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/1993/nb092993

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(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00001)

Realtors Can Help Clients Mortgage-Hunt On-line 09/29/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Network
Financial Services is offering a new "one-stop" shopping on-
line service to realtors looking for homes, mortgages, and
insurance for clients, in conjunction with the California
Association of Realtors Expo '93 held this week in Anaheim,
California. The company says it will offer the software and
hardware to access the new Prosolutions free to any Realtor
who funds two mortgages a month through the service.

The San Jose, California-based company claims realtors can shop
for mortgages and even apply on-line, saving their customers
thousands of dollars in interest and garnering a fee for
themselves from Westmark Mortgage Corp., the Network
Financial Services subsidiary handling the loans. Loans
approved on-line can be locked-in at the current interest rate
for 30 days, the company added. In addition, AETNA homeowners
insurance is available at a discount through the service, as
well as mortgage life insurance.

If realtors already have IBM compatible personal computer (PC)
hardware, they can simply add the Prosolutions software,
Network said. In order to help realtors learn to operate the
software, the Sector Group, who developed the software in
conjunction with Network, has arranged for IBM and NCR to make
their training facilities available to the realtors. For those
who do not have the hardware already, the hardware supplied by
Network may also be used to access the Multiple Listing Service
(MLS), company officials said.

Prosolutions costs $195 a month to realtors who do not manage
to fund two mortgages each month. It is expected to be available
nationwide in October. Interested parties are encouraged to
write instead of calling the company.

Network claims to be the largest franchisee in the ERA
real estate organization, with 31 offices in Northern
California and more than 375 real estate agents and employees.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930927/Press Contact: Gary Fishman, The
Hudson Stone Group for Network Financial Service, tel 212-983-
8550, fax; Public Contact, Prosolutions, c/o Network Financial
Services, 1999 S. Bascom Ave. No. 400, San Jose, CA, 95008-
2203.


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

PostScript 2 Option For Canon Printer/Copier 09/29/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Adobe
Systems reports that Canon USA  has introduced a PostScript Level
2 option for its CJ10 Color Desktop copier/printer, making the
unit a more "functional" publishing system.

The CJ PostScript Intelligent Processing Unit (CJ PS-IPU) is a
PostScript Level 2 raster image processor (RIP) option for the
Canon CJ10 Color Desktop Copier that outputs full-color PostScript
language-based pages from any application at 400 dots-per-inch
(dpi). Prints can be output on the Canon CJ10 on 8.5-by-11-inch
paper, transparencies, card stock, and labels. The device also
includes 39 of Adobe's Type 1 fonts.

"Adobe's PostScript Level 2 interface option for the Canon CJ10
is a key component in bringing a complete desktop publishing
solution to graphic designers and corporate creative environments,"
said Steve MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager of
Adobe's Systems Products Division.

The CJ PS-IPU comes standard with 16 megabytes of RAM and
AppleTalk, RS-232C/422 serial and Centronics ports. A SCSI
(Small Computer Systems Interface) interface is available as an
option. The CJ PS-IPU has a suggested retail price of $4,995. The
CJ10 Color Desktop Copier has a suggested list price of $5,995.

(Wendy Woods/19930928/Press Contact: Adobe Systems,
Patricia J. Pane, 415/962-3967)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00003)

DataViz Ships MacLinkPlus 7.5 Upgrade 09/29/93
TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- DataViz
is shipping version 7.5 of the MacLinkPlus product line.

Version 7.5 introduces new translators to handle some of the
latest applications: ClarisWorks, WordPerfect 6.0, MacWrite Pro,
Ami Pro 3.0, Quattro Pro, WriteNow 3.0, Nisus, Lotus 3.1, FoxBase,
and dBase IV.

Files translated by MacLinkPlus retain all original formatting
such as bold, italics, headers, footers, footnotes, and style
sheets, the company says.

DataViz also introduced a third title to the line - MacLinkPlus/Easy
Open Translators. It was designed for System 7 users who need to
translate Mac and PC files, but already have a way to move files
between the two computers. It is an add-on utility for someone
who already owns a DOS disk mounting utility such as AccessPC,
DOS Mounter, or Macintosh PC Exchange. This utility is also for
users on a multi-platform network, such as Novell Netware or
LANtastic.

Like the current MacLinkPlus products, it includes the full
translation library of over 1000 translation combinations and
Macintosh Easy Open, an Apple system extension that allows for
"double-click" and "drag-on" file translation.

With the addition of this new product, DataViz has also slightly
modified the names of the existing MacLinkPlus products to better
differentiate between the three. MacLinkPlus/PC has been changed
to MacLinkPlus/PC Connect. MacLinkPlus/Translators is now
MacLinkPlus/Translators Pro.

MacLinkPlus/Translators Pro and MacLinkPlus/PC Connect are
available for System 6 or 7 users who do not have a way to move
files between a Mac and a PC. In addition to the full translation
library and Macintosh Easy Open, Translators Pro includes
Macintosh PC Exchange, an Apple utility that lets you insert DOS
disks into a Mac. MacLinkPlus/PC Connect includes the same
components as Translators Pro, plus a serial cable and modem
communication software to physically connect a Mac and a PC.

The suggested retail prices are as follows: MacLinkPlus/Easy
Open Translators, $109; MacLinkPlus/Translators Pro, $149;
and MacLinkPlus/PC Connect, $199. The upgrade price for
Translators Pro and PC Connect to version 7.5 is $39.95.

(Wendy Woods/19930928/Press Contact: Bonnie Orsini,
203-268-0030)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00004)

Tivoli Enhances Mgt Environment Systems Software 09/29/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Tivoli Systems has
announced a number of enhancements to its Tivoli Management
Environment Systems management software.

The company says the software includes new tools for managing
printing and electronic mail services across distributed computing
environments. It also announced a version of the software for IBM
RS/6000 systems.

The Tivoli management environment is a Unix-based software package
based on an object-oriented software framework and graphical user
interface. Release 1.6 runs on Unix workstations. The IBM RS/6000
and Solaris 2.3 versions are scheduled to ship in December.

Tivoli maintains that distributed systems management software is a
set of technologies that enable organizations to manage distributed
networks of computers from multiple vendors efficiently and
cost-effectively. For customers, it provides a consistent user
interface to different hardware platforms, operating systems,
system resources, and management tasks. In May of this year the
company announced that it is developing a version of the Tivoli
Management Environment for Windows NT.

The Tivoli DMS is comprised of a common management interface with
graphical and command-line options and an object-oriented software
framework that represents the system resources as objects that can
be managed through commands or by point-and-click or drag-and-drop.

Also included is an application development environment that allows
developers to build object-oriented applications; an autodiscovery
facility that automatically discovers and represents resources on
the framework; and a set of class libraries that describe common
type objects. Those definitions maintain the integrity of the
objects across different applications and enable the objects to be
used as building blocks for interoperable applications.

Tivoli/Print manages distributed printing services using a
point-and-click interface that allows system administrators to
remotely remove, prioritize, check the status of or move print
jobs among print queues, as well as reset and disable printers.

The new mail alias management feature is a method of managing
mail aliases, the transactions between the addresses in electronic
mail messages and actual mail delivery names and locations.

Tivoli also announced contracts worth over $1 million each with
GTE Telephone Operations, a division of GTE Corp.; and Motorola's
General Systems Sector. The two companies will purchase the
software and services over the next two years.

(Jim Mallory/19930928/Press contact: John Hime, Tivoli
Systems, 512-794-9070)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00005)

New Version Of RamNet/uucp For DOS 09/29/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Software
Concepts Design has announced a new version of its RamNet/uucp
background communications program that allows MS-DOS users
to access Internet services.

RamNet/uucp is a memory-resident program that can communicate
either with other MS-DOS-based computers using the same
software, or any computer running the uucp protocol which is
standard on most Unix systems.

Enhancements with the new version include: better remote access
security, which is based on the HoneyDanBer file structure, used in
all modern Unix sites; and better routing of incoming electronic
mail, using the Internet RFC822 standard which handles domains
as well as "bang-path" addresses. There is also a new, more
friendly user interface. The product costs $198 for a single PC

In addition to handling electronic-mail, the program can also
access Usenet news groups. Each site with the software can
be configured as a node on a newsgroup, with the ability to move
messages forward or feed messages downstream to "leaf" sites.
Since sites equipped with the software appear to be just like any
other uucp node, you can also tap into a variety of mailing lists
off the Internet.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930928/Press Contact: Software Concepts
Design, Laura Mondesir, 914-586-2023)


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

Trius, VideoServer Products Win Awards 09/29/93
NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) --
DraftChoice, a two-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD)
program by Trius Inc., recently won the Shareware Industry Award
for The Best Graphics Application Program.

DraftChoice is claimed to have made CAD software accessible to
non-engineers at an affordable price. DraftChoice is available from
Trius Inc., P.O. Box 249, N. Andover, MA 01845, for $75 postpaid.
Visa or Mastercard holders can call 800-468-7487. Evaluation
copies are available for $5.

VideoServer Inc., (Lexington, MA.), developer of communications
software and hardware products designed for video
teleconferencing networks, received an award from the
International Teleconferencing Association recently.

The award, for Outstanding Product Achievement in the area of
two-way video, recognizes VideoServer's Series 2000 Multipoint
Control Unit (MCU). The Series 2000 MCU, introduced in June 1992,
reportedly established a new price/performance benchmark in
the industry.

The Series 2000 contains an integrated set of software and
networking features that enable customers to build multi-vendor,
multi-carrier conferencing networks that are cost-effective and
easy to use. VideoServer is at 5 Forbes Road, Lexington, MA 02173.
Telephone [phone].

(Marguerite Zientara/19930928)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00007)

CIOs Rate Sun Tops 09/29/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- According
to a survey of chief information officers (CIOs) by CIO magazine,
Sun Microsystems Inc., was placed top in most categories.

Sun claims it was ranked top in five out of seven workstation
categories in the Reader's Choice Award: best return on investment,
leadership in technology, best price/performance, and brand
awareness. Additionally, CIOs also voted Sun as the company they
would most likely consider purchasing products from within the
next 12 months.

CIO magazine's readers reportedly control the spending of
information technology (IT) budgets that average $23 million
each annually.

Newsbytes notes that Sun, a major workstation and server vendor,
has benefitted greatly from the trend away from host-based
computing environments towards client/server and distributed
processing networking architectures.

Dataquest predicts that the number of workstations used for
business applications will grow 97.7 percent between 1991 and
1996. Workstations in commercial applications will account for
$18.1 billion of the $33.5 billion workstation market in 1996.

IDC reports that Sun servers accounted for the largest share of
the market - 39.8 percent of the worldwide unit shipments of
"as-sold" workstation servers for 1992.

(Ian Stokell/19930929/Press Contact: Gayle Jennings,
415-336-0787, Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00008)

Artisoft Ships Central Station II 09/29/93
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Artisoft Inc., has
begun shipping its Central Station II "connectivity processor."
Joe Stunkard, spokesman for Artisoft told Newsbytes that the
Central Station II, can be used as a "print server, for remote
communications, and as an external adapter for a laptop."

The Central Station II processor is priced at $595 and includes
pre-loaded versions of the Printer Server and Dial-Up Connection
StationWare dedicated applications.

Stunkard told Newsbytes that, "You could set the product up as a
print server, it has five I/O (input/output) ports on the back of
it - two parallel and three serial. However, on two of those serial
ports you can have modems attached and have remote
communications to the network. Both of those ports can be active
concurrently. It also has a PC interface port on it - it is a fast
parallel port. You can hook up a laptop/notebook - and that machine
can be part of the network."

According to the company, the Central Station provides laptop to
Ethernet connectivity capabilities for LANtastic (version 5.0) or
NetWare (versions 2.x, 3.11 or 4.0) network operating systems.

Users who purchased the original Central Station processor
after August 1, 1993, can exchange it for the new Central Station
II processor. The Central Station II processor requires version 5.0
of LANtastic. As a result, Artisoft will be offering a special
half-price upgrade offer (the DOS version for $25, and the
DOS/Windows version for $50) with the purchase of the Central
Station II processor to those users who have version 4.1 or lower
of LANtastic.

For a limited time, Artisoft is also offering existing Central Station
users a special half-price offer ($49 per network) to upgrade to
the StationWare 3.0 software, regularly priced at $99 per network.

Existing Central Station users wishing to use five printers
simultaneously must purchase the Central Station II connectivity
processor in order to use the PC interface and auxiliary ports as
printer connections.

Stunkard told Newsbytes that the original Central Station
differed from version II in that, "The original only had three ports
that were active. You could have three printers hooked up to it.
You could only have one modem connection to it. And if you had a
laptop connected to the machine, you could not have a remote
connection calling in. Now you can have a laptop connected, and
two computers calling in at the same time."

The price of the original Central Station connectivity processor
has been reduced to $495.

The company recently announced the settlement of arbitration
relating to the termination of C. John Schoof II as Artisoft's
chief executive officer. As part of the settlement, the company
said it purchased from Schoof 3,487,500 shares of Artisoft
common stock, representing about 20 percent of the outstanding
stock, as well as all outstanding Artisoft stock options held by
Schoof, for $25.5 million.

(Ian Stokell/19930928/Press Contact: Joe Stunkard,
602-670-7145, Artisoft Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00009)

SynOptics Intros Intelligent Hub & Optivity 4.0 Mgt Sys 09/29/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- SynOptics
Communications Inc., is shipping the Lattis System 5000 intelligent
hub. According to the company, the new hub encompasses a new
design approach that reduces operating costs and improves the
performance of networks. The company has also released version
4.0 of its Optivity network management system for structured
networks.

The System 5000 is also claimed to be the first intelligent hub
with the features required for the central connection and control
points, or network centers, within a structured network design.
The System 5000 connects dozens of networks together into a
single, manageable system.

System 5000's configuration flexibility is a key feature. The
company says that, when deployed in a structured network, the
System 5000 enables network managers to create and configure
logical workgroups of users connected to System 3000 and
System 2000 hubs. Network topology can be "easily" modified
under software control, and key centralized protocol or
application analysis tools can be remotely steered to monitor
selected networks on an as-needed basis.

The System 5000 provides more than 12 gigabits-per-second of
system throughput, and each individual hub provides connectivity
and core network management capabilities for up to 52 Ethernet
segments, 26 Token Rings or five FDDI (fiber distributed data
interface) rings.

The System 5000 host module is designed so that its 14 slots
fit in a standard, rack-mounted chassis. These "cluster" host
modules can reportedly support four Ethernet segments or two
Token Rings on a single board. Each ring or segment cluster
supports a fiber interconnect port and three to four copper host
ports.

The company says that the System 5000 is designed for the
mission-critical requirements of a network center, because it has
no single point of failure, and all modules are "hot-swappable." The
chassis features redundant power supplies and back-up cooling
systems, redundant clock-distribution systems and interconnect
links. The system delivers and cools more than 1,500 watts of
power. The company also claims that, through its embedded
management architecture, the System 5000 is self-healing and self-
managing.

SynOptics intends to deliver its Fast Frame Ethernet frame
switching, Fast Matrix ATM cell switching and  CelliFrame
ATM/Ethernet translation capability in the System 5000 in
1994.

A typical configuration for the System 5000 will range in price
from $1,300 to $4,600 per segment.

According to SynOptics, Optivity 4.0, "leverages the capabilities of
structured network designs, giving users the power to visualize the
network in ways not possible before and to cost-effectively deploy
its resources.

Version 4.0 features a new object-based user interface that uses
"icons based on metaphors from the physical world." A network
manager can view devices, networks, servers and other services
as objects, providing the "new level of simplicity required for
managing highly complex structured  networks."

Optivity 4.0 is also claimed to be the first network management
system that enables network managers to isolate and view the
logical associations made by the physical connections among
users and devices on a network. The new logical view is called
the Network Center View.

Through a mouse operation, network managers can move objects
representing network resources to create and configure logical
workgroups; allocate key resources such as servers and routers to
specific network segments; and deploy other resources.

Optivity 4.0 for the SunNet Manager platform will begin shipping
in 30 days at a cost of $5,995. Versions of Optivity for IBM's
NetView/6000 and Hewlett Packard's Open View for Unix are
expected in the first half of 1994.

(Ian Stokell/19930928/Press Contact: Amanda Jaramillo,
408-764-1180, SynOptics Communications Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00010)

Rockwell Cuts Ethernet VME Board Prices 09/29/93
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- The
cost of Ethernet networking continues to decline. Now Rockwell
International Corp.'s CMC Network Products has cut the price of
its intelligent Ethernet VME Adapter board products by up to 40
percent.

According to the company, it is the first time high-performance,
intelligent Ethernet VME adapters have been list priced under
$2,000.

Intelligent adapters provide TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) on-board, reducing the host CPU
(central processor unit) processing load. They also offer
performance boosters such as direct memory access, VMEbus
master mode, and block mode.

The company maintains that the price reduction will help drive
the trend to off-load Ethernet processing from the CPU board to
the network interface card (NIC). Single-board computer products
provide Ethernet capabilities on the CPU board to reduce costs,
but at the expense of performance, claims Rockwell. NICs provide
better performance and flexibility.

In announcing the price cuts, Rockwell's Ethernet Product Line
Manager Wendy Wu, said: "With this price reduction, users can
minimize Ethernet connectivity costs, without sacrificing
performance and flexibility. Once users have off-loaded protocol
processing to the NIC, they can easily migrate from the 10Mbps
Ethernet platform to 100 Mbps. Only the NIC will need to be
upgraded and not the entire single board computer."

Rockwell's highest-performance Ethernet adapter - the CMC-130 -
has been reduced to $1,995. The ENP-100i has dropped to $1,695,
the ENP-100L to $1,595, the ENP-10i to $1,295, and the ENP-10L
now lists at $1,195. There are also additional volume pricing
discounts.

(Ian Stokell/19930928/Press Contact: Marianne McCarthy,
805-562-3138, Rockwell International, CMC Network Products)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00011)

CrossComm Intros ILAN XL20 Router 09/29/93
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) --
Reliability is probably the main issue for companies migrating
their IBM SNA (Systems Network Architecture) applications to
client/server networking environment. As a result, CrossComm
Corp., has introduced, what the company claims, is the first
midrange router that eliminates a single point of failure.

According to the company, the new ILAN XL20 is designed to bring
reliable, non-stop networking of mission-critical SNA applications
to a corporation's regional data centers.

To prevent crashes, CrossComm claims that "the XL20 features the
most extensive use of redundant, industrial-strength hardware
available in a midrange router, including dual hot swappable power
supplies, redundant fans, gold plated connectors and a passive high
reliability backplane."

The router uses fault-tolerant components and the company's new
parallel router architecture. CrossComm claims that XL20 users
will  not be disrupted by SNA or other protocol session loss, network
maintenance, changes, line congestions, line faults, and other
common network events that typically bring other routers down.

The ILAN XL20 is a multiprotocol router featuring a multiple RISC
processor design (four Intel i960 RISC processors), "hot swappable"
router modules, special software and redundant router components.

The router features CrossComm's Protocol Independent Routing
(PIR) software, which is claimed to be the only routing software
proven to consistently maintain SNA and other LAN (local area
network) protocol user sessions in the event of network
congestions, and WAN (wide area network) or router failures.

The ILAN XL20 also features on-line serviceability for added
reliability. All the device's modules, power supplies and fans are
hot swappable and can be replaced without powering down the
router. Should a module fail, users plug in a new one.

The company also says that the ILAN  XL20 automatically detects
which devices are connected to which LANs and begins routing as
soon as it is plugged into the network. An auto-line detection
feature senses Token Ring LAN speeds and WAN clocking rates to
eliminate common installation problems and mistakes. The router
reportedly automatically changes its routing tables as LAN users
are added, moved or changed.

The ILAN XL20 is also claimed to be the first midrange router to
offer an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)-ready switching
backplane capable of 3.2 gigabit-per-second capacity for
router-to-router and ATM backbone applications. CrossComm
expects to offer ATM support via the XL20 by the first quarter of
1994.

The ILAN XL20 is available immediately at a list price of $4,950 for
the base unit. Router modules are available starting at $9,400. The
company says that full system prices vary depending on the number
of modules and options purchased.

(Ian Stokell/19930928/Press Contact: Samantha White,
800-388-1200, CrossComm Corp.; Christine LeCompte,
603-436-6690, Beaupre & Co. Public Relations)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00012)

UK - Gov't Issues Three New Telecom Licenses 09/29/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- The United Kingdom's
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued three new
telecommunications licenses.

Newsbytes notes that three new licenses -- issued to
Scottishpower, Telcom and Torch Communications -- brings the
total number of companies licensed to offer public telecoms
services in the UK to seven.

Of the three new companies, Torchtel is perhaps the most
interesting, since it is a joint venture between the Yorkshire
Electricity Company and Kingston-upon-Hull (KuH)
Telecommunications.

KuH Telecommunications is a private company run by the local
government of Hull, a town in the North-East of England. The
company is the last of the "town" telecoms companies that were
phased out and/or amalgamated into the General Post Office in
the late 1800s and early 1900s.

KuH Telecommunications was spared the prospect of amalgamation
around the turn of the century and now offers cut-price local
service in the Hull area. The company has also forged links with
most major international telecoms operators, including British
Telecommunications and Mercury in the UK.

Yorkshire Electricity, meanwhile, has been busy -- as all power
companies have been these last few years -- in installing fiber
optic cabling to run alongside its power cabling. Plans now call
for Torch Telecom to offer telecoms services over its fiber optic
network, switching calls through KuH Telecommunications
exchanges in Hull for onward switching to anywhere in the world.

(Steve Gold/19930929)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00013)

UK Police Issue Warning On Restaurant Card Fraud 09/29/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Banks and Police in the UK
have issued a warning to their card holders, telling them never to
let their plastic cards out of their sight, especially in Chinese
restaurants. The warning comes after a report compiled by the card
issuers revealed how easy it is for duplicate cards to be produced
from data taken from the legitimate card.

According to the card issuers, a problem exists where chinese
restaurants run by suspect people phone or fax through details of
likely "high rolling" Visa, Mastercard or Amex cards to accomplices
in Hong Kong. From that point on, the card issuers claim, it is a
relatively easy task to manufacturer one or more "duplicates" of the
card in question and have the forged cards actively in use in Hong
Kong in a matter of hours.

The problem for the card issuers, Newsbytes notes, is that the card
owner is unaware that their card has been duplicated and, since
the original card continues to be used for standard user profile
purchases in their home country, the card company takes a while
longer to realize that something is wrong from the unusual patterns
of spending in Hong Kong.

The card issuers claim that Chinese Triads impose pressure on
waiters and cashiers in Chinese restaurants in the Chinatown
districts of cities around the world, to pass along card information.

In the UK, the problem of Hong Kong card duplication fraud has cost
the banks a considerable sum of money. Barclays Bank has revealed
that, out of its UKP12 million fraud losses over the last six
months, UKP1 million was directly attributable to card duplication.
Barclays officials claim that only a few years ago, such fraud
problems were virtually non-existent.

According to a report compiled by Visa International, card
duplication fraud now costs UKP9 million a year out of a total of
UKP165 million. And the problem is getting worse.

UK press reports are starting to appear on the problem. One recent
well-publicized fraud involving a National Westminster (Natwest)
Gold Mastercard holder was only realized when the card holder,
Nicola  Williams of London, opened her monthly statement. "I had
paid for my holiday in America on the card so was expecting
a big bill -- something over UKP1,000. Instead it was nearly
UKP3,000," she is reported to have said.

After investigation by Natwest's fraud division, it transpired that
Williams has eaten in several chinese restaurants in the weeks
before her card was apparently duplicated.

Barclays Bank claims that frauds of this type are typical of Triad
involvement. "When we have uncovered fraud we usually find the
individuals have been put under intense pressure," a bank
spokesman said.

(Steve Gold/19930929)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00014)

IBM Austria Reports Rising 1993 Sales 09/29/93
VIENNA, AUSTRIA, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- IBM Austria, the wholly
owned subsidiary of IBM, has announced that its sales are increasing
steadily on the back of a general surge in business confidence in
the country.

According to Siegfried Skalla, the company's managing director,
1992/93 sales increased to top the 40,000 unit sales mark, an
increase of more than 50 percent when compared with 1991/92
figures.

Skalla said that, because of falling PC prices in Austria -- copying
most other countries in Europe, Newsbytes notes -- actual turnover
for the company will only increase by around 11 percent, once the
final figures have been released in the next few months.

Newsbytes also notes that IBM as a whole is seeing its sales rise
considerably on the back of a concerted international media
campaign to raise the company's profile as a high quality PC
supplier. Because of the continuing trend to lower prices, however,
IBM officials say that 1993 profits will only rise slightly.

IBM UK claims that, after seeing worldwide sales rise by 10.6
percent in 1992, it expects sales to rise by only around two
percent on 1993.

(Sylvia Dennis/19930929/Press & Public Contact: IBM UK -
[phone]


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00015)

Metrologie France Plans To Sell Off Division 09/29/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- The recession continues to
bite on the European reseller and computer distribution market.
Now, Metrologie France has announced plans to sell off its direct
sales operations in the country.

According to the company, the move will allow Metrologie to
concentrate on its core activities - computer hardware and
software distribution. Newsbytes notes that the plan follows
hard on the heels of the steady sale of non-strategic assets -
such as buildings - over the last year.

Metrologie claims that the planned sell-off forms part of an
ongoing restructuring of the company's operations in France. The
direct sales division, which employs 35 people, accounts for
around FF200 million in the company's sales books.

According to Edgard Taureau, Metrologie France's CEO, full details
of the sell-off deal will be announced within the next few weeks,
including information on who the new owner of the direct sales
operation will be.

(Sylvia Dennis/19930929)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00016)

DEC Japan Intros Beta Japanese Windows NT 09/29/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Digital Equipment Corp.
Japan (DEC Japan), has released a beta copy of the Japanese
version of Microsoft's Windows NT. The program operates on
the company's personal computers, including the AXP 150 and
the DEC PC.

Three kinds of Windows NT packages are offered for the Japanese
market. The developer's kit is intended for programmers working
on the AXP 150. The retail price is 957,000 yen ($9,570) - the
same price as the original English version released in May. The
program will be sold until the end of November.

The upgrade kit consists of a CD-ROM, firmware, an ECU kit,
and documentation. It is priced at 70,000 yen ($700). An OADG
keyboard that offers compatibility with IBM's DOS/V PC costs
an additional 5,000 yen ($50).

A beta version of the Japanese Windows NT package for general
users costs 1,604,000 yen ($16,040). The developer's kit is also
included in the bundle. Customers of the beta versions will be
provided with the finished versions at a later date, free of
additional charges.

With the release of the beta versions, DEC Japan has started
accepting test users of the program. DEC Japan will provide the
program to 200 users of the DEC PC (with a 33 megahertz 486
processor or above). The test users need pay only 6,000 yen
($60) for the disks and the manuals.

DEC Japan has also begun providing support services - covering
installation and consultation for the Japanese version of
Windows NT - as part of its multi-vendor customer services.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930928/Press Contact: DEC
Japan, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00017)

Japan - Toshiba Intros Low-cost Color Notebook 09/29/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Toshiba has released a
low-cost, powerful notebook color personal computer as part
of the company's Dynabook product line. The low-end version costs
about 20 percent less than its current models sold on the market.

The low-cost version is called the Dynabook V486A
J-3100-VS001CD. It includes a super twist nematic (STN) color
liquid crystal display (LCD) with a dual scan feature. This
reportedly gives a 30 percent lighter screen compared with
the current models.

The notebook is equipped with a 32-bit local bus and the original
Window accelerator. The system provides about double the
processing speed. The model is equipped with an enhanced 25
megahertz (MHz) 486SX processor and a 9.5-inch dynamic STN
display. It costs 358,000 yen ($3,580).

A monochrome version of the same model has also been released.
It has a 64 gradation display to produce a clear screen and is sold
at 288,000 yen ($2,880).

The high-end version of the color notebook comes with a 40MHz
486DX2 and a 9.5-inch color TFT (thin film transistor) display.
There is also a model equipped with a 340 megabyte hard disk,
DOS/V, Japanese-English MS-DOS, and Windows 3.1.

Toshiba is hoping to ship 60,000 units in the first year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930928/Press Contact: Toshiba,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEL)(00018)

India - Apple Selects Wipro Over DEC 09/29/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- In a significant development,
Wipro Infotech Ltd., has forged a strategic alliance with Apple
Computer. The Indian firm will offer the entire range of Apple
products, including Macintosh LC IIIs, Centris, and Powerbook models.
Apple's PowerPC-based machines will be added at a later date.

Sources say that in the first phase, Wipro will only market Apple
products. Subsequently, it may consider manufacturing depending
on the volumes.

Wipro, a Rs 238.8 crore (around $79.6 million) group which ranks
second in the Indian information technology industry, will continue
to offer the Intel line, including notebooks, which the company
sources from Taiwan.

The alliance is an important one for Wipro, as the company has
been able to extend its product-range without having to give up
its present line of Intel-based personal computers. The tie-up
will enable Wipro to get into the desktop publishing and high-end
publishing market.

Apple reportedly has assured Wipro that it will not tie up with
any other company in India. Last year, it tied up with Digital
Equipment India Ltd., the Indian subsidiary of Digital Equipment
Corp. of the US, to manufacture and market Macintosh systems.
However, the deal proved less than unsuccessful.

Where DEC failed, Wipro may still succeed. One major advantage
that Wipro has is its 112-strong dealer network throughout the
country.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930929)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00019)

 ****Computer Associates Wins Trade Secret Case 09/29/93
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- A US District
Court jury in Denver has awarded Computer Associates
International Inc., $8.5 million in damages after concluding that
Denver-based American Fundware Inc., stole trade secrets from
the large software firm.

The damages include $4.245 million in compensation for lost
royalties and an equal amount in punitive damages. Mike McElroy,
vice-president - legal at Computer Associates, said he believes
it is the largest amount of punitive damages ever granted in a
software trade secrets suit.

The verdict shows that the courts are prepared to enforce
property rights in software, McElroy said.

CA sued AFW over PC Fund and Fundware, financial software
programs sold by the Denver company. The court upheld CA's claim
that sizeable portions of the AFW packages were copied from
software that AFW licensed from Stuart P. Orr & Associates, a
company CA bought in 1983.

The Stuart P. Orr software was written for minicomputers from
Data General Corp. PC Fund and its successor, Fundware, run on
IBM and compatible personal computers. All were written in the
COBOL programming language, and according to McElroy, significant
portions of the source code were identical.

McElroy said that after CA filed the trade secret lawsuit in
1986, AFW tried to cover up the copying of the software by
changing some of the code.

The jury ruled that AFW breached its 1979 contract with Stuart P.
Orr and misappropriated trade secrets from Stuart P. Orr and CA.

AFW no longer sells PC Fund. Computer Associates has asked for
an injunction against the further sale of Fundware, McElroy said,
but the jury does not have the power to grant an injunction. The
judge in the case must rule on that, and has not yet done so.

(Grant Buckler/19930929/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00020)

 ****Wireless Network At 20 Mbps 09/29/93
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Wi-LAN Inc.,
has announced its first products - a line of wireless Ethernet
local area network (LAN) equipment that company officials claim
can carry data at speeds up to 20 megabits-per-second (Mbps), or
twice the speed of conventional wired Ethernet.

Frederick Rogers, president of Wi-LAN, told Newsbytes the high
speed is possible because of the modulation technique used. The
products are based on spread-spectrum technology that transmits
data using radio frequencies. The technology was developed at the
University of Calgary and AGT Ltd., the telephone company serving
Alberta.

Wi-LAN said the fastest of its new products is the 20-Mbps Wi-LAN
902-20, which can plug directly into the Ethernet network
interface card of any computer. It modulates and compresses data
from the interface card and transmits it to another Wi-LAN
interface.

The 902-20 is due to begin shipping in January, Wi-LAN said. By
March, Rogers said, the company plans to add a LAN gateway using
the same technology. The gateway will attach to a wired LAN and
provide communications between computers on the wired LAN and
those equipped with the Wi-LAN wireless interfaces.

It will also be attachable to a network server, allowing computers
equipped with the company's wireless interfaces to communicate
with the server by radio frequency. That will mean new stations
can be added to the LAN without any wiring, the company said.

The suggested retail price for the Wi-LAN 902-20 is US$1,495.

(Grant Buckler/19930929/Press Contact: Frederick Rogers,
Wi-LAN, 403-273-9133, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00021)

 ****Cable TV's Big Day in Washington 09/29/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- The cable
television industry's attempts to roll-back rate regulation are
being heard in Washington.

At a US House hearing in which Democrats complained about
rising rates in the face of a law passed last year to lower them,
Republicans said they would try to repeal the same law. And at the
US Supreme Court, four justices agreed to hear an appeal of the
law's "must carry" provision lodged by Turner Broadcasting System
Inc.

The 1992 cable re-regulation law was passed over a veto from
former Republican President George Bush and opponents, including
the cable industry's trade groups, had long predicted it would
result in rate increases. At a hearing before the subcommittee of
Democrat Edward Markey of Massachusetts, Texas Republicans Joe
Barton and Jack Fields said that is just what happened, and
Barton said he would introduce legislation to repeal it.

But Markey and the panel's Democrats refused to back off. They
lectured interim Federal Communications Commission Chairman
James Quello on the need to stop unjustified rate hikes. Quello
replied that the commission is now surveying the effects of the
law with the 25 largest US operators, and predicted it will find
that most rates have, in fact, gone down. Quello added that the
September bills are just the first step in a long process
mandated by the law.

Local governments which feel the new rates are out of line can
challenge them, cable companies can appeal those challenges to
the commission, and consumers may still get rebates on
overcharges, back-dated to September 1. He also warned that if
complaints prove true, the industry will again be open to the
charge that it is the "monopolistic evil empire" of the
telecommunications world.

Meanwhile, at the Supreme Court, four justices agreed to review
Turner Broadcasting System vs. FCC, a case now numbered docket
93-44. That is a challenge to the "must carry" provision of the
1992 law, under which small cable systems must reserve one-third
of their channels for local broadcasters, even if they must drop
popular cable programming for home shopping stations. Turner had
sued against the provision claiming it violated operators' free
speech rights under the First Amendment, but the challenge was
rejected by an appeals' court.

The "must carry" provision is tied to a "retransmission consent"
provision, under which popular local stations can force payment
from cable operators to carry their signals. Unless agreements
were negotiated by October 6, many operators said they would stop
carrying some local network affiliates. And in agreements worked
out so far between networks and operators, the operators are
agreeing to clear additional channels for new cable offerings
created by the networks.

The one exception is CBS, which has no plans to produce a cable
network and recently dropped its demands that operators pay it
10 cents per home per month, at least for the next year. The
result is to help networks like CNBC, owned by the NBC television
network, and hurt networks like CNN, owned by Turner, because
Turner does not have a network of local stations. "Retransmission
consent" is the one aspect of the new law even Rep. Barton said
he does not want repealed.

The real irony is that technology is making all this moot,
observers note. The 500-channel systems being built by major
operators like Time Warner and TCI will eliminate any problems
with a scarcity of channels. And the entry of local phone
companies into the business, recently authorized by a US
District Court in Virginia, would provide competition which
would eliminate the rate regulation provisions of the 1992 act.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930929)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00022)

Viacom-Paramount-QVC Update 09/29/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Despite filing an
anti-trust lawsuit charging that TCI Chairman John Malone is backing
a bid by rival QVC Network Inc., in an attempt to monopolize the
cable television industry, Viacom is expected to raise its bid
for Paramount Communications Inc.

In preparation, the company announced a deal with Blockbuster
Entertainment Inc., the nation's largest video rental chain,
under which Blockbuster will buy $600 million in Viacom preferred
stock to help finance the Paramount bid. The deal is conditional
on Paramount being acquired by next August, and would give
Blockbuster an expansion of its toehold in movie production -- it
already holds 63.5 percent of Spelling Entertainment Group, which
in turn recently agreed to acquire Republic Pictures. Wall Street
speculation also has Viacom talking to Southwestern Bell and Cox
Enterprises about joining its bid. Earlier, the company had been
said to be talking with Ameritech.

Both QVC and Viacom have offered a combination of cash and stock
for Paramount - whose holdings include Prentice Hall, the largest
computer book publisher, and the "Star Trek" TV series - so the
value of their bids fluctuates with the stock market.

Viacom's offering $1 billion in cash, QVC $3 billion, raised with
help of part-owners TCI and Comcast. Viacom's lawsuit against the
QVC bid notes that TCI also owns a big piece of Turner Broadcasting,
whose board had once authorized Chairman Ted Turner to make a bid
of his own. Turner recently said he would forego entering the
bidding until after his Atlanta Braves baseball team complete their
season.

Viacom, controlled by Boston financier Sumner Redstone, got the
bidding started a few weeks ago with a friendly offer of $7.7
billion in new Viacom stock. That offer was pre-approved by the
Paramount board, which also said it would pay Viacom $100 million
if it sold out to someone else, and give him an option on 20
percent of Paramount's common. If a winning bidder fails to
overturn those provisions in court, it means that Redstone could
earn over $300 million even if he loses the deal. At a press
conference announcing the bid, Redstone downplayed thoughts of
any higher bids, claiming no one else could offer Paramount
Viacom.

But Redstone has no intention of losing. He raised his bid three
times before winning Viacom six years ago, and on paper his
pockets are far deeper than those of QVC. The investment by a
regional Bell, either Southwestern Bell or Ameritech, would
supposedly be similar to the $2.5 billion US West bid for a piece
of Time Warner Entertainment, to be used for financing expansion
of its cable operations. Hampering any attempt to put together a
higher bid is the fact that Redstone wants to maintain majority
interest in his empire. His original bid was structured with 0.1
share of voting stock and 0.9 share of non-voting stock to do just
that.

In formal action on the matter, Paramount's board said it would
reserve judgement on the QVC proposal after it sees evidence on
how it will get the $2 billion in cash it needs to do the deal.
Both bidders also issued press releases claiming they will win in
the end, and Viacom noted that its financing is already lined up.

QVC chairman Barry Diller wrote Paramount head Martin Davis over
the weekend, saying there is no question on the financing of his
bid, adding that Wall Street has endorsed it by bidding up the
price of QVC's common 10 percent since it was announced
September 19, while Viacom's stock price has fallen.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930929)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

Compression Labs Sells Digital Equip To Argentina 09/29/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Compression
Labs SpectrumSaver Compressed Digital Video equipment will be
used in a privately-owned Argentine satellite teleport.

The US company announced that Keytech S.A. of Buenos Aires has
filed a $2 million order for the gear, which will be installed at
its International Teleport of Buenos Aires, and at Cablevision, a
cable television operator. Keytech will use the equipment to
offer cable programming to new operators in Argentina's
countryside. SpectrumSaver allows Keytech to bring in multiple
channels through a single transponder, which is vitally
important when such capacity is limited. The system also
represents a good alternative to shipping shows on videotape.

The Buenos Aires teleport, first set-up in April, is the first
digital broadcast teleport in Latin America, according to
Compression Labs, serving television programmers as well as
cable operators not only within Argentina but outside it as well.

Channels to be served by the system include a version of the
Disney Channel, the I-SAT movie channel, the Reed Vision soap
opera channel, and the off-track betting network of the La Plata
Jockey Club. The teleport will also use SpectrumSaver to transmit
video highlights of South American soccer matches to the United
States for re-broadcast on ESPN.

SpectrumSaver was introduced in 1991 as a digital broadcast
system for business television, distance learning and other
broadcast applications like news gathering and cable
distribution. Keytech S.A. began seven years ago serving
multinational branches of Fortune 500 companies, and was the
first to introduce digital videoconferencing and digital
television into the market.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930929/Press Contact: Compression
Labs, Kim Tarter, 408-922-4610)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00024)

Bell Atlantic Files ISDN Tariffs 09/29/93
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Bell Atlantic
has gotten its price lists for digital services under ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Networks) standards approved for
small businesses in four jurisdictions, and expects to have the
service available throughout its region by the end of the year.

The price for an ISDN line will be $20 more than the price of a
regular business line, spokesman Melissa Andrews told Newsbytes.
She said the average business line costs $16 per month, and all
usage charges are on top of that. The tariff has been approved
for use in the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia and
Maryland, and will be approved later this year in Pennsylvania,
Delaware and New Jersey.

When Ameritech filed its first ISDN business tariffs a few years
ago, it priced the service at 30 percent more than a standard
business line and called its pricing "aggressive." The Bell
Atlantic price represents more than a 100 percent premium over
the cost of a regular business line, for the average customer.

ISDN offers two digital lines of 64,000 bits-per-second (bps) and a
signaling channel of 16,000 bps, which customers can use as they
see fit. A customer, with proper equipment, could let their
phone, modem and fax machine share a single ISDN line, or combine
the digital signals for a videoconference, or for using fast data
services like those offered on the Internet networks.

Earlier this month, BellSouth became the first regional Bell to
get approval for a residential ISDN tariff, in Tennessee. Adams
said Bell Atlantic remains ahead because "We have it much more
available than any other region." But she praised the BellSouth
action, saying, "the more people who have it the better."

In other news from Bell Atlantic, the company said its Bell of
Pennsylvania unit reached agreement with the state's newspaper
publishers on safeguards governing its future electronic
publishing services. The plan will be submitted with regulators
as the company seeks deregulation of rates it says is necessary
before it invests in a high-speed network. An appeals court
recently rejected an appeal of rulings that the regional Bells
have a right to enter the information services business.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930929/Press Contact: Melissa Andrews,
Bell Atlantic, 703-974-1479)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00025)

Change Is The Focus Of Gore's Visit To AST 09/28/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 28 (NB) -- As part of his
investigation into the topic of "Reinventing Government" Vice
President Al Gore visited one of the largest computer
manufacturers in the US, Irvine-based AST Research yesterday.
Gore toured the AST manufacturing facility, then held a round-
table discussion concerning what AST does to compete in the
global marketplace with 14 company employees including Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) and President Safi Qureshey.

After listening to how the AST employees use electronic mail to
communicate worldwide, how individuals are empowered to make
the necessary decisions at their level, and how they have team
meetings to make decisions about company direction, Gore
emphasized his goals for the federal government. Those goals
are to cut red tape, put customers first, empower government
employees to make decisions, and create government that "works
better and costs less." Gore said his view was government is
currently organized to prevent any mistakes and mistakes are
heavily penalized, meaning creativity is stifled along with
innovation.

Gore was given a six month period by President Clinton in March
to review the federal government and offer a report. The result
is a 168 National Performance Review entitled, "From Red Tape
to Results: Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs
Less." The report was presented to President Clinton on
September 7 of this year and claims $108 billion could be saved
over five years if the recommendations contained in the review
were enacted. It is available in book form for $14 through the
US Government Superintendent of Documents.

Problems Gore is attempting to address include: the 49 months
it takes the federal government to buy computer equipment, (as
opposed to 13 months in large corporations) - meaning the
equipment is generally obsolete by the time it arrives; the
dumping of forms directly into trash bins from delivery trucks
in the INS Western Forms Distribution Center because the forms
were outdated by the time they were shipped; and a 138 page
manual of specifications on the vice president's ashtray that
describes the product down to how many pieces it should break
into when dropped.

Gore also asked if AST used internal competition, to which
Qureshey answered no, because he felt that kind of conflict
creates friction. Qureshey also mentioned he attempts to visit
every AST location each year and encourages everyone to call
him by his first name, Safi.

Gore's AST visit was arranged late last week on the
recommendation of Roger Johnson, newly appointed head of the
Government Services Administration (GSA), who was also on hand.
Johnson is a former chief executive officer (CEO) at Western
Digital, a supplier to AST which is also based in Irvine. The
GSA, which determines what companies can sell to the federal
government, has been recently criticized for paying too much
for goods and services.

Gore ended his visit by mentioning that AST now dominates
markets written off by analysts years ago as the domain of the
Japanese. The federal government is still delivering the same
products it delivered over 60 years ago, Gore added. "Government
needs to change -- and change rapidly, and on a continuing
basis," he said.

AST is a $1.4 billion a year company and is on Fortune
Magazine's list of the 500 top US companies. International Data
Corp., lists the company as number four in the US and number
six worldwide.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930928/Press Contact: Emory Epperson, AST
Research, tel [phone], fax [phone]; US Government
Superintendent of Documents, 202-783-3238)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00026)

 ****Arizona Firm Intros Low-Cost PDA 09/29/93
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- A Scottsdale,
Arizona-based company has introduced a personal digital assistant
(PDA) it claims has a much better handwriting recognition rate than
Apple Computer's Newton device.

Scottsdale Technologies has announced the PenPad PDA 600, a
PDA slightly smaller than the Newton. The $499 device is scheduled
to ship the first week of October and the will be in retail outlets
by the middle of the month, according to the company.

Director of Technology Gary Gear, says the PenPad PDA 600
establishes a new price point for PDAs, with other PDAs priced
around $699. "The Newton comes out at close to a thousand dollars
with a few accessories," he told Newsbytes.

The features of PenPad include an address and phone book, diary,
to-do list, notes section, and a set of data conversion tables.
There is also a calculator, calendar, search facility to locate
information, world time clock, and multiple alarms.

PenPad comes with 128 kilobytes (KB) of memory, which can be
expanded to as much as two megabytes (MB) by inserting a PCMCIA
memory card. The card slips into a slot on the back of the unit.
With the maximum memory expansion the system will store up to
6,000 screens of information.

Penpad weighs 400 grams, and is 115 millimeters (mm) wide,
160mm high and 27mm thick. It is powered by three "AA" alkaline
batteries, with a lithium battery backup. Gear says the PenPad
will give up to 40 hours of use on a single set of batteries. The
unit has built-in power management features that automatically
turn it off after a period of inactivity. PenPad uses three
microprocessors - one chip is for character recognition, a second
runs the application program currently being used, and the third
handles overhead functions including power management.

PenPad is manufactured by England-based Amstrad as part of a
marketing partnership with Scottsdale Technologies. "We were
going to enter the PDA market and commissioned the Amstrad
product to be the US entry," Gear said. He told Newsbytes PenPad
will eventually evolve into a wireless communication and
interactive multimedia product marketed under the Scottsdale
Technologies name. Gear said he would rather have future products
working before discussing their specifics.

Icons across the top of the PenPad screen control the display
contrast as well as activate a new page, move to the calendar,
activate the desktop utilities such as the clock, alarm clock and
calendar, control width of the pen strokes, and allow data exchange
through the non-standard serial port.

The phone list automatically alphabetizes its entries. Selecting a
phone list entry automatically displays the complete entry for that
name. The diary/appointment calendar, uses the top half of the
screen for each day's calendar entries. The lower half of the screen
is a scratch pad on which the user writes with the pen. PenPad
automatically reminds the user of any appointments for the day
each time it is turned on. A touch of the pen displays the week's
entries. To erase or correct entries in any of the functions use the
eraser icon or write over the old entry.

The notepad allows you to write freehand on the screen. The pages
are stored and can be recalled. To erase any part of the note, touch
the eraser icon then use the pen as an eraser. To discard a note you
just rip it out of the PenPad. That is done by touching the binder
rings at the left side of the page then dragging the page off the
screen.

Information can be uploaded from the PenPad to a PC using a special
optional cable Gear says will sell for $70 or less. Since it is a
graphics file it can be read by most Windows-based drawing
packages including Paintbrush, the draw program that comes with
Windows. From there you can import the file to your word
processing program. The serial port can also be used to attach a
bar code wand.

Other features include PCMCIA cards for faxing, scheduled to be
available by the end of the year; spreadsheet and forms generator
cards, which are available now; a city guide card planned for
the future; a ASCII text editor word processing card that should
be available in November; and a dictionary and translator card
also planned for the future.

PenPad comes with a mini-serial interface port for printing and data
transfer, three AA batteries, one five-year lithium backup battery,
three pens, a built-in speaker, and a real-time clock.

Gear explained why the PenPad will not have the handwriting
recognition and learning problems that have been attributed to
some other PDAs. "Products like Newton are wordcentric, a word
recognition process that takes place. Word recognition theoretically
can be very good if your character recognition, which feeds the
process of identifying words, is very good. If your character
recognition is poor, your word recognition is a disaster." He told
Newsbytes the PenPad does character, rather than word, recognition.

When the user first turns on the PenPad, he or she will go through a
teaching process for the system, writing the letters of the alphabet
in upper and lower case letters as well as the numerals 0-9. Gear
says that only takes a few minutes. "From then on every time it
correctly identifies a letter it improves its ability to recognize
that same letter incrementally. It fine-tunes itself with your
handwriting." He says after working with the PenPad for a few weeks,
it will fail to recognize perhaps one character in twenty. The use
can also select English, French, Spanish, German, or Italian to use
in the PenPad.

Gear said the distinction between consumer and business users is
blurring. He sees the market for PDA as people who are looking for a
better way to stay organized and keep on track, rather than the more
traditional home or office categories.

(Jim Mallory/19930929/Press contact: Missy Lagomarsino, Martz &
Wadas for Scottsdale Technologies, 602-998-3154; Reader contact:
Scottsdale Technologies, 602-998-2597, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00027)

Creative Multimedia Intros The Family Doctor 3.0 09/29/93
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Creative Multimedia
is now shipping the third edition of The Family Doctor, a medical
reference stored on CD-ROM.

The program uses video clips, animations, and audio to explain
health care information, including emergencies and a section on
rare diseases based on information from the National Organization
on Rare Disorders (NORD).

Creative Multimedia has added a video introduction to the program
by Dr Allen Bruckheim that offers tips on how to use the disk.
Bruckheim is the author and editor of The Family Doctor.

The software is divided into several sections. The Anatomy of The
Body reflects the major systems of the human body and now includes
a slide show explaining how to use and access the anatomy.
Explanatory video and audio provide an overview of muscular and
skeletal, digestive, respiratory and circulatory, urinary and
reproductive, and nervous systems. The user can look at these
body systems in three levels of detail.

The New Prescription Drug Reference Guide is the 1993 edition,
offering information about brand and trade names, uses and side
effects. It also explains how each drug works, and includes photos
of the medicines for help in identifying them.

A Question and Answer section includes more than 300 new entries,
for a total of more than 2,300. Topics include 282 common medical
conditions, common illnesses, the patient-physician relationship,
sports medicine, and surgical procedures. There is also a table of
contents for the Q&A section.

The Family Doctor includes a glossary of more than 100 medical
terms, and over 300 illustrations of anatomical features, systems
and medical procedures with accompanying explanations.

The First Aid section contains an introduction, explains what
to do first in an emergency, lists first aid and emergency care
procedures, and offers a list of what to stock in your own first
aid kit. There are animations and full audio of the text.

The Family Doctor 3.0 edition has a suggested retail price of
$79.99. If you own an earlier release of the program you can upgrade
for $33.99 including shipping and handling by contacting Creative
Multimedia. System requirements include a 386SX or better processor,
Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, 2 megabytes (MB) of RAM, a
hard drive with at least 2MB of free disk space, a Super VGA
display, a sound card, and a CD-ROM drive.

A Mac version is also available that requires System 6.0.7 or later
and 2MB of RAM. For color on the Mac you will need 32-bit QuickDraw.
A CD-ROM with CD-ROM extensions is also required.

(Jim Mallory/19930929/Press contact: Bill Warner, Alliance
Consulting for Creative Multimedia, 503-452-5920; Reader contact:
Creative Multimedia, 503-241-4351)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00028)

Microsoft Donates Software To Drug-Free Projects 09/29/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Microsoft
claims it is not just tough business practices and useful software.
The company also has an interest in the nation's disadvantaged
youth.

For that reason, Microsoft recently donated 350 copies of its
Microsoft Works software suite to two agencies working to keep
young people from disadvantaged backgrounds off of drugs.

The software went to Together! Communities for Drug Free Youth
Project and TRIO, organizations that are researching factors for
substance abuse and developing special prevention programs for
students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Together! works in conjunction with the Oregon Office of Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Programs and Development Research and Programs
Inc. TRIO is a group of programs in five states under the National
Council of Educational Opportunity Association.

Microsoft said the two organizations will use the Microsoft Works
software, which includes word processing, charting, database and
spreadsheet software, to provide at-risk students with
"appropriate and equitable access to training in the use of
computers for educational and future opportunities."

The company said it chose these particular organizations for the
donation because they are helping to activate communities,
including school board members, teachers, students, city council
members and volunteers into community-based teams to develop
programs that help keep children away from drugs.

The software will be used to develop data input and templates that
will then be used in the active communities to analyze and publish
their prevention data. Works will also be used to create documents,
newsletters and press releases to generate publicity for the project
in hopes of expanding it to more states throughout the country.

In June 1992 Newsbytes reported Microsoft had donated Windows,
DOS and Macintosh versions of Microsoft Works for the purpose of
empowering teachers with effective teaching materials that would
support and encourage learning by students. The software donation
was in conjunction with the formation of a partnership between the
software company and 10 state departments of education. Microsoft
said the software would allow the teachers to more effectively use
technology to manage student information, grades, and professional
correspondence.

(Jim Mallory/19930929/Press contact: Julie Larkin, Microsoft
Corporation, 206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft,
800- 426-9400 or 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00029)

ClickBook Turns Files Into Booklets 09/29/93
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Bookmaker
Corp., has announced ClickBook, a utility program that prints any
Windows application file as a booklet.

The software can turn address books, price lists, recipe books,
manuals, event programs and a multitude of other documents into a
booklet printed on both sides of the paper. Since the user has to
turn each printed page over and re-insert it in the printer, ClickBook
includes an instruction sheet that contains a large arrow showing
how to re-feed the pages.

ClickBook comes with an automatic install program, and can be
installed on the menu of several Windows-based applications.
Bookmaker says it has tested ClickBook extensively with Word,
Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Wordperfect, Paradox, Approach, Lotus
1-2-3 Release 4, Ami Pro and Filemaker Pro for Windows. "Some of
our customers use ClickBook to print booklets of overheads
produced in Freelance and PowerPoint," according to Bookmaker
President Martin Mazner.

When the user clicks on the "Print A ClickBook" menu selection they
are offered a choice of 20 sizes and styles of booklets. Bookmaker
spokesperson Lorraine Rossini told Newsbytes ClickBook has a
special introductory price of $49.95. The regular suggested retail
price is $69.95.

(Jim Mallory/19930929/Press contact: Lorraine Rossini, SI-PR for
Bookmaker Corporation, 408-437-1880; Reader contact: Bookmaker
Corporation, 415-617-1101 or 800-766-8531, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00030)

Sony Intros Speakers/Headphones/Microphones For PC 09/29/93
PARK RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 SEP 29 (NB) -- Sony has
officially announced a family of modular speakers, headphones
and a microphone aimed at "enriching the PC audio experience."

Demonstrated for Newsbytes in prototype form at MacWorld Boston
in August, the sound accessories include three sets of speakers --
the SRS-PC30, SRS-PC50 and SRS-D2KPC -- plus the MDR-007PC
headphones and the F-PC30 microphone.

The speakers can be used with boom boxes and CD audio units as
well as with PCs, a Sony spokesperson recently told Newsbytes.
The headphones and microphone are designed for use with PCs only.
The speakers are shipping now. The headphones and microphone
are slated for release later this fall.

Priced at $79.95, Sony's SRS-PC30 speakers are meant to offer an
affordable way of achieving top quality sound. The diminutive
speakers are only 4-.25-by-five-by-three-inches in size, but they
offer 85dB sensitivity, a 100 to 20,000 hertz (Hz) frequency
response, two watts of power, and full-range 1.6-inch drivers, the
spokesperson said.

Other features of the entry-level speakers include built-in single-
sided controls for bass boost, volume and power, a stereo mini-plug
input, and an AC adapter.

The midrange SRS-PC50 speakers, priced at $129.95, provide 85dB
sensitivity, 70 to 20,000 Hz frequency response, and five watts of
power, the spokesperson told Newsbytes. The slightly larger
speakers, measuring three-by-seven-by 5.5-inches, also offer
single-sided controls for bass boost, volume and power.

The SRS-PC50 speakers come with a stereo headphone output jack,
located on the front of the speakers, switchable front-rear stereo
inputs, and an AC power adapter.

In a meeting with Newsbytes back at MacWorld Boston, Masa
Yamamoto, director of the Sony Accessory Products Division,
showed Newsbytes how SRS-PC50 and SRS-PC30 speakers can be
easily stacked on top of each other on a desktop or tabletop, and
mounted and removed from a wall.

The SRS-D2KPC is a three-piece set, priced at $199.95, that
includes a woofer as well as two speakers. The
four-by-5.75-by-five-inch speakers provide 20 watts of power,
90dB sensitivity, and 70 to 20,000 frequency response.

Other features of the SRS-D2KPC speakers include woofer level,
master volume and balance controls, a stereo mini plug, and dual
signal inputs with line/phone input switch. The SRS-D2KPC
woofer measures 5-.75-by-14-by-nine-inches.

Sony's F-PC30 microphone includes a uni-directional magnet for
picking up sound, and a built-in talk switch and microphone table
stand for recording. Cord length is almost seven feet. The
microphone is priced at $29.99.

The MDR-007PC headphones, priced at $9.95, are equipped with a
23 millimeter (mm) driver unit and a wide molded headband. The
headband is intended to deliver comfort, even with extended use,
the spokesperson said.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930929/Reader contact: Sony,
201-930-7669, Press contacts: Yusho Shichijo, Sony,
201-930-7664; Marilyn Young, Technology Solutions for Sony,
415-617-4524)