confirmed that Iceberg was expected to be
delivered as promised in the revised schedule.

(Jim Mallory/19920617/Press contact: David Reid, Storagetek,
303-673-4815)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00015)

1st Act! To Be Bundled With Seiko Data Directory 06/17/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Contact Software
International and Seiko Instruments USA have announced an
agreement which will have Contact's 1st Act! contact manager
bundled with the Seiko hand-held Data Directory.

1st Act! integrates a database and calendar manager, pre-defined
report generator, and a word processor which allows the user to
produce form letters and other documents. The program also has
an automatically-generated history for each contact, a quick
search capability, and an auto-dialer.

Contact programs are databases set up to allow tracking of clients
and prospective customers. They usually track the dates the client
has been contacted, and the date for the next contact. Other
information usually includes the name of the person to contact, the
phone number and other information which is helpful to have on the
screen when talking to the customer.

Some contact programs, such as 1st Act! allow the address
information to be merged into a letter, for such purposes as letting
customers know about special sales.  An autodialer automatically
dials the customer's number when the cursor is placed on the
phone number field.  A modem must be installed in the computer to
take advantage of the auto-dial feature.

The Seiko Data Directory is a hand-held electronic organizer that is
small enough to be carried in a pocket or purse.  Seiko's ACTLINK
software makes it possible to download names, addresses, and
phone numbers from a PC.

1st Act! and the Seiko Data Directory has a suggested list price of
$199. Contact Software also publishes a version of 1st Act!  for use
with Hewlett-Packard's HP 95LX palmtop PC, which shipped earlier
this year. By itself, 1st Act! has a suggested list price of $79.95.

(Jim Mallory/19920617/Press contact: Julie Bledsoe, Contact
Software, 214-919-9500; Reader contact: 214-919-9500 or fax
214-919-9750.  International reader contact: [phone] or
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00016)

Metz Ships Task Manager 2.0 For Windows 06/17/92
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --  Metz
Software is now shipping Metz Task Manager 2.0, a program that
Metz says provides Windows users instant access to the
applications and files they use most frequently.  The program is
compatible with both Windows 3.0 and 3.1.

Art Metz, president of Metz Software, said the Task Manager
replaces the Windows Task List, which he says Windows users
find inadequate.

The Task Manager is an alternative way to launch programs running
under Windows. The product includes a Launch Pad that allows
users to "drag-and-drop" their favorite applications onto customizable
launch buttons. A special launch menu can also be created for the
Windows File Manager, or for Norton Desktop for Windows.

A scheduler feature included in the program lets users schedule
tasks such as hard drive backup of electronic mail transfer as
unattended tasks. Metz said there is also a Task/Group Windows
which displays a list of running tasks or the items in a Windows
Program Manager group for quick launching and arrangement.

Other features include a Run List, which includes the most recently
run tasks, allowing for easy editing and repeating, claims the
company. Desktop Arrangement is a collection of buttons and
commands to unclutter the Windows desktop, while several utilities
provide file management, file locator, text search, and system status
capabilities.

Task Manager 2.0 has a suggested selling price of $49.95. Metz said
registered owners of any Metz Software product can purchase a Task
Manager 2.0 upgrade for $19.95 plus shipping costs directly from the
company.

(Jim Mallory/19920617/Press contact: Art Metz, Metz Software,
206-641-4525; Reader contact: 800-447-1712 or 206-641-4525 or fax
206-644-6026)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00017)

WordPerfect Tests WP 5.0/Office 3.1 On Univel's UnixWare 06/17/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- WordPerfect says
it will be testing the current shipping version of WordPerfect and
Office 3.1 on Univel's UnixWare.

Univel is a joint partnership between network operating system
developer Novell and Unix System Laboratories. Univel recently
announced an Early Access Program for Unixware and started
shipping developer's kits to more than 50 software developers
including WordPerfect.

The Unix operating system has not become nearly as popular with
business computer users as DOS, and later Windows. There are a
number of versions of Unix, and developers have had to produce a
different version of their program for each major Unix version if
they want to reach a significant market with their product.

Version 5.1 of WordPerfect for Unix is expected to come to market
in the third quarter. In addition to the word processing program,
WordPerfect Corporation also offers a Unix version of WordPerfect
Office. Office 3.1 features include: electronic mail, a scheduler, a
calendar, a calculator, the notebook file manager, a shell, and an
editor.

Other companies who have indicated interest in making their
products capable of running under Unixware are Borland, Informix,
Lotus, Oracle, Xtree, and Frame.

Univel said recently that Unixware will be capable of running the
more than 3,000 Unix applications that are already available for the
Intel platform.  The end user version of Unixware is scheduled to
ship in the fall of this year.

(Jim Mallory/19920617/Press contact: Darcey Huish, WordPerfect Corp.,
801-228-5006, Reader contact: 801-225-5000, fax [phone])
(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00018)

Thomson-CSF Secures Rita Network Upgrade Contract 06/17/92
PARIS, FRANCE, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Thomson CSF, the French
electronics company, has announced that it will shortly receive a
major contract to upgrade the Rita communications network. The
company, which specializes in defense electronics, has declined
to say how much the contract is worth, other than to say it has
major franc value.

Pre-announcing the contract to the press this week, Jean-Luc
Picard, the director of Thomson's communications and command
systems operations, said that terms of the deal call for the
company to work on upgrading the next four years. He added that
the contract is worth several billion francs to his company.

The Rita communications network is a mobile communications
network that links the French army back to its French computer
network, regardless of where in the world they are stationed. The
network also allows for battlefield communications under hostile
conditions.

Picard revealed that Thomson has quietly sold a Rita system to
the US government, although he declined to say when and for
how much the US deal was worth. Analysts have speculated that
some of the technology would have been used in the recent Gulf
conflict though, again, company officials have declined to
comment.

(Steve Gold/19920617)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00019)

Olivetti & Canon Pool Optical Card Technology 06/17/92
MILAN, ITALY, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Olivetti has signed a joint
development agreement with Canon of Japan.

Terms of the agreement call for both companies to pool their
resources on optical card technology with the express aim of
developing an optical card system for worldwide marketing
within the next two years.

Canon's optical cards will be supplied to Olivetti on an OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) basis. Olivetti will sell
Canon's optical card systems to medical market and health-
care market in Italy as well as other European countries.

Plans also call for Olivetti to market the finished product with
Canon developing the primary technology. Value-added
applications will be developed by Olivetti, company officials said.

Canon has its own distribution system for optical cards in
Europe. Now, in the agreement with Olivetti, Canon will
cooperate on sales in the region. The tie-up will be benefit
Canon because Olivetti has strong sales force in the region.

Canon is currently at the leading edge of optical card
technology, but the costs are extremely high, analysts claim.
This has forced the normally independent Japanese electronics
company to seek assistance from the Italian electronics giant.

Canon is set to release a 4.2 megabyte optical card system
in Japan this August. Canon is said to have spent about nine
years developing this optical card system.

((Steve Gold & Masayuki Miyazawa/19920617/Press Contact:
Canon, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00020)

UK Regional Electricity Board In Telecom Venture 06/17/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- The Yorkshire
Electricity Board (YEB), one of the UK's recently privatized
electronic companies, has announced plans to team up with
Kingston Communications, the Hull-based phone company, to
offer public telecommunications services.

The YEB is the third power company to announce its
diversification into the telecoms market. Recently, Scottish
Power and the National Grid announced their own provisional
plans to offer services to the public.

According to the YEB, plans call for the company to offer
telecom services to major companies in the Yorkshire (North
East) area of the UK. Plans for smaller users of the phone
network are also in hand, company officials said.

The YEB already has a landline and mobile radio telephone
network to link its staff and shops. Although no decision has been
made, Newsbytes' sources suggest the public service will make
use of some of the existing telecom circuits, as well as fiber optic
network running alongside the YEB's national electricity links
and lines.

The link with Kingston Communications, which runs the City Of
Hull's telephone service in the UK -- the only such "island" of
private telecoms in the UK's BT dominated market -- will allow
the YEB to use Kingston's exchange infrastructure in Hull, which
links in turn to the BT and Mercury telecom networks.

(Steve Gold/19920617)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00021)

 ****IBM Enhances Mainframes, Operating Systems 06/17/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- IBM has
announced new features for its Enterprise System/9000 mainframe
computers, as well as new releases of the three operating systems
that run on them. The enhancements will become available late this
year and early in 1993.

IBM said a new release of its Virtual System Extended/Enterprise
Systems Architecture (VSE/ESA) operating system lets VSE take
full advantage of the Enterprise Systems Architecture of the ES/9000
machines. While previous releases of VSE/ESA would run on the
machines, company spokeswoman Diane Whitehead said, Version 1
Release 3 is "the first really full-blown implementation."

For some time, VSE had been regarded as an orphan operating
system IBM was eager to bury. In the past couple of years, IBM
appears to have recognized that its many VSE customers are not
prepared to let that happen, and has made an effort to bring VSE
back into the mainstream.

IBM also announced Multiple Virtual Storage/Enterprise System
Architecture (MVS/ESA) Version 4 Release 3. The company said
this new release of its highest-powered mainframe operating
system improves support for client/server architecture, while also
providing better support for storage and systems management.

IBM also extended its plans to make MVS/ESA support the POSIX
open systems standard, adding several additional interfaces to the
list it had earlier promised to support in a September, 1991,
statement of direction. No firm dates were given for implementing
this POSIX support, however.

IBM's third mainframe operating system, Virtual Memory/Enterprise
Systems Architecture (VM/ESA), was also updated. VM/ESA
Version 1 Release 2 improves systems management capabilities
and boosts the performance of applications, the company said.

On the hardware side, IBM enhanced its Enterprise Systems
Connection Architecture (ESCON), a high-speed communications
channel technology. One new feature allows multiple logical
partitions on the same mainframe to share channels. In the past,
Whitehead explained, each partition had to have its own channels.

More than half of ES/9000 users have more than one partition on
their machines, for example running one "image" of the operating
system for interactive applications, another for batch jobs, and
possibly a third for applications development and testing. Now all
of these can share the same channels.

Another change to ESCON is basic mode support, which makes it
possible to use ESCON for channel-to-channel communications, in
which two processors talk directly to each other through system
channels rather than over a network. Previously, Whitehead said,
channel-to-channel communications was only possible through
IBM's older channel technology, which uses copper wire rather
than optical fiber.

The Processor Resource/Systems Manager (PR/SM) has been
enhanced to offer more logical partitioning capabilities. IBM also
said a new feature called Asynchronous Pageout Facility moves
data more efficiently between central and expanded storage.

The hardware enhancements are standard for ES/9000 Models 520,
640, 660, 740, 820, 860, and 900. The PR/SL and ESCON Multiple
Image Facility are due to be available in December, and the other
hardware enhancements are planned for March. Installed systems
will be upgraded automatically as part of routine maintenance,
Whitehead said.

VM/ESA 1.2 is due to be available in December, while the other
two new operating system versions are expected to ship in March.
Their prices will be the same as for previous releases.

IBM also said Version 2 Release 1 of Advanced Interactive
Executive/Enterprise Systems Architecture (AIX/ESA), its
mainframe Unix offering, will be available June 26. The new
release was announced in March.

(Grant Buckler/19920617/Press Contact: Diane Whitehead,
IBM, 914-642-4668; Edward A. Trapasso, IBM, 914-642-5359)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00022)

Stratus Computer Plans Joint Venture In Japan 06/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Stratus Computer Japan, a
subsidiary of the Massachusetts-based computer maker, is
planning to create a joint venture firm with major Japanese
computer makers, according to the Nikkan Kogyo newspaper.

A spokesman at Stratus Computer Japan told Newsbytes that
it is too early to comment on the developments.

According to the newspaper, however, Stratus Computer has
been talking with a number of Japanese computer makers,
including NEC, Mitsubishi, IBM Japan, and Toshiba.

Stratus Computer wants to create a joint venture firm for the
sales and development of software for Stratus' computers. Stratus
Computer Japan has been selling "non-stop" computers. The firm
is currently supplying the computer to NEC, Toshiba, Mitsubishi
on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis.

Stratus Computer Japan has also been talking with several other
software makers concerning this joint venture, says the newspaper.
More than ten firms are expected to joint in this project.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920617/Press Contact: Stratus
Computer Japan, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00023)

Canon To Intro New Japanese O/S For Next Computer 06/17/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Canon says it will release
an upgraded version of the Japanese operating system for the
Next computer around this September. The new version is called
Release 3J, and it supports various new programs.

The Japanese 3J supports database, a three-dimensional
graphics feature, distributed objects, and Netware and AppleTalk
client networking. The upgrade service from the version 2.x will
cost 78,000 yen ($600) with a CD-ROM.

Canon will also provide the upgrade version support from the
English version. During the initial promotional period, which will
last until the end of this October, the service will be provided at
half the regular price.

With this latest operating system, the user can use Macintosh
format floppy disks and hard disks via Ethernet.

Canon has also released a "Bubble-jet" color printer at 498,000
yen ($3,800). This Bubble-jet printer is Canon's original. It is an
upgraded version of an ink-jet printer, and it produces quality
letter printing, according to the company. This technology is also
used for Apple's Macintosh printers. Canon has also released a
new CD-ROM drive for the Next computer. It holds a 680 megabyte
memory. Canon is Next Computer's exclusive dealer for
the South East Asian market.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920617/Press Contact: Canon,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00024)

Indian Computer Industry Records 27 Percent Growth 06/17/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- The Indian computer
companies' total revenue has touched the one-billion-dollar mark,
during 1991-92 financial year ending last March, according to this
year's study done by MAIT (Manufacturers' Association for
Information Technology).

The overall growth rate has been higher at 27 percent as compared
to 24 percent during 1990-91. The computer industry grossed
Rs 2635 crores last year. The total revenue generated by the
hardware segment, including peripherals, accounted for more than
63 percent of the industry turnover.

The share of the top twenty companies from this year's study has
been sixty percent of the total. The first twenty slots together
grossed a turnover of  Rs 1580 crore ($578 million) in 1991-92
as compared to Rs 1440 crore ($480 crore) in 1990-91. The first
eleven major players were the same, but with slightly different
positions to their credit compared to the year before.

HCL Hewlett Packard Ltd. tops the revenues list with Rs 220 crore
($73 million), just about the same as last year. This is followed by
Wipro Infortech Ltd. Rs 190 crore ($63 million) in the second place,
and the software giant, Tata Consultancy Services Rs 150 crore
($50 million), 50 percent up, as the third largest computer company.

Software and hardware exports have recorded good growth. Though
hardware exports increased from $ 75 million (Rs 225 crore) in
1990-91 to $90 million (Rs 270 crore) in 1991-92 (20 percent up),
the quantum of exports to General Currency Area Countries
showed a steep rise.

The production of computers in value terms went up from $273
million (Rs 820 crore) in 1990 to about $295 million (Rs 884 crore)
in 1991. The domestic market for computer hardware registered a
growth of 14 percent. While this is low compared to other segments
of the information technology industry, it is much higher than the
average industrial growth, and also above the figure that the
computer industry was expecting to achieve.

The overall slowdown in the economy, cutbacks in government
purchasing, and extremely tight control in imports last year took
their toll.

"This is an interesting fall out of the change in policies. The grim
outlook of last year now seems to be a thing of the past. The
future augurs to be an era of promising opportunities and growth
and the industry with its quality focus as well as its global outlook
(more joint ventures) will be gearing itself towards a better domestic
and exports scene,'' said Rajendra S. Pawar, president of MAIT.

According to NASSCOM (National Association of Software and
Service Companies), software exports grew by 64 percent from
$128 million (Rs 250 crore) to $179 million (Rs 410 crore).

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920615)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00025)

 ****New Unix System V Release 4.2 Easier To Use 06/17/92
SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Unix
System Laboratories has updated, what is widely considered, the
definitive version of Unix with features aimed at making the
operating system easier to use and a bit more practical on
smaller computers.

The key enhancement is a "desktop metaphor" graphical user
interface on top of the traditional Unix system. What this means is
that while the "$" prompt familiar to Unix users (the counterpart of
the DOS operating system's "C>" prompt) will still be available,
"you won't see it any more unless you want to," said Ry Schwark,
spokesman for Unix International.

Schwark said the new interface is complementary to Unix
International's Open Look and the rival Open Software Foundation's
Motif, both of which are windowing systems meant to work with
Unix, and can work with either of them.

Ease-of-use is "far and away the biggest" enhancement in Unix
System V Release 4.2, Schwark said. However, there are some
other changes.

One that affects ease-of-use as well as the security of the system
is the new release's tolerance of having the machine on which it is
running switched off without proper shutdown procedures. In the
past Unix, unlike DOS, required users to follow prescribed
shutdown procedures before turning their machines off. While
doing so is "still preferable," Schwark said, the new release will
recover gracefully if users don't.

By making the new release more modular, USL has also made it
possible to install Unix on a personal computer with only four
megabytes (MB) of memory and a 120MB hard disk. The previous
minimum was about eight MB of memory and 200MB of disk,
Schwark said. The reduced requirements will make Unix more
practical for use on client machines in a client/server environment,
USL predicted.

The new release also includes Adobe Systems' Type Manager
software and selected PostScript Type 1 fonts. This means Unix
will offer better support for desktop publishing, presentation
graphics, and other applications that call for an assortment
of fonts.

In addition to running applications written for previous versions
of USL's Unix, System V Release 4.2 will comply with the Open
Software Foundation's Application Environment Specification,
and with the addition of emulation utilities available from several
vendors it can run applications written for DOS and Microsoft
Windows, USL said.

While final retail prices will be set by companies that resell Unix
and will vary with the hardware platform, Schwark said, Unix
System Laboratories has targeted the software to sell for less
than $500 on desktop PCs. The new version should be available
later this year, he said. Univel, the joint venture between USL and
local area network vendor Novell, plans to sell it through Novell's
distribution channels starting in early fall.

Unisys, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, announced that it will use the
new Unix release on a future line of desktop computers based on
Intel's 80x86 processor line.

(Grant Buckler/19920617/Press Contact: Ry Schwark, USL,
908-522-6264; Brian Daly, Unisys, 215-986-2214)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00026)

Bell Canada To Appeal Aspects Of Long-Distance Ruling 06/17/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Bell Canada
Chairman Jean Monty, who a few days ago said his company
would play the hand it had been dealt by regulators supporting
long-distance competition, now wants a new deal.

Bell Canada has announced it will appeal some provisions --
though not the over-all thrust -- of the decision that promises
competitive long-distance telephone service in Canada within
about a year.

On June 12, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved applications
by Unitel Communications of Toronto and a partnership of BC
Rail Telecommunications of Vancouver and Lightel of Toronto,
both of which want to offer long-distance service in parts of
Canada.

Bell currently has a monopoly on such service in Canada's two
largest provinces -- Ontario and Quebec -- as do other regional
telephone companies in the rest of the country.

In his immediate reaction, Monty criticized parts of the decision
that gave the new competitors a discount on their contributions to
supporting local service, and the CRTC's ruling that Bell should
pay most of cost of connecting the systems to Bell's network.
But he went on to say: "I feel like a card player who's been dealt
a hand of cards. Now let's play."

Bell has now announced it will ask the CRTC to change those
aspects of its ruling. "We would have to absorb so much of the
startup costs, with no way to recover those costs," said Linda
Gervais, a spokeswoman for Bell.

Gervais said it is not certain whether the appeal might delay the
implementation of competitive long-distance service. More
information is expected to be released within a couple of weeks,
she said.

(Grant Buckler/19920617/Press Contact: Linda Gervais, Bell
Canada, 613-781-3724)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00027)

Survey Says People Like PCs, Especially Women 06/17/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Logitech's
newly released "PCs and People" survey says results show
personal computers (PCs) are not something people are afraid of.
In fact, Logitech says people like their PCs and women outnumber
men 2 to 1 as PC users. The statistics appear geared toward
promoting women PC users.

While Logitech admits most of the previous market research has
shown 84 percent of PC users are men, it says its survey done by
ADF Research of 300 computer users shows different figures.
Serge Timacheff, of public relations for Logitech maintains the
management information systems (MIS) people and those making
the buying decisions are still mostly men, but the majority of
computer users surveyed were women.

The report says PCs may be removing the "glass ceiling" or offering
women parity with men in work situations, and also mentioned
people are decorating their PCs and giving them names.

The survey, polling exclusively people who already use PCs, said
three out of four people see PCs as work companions, 98 percent
think of PCs as a valuable aid when it comes to getting work done,
and four out of five said PCs are fun to use. "People don't harbor
hidden desires to rid themselves of their PCs...," the survey added.

Timacheff said Logitech did the survey in an effort to validate the
company's direction for development and introduction of sensory
devices for PCs. "We see the video input as the eyes, the track
ball or mouse as the hands of the computer," Timacheff said.

"Some people even decorate their PCs," Timacheff added. He
described how he personally has scanned images of his wife and
family for use as the bit map images his screen saver uses, and
how he painted his mouse to look like it was made of granite.

Timacheff listed other PC decorating ideas as the "Mr. Potato Head"
look, accomplished by adding eyes and ears; putting an antenna on
the monitor; or simply placing knick-knacks on and around the PC.

Logitech also entered the dangerous and sensitive ground of
differences between men and women PC users by saying the
survey showed dramatic gender differences. The company's
survey said men and women who use PCs equally share the
responsibility for clerical and administrative functions, and women
perceive greater utilitarian benefits from PCs while men ten to
focus on touch-and-feel improvements. The survey also said 84
percent of the women think computers are fun, yet 44 percent of
the women surveyed said they view computers as a necessary
evil in business today.

On the other hand, the survey said men were more likely to use
sensory type computer input products (like a mouse), more men
than women wanted computers they could talk with, more men
said they'd like computers that are a more natural or intuitive
extension of their own senses, and more men than women thought
PCs with further human ways of communicating would encourage
greater numbers of people to use computers.

The survey was performed via telephone interviews with 301
computer users, 68 percent who were women. Companies were
randomly selected by size (between 50 and 350 employees) and
specific inclusion was made of branch offices of Fortune 1000
companies so there would be easier access to qualified
respondents, according to ADF Research.

Logitech makes track balls, hand scanners, and mice and is
headquartered in Fremont, California.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920617/Press Contact: Michelle Mihalick,
Neale-May & Partners for Logitech, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00028)

Adobe 2Q Revenues Up 22% 06/17/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) --
Adobe Systems, the company who make the Truetype fonts
included in Microsoft Windows 3.1 and who markets Adobe Type
Manager (ATM), says revenues are up again in its second quarter
report.

While the company is showing a 22 percent increase in revenue over
last year, net income increased only 15 percent and earnings per
share were up only 12 percent. Company Chairman John Warnock
said the company is investing heavily in technology with an eye to
the future.

Second quarter revenue is reportedly at $69,614,000 from the same
quarter earnings of last year of $57,083,000. Adobe is reporting
earnings of just over $15 million, or 65 cents per share compared to
$13,260,000 or 58 cents per share last year.

Total revenue for the first half of this year is at $132,176,000, a
21 percent increase from the $109,683,000 reported in the same
period in 1991, Adobe said. However, net income is only up 11
percent and earnings per share are up only eight percent from the
same period a year ago. Net income for the six month period is
$28,520,000, compared to $25,684,000 last year, and earnings
per share are $1.22 compared to $1.13 in 1991.

The company is reporting a six percent increase in second
quarter licensing revenue, which is now $38,125,000 compared to
$35,945,000 in the second quarter of 1991.

The company has announced a cash dividend to stock holders
of eight cents per common share, approved by the board of
directors for payment on July 13 of this year.

The company says printers based on its Postscript Level 2 page
description language are continuing to infiltrate the market with
the introduction of the Apple Personal Laserwriter NTR and the
Tektronix Phaser IIPXe.

Also, Unix System Laboratories announced it has licensed
Adobe Type Manager (ATM) and embedded it and Type 1 fonts
into its new Unix System V Release 4.2. Unix System Laboratories
says the inclusion of ATM gives its customers the ability to buy
and use thousands of Type 1 fonts that are already available for
the DOS Windows market.

Newsbytes recently reported that Adobe had suffered the
kidnapping of its President Charles Geschke, who was held for
ransom for nearly a week, but was returned unharmed.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920617/Press Contact: Patricia Pane, Adobe, tel
415-962-3967; Larry Lytle, Unix System Laboratories, tel 908-522-
5186)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00029)

HP Intros Full-Motion Video Card For PA-RISC Workstations 06/17/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) - Hewlett-
Packard has introduced VideoLive, an X Windows-based product
the company says is the least costly 24-bit full-motion video card
on the market for Unix workstations.

Priced at $2,275, the card comes with JPEG-based imaging
software that lets the user position and scale the video window,
choose among multiple video sources -- including TV tuners,
videocassette recorders (VCRs), video cameras and laser discs --
and grab high resolution frames, all by pointing and clicking from
a Motif-based graphical user interface (GUI).  The frozen, still video
frames can be integrated into compound document programs or
sent to databases or other destinations on a network.

Designed by RasterOps, the card runs by its own circuitry,
independently of the CPU (central processing unit) or framebuffer,
a feature aimed at preventing the display of full-motion video from
slowing performance of other applications.

The card plugs into the EISA (Extended Industry Standard
Architecture) slot on the HP Apollo 9000 Models 720, 730 and 750,
members of HP's Series 700 PA-RISC family.  The company claims
the Series 700 offers the fastest JPEG implementation in the
industry.

Before the introduction of VideoLive, full-motion video could be
viewed on these workstations only using an external box, a
company spokesperson told Newsbytes.

VideoLive is the latest in a series of HP multimedia developments
that began with Shared X, a software program that lets multiple
users share X-based application windows across a multivendor
network.

Still frames captured via VideoLive can be sent over a network
either through Shared X or a third-party application, such as
Clarity Rapport, that is able to transmit compound documents by
means of electronic mail, the spokesperson said.

VideoLive accepts the three international video standards: NTSC
(National Television Systems Committee), SECAM (Sequential
Color with Memory), and PAL (Phase Alternation Line). The
product is expected to ship in July.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920617; Press Contact:  Maureen S. Deiana,
Hewlett-Packard, 508-436-5082)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00030)

Network Interface Corp. Cuts Network Board Prices 06/17/92
LENEXA, KANSAS, U.S.A., 1992 JUN 17 (NB) -- Network
Interface Corporation is bowing to the pressure being exerted in
the marketplace for both Ethernet and Arcnet cards and has
reduced their pricing by as much as 18 percent.

There are nine products involved in the price reductions. The
reductions range from eight percent to 18 percent. All price
reductions are in effect now.

Product examples and their old/new pricings are as follows:
Coax, AUI Ethernet Adapter, (old price) $240, (new price) $209;
10Base-T, AUI Ethernet Adapter, $254, $209; 8-bit Coax Star
Arcnet Adapter, $122, $106; 8-bit Coax Bus Arcnet Adapter,
$139, $117; and 8-bit Twisted pair Arcnet Adapter, $139, $117.

(Naor Wallach/19920616/Press Contact: Susan Williams,
Network Interface Corp., 913-894-2277)