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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00001)

Online University Announces Fall Courses 08/24/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Connected
Education, Inc., has announced the fall line of online courses that are
offered under the auspices of the New School of Social Research' Media
Studies Master of Arts program. Under the program, students may obtain
the Master of Arts degree by remote study, utilizing a computer and a
modem.

The courses to be offered include: Electronic Marketing; Brain, Mind,
Computer; Democracy and the 21st Century; Introduction to Online
Retrieval Systems; and Science Fiction and Space Age Mythology. Each
course is worth three credit hours and costs $1248 plus a $60
registration fee.

Paul Levinson, president of Connected Education, told Newsbytes,
"Connected Education has been in operation since 1985. We offer courses
not only in conjunction with the New School but also with Polytechnic
University and other schools throughout the country. This method of
education allows students to receive quality instruction at
convenient times from their own office or home. During the two-month
period of each course, students may log in at any time, day or
night, read and retrieve material entered by faculty and other
students and ask questions of their own. Students can also
communicate with faculty via private message and there is time set
aside for one-on-one teacher-student interaction."

Levinson added that over 1,000 students from all over the world have
taken courses from Connected Education. Additionally, the system provides
an "electronic campus" where the student has an online library, a book
ordering service and the "Connect Ed Cafe," an online meeting place for
casual discussion on any topic of interest.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/Press Contact:Paul Levinson,
Connected Education, Inc., 212-549-6509 - voice,
[e-mail] - e-mail/19920824)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00002)

Canadian Firm Carves Niche Selling Software About US 08/24/92
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Canadian
software companies often have a hard time finding the resources to
compete with the industry's giants, most of which are based in the
adjoining United States. But Didatech, a maker of educational
software, is making sales in the US market with an approach that
makes the most of what the small firm has.

Didatech has just announced a deal with the state of North Dakota
to tailor its Crosscountry geography education software for that
state's schools. The state itself will provide statistical data
needed to adapt Crosscountry USA to focus on North Dakota. Didatech
officials estimate it will take about 100 hours of work to produce
the tailored version of the software -- a far cry from the more
than a year's work that went into the original package.

Crosscountry USA, the new Crosscountry North Dakota and three other
versions -- Crosscountry Canada, Crosscountry Texas, and
Crosscountry California -- are intended for children in grades four
to nine. The child plays the role of a truck driver travelling the
area covered by the package, assigned to pick up and deliver
various commodities. Along the way he or she learns about the
commodities and the political and physical geography of the state
or country. Didatech says the game also helps children improve
their decision-making skills by presenting them with choices about
how to meet their schedules, control their expenses, and so on.

Crosscountry North Dakota is unique in that Didatech worked
directly with the state's education officials to produce it. In
contrast, the Texas and California versions were produced without
state involvement, said Paul Melhus, president of Didatech.

"Very preliminary discussions" about deals similar to the North
Dakota one are under way with officials in the states of Illinois
and Virginia and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British
Columbia, he added.

Didatech sells the Crosscountry packages to schools and to home
users, both directly and through dealers. The US, Canada,
California, and Texas versions are available for both DOS PCs and
the Apple II computer. So far Crosscountry North Dakota is
available only for the Apple II, Melhus said, and Didatech has no
plans to go after home users until a DOS version is ready, probably
some time next year.

(Grant Buckler/19920821/Press Contact: Paul Melhus, Didatech,
800-665-0667 or 604-2994435, fax [phone]; Curtis Eriksmoen,
North Dakota Dept. of Education, 701-224-4568; Public Contact:
Didatech, 800-665-0667)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00003)

Gateway 2000 Ships Tiny PC 08/24/92
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Gateway
2000 is now shipping what it calls the first in a new class of
IBM-compatible PCs. Designated the Handbook, the $1,295 fully
functional DOS computer measures 9.8 by 5.9 by 1.4 inches, and
weighs 2.75 pounds.

Gateway says the Handbook will run for over 4.5 hours on its nickel
metal hydride battery using built-in power management features, and
2.5 hours without power management. An optional battery holder
allows the user to run the Handbook on six alkaline AA batteries.

Handbook comes standard with 1MB of RAM, which can be expanded to
3MB; a 40MB hard drive, one serial and one parallel port; DOS 5.0;
Microsoft Works, an integrated program that provides word
processing, spreadsheet, and communications; Laplink XL for
transferring files to other IBM-compatible systems, such as your
desktop; and Central Point Software's personal information manager
(PIM).

The Handbook has a 7.6-inch (measured diagonally) CGA backlit display,
which the company says displays VGA-quality characters. A 1.25-lb.
power supply is also provided for AC power, recharging a
second battery pack while the system is being used.

Gateway says the Handbook falls between palmtops and full-size
notebooks in terms of size, weight, and functionality, and can run
off-the-shelf DOS applications. "The Handbook bridges the gap
between palmtops and notebooks. It's ideal for those who need to do
e-mail, word processing, personal information management or
spreadsheet work on the road," said Gateway 2000 president,
Ted Waitt.

Handbook uses a 10mm thick hard drive from JVC, which the company
said was developed specifically for the Handbook. The thin drive is
possible due to a special design which has the two sides of the
drive side-by-side, instead of stacked.

Handbook uses a feature called mouse/modem sharing, which allows the
user to switch between the mouse and the modem during work sessions,
without having to reboot the system, says Gateway. Gateway 2000
spokesperson Glynnis Gibson told Newsbytes that the mouse is a
hand-held device. She said the $380 printer runs on either AC power
or its rechargable NiCad battery.

Handbook options include a fax modem, a pointing device, a portable
printer, and an external expansion chassis which includes a 3.5-inch
floppy drive and a serial and parallel port. Gibson said the
expansion chassis, called the Combo Box, connects to the Handbook
via the system's parallel port.

(Jim Mallory/19920821/Press contact: Glynnis Gibson for Gateway
2000, 312-883-2388; Reader contact: 605-232-2000 or 800-523-2000)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(WAS)(00004)

 ****MacTV - Live And Well! 08/24/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Just can't get
enough Macintosh computer talk? Well, if you have a satellite TV system
or can talk your cable company into carrying it, you can skip Good
Morning America and CNN from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. every weekday
morning and catch MacTV on Satellite Galaxy 6 transponder 22.

Victoria Smith, the well-known and popular veteran TV computer
show hostess, serves as moderator for MacTV but while her earlier
shows were both weekly affairs, MacTV is much more ambitious,
presenting a total of five hours of new material live each week,
or one live hour a day.

Last Friday's show featured David Heyman from MASS Microsystems
describing the Diamond drive and Diamond drive portable external
SCSI hard drives for Mac desktop and PowerBooks, along with other
external drive options such as the HitchHiker micro-drives.

Also demonstrated was the brand new MASS Microsystem FloptiPac 21
megabyte floptical drive which uses specially formatted 3.5-inch
magnetic diskettes.

While MacTV is undoubtedly intended to sell Macintosh products,
today's discussion was highly informative with no selling. The
guest discussed the many available mass storage options,
comparing their features, and giving enough information to
help users understand what each option means to users.

MacWeek columnist Don Crabb talked about and demonstrated the use
of custom labels for colors in the Mac System 7 system folder.

There were tips on Microsoft Excel from Microsoft's Noah Tratt
and more user tips for Adobe PhotoShop fans from Jeff Bartlett of
Adobe.

Ever wonder how art departments create those black-and-white
commercials that have a single color element - most commonly a
soda can? Well, that's called "duotone" and was just one of the
art techniques Mr. Bartlett demonstrated using PhotoShop.

MacTV is a PCTV production and is sponsored by PC Connection and
MacConnection, the Marlow, New Hampshire-based mail order computer
companies.

Besides direct broadcast to those with home satellite dishes,
MacTV can be seen on many cable systems which carry the Mind
Extension University channel, and the company says that the
premiere show is available for $9.95 on VHS video tape directly
from MacConnection.

(John McCormick/19920821/Press Contact: Victoria Smith, PCTV,
603-863-9322)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00005)

Canada: Compaq's Battery Recycling Program 08/24/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Compaq Canada has
followed the lead of its US parent company in launching a
recycling program for personal computer battery packs. Called
Backpaq, the program offers free recycling of rechargable
batteries used in laptop and notebook PCs.

Compaq's Canadian customers will be able to call a toll-free
hotline to ask the company to send out a pre-addressed, prepaid
courier package in which to send the old battery to a licensed
recycling facility.

The recycling plant will extract reusable metals and plastic
packaging materials from the batteries and resell them to
manufacturers for use in new products, a spokesman for Compaq said.
Dangerous substances in the batteries will be disposed of according
to government requirements.

The program is available to all users of Compaq laptop and notebook
PCs at no charge, company officials said.

Compaq has been operating a similar program in the United States
for about a month and a half, the spokesman said.

(Grant Buckler/19920821/Press Contact: Steve Wright, Cohn & Wolfe
for Compaq Canada, 416-924-5700; Public Contact: Compaq Canada,
416-733-7876, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00006)

Aldus Adds Technical Seminar, Cuts Price 08/24/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Aldus Corporation
says it has enhanced its upcoming technical seminars and added one
new seminar to the schedule.

The Aldus Technical Seminars are half-day and one-day sessions
presented at various locations across the country which give users
an opportunity to see the latest technical information about the
company's desktop publishing and graphics programs. Aldus says the
short courses are designed for intermediate and advanced users of
its products, led by Aldus product specialists.

The new seminar added to the schedule is a half-day session covering
Aldus Persuasion 2.1 for the Macintosh, which Aldus says will focus
on the design features of Persuasion, as will as offering instruction
on creating effective presentations with text and graphics.

The company has also dropped its price for the seminars, now
offering a full day class for $295, while a half-day course will
drop to $149. The courses previously were $325 and $180.

Technical Seminars will be held in New York and St. Louis in
September, Chicago and Dallas in October, Raleigh-Durham in
November, and in San Jose and Portland (OR) in December.

Aldus spokesperson Jill Miller told Newsbytes that the full-day
seminars cover Pagemaker 4.2 for the Mac, Pagemaker 4.0 for Windows,
and Freehand 3.1 for the Mac. The half-day seminars include
Designing With Pagemaker, for the Windows and Macintosh versions;
Introduction to Color, for Windows-based programs; and Color
Production for the Mac.

Product manager Mike Bunch said Aldus caps the seminars at 30
attendees, with average attendance being about 20.

As reported by Newsbytes, Aldus recently laid off 11 percent of its
workforce, raising questions about when it would release the next
version of Pagemaker. Miller told Newsbytes the upgrade "is
definitely in the development stages, and will be available soon."
Miller wouldn't say if the release would be in 1992.

(Jim Mallory/19920821/Press contact: Jill Miller, Aldus,
206-628-2352)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00007)

Archive Claims Fastest DAT Drive 08/24/92
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Two days
after filing a patent infringement suit against Iomega, the Ardat
division of Archive Corp., has developed and begun shipping
evaluation units of, what it claims is, the industry's fastest
digital audio tape (DAT) drive for computer data storage.

According to the company, the Turbo Python DAT offers twice the
performance of any other DAT drive being shipped today, and has
a native transfer rate of 366 kilobytes per second. When combined
with industry-standard digital data storage-data compression
(DDS-DC) the Turbo Python drive stores up to eight gigabytes (GB)
of data on a single cassette with a maximum transfer rate of up
to 1.46 megabytes (MB) per second, claims the company.

Susan Kennedy, spokesperson for the company, told Newsbytes that
the Turbo Python drive is aimed at system integrators and original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs). "It is cross-platform....and SCSI
(Small Computer Systems Interface)-based," she said. The company
claims that it offers integrators and OEMs a high-speed, high-
capacity data storage alternative to modified eight millimeter
video tape drives at a significantly lower cost.

Currently in evaluation at OEM sites, the drive will be available in
production quantities starting in October 1992, with the pricing to
be announced prior to production availability.

Kenneth C. Campbell, ARDAT president, said: "Turbo performance
is the next important advancement in the evolution of the rapidly
growing DAT market, and we are pleased to be the first company
to offer this technology innovation. DAT has become the helical
scan technology of choice for network multi-user and workstation
backup. The world's leading computer system companies such as
Digital Equipment Corp., Unisys, Hewlett-Packard, and Compaq have
all adopted DAT products over the past two years."

The company says that the Archive Turbo Python DAT drive is
available in both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch internal form-factors,
and as a compact external system with a built-in power supply.

All drives feature DDS-DC data compression for up to eight GB
of data storage on a compact 4mm cassette, a one MB buffer
for improved performance, flash memory for field upgradability,
and full read and write compatibility with all tapes written by
standard DDS and DDS-DC data compression systems.

Kennedy also told Newsbytes that the DAT market is "growing
rapidly. We've seen a number of OEMs coming to DAT for back-up,"
she said.

On August 19, Newsbytes reported that Archive had filed a
patent infringement suit against Iomega, known for its Bernoulli
drives, and its subsidiary Iotape, concerning Iomega introduction
of the Tape250, a tape back-up drive that works off the
floppy drive controller card.

(Ian Stokell/19920821/Press Contact: Michael W. Harris,
714-641-2135, or Susan Kennedy, 714-966-5592, both of
Ardat Inc.)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00008)

New For Unix: Audre Conversion Pkg For Solaris 08/24/92
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB ) -- Hoping
to take advantage of the apparent popularity of the Solaris 2.0
operating system, Audre Recognition Systems Inc., has ported
its Audre conversion software to Sun Microsystem's Unix
variant.

According to the company, the scalability of Solaris will enable
Audre's software to run on many vendors' computers, from PCs
to mainframes and supercomputers, in addition to the Sun family
of workstations and servers.

Bill Harvey, spokesman for the company, told Newsbytes that the
Audre software, "converts static images to computer-usable
information"...for example..."taking blueprints and microfiche
and converting it."

The company claims that the Automated Document Management
and Printing Supply (ADMAPS) contract, granted to Eastman Kodak
in October 1991, under which Audre is a subcontractor, will
benefit significantly from this capability. The Defense Printing
Service will be able to make use of existing Sun Sparcstation
equipment and servers for their conversion requirements.

According to figures from the company, Sun has installed
approximately 54 percent of the workstations within the US
federal government.

Harvey told Newsbytes that the porting of the software to the
Solaris platform is "incredibly important" for the company,
"because of the (large) installed base (of Solaris) in the
federal government."

Audre's conversion system software is now available on Hewlett-
Packard's Domain and Unix operating systems, in addition to
Microsoft's Windows, and the current migration to Sun.

In July, Newsbytes reported that the National Institute of
Standards and Technology had determined that Audre Recognition
Systems' image file compression and decompression technology
was fully compatible with MIL-STD-1840A and MIL-R-28002A,
the Pentagon's CALS or Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistic
Support system.

(Ian Stokell/19920821/Press Contact: J.W. (Bill) Harvey,
Audre Recognition Systems Inc., 619-451-2260)


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

Bell Atlantic Settles With Unions 08/24/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- The 1992 round of
labor talks between local phone companies and their unions ended
with a whimper, as Bell Atlantic settled its disputes with
workers without a strike.

The plan approved by negotiators and 52,000 workers in two
unions, the Communications Workers of America and International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, calls for raises of about 11.4
percent over the next three years. This is a bit less than raises
obtained from the phone companies which settled earlier. NYNEX
had earlier set a pattern for this round of bargaining by
agreeing to 13 percent wage hikes on a three-year extension of
its contract.

Both labor and management exercised some patience during the
talks. The unions, for their part, refrained from striking
starting August 8, when their contract expired, even though union
leaders had asked for and gotten that authorization. For its
part, Bell Atlantic generally refrained from inflammatory
rhetoric and kept its negotiators at the table.

As in most such disputes, both sides claimed victory. The union
noted that the 13 percent raise goal was reached on such issues
as profit-sharing and pensions, and there were no "givebacks" on
existing benefits. The company could note that it gave the lowest
wage hikes among the regional Bells in this round

Separately, NYNEX said it will cut 1,800 management jobs. The
reason given by the company was to prepare for competition.
"Bypass" companies like Metropolitan Fiber Systems have won the
right to link their fiber rings with the local networks of New
York Telephone, and the company believes that stiffer competition
for local services is coming.

Also, Pacific Bell said it will buy about 80 Northern Telecom
DMS-100 switches for use in upgrading its network between San
Francisco and the Oregon border, covering over 675,000 phone
lines. All the new switches are capable of providing digital
services under ISDN standards, including videoconferencing and
rapid data transfer.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920824)


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

Hughes Sells E-TDMA System to Russian Federation Country 08/24/92
GERMANTOWN, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- General Motors'
Hughes division entered a segment of the wireless market
previously dominated by International Mobile Machines by selling
a communications system to Tatarstan, a member of the Russian
Federation.

Spokesman Judy Blake told Newsbytes the deal is a first for two
reasons. First, "it's the first with a former Soviet Bloc
country. It's also the first for this E-TDMA technology."

Like the IMM Ultraphone, the new GMH 2000R gives the equivalent
of wired phone service using a wireless scheme. It uses an
extension of the Ultraphone's TDMA digital cellular scheme called
Extended-TDMA. Blake said it is fully compatible with TDMA.
The cellular system Hughes sells to US cellular operators is
called the GMH 2000, and includes switches as well as cell sites.
The GMH 2000R replaces the obsolete Tartar phone system, allowing
users what amounts to cordless service when within range of their
home base stations. About 11 base stations and switching systems
are included to serve 8 major cities under the $48 million
contract.

Tatarstan has about 3.6 million people, and only one in 10 now has phone
service. The Hughes contract calls for the delivery of 47,500 phones
to homes and businesses, and 2,500 mobile phones for use in cars. Blake
said the resulting system is now for sale to other countries.

In response to the Hughes sale, IMM said it expects royalties
from the deal, based on a license royalty/revenue contract it
signed with the company in March. Blake of Hughes acknowledged
the two companies have worked closely on the GMH 2000R. IMM
Chairman William J. Hilsman indicated that Hughes is aiming its
product at metropolitan areas, while IMM is aiming its Ultraphone
at rural service, making them complementary.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920824/Press Contact: Judy Blake, Hughes 301-
428-7113; David L. Smith, IMM, 215-278-7831)


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

Spectrum In Field Computing Venture with Cumulus 08/24/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Spectrum Information
Technologies reached an agreement with Cumulus of Cleveland, Ohio
to create a joint venture which will result in a number of computers
designed to incorporate Spectrum's cellular interfaces.

Among the products to be produced are a laptop computer, a
hand-held computer, a pen-based computer and a 12.9-ounce cellular
telephone. In time, Spectrum intends to take an equity position
in Cumulus. In a press statement, Spectrum Chairman Dana C.
Verrill called it a straight technology-for-equity deal, but as
part of the agreement, Spectrum also agreed to sell Cumulus
desktop computers through its Computer Bay franchised computer
stores, and in Europe.

Despite the good news, Spectrum stock sold off sharply on equity
markets on August 21. Spokesmen said they could find no reason
for the sell-off. Spectrum has been advertising its prospects
heavily on cable television stations like CNBC.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920824/Press Contact: Spectrum Information
Technologies, Kathy Bachand, 800/FOR-SPCL)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00012)

 ****Xanadu, AMIX Comment On Autodesk Divestiture 08/24/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Xanadu,
divested by Autodesk and trying to formally re-establish itself
as an independent company, issued a statement today.

Xanadu was founded by "Computer Lib" author and inventor of the
hypertext concept, Ted Nelson. It was purchased by Autodesk four years
ago, but is being let-go in light of a decision by the Autocad maker
to divest itself of its information technology division.

"Autodesk has made a significant contribution to Xanadu, both in
terms of resources and ongoing business and technical input." The
comment is attributed in a press statement to Marc Stiegler, "acting
spokesperson for Xanadu." "We are looking forward to the new challenges
and opportunities that being an independent company will bring."

Xanadu is creating what it calls a hypermedia information server, and
has been doing so in a project that has lasted at least four years.

While Autodesk is pulling out, it hasn't totally abandoned
Xanadu. Xanadu representatives told Newsbytes the divestiture agreement
with Autodesk ties the company to Xanadu financially, so Autodesk
has an interest in Xanadu's success.

Meanwhile, Gayle Pergamit of AMIX tells Newsbytes that there are several
investors courting that online service, the second part of the Autodesk
spin-off, and that company officers are excited about the opportunity
to be independent of Autodesk.

Described as an online "shopping mall" for anything that can be bought
electronically, AMIX is moving its primary focus, at least temporarily,
to connecting programmers and those who need programming. Newsbytes
News Network had been offered online on AMIX for several months but
has been removed to await AMIX's transition.

(Wendy Woods & Linda Rohrbough/19920824/ Press Contact: Xanadu,
Marc Stiegler, 415/903-1060)


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

Japanese Video Games To Invade Moscow 08/24/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Nissho Iwai Trading, one of
the major conglomerates in Japan, will start selling Japanese
game machines directly to consumers in Moscow and other republics of
the former USSR. To start, Nissho Iwai will link with Sega
Enterprises to market Sega's low-end game machine in the region.

Nissho Iwai will entice buyers through "shops" where they can
play the games and get a feel for them for an hourly fee. Actual
selling of hardware and software will go on in local firms that have
signed up to sell the equipment.

Nissho Iwai has been selling Sega's game machine wholesale
to distributors in exchange for US dollars in Eastern Europe. However,
this will be the first time that the company will sell directly to
individual users in exchange for their local currency.

Nissho Iwai is not expected to sell its top-of-the-line, 32-bit
game machines. Rather, a low-cost game machine called the
"Master System" is due to be sold. This is mainly due to the
difference in commodity pricing with other markets, Nissho Iwai
claims. Top-of-the-line 32-bit game machines are too expensive for
most individuals users to buy in those countries.

Nissho Iwai plans to sell the machines and software through two or
three outlets in Moscow initially, in cooperation with Neptune company,
a subsidiary of an import firm called "Marine Computer Systems" in
Moscow. The firm's sales goal is to turn over 20,000 units the first
year, and in three years, 100,000 units.

Nissho Iwai is also selling Sega's game computers in Central
America and Australia.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19920824/Press Contact: Nissho Iwai
Trading, [phone])


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

Japan: Semiconductor Blue Laser Designed 08/24/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Breakthroughs in new kinds of lasers
keep coming. Most recently, a Japanese research group led by Shigeo
Fujita of Kyoto University designed a semiconductor laser which emits
an ultraviolet ray. The ray, used in compact disk players to read
and write data, will be able to read and write ten times more data
than current disks, the researchers claim.

Ultraviolet, like blue lasers, have a shorter wavelength than
conventional red lasers. The shorter wavelength enables the laser to
manipulate data that is denser, up to ten times denser than red
lasers, researchers say.

The new ultraviolet semiconductor laser is based on a gallium
phosphorus semiconductor. A number of semiconductor layers made
of zinc and sulfur are laid out on its semiconductor base.
The length of this laser is only 380 nanometers (one nanometer is
one billionth of a meter). This size represents half of that of
red laser.

Although the ultraviolet semiconductor has a great deal of potential,
it is still in the design  phase.

Other semiconductor makers are developing blue semiconductor lasers.
Sony's blue laser has a wavelength of 440 nanometers, said to be a
world record. Sony's blue laser semiconductor needs to be below freezing
to operate -- specifically cooled to the temperature of liquid nitrogen,
about -200 Celsius - while Kyoto University's ultraviolet semiconductor
laser can be used at room temperature, they claim.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19920824/Press Contact: Kyoto
University, Technology Dept., [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00015)

Zenith Offers 8 New Desktop Models 08/24/92
BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Zenith Data
Systems (ZDS) announced eight new desktop models with prices
starting just over $1,000.

The new models offer a variety of hard drive and displays, ranging
from a 40MB IDE hard drive and monochrome monitor to a 200MB drive
with a multi-sync FTM color monitor.

The Z-300/400 series systems are based on Intel 386 and 486
microprocessors respectively. All the systems include five available
expansion slots, three mass storage device bays, and support for
master/slave IDE drives, as well as optional SCSI (small computer
system interface) devices such as CD-ROM drives.

The units configured with 80MB or larger hard drives come standard
with Microsoft Windows 3.1 already loaded, and a mouse. Optional
configurations include a choice of five different monochrome and
color monitors, according to ZDS.

The 325SX systems include 2MB of RAM, which can be expanded to 16MB,
and support for Super VGA video with 1024 by 768 resolution. They
can also be configured with an optional 80MB hard drive. The 400
series systems are configured with 4MB of memory, expandable to 40MB
on the system board. The 400 series is also available with either
80MB or 200MB hard drives. Video RAM is 512K, and can be expanded
to 1MB.

Zenith Data spokesperson John Bace told Newsbytes the 325SX models
are available immediately. The 420SX-based systems will start
shipping on August 31, and the 425SX systems will ship September 10,
1992.

Zenith Data markets is personal computers through a field sales
force and through its new Z-Direct catalog, which Newsbytes reported
recently. The company also uses a network of authorized resellers.

(Jim Mallory/19920824/Press contact: John Bace, ZDS, 708-808-4848;
Reader contact: 800-553-0331 or 708-808-4855)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00016)

Camera Makers Pay Honeywell $124M in Patent Settlement 08/24/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Honeywell
says it will get more than $124 million under patent-infringement
settlements with seven camera makers who use Honeywell's patent
autofocus technology.

The settlements were negotiated separately with Kodak, Konica,
Kyocera, Canon, Matsushita, Nikon and Premier. Honeywell declined
to say how much each company would pay. The settlements also
include royalty payments on each autofocus camera sold through March
28, 1995 when the Honeywell patent expires.

Honeywell VP Christopher Steffen said the negotiations with all the
companies were amicable and business-like. Other companies which use
autofocus technology aren't off the hook yet. "We look forward to
resolving matters with other companies in a similar fashion," said
Steffen.

In March Honeywell settled with Minolta, the first camera company to
introduce autofocus lenses for its 35mm cameras, with Minolta paying
$127.5 million for the use of the Honeywell technology. Minolta also
had to pay Honeywell $96 million in royalties, even though the
federal jury decided that Minolta didn't know it was infringing on
the two patents. It was after the Minolta suit that Honeywell filed
suit against the other camera makers.

Honeywell initially filed suit against Minolta in 1987. Early
documents filed with the court indicated the company was asking for
over $500 million in punitive damages. It's estimated that Minolta
sells over $800 million worth of autofocus cameras and lenses
annually. Minolta introduced its Maxxum autofocus line in 1984.

Honeywell reported it received $13.9 million of the settlement in
the second quarter, with the balance to be reported in the third
quarter.

(Jim Mallory/19920824/Press contact: Jill Schmidt, Honeywell,
612-870-2701)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00017)

Windows & OS/2:  ZSoft Intros UltraFax  08/24/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- At the Windows
& OS/2 Conference last week, ZSoft, the producers of PC Paintbrush
and PhotoFinish, entered a new domain with UltraFax, a multifaceted
Windows-based program for managing fax communications.

In an interview on the show floor, Bob Lang, product manager, told
Newsbytes that UltraFax offers capabilities otherwise unavailable
in the increasingly crowded fax software market.  Unlike other fax
applications, he explained, UltraFax carries out a range of image
processing tasks, starting with automatically cleaning the spots
and dirt from incoming faxes.

Also unique to UltraFax is the ability to give text files and other
data files the same transmission benefits as faxes, said Lang.
Even without OCR conversion into fax files and back, text files can
be broadcast to multiple users, sent and received in a background
mode, or scheduled for later transmission.  Other data files, which
can't be converted through OCR, can also be treated as faxes.

Lang added that, while UltraFax includes an OCR engine, ZSoft is
stressing high speed and low memory consumption over extreme
accuracy in this area.  "OCR can be a real memory hog," he noted.

Also available from the GUI are a "multiple document viewer" with
document merge and page rearrangement capabilities, a "document
manager" with keyword search, and a complete set of drawing,
editing, and text annotation tools.  The user can create custom
cover pages with automatic data field insertion from Microsoft
Word, CorelDraw, PhotoFinish, or any other Windows application. In
addition, direct scanner support allows paper documents to be
scanned and faxed in a single pass.

"Our background in developing software for graphic designers gives
us a definite head start in image processing, as well as some of
these other areas," Lang told Newsbytes.  The preliminary automatic
clean-up in UltraFax is carried out by an algorithmic noise
reduction filter, he said.  Other algorithms in the program will
automatically remove headers and tidy up borders when received
faxes are being sent to the printer.

Another image processing feature, anti-aliasing, is meant to
improve the on-screen readability of fax documents, an advantage
geared to portable computer users in particular, who may not have
access to a printer.  Anti-aliasing also makes it possible to view
larger portions of a page at once when zooming out, according to
the product manager.  "Some programs still don't even have zoom
out," he commented.

Lang pointed out that the data file transfer capabilities in
UltraFax also speed up data transmission.  On the 9600/2400 BPS
(bits per second) fax modems prevalent today, the data files will
be sent at the same 9600 BPS speed otherwise reserved for fax files
only.

ZSoft has achieved such feats by developing a data file format
called ZGF that mimics the CCITT Group III fax standard, he said.
"Basically, we've faked out the system.  When it looks at a data
file, it sees a fax file," remarked the product manager.  He
emphasized, though, that to the user, the ZGF data file appears the
same as any other data file, despite its fax-like features.

ZSoft's implementation of OCR reflects the same interest in speed.
Lang estimated that UltraFax carries out OCR 30 to 40% faster than
some of its rivals.  In addition, the OCR component takes up only
1 MB of RAM and 500K of hard disk space, in comparison to the 4
to 6 MB of RAM and 3 to 5 MB of hard disk space that OCR gobbles up
in some programs, he said.  But, he acknowledged, there can be a
trade-off in degree of accuracy.  "We're only requiring OCR accuracy
to be acceptable," he stated.

To run the program, the user needs Windows 3.0 or 3.1, a computer
with 2 MB of RAM, and a fax board based on the Intel DCA/CAS Class
1 and Class 2 standard.  The product is expected to ship in the
third quarter at a price of $119.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920824; Press Contact:  Patrick Crisp, ZSoft,
404-428-0008; Kristin Keyes, McLean Public Relations for ZSoft,
415-358-8535)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00018)

Canada: Plan To Alleviate Shortage Of Software Engineers 08/24/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Following through on
a study that this spring pointed to a growing shortage of qualified
software workers in Canada, a group of industry associations has
announced plans to combat the problem.

Entitled Software and National Competitiveness, the report said
Canada does not have enough skilled software workers, and that fact
could cripple not only the country's software industry but other
economic sectors as well. The report was prepared for the federal
Department of Employment and Immigration, with the support of the
Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), the Information
Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), and the Canadian Advanced
Technology Association (CATA). It was released in March.

In June, the sponsoring groups held a roundtable conference in
Toronto to discuss the problems. As a result, they agreed to form
a national Human Resources Action Committee, with representation
from the three industry associations, the government, and the
education system.

The new body plans to hold its first meeting in Ottawa on September
17. "We hope that we can achieve things in the six to 12 months
following that," said Normand Paradis, past-president of CIPS and
coordinator of that body's involvement with the new committee.

The first priority is to establish the membership of the committee,
said John Reid, president of CATA. Once that is done, the members
of the committee will decide on immediate priorities.

The group did release a list of six recommendations that came out
of the June meeting, that will form a basis for the new committee's
work. They are:

- a major national training program to offset the expected shortage
of new entrants into the software industry;

- improving the definition of the software worker and launching a
national career awareness program;

- improving the skills of software workers in user organizations
through training programs;

- setting up a national monitoring system to track changes in
demand for software industry skills;

- promoting certification and national standards for software
workers; and

- creating "one voice" to co-ordinate a national approach to
managing software human resource issues.

CIPS already has a professional certification program and a program
of certifying university and college programs related to computing
professions. This "seems a good basis to start from" in meeting
that goal, Paradis said, adding that input from other participants
could help improve the program.

Funding for the program will come from the Department of Employment
and Immigration, Reid said, and the industry associations will chip
in as well. A full-time executive director is to be appointed. The
committee has a four-year funding mandate, "after which time it
becomes self-sustaining," Reid added.

(Grant Buckler/19920824/Press Contact: John Reid, CATA,
613-236-6550; Normand Paradis, CIPS, 613-787-8200; Janice Moyer,
ITAC, 416-602-8345; Jenna MacKay-Alie, Employment & Immigration,
819-997-5852)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00019)

USL, SCO Agree on Development Tools 08/24/92
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- The Santa Cruz
Operation (SCO) is to make a number of applications development
tools from Unix Systems Laboratories available with its Unix
systems software, under an agreement in principle between the two
companies. Summit, New Jersey-based USL and SCO announced the deal
during SCO's annual user meeting, the SCO Forum.

USL's C++ and C language compilers, debuggers, and other software
development tools such as linkers, assemblers, builders,
librarians, source-code management tools, and test suites will be
made available with SCO's SCO Unix and SCO Open Desktop operating
systems software and with its C++ development systems, the
companies said.

Larry Lytle, a spokesman for USL, said his company's development
tools are already shipped with a wide variety of Unix systems.
Depending on individual implementations, he said, software
developed with these tools on one Unix platform will run more or
less unchanged on other systems that support the USL tools.

Lytle added that SCO and USL are exploring other ways in which they
might cooperate. Although they are competitors in some ways, he
said, "it is mutually beneficial for the companies to co-operate in
as many areas as we can."

Unix Systems Laboratories was spun off from AT&T to take charge of
its Unix System V and other Unix-related software offerings. SCO is
a key player in Unix software for desktop computers.

(Grant Buckler/19920824/Press Contact: Larry Lytle, USL,
908-522-5186; Zee Zaballos, SCO, 408-427-7156)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00020)

Do-It-Yourself Hard Drive Upgrade Kits 08/24/92
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- So you bought your
computer when 20MB hard drives were the rule, and now you want to
upgrade to a bigger disk? A Richardson, Texas company is betting
that there's enough people like you who also don't want to wait a
week or more for a service shop to do the upgrade. So they are
offering a do-it-yourself upgrade kit.

Identity Systems Technology Inc., says it will market a hard drive
upgrade it through mass market outlets such as Sam's Club, Price
Club, and Lechmere. Identity is making the upgrade kits available
in three sizes. There's an 80 MB drive with a 19 millisecond (ms)
access time, and 120MB and 213MB drives, both with 15 ms access
times.

Identity says its user preference studies show that today's
sophisticated customers are comfortable with the prospect of
installing board-level upgrades into their PCs, as long as they have
simple, clear instructions, Identity spokesperson Alan Weinkrantz
told Newsbytes. Identity's kits contain a set of AT mounting rails,
a set of Compaq rails, power cables, a 5.25-inch frame, an IDE
controller, and an instructional video tape with step by step
instructions, according to Weinkrantz.

Troy Cooper, executive VP and CEO at Identity, thinks there's a large
market for the company's products. "The home computer market
penetration is presently reported to be approximately 33 percent and
the home office penetration 47.5 percent among the 94.6 million US
households," Cooper says.

According to Cooper, many of those households are two computer
households, and many purchased their first computer several years
ago, with minimal amounts of memory and small hard disks, or no hard
disk at all. Cooper says the same situation exists in many
businesses.

(Jim Mallory/19920824/Press contact: Alan Weinkrantz for Identity
Systems Technology, 512-820-3070; Reader contact: Identity Systems
Technology,214-235-3330)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00021)

IBM Bucks Trend - Hikes Hardware/Software Prices 08/24/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- IBM has defied
market trends and hiked prices three percent on most of the hardware
products it sells in the US, and increased software prices five
percent.

IBM says the only products excluded are: RISC System/6000,
PS/1 and PS/2 computers, System/88, Token Ring adapters; network
processors routers and concentrators; midrange printers; AS/400
DASD; retail point of sale terminals; and OS/2, DOS and RISC
System/6000 (AIX) operating software.

(Wendy Woods/19920824/Press Contact: Larry Phipps of IBM, 914-642-4664)


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

New For PC: Time Riders In American History 08/24/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- The Learning
Company is entering the fray of games that teach history and
geography in a very fun way. Their newest title is called "Time
Riders in American History" and it features a story line rich in
menace and potential heroism.

It seems that Dr. Thanatopsis Dread wants to take over control of
the world. The first stage in his plan is to confuse the people by
transmitting to them twisted versions of history across his Dread
News Network. You are appointed the team leader of the time riders
and it is your job to unscramble the news and tell the true story. To
do this you have three team members and five different machines.
Each of the team members and the machines can help you narrow the
clues down to the proper story and finally transmit that to the
orbiting satellite, thereby frustrating Dread's plans.

This game may be the first in a series by The Learning Company. TLC
is planning on evaluating the sales of this title before launching a
second effort. This program was very expensive to develop due to the
large amounts of graphics and animations that are involved. The
company had a team of 26 programmers and artists working on this
project over the last two years so they are understandably wary of
starting another effort like this before seeing the results.

This game is part of the genre that has been spawned by the very
popular Carmen Sandiego series. To distinguish themselves from that
series, TLC officials have pointed to the presence of over 2300
clues embedded in the game versus the book-based approach of
computing products. TLC also believes that its playing environment
is much richer and more life-like than the other companies offerings.

Finally, TLC claims that you can save your position in their game at
any point and come back to it, unlike the others that require you to
first complete a mission before being allowed to save.

Time Riders is shipping now. It retails for $59.95 but the company
expects to see a street price of $43 to 45 for it.

(Naor Wallach/19920824, Press Contact:Sharyn Fitzpatrick, The
Learning Company, 510-713-6011/Public Contact: The Learning Company,
800-852-2255, 510-792-2101)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00023)

Windows & OS/2: Polaris PackRat 4.1 08/24/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Polaris Software
has unveiled PackRat 4.1, the latest edition of its PC-based
personal information manager (PIM).

Released in stand-alone as well as network versions at Windows &
OS/2 last week, PackRat 4.1 brings several ease-of-use shortcuts,
plus new macros for exchanging information with CompuServe, Delrina
WinFax Pro, and Da Vinci eMail.

The shortcuts include new drag-and-drop scheduling, two new Action
Buttons, and 16 new SmartButtons, bringing the total number of
SmartButtons to 24. Version 4.1 lets the user customize the
SmartButtons by importing icons from outside programs.

Sal Viveros of the Polaris sales staff told Newsbytes that each of
the Action Buttons operate with a single click to find all items in
a facility or print a report on a selected item. The SmartButtons,
on the other hand, automate user-definable tasks.

Viveros added that PackRat 4.1 comes with Version 2.0 of the
PackRat Integration Library, a component that uses DDE (Dynamic
Data Exchange) to exchange information with commonly used Windows
programs. The Integration Library works with these applications
through macros, he explained.

Previously, PackRat introduced macros for Word for Windows,
WordPerfect for Windows, Ami Pro and Excel -- allowing a letter in
a word processing program, for instance, to be launched by clicking
on the letter in a list within PackRat. Version 4.1 adds macros
for CompuServe, Delrina WinFax Pro, and Da Vinci eMail, Viveros
reported.

In a demonstration for Newsbytes, Viveros showed how one new entry
in the Integration Library, the PackRat eMail Grabber, can add
messages from DaVinci eMail to the list of PackRat To Do Items.

Another new macro lets a fax be sent through WinFax Pro directly
from the word processor, using phone numbers and merging any
personal information from PackRat. A third macro automatically
converts Compuserve messages into PackRat Index Cards, placing
message information in the key fields.

Additional macros enable replacement of a specific string in a
PackRat keyfield, and assembly and tabulation of an annotated
billing report, including billing increments, grace periods, and
taxes.

Viveros also illustrated how the new drag-and-drop capability can
speed rescheduling. To move an appointment to a different time,
the user merely grabs and drags it to another spot on the calendar.
The capability can also be used in scheduling follow-up
appointments, he said. A name from the phone book can be dragged
to a date on a calendar, and when that date arises, the name will
automatically appear on the contact list.

The user-definable Smart Buttons are used for such functions as
operating the calculator, according to Viveros. To define a
SmartButton, the user selects an icon from a supply included in
PackRat, or imports an icon from an outside program. The user then
specifies the facility to call, the search criteria to use, and the
printing and phoning actions to be carried out.

PackRat 4.1 is available now. Prices are $395 for the stand-alone
version and $695 for a three-user network version.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920824; Press and public contact: Sal Viveros,
Polaris, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00024)

Hongkong: Events To Promote Barcode 08/24/92
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- The Hong Kong Article
Numbering Association (HKANA), set up to promote barcoding, will
participate in the "IT in Everyday Life" road show as part of the
lead-up to IT Week from September 25 to October 3, 1992. The HKANA
booth will support "IT in Shopping," one of the three road show
themes.

HKANA, formed in 1989, is part of a worldwide effort to establish
international standards in barcoding identification, with an aim
to promote article numbering technology in the territory.

"We need to educate both the public and industry," said Anna Lin,
chief executive of HKANA, in an exclusive interview with Newsbytes.

The road show will be held over four consecutive weekends at four
different venues around Hong Kong. It will begin at the Hong Kong
Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui on August 29 and finish up at
Metro Plaza in Kwai Chung on Sept 20.

At each venue, the HKANA will be aiming to make the public more
aware of barcoding and scanning technology. Visitors may try
their hand at scanning groceries by playing "Scan and Win" in the
HKANA booth. The contestant with the fastest time over each weekend
will receive a prize valued at approximately HK$ 4,000.

Since its beginning in 1989, HKANA's membership has grown to 870
members. In December 1991, the territories two leading
supermarkets introduced scanning into 131 stores, representing 45
percent of their total.

The HKANA continues to organize monthly workshops on bar coding
for members and provide a symbol testing service to the industry.
"We have symbol tested more then 4,000 products, with the majority
tested over the last couple of years," Ms Lin told Newsbytes.
"The consumer code is currently 13 digits long, which consists of
a country code, a manufacturer's code and then a product code,"
said Ms Lin. "So there's no chance of a duplication."

"There is, however, a problem in China where factories there
still randomly copy barcodes from foreign brands regardless of the
type of product." Ms Lin revealed to Newsbytes.

Meanwhile, HKANA also plans to support the Retail and Scanning
Pavilion and will organize two specialist retail seminars at CeNIT
ASIA '92, to be held in the Convention and Exhibition Centre for
September 30 to October 3, 1992. The pavilion will house a range of
exhibits linked to bar coding and scanning as well as other IT
applications in the retail industry.

The exhibits include many aspects of article numbering such as
film masters, labels and tags printing, point of sales systems,
shelf space management systems, scanning equipment, stock control
and inventory as well as other IT applications in the retail
industry.

"As a result of support rendered by retailers, the rate of
suppliers source marking their grocery items increased from 20
percent in 1989 to 95 percent by the end of 1991," said Ms Lin.

(Brett Cameron/19920824/Press Contact: Anna Lin, HKANA, tel: +852-
861 2819;HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00025)

WordStar Acquires NBI's Legacy/Declares Losses 08/24/92
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- A little over
two months after announcing that the company would cease
development of new versions of its Legacy word processing
software, NBI Inc., has sold the product, including all source
code and rights, to WordStar International Inc. At the same time,
WordStar has posted losses of $4.9 million, or 33 cents per share,
during its fiscal year 1992, which ended June 30.

Legacy code featured heavily in WordStar's own initial Windows
word processing offering, WordStar for Windows, released in
September, 1991. WordStar originally acquired non-exclusive
rights to the Legacy source code in January 1991.

WordStar plans to create a special upgrade offer for NBI's Legacy
users to upgrade to WordStar for Windows, version 1.5.  The
company claims that "integration of the current Legacy technology
into WordStar for Windows is being evaluated."

David Patrick, executive vice president for WordStar, said: "We've
purchased 100-percent rights to NBI's Legacy Windows technology.
We believe this acquisition furthers our long-term commitment
to the Windows word processing market and to Windows technology.
In addition, this acquisition eliminates any further royalty payments
to NBI, based on our original licensing agreements."

The NBI, June, 1992, decision to discontinue the Legacy product, as
reported by Newsbytes, also said that NBI intended to lay off 34
people because of what it described as "disappointing" sales of
Legacy for Windows. In December 1990, Newsbytes also reported
that NBI was reducing its staff by 73.

WordStar was last in the news in July, when Newsbytes reported
that the company, in an effort to move into the document processing
and graphics software markets, had signed an agreement to acquire
ZSoft Corp., a privately held graphics, paint, and image editing
software publisher whose products are geared to the DOS and
Windows markets.

WordStar management was nevertheless optimistic about the
fiscal earnings, maintaining that, compared to the previous fiscal
year, revenues increased 17 percent and losses decreased 35
percent.

WordStar President and CEO Ron Posner said: "WordStar's new
approach - document processing - is a diversified product strategy
that's already reaping dividends and will help WordStar become
profitable over the long term. With the document processing
strategy, starting with the acquisition of Lifetree Software and
the creation of the writing tools business, and most recently with
the signing of a merger agreement to acquire ZSoft, WordStar will
have revenues in excess of $20 million from non-word processing
based products."

(Ian Stokell/19920824/Press Contact: Kristin Keyes, McClean
Public Relations, 415-358-8535)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00026)

Chips & Tech Moves To Speed Chips To Market 08/24/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- In an effort to
speed up "time-to-market" for new semiconductor  products, Chips and
Technologies Inc., has signed an agreement to add Quickturn's RPMplus
emulation system to its design verification methodology.

According to Chips and Technologies, the company will use the RPMplus
to expedite future development of the PC/Chip product family, a
low-power processor line designed for palmtop and notebook computer
applications.

The company says that the new phase of product development includes
complete integration of a full line of peripheral functions such as
memory and input/output (I/O) controllers.

Quickturn Systems Inc.'s fourth generation product, the RPMplus
emulation system, is a reprogrammable hardware emulator that enables
design verification for systems using application-specific integrated
circuits (ASICs) or full custom chips.

According to the company, emulation of chip designs allow for
complete system operation before fabricating silicon. It also
reduces project risk, lowers development costs, and shortens
time to market.

(Ian Stokell/19920824/Press Contact: Nanette Sisk, Quickturn,
415-967-3300)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00027)

 ****LSI Logic To Post Huge Loss For Qtr/Cut Staff 08/24/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Semiconductor
manufacturer LSI Logic Corp., expects to lose more than $100
million in the current quarter due to restructuring that includes
the layoff of some 175 US workers and the shutdown of a German
production plant.

In addition to blaming the cutbacks as being responsible for the
one-time charge of up to $110 million to cover costs, the company
also said intensive price cutting in the semiconductor business
caused the losses.

Wilfred J. Corrigan, LSI's chairman and chief executive, said: "The
reality is that our cost structure is out of line with the current
level of revenues and we are compelled to reduce costs, and do it
quickly."

The quarterly loss will come to more than $2 per share. Last
quarter, LSI reportedly lost $5.8 million on revenues of $152
million.

According to the company, the third-quarter charge is intended
to cover the cost of closing a production plant in Braunschweig,
Germany, during the next six months, shifting some production
from the Silicon Valley to the Far East in the next 18 months, and
reducing the company's Headland Technology subsidiary in Fremont
to a division that will be run out of its headquarters. It will be
focussed on semiconductor products that will be sold by LSI
salespeople. The Video Seven assets of Headland, as its
graphics board business, were sold last week.

According to company figures, about 4,000 employees are employed
worldwide, including 2,500 in Silicon Valley. Most of the 175
employees already notified about impending layoffs work in
management and administrative jobs, the company said. The
company also said that more production jobs may be cut in the
near future as high-volume production moves to the Far East.

LSI also said that, over the next 18 months, significant amounts of
"sub-micron" volume manufacturing now performed in the United
States would be transferred to a joint-venture wafer factory in
Japan, due to open next year.

"Over time, the workforce will be adjusted in accordance with the
changes anticipated for the company's manufacturing requirements,"
said Corrigan. He said that LSI has been hurt by excess capacity and
high operating costs that have obscured the true profitability of its
products.

According to the company, additional ways to cut costs, planned
for the future, include accelerating the phase-out of older process
technologies, increasing the role of the Far East for high-volume
wafer manufacturing and assembly and test, and relying upon
subcontractors and other outside sources to satisfy an increased portion
of the company's requirements. LSI estimates the moves
will cut its manufacturing and operating costs by approximately
$10 million per quarter. The company said it expects to return to
profitability in the fourth quarter.

"The chipset market is fiercely competitive, and characterized
by severe price cutting," Corrigan said. "Our aim is to reduce
expenses associated with the chipset business, and target the
product line primarily toward high-margin graphics applications
and high-performance portions of the core logic market."

LSI makes microprocessors and integrated circuits that are
designed for specific applications.

(Ian Stokell/19920824)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00028)

Southern Bell, AT&T Cope with Hurricane 08/24/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Southern Bell had
crews from throughout its nine-state region working on damage from
Hurricane Andrew even before it hit South Florida. By mid-day the
company was counting its blessings.

Spokesman David Rogers in Atlanta told Newsbytes that as of mid-
day 36 of his company's central offices were running on back-up
power, and some were running on batteries. These represented the
company's primary concerns, because once the batteries run down
the lines go dead. Those stations running on generators were a
secondary priority, and the company was still evaluating damage
to its lines. Still, he said, "The network has held up really
well. The majority of our customers can still complete calls.
That's indicated by the number of news organizations who are
getting word out of the area by telephone."

Before the hurricane hit, AT&T had asked that people not call the
area, so that residents could call out. Hurricane Andrew forced
the evacuation of over one million people on August 23, the largest
such evacuation ever. But AT&T added its studies show that every
call going out of an area with an emergency is equivalent to 6-10
going in, in terms of its effect. AT&T established an emergency
center in Orlando, Florida, and brought in other crews to restore
long-distance service.

Rogers of Southern Bell added his company is still assessing
damage from the storm, and should have a clearer picture of its
costs and impact within a few days.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920824/Press Contact: Ron Bravo, AT&T, 908-
234-5257, David Rogers, Southern Bell, 404-529-8053)


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

SoundByte News From BOCOEX 08/24/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- The following
report is provided by the  Boston Computer Exchange.

Computer News for Business People

The first of the 66 MHz DX2 486 computers are out.  PC Week's lab says
they are impressive.  The prices certainly are with the lowest cost
66 MHz machines come to market at 4 kilobucks. Meanwhile, Zeos is
offering new 486 based computers with upgradable motherboards.
They'll have VESA VL Bus expansion slots and permit later product
upgrades to boost performance as they become available.

Lotus may be experiencing lackluster sales from its spreadsheet for
Windows, but they have announced that are porting a full suite of
products to Hewlett-Packard UNIX computers. The result should be
much more powerful systems that run programs you already know.
Meanwhile, CompuServe is opening a new forum for the users of Santa
Cruz Operations UNIX software.

Apple is shipping a new program named Likewise that helps computer system
managers update software through Apple Talk Networks. Targeted on
education and business users it costs only $129 making it far less
expensive than comparable products.

An interesting new product is out.  ViperDrive from Second Wave is a
replacement floppy drive for the IBM or Macintosh.  It is smart enough to
handle different diskettes and can read and write all types of 3.5 inch
diskettes whether they are Apple, IBM and very high density 20 megabyte
floptical diskettes. Sounds like a universal drive, doesn't it.

Apple is considering a plan to build cheap Macintosh computers to beat
mail order computer vendors. Get ready, there are rumors swirling
around in the market that Apple is planning more major price cuts
for the fall. Rumors suggest that IBM is on the same path with plans
to cut prices by 30% in September.  Fall may be a cut throat season for
sellers with few survivors left by Christmas.

Rumors are out on the next version of DOS 6.0. The story is that
networking capabilities will be built-in and a new feature allows
users to step through the boot routine to see where it may be failing.
Test copies ship in September, stay tuned.

FastBytes: Bitstream has released a library of 1,100 new Postscript
fonts for Windows. Microsoft says they are selling a million copies
of Windows every month. Alacrity Desktop Document Manager will get
optical character recognition capabilities from Calera Software.

Finally, The government may be on the verge of making a major shift in
the information environment. The Senate is considering  a measure to
augment the National Research and Education Network with a set of
on-line services and programs for business and schools.  Possible
features may be an on-line library, and database of health care
providers, electronic  data transfer of engineering drawings and
prototype electronic manufacturing systems.

Not to be outdone, IBM and Sears are putting together something called
Advantis; a voice/data network for electronic mail and electronic data
interchange.  Advantis opens its doors with a million users and a $1
billion dollars of assets. Sears will process Discover card transactions
and IBM will handle product orders through Advantis.  Now that raises a
natural question.  Which network will be the hit; the one the
government's building, or one made by the two struggling financial
dinosaurs of the era - Sears, and IBM?

(Boston Computer Exchange/19920824)


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

BoCoEx Index 08/24/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 AUG 24 (NB) -- Boston Computer
Exchange for the week ending August 21, 1992.

Machine                       Main  Closing      Price     Ask      Bid

                             Drive    Price     Change

IBM AT 339                  30 MgB      450                700      200

IBM PS/2 Model 30 286       20 MgB      500                900      300

IBM PS/2 Model 35 SX        40 MgB     1100               1300      800

IBM PS/2 Model L40SX        60 MgB     1350               1400      900

IBM PS/2 Model 50Z          30 MgB      550                700      325

IBM PS/2 Model 55SX         30 MgB      900               1300      800

IBM PS/2 Model 60           40 MgB      600                900      325

IBM PS/2 Model 70 A21      120 MgB     1650   down 100    1900     1400

IBM PS/2 Model P70         120 MgB     1650    down 50    1900     1200

IBM PS/2 Model 80          110 MgB     1500               1800     1100

IBM PS/2 Model 80           70 MgB     1100               1200     1000

IBM PS/2 Model 95          160 MgB     3900               4500     3500

Compaq Portable II          20 MgB      425                500      375

Compaq Portable III         20 MgB      500                600      250

Compaq Portable 386        100 MgB     1300               1800     1000

Compaq SLT-286              20 MgB      700                900      400

Compaq LTE                  20 MgB      550                700      400

Compaq LTE-286              40 MgB      800                900      500

Compaq LTE-386              60 MgB     1650    down 50    1800     1300

Compaq Deskpro 286E         40 MgB      500               1000      325

Compaq Deskpro 386s         40 MgB     1000               1200      700

Compaq Deskpro 386/33       60 MgB     1800               2000     1100

Compaq Deskpro 386/33       84 MgB     1850               2250     1400

Clone 386SX du Jour         40 MgB      875                900      700

NEC ProSpeed 386           100 MgB     1500               1800     1000

Zenith SuperSport-286       20 MgB      550                700      525

Zenith Mastersprt-386SX     60 MgB     1350               1700     1000

Zenith SuperSport 386SX     40 MgB      900               1000      800

Macintosh Classic           40 MgB      750                875      500

Macintosh Classic II        40 MgB      975               1025      800

Macintosh SE                Floppy      525                650      450

Macintosh SE                20 MgB      725                775      500

Macintosh SE-30             80 MgB     1650               1750     1300

Macintosh LC                40 MgB     1000               1300      800

Macintosh II                40 MgB     1825               1900     1300

Macintosh II X              80 MgB     2500               2850     2000

Macintosh II CX             80 MgB     2600               3000     2000

Macintosh II CI             80 MgB     3100               3600     2460

Macintosh II FX             80 MgB     4100               4900     3700

Macintosh II SI             40 MgB     1800               2300     1500

Macintosh Quadra 700       160 MgB     3650               3700     3500

Macintosh Quadra 900       160 MgB     4250               4600     4000

Macintosh Portable          40 MgB      700     up 200     800      400

Macintosh Powerbk 100       20 MgB      850               1000      700

Macintosh Powerbk  140      40 MgB     1600   down 200    1700     1400

Macintosh Powerbk 170       40 MgB     2900               3000     2800

Apple Imagewriter 2                     175                200      100

Apple Laserwriter 2 NT                 1450               1600     1200

HP Laserjet II                          850                950      550

HP Laserjet III                        1000               1200      900

Toshiba T-1000LE            20 MgB      500                600      400

Toshiba T-1200 XE           20 MgB      700                800      550

Toshiba T-1600              20 MgB      650                700      500

Toshiba T-2000 SX           20 MgB      910               1000      800

Toshiba T-3100 SX           40 MgB     1300               1500     1000

Toshiba T-3200              40 MgB      900               1300      600

Toshiba T-3200 SX           40 MgB     1300   down 150    1300      700

Toshiba T-3200 SXC         120 MgB     3700               4000     3000

Toshiba T-4400 SX          120 MgB     2450               2500     2200

Toshiba T-5100              40 MgB     1300               1700      900

Toshiba T-5200             100 MgB     1800               2000     1500

BoCoEx Index data is compiled by Market Analyst, Gary M. Guhman

Here are some current retail-oriented Seats on the Exchange,
presented in a cyclic basis.

Madison, New Jersey - CompuTrade - Howard Kroll - 201-593-0362

New Orleans, Louisiana - Audubon Computer Rental - Mike Barry -
504-522-0348

Detroit, Michigan - CompuCycle - Walt Hogan - 313-887-2600

Dallas - Ft. Worth, TX - DFW Computer Exchange - M.B. Lee - 817-244-7833

Albuquerque, NM, Western Computer Exchange - David Levin - 505-265-1330

Fresno, California - MacSource Computers - Mike Kurtz - 209-438-6227

Escondido, Ca. - Affordable Computer Solutions - Dean Jacobus -
619-738-4980

BoCoEx Index prices are based on complete systems with keyboard,
monochrome monitor and adapter, less the value of any software or
peripherals.

Boston Computer Exchange is available at: 617-542-4414, Buyer's
HotLine: [phone], In Alaska and Canada 1-800-437-2470,FAX:
617-542-8849.

(Bocoex/19920824)