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/1994/mar_apr_94/nb040194

Text File | 1994-04-01 | 111KB | 2,363 lines

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

Emerald Systems Ships XpressSERVE Network Backup 04/01/94
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Seven months
after introducing the XpressSERVE network file server-based backup
software product, Emerald Systems says it is now shipping.

The product, designed for Novell NetWare local area networks (LANs)
is available for the introductory price of $595, while support for
NetWare 4.0 (Novell's high-end version of its market-leading network
operating system) is provided in the XpressSERVE Enterprise version,
currently priced at $795.

The software operates as a NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) and,
according to the company, utilizes a new "concurrent processing
technology developed by Emerald, which allows for data-transfer rates
of up to 60 megabytes a minute, depending upon network configuration
and file-system profiles.

Newsbytes notes that the ability to easily back up important data is
crucial to many organizations. Obviously, mid- to large-sized
organizations have many reasons to choose dedicated server-based
networks. However, for small- to mid-sized organizations and
departments, peer-to-peer environments, where each workstation on the
network is able to be both a server and a client sharing its hard
disk with everyone else, cause problems with data backup. Having
all data on a centralized departmental server allows for easy
network management and regular, comprehensive backing-up of important
data that the organization cannot afford to lose.

One feature of the product, which the company claims is unique, is
called DataGroups. It allows LAN (local area network) administrators
to group and label files by "logical" criteria (e.g. accounting
files) even if they reside on different servers.

Newsbytes notes that this would save time for organizations with
multiple servers, maybe using a server for each floor of a building
or for each department.

In announcing the shipping of the software, Dr. Lawrence Rogers, vice
president and general manager of Emerald Systems' Software Systems
Division, said: "Speed, ease of use and flexibility were the main
design criteria for the software. We believe our new technology,
called NextWave, resulted in the fastest product in the marketplace."

XpressSERVE Enterprise is SMS (Storage Management Services)-compliant,
which allows for enterprise-wide backup of NetWare Directory Services
and DOS/Windows, Macintosh, Unix and OS/2 namespaces. While SMS allows
backup and restore of local workstations running DOS/Windows and OS/2,
the company says that Unix and Macintosh client backup capability will
soon be available. XpressSERVE Enterprise supports the System Independent
Data Format (SIDF).

Tape drives can be attached to each server and operated at the same
time with XpressSERVE by a LAN administrator's sitting at a
workstation. Additionally, all servers may be backed up to one tape
drive. Data can also be backed up onto clients on the network.

The company claims that XpressSERVE software has an "easy-to-use
NetWare-like C-Worthy interface from a DOS workstation," along with
a DOS command line interface to allow job submittal and status from
the server console or any networked DOS workstation. The software
can operate unattended, with batch operation capability.

(Ian Stokell/19940331/Press Contact: Karen Thomas, 619-673-
2161 ext 4106, Emerald Systems; Reader Contact: 800-767-2587)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00002)

Media Vision 3-D PC Sound Boards 04/01/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- PCs rarely come
with effective sound capabilities built-in, unless they are
equipped with a CD-ROM drive. As a result, the market for
add-in audio boards for PCs is large. Now Media Vision says it
has introduced a family of 16-bit CD-quality boards which offer
"three-dimensional (3-D) sound without the need for any software
reprogramming."

In addition, Media Vision says the boards also offer "advanced"
options such as wave table sound synthesis. The 3-D sound capability
is possible because the company says it has combined SRS (sound
retrieval system) technology its 16-bit sound. SRS technology is the
same process used by Sony and RCA in high-end television sets.

In announcing the new boards, Paul Jain, president and chief
executive officer of Media Vision, said: "3-D technology makes even
an ordinary PC sound richer, clearer, and more realistic. We have
become accustomed to sound being a tremendous addition to the
entertainment experience. These new cards bring the experience
of a music sound track closer to the listener, and create
the illusion for the game player that the action is coming
from many directions."

The company's offerings include the Media Vision Pro 3-D, the Media
Vision Premium 3-D SCSI (small computer systems interface) 2, the
Premium 3-D MCD, and the Professional Wave Table Upgrade. The
Premium 3-D SCSI 2 is reportedly wave table upgradable and comes
with a 2.5 MB/sec SCSI 2 adapter, which handles burst rates up to 5
MB/sec. The Premium 3-D MCD is wave table upgradable and offers
interfaces for Sony, Panasonic, and Mitsumi CD-ROM drives. The Pro
3D consists of a Premium 3-D SCSI 2 sound card with the
Professional Wave Table upgrade already installed.

The 3-D sound cards include 16-bit stereo sound, and 20-voice
FM-synthesis, which is compatible with such audio specifications as
Sound Blaster, AdLib, MPC level 1 and 2, and VESA (Video Electronics
Standards Association).

The new boards come bundled with such software as MidiSoft
Recording Session MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)
sequencer, MidiSoft Sound Impression sound editor, Dragon Systems
Talk-to Plus voice recognition software, and Monologue for Windows
text-to-speech software.

The boards will become available in April, both as stand-alone
products and as part of Media Vision multimedia kits. The Media
Vision Pro 3-D will carry a suggested retail price of $379. Both
versions of the Media Vision Premium 3-D sound card will have a
suggested retail price of $199. Meanwhile, the Media Vision's
Wave table upgrade is expected during the second quarter of 1994
for $199.

It has been an up and down time for Media Vision recently. Just last
last week Newsbytes reported that the company's stock had taken
something of a dive after the firm announced that it would incur
a loss for the first quarter ending March 31, 1994. At the time, the
company said that price competition with Creative Labs and delayed
shipments of new products were responsible for the poor performance.

Newsbytes notes that, in addition to adding sound boards to
compensate for the often inadequate sound capabilities in standard
PCs, many users also look towards graphics accelerator cards in
order to speed up the processor-intensive operations associated
with graphical user interfaces (GUIs), such as Microsoft's WIndows.

Media Vision obviously realizes that too, and as reported by
Newsbytes in February, began shipping in volume its Pro
Graphics 1024 Windows accelerator, which speeds up the
computer's processing of graphics, text, and video. The Pro
Graphics 1024 offers 16.7 million colors at resolutions up to
1024 by 768, and uses the company's custom-designed graphics
accelerator chips. It is available in both a True Color and a 256-
color version. The Pro Graphics 1024 VESA local bus version
was priced at $595 for the True Color version, and $395 for the
256-color version.

The company has also been busy with alliances recently. In January,
Newsbytes reported that Media Vision had signed a licensing deal
with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences designed to
produce interactive multimedia entertainment. At the time the two
parties said that they expected the collaboration to result in the
development of CD-ROM titles relating to the music industry's 1994
Grammy Awards.

In November, Newsbytes reported that Media Vision licensed
technologies from Spectron Microsystems and Microsoft. In October,
the company signed a deal with integrated circuit manufacturer
Analog Devices to develop "next-generation" multimedia
semiconductors for PCs.

(Ian Stokell/19940331/Press Contact: Elizabeth Fairchild,
510-252-4472, Media Vision; Reader Contact: 800-845-5870)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00003)

Sun Microsystems In South Africa 04/01/94
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Deriving
almost half of its $4.3 billion revenue from sources outside the
United States, Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC)
announced the expansion of its 145 worldwide locations to include
Midrand, South Africa.

The corporate strategy includes five South African companies,
RISC Solutions, Large Scale Systems, Lonnet, Rightsizing
Technologies and Vector Network Computers, as business partners
who will serve as the main distribution channels.

Sun has chosen Mr. Abie Fullard, a South African native with 18
years experience at South African Iron and Steel and recently
European market manager for Control Data Corp., to be the
regional manager. Recent successes for Sun include the University
of Witwatersrand which transferred from an IBM mainframe to
Sun's open network architecture and Kruger National Park, South
Africa's largest game refuge has adopted Sun equipment to manage
wildlife resources. Sun has additionally developed new systems in
the markets of banking and finance, transportation, education,
geographic information management, manufacturing and education.

(Patrick McKenna/19940331/Press Contact: Penny Bruce, Sun
Micro, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00004)

Fujitsu Joint Telecom Venture In India 04/01/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Fujitsu has signed a joint
venture business agreement with three Indian firms to create
"Fujitsu Optel" in India. Fujitsu claims to be the first
Japanese electronics firm to create an electronics manufacturing
plant in India.

Fujitsu Optel will be comprised of Fujitsu, Madhaya
Pradesh State Electronics Development, Optel Telecommunications,
and Virgo Marketing Private. This new firm with a capitalization
of about 1.7 billion yen ($170 million) will create optical
data transmission devices and digital radiowave equipment. The
firm will have a research and development department,
manufacturing plant, and sales department.

The new firm expects to report 3 billion yen ($30 million) in sales
in fiscal 1995 and to double sales the following year. Some 300
employees are expected to be hired by 1997.

Fujitsu and India's Optel have had an ongoing relationship;
Fujitsu started licensing Optel's technology for an optical
data transmission system in 1987. Fujitsu claims to have a
70 percent share of the Indian optical data transmission device
market.

The Indian government has been deregulating its telecom market
since 1991. India's Telecommunication Ministry has a 5-year
telecom project and plans to spend a whopping 2.4 trillion yen
($24 billion).

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940325/Press Contact: Fujitsu, +81-3-
3213-4160, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00005)

Dataware Acquires Optim In Canada 04/01/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Dataware
Technologies, Inc., has announced its second Canadian acquisition
in three months, purchasing Optim Corp. of Ottawa, a long-time
distributor of Dataware compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)
products.

Dataware plans to merge Optim with Megalith Technologies, another
Ottawa firm that it acquired at the end of December, to form a
Canadian subsidiary under the Dataware name, company spokesman G.
Mead Wyman told Newsbytes.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, except that it will
be accounted for as a purchase and Dataware said it does not
expect to take a charge against current operations for the deal.

Like Optim, Megalith distributed Optim products in Canada. Wyman
said the two buyouts were part of an effort to build a more
direct presence north of the border. "Our view is that Canada is
a very strategic market," he said.

Optim's co-founders will stay with the company, with Shawn
Brennan taking the job of vice-president of sales and Brian
Cheney becoming vice-president of operations. Both will report to
Charlie Rabie, president.

The effect on staff at Optim and Megalith remains undecided but
should not be drastic, Wyman said. There is little overlap
between the two firms' client lists, he said, and Dataware
expects "very few if any reductions in staff."

(Grant Buckler/19940401/Press Contact: G. Mead Wyman, Dataware,
617-621-0820 ext. 1702)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00006)

SGML Enabler Aimed At QuarkXPress Users 04/01/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- SoftQuad Inc., one
of the first companies to build its fortunes around the Standard
Generalized Markup Language (SGML), has announced software meant
to help users of Quark's QuarkXPress desktop publishing
software work with SGML-formatted documents.

SGML is a standard way of describing the structure of a document,
labelling parts such as paragraphs, sentences, titles, and
subtitles. A document marked up in SGML can be formatted for
printing or distribution using any software that supports the
standard. SGML is an International Standards Organization (ISO)
standard.

SoftQuad's SGML Enabler imports SGML documents into QuarkXPress
and translates SGML tags into QuarkXPress styles. The SGML
encoding is also preserved as hidden text so the document can be
exported back to standard SGML format, according to SoftQuad.
The idea, company officials said, is that users can create a
single document and then publish it in multiple forms such as
print, online electronic distribution, and on compact disc
read-only memory (CD-ROM).

SGML Enabler will be available for QuarkXPress on Intel-based
personal computers running Microsoft's Windows and on the
Apple Computer Macintosh, said Linda Burman, director of
marketing at SoftQuad.

Burman told Newsbytes that SoftQuad chose to create the product
for QuarkXPress because that package is widely used in newspaper
and magazine publishing, an area where SGML is likely to have
particular appeal. She indicated that versions for other desktop
publishing packages are a possibility. "We feel that this is the
beginning of mowing SGML into the mainstream."

The Macintosh and Windows versions of SGML Enabler are expected
to ship some time this summer, Burman said. Prices have not been
announced but will be less than $500, she added.

Also, SoftQuad International Inc., a holding company that
controls 82 percent of SoftQuad Inc., announced that its shares
have been listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

(Grant Buckler/19940401/Press Contact: Ian Aldwinckle or Linda
Burman, SoftQuad, 416-239-4801, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00007)

 ****Virtual Company Targets Online Projects, Programming 04/01/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Online Construction
and Exploration is not much like a traditional company. It's more
of a network of individuals scattered around the world, with a
variety of skills to offer customers who want to develop online
projects or information systems or tackle other jobs related to
information technology and communications.

Co-founder Scott Fletcher said the new company's name hints at
the way it works. "We function like a traditional construction
company," he said, by acting as a general contractor for a
project and hiring the specific expertise needed to do the job.
Online Construction has about 45 contacts in several countries
available to work on projects, he said.

Fletcher said he has been working in computing since the late 1970s
and operates a mid-sized bulletin board system in Toronto.
Co-founder James MacFarlane is a well-known Canadian writer on
data communications and computing topics.

In operation since mid-March, Online Construction offers
management of online projects such as bulletin boards and
wide-area networks, physical hardware design and construction of
online facilities, viability studies and development of business
plans for online projects, interface design, security services,
computer crime investigation, and programming and software
development.

A handful of projects are under way now, Fletcher said, including
the creation of a mid-sized online facility for the Alberta Real
Estate Board and an installation for a large radio operation.
"We're talking to people that are all over the world," Fletcher
said. "We plan to be a global company."

(Grant Buckler/19940401/Press Contact: Scott Fletcher, Online
Construction and Exploration, 416-504-0479, fax [phone],
Internet [e-mail]; Public Contact: Online Construction &
Exploration, 416-504-0479, Internet [e-mail])


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

Virtual Reality Network Online In California 04/01/94
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Helped by
idealism and some hope of a collective profit, David Mitchell has
put the Diasper Virtual Reality Network online.

The network features a virtual "lunar base" called the Lunar
Tele-operations Model 1, or LTM-1. The system features a
capability called "online video" -- users can send and receive
video images while chatting online. Video images can also be
included with electronic mail and in bulletin board posts.
Mitchell hopes to soon add goggles which can be used to give
users a true virtual-reality experience while interacting with
the system.

Volunteers have helped build a virtual lunar rover from tools
loaded onto the network. Both the tools and the rover are
available at $1 per hour, after a five-hour free trial period.
Access is via either direct-dial or an Internet call to
diaspar.com, using telnet software. Mitchell describes his
computer as a mini-based, distributed system. It's near the El
Toro base in the mountains behind Laguna Beach, and Mitchell says
he had to abandon the place briefly during last year's California
wildfires.

Newsbytes discussed all this with Mitchell. "I came up with the
idea of the Lunar Tel operations model as a non-profit model for
education, and a chance for people to participate in building a
miniature moon base. People can contribute models they've
created, drawings, or hardware. They can either loan it or
contribute it outright," he said.

"I've been involved with computers since high school. I've been
involved in online systems seven years, both as a moderator and
exchange editor's assistant on Bix and with Diasper for three
years." So far, he's funded LTM-1 himself."I've invested in it.
And we've had a lot of volunteer help along the way, from people
involved in software, contributing time and talent. William Moore
and Pete Manly have done a lot. Bill has been in online systems
for a number of years and saw the potential. Pete is a writer and
big on astronomy."

But Mitchell knows he can't run the network as a charity
forever, and is seeking to prove a new business model. "Long term
we want this to be profitable, enough so we can have revenue
sharing with the people who contribute. This is a really an
experiment in distributed capitalism." He explained how charges
and repayments will work. "Whenever anyone is in a virtual world
now, the system tracks the time. That's shared among the people
who created it." For instance, "Poly, a virtual playground, was
written by a man named Joe Gridecki. We have a licensing
arrangement so people can use worlds they create from the
specifications. We put them on the system, and there's a revenue
share."

Getting online with the system does take a high-powered computer,
Mitchell adds. "Right now all you need is a 386 or 486 based PC
with a VGA monitor and our software. We've had tele-operations
sessions as slow as 2400 baud -- you get one image every second,
but it works. Higher speed is better. We can sustain up to
19,200, as well as 14,400. Between the Internet and the dial-up
ports we can handle 32 people. And we have the capability to
grow."

He concludes, "The most important thing about the LTM-1 is we're
really doing this as something we believe in. I was talking with
someone at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It's a
wonderful way to learn about and participate in the future of
space travel for most people."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940401/Press Contact: David Mitchell, Diaspar
Virtual Reality Network, 714/831-1776; Modem: 714/376-1234;
Internet: diaspar.com)


(NEWS)(IBM)(HKG)(00009)

Microsoft Chinese Word For Windows 5.0 04/01/94
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Microsoft has added a
host of new features to the Chinese version of its best-selling
word processor with the launch of Chinese Word 5.0 for Windows.
The new version also enables enterprises which rely on Chinese
language computing, or a combination of both Chinese and
English, to take advantage of the power of Microsoft's
integrated suite of Office software.

"Chinese language computing is extremely important and it has
always been our intention to be the major player in the market,"
said Laurie Kan, country manager for Microsoft Hong Kong Ltd.

"We demonstrated that commitment last year with the introduction
of Chinese Windows 3.1 and the first Chinese versions of Word
and Excel. The new features in Chinese Word 5.0 for Windows
take ease-of-use to the next stage."

Chinese Word for Windows includes all the familiar features
that have made it such a successful English-language word
processing package and combines them with support for the
16-bit, or "double byte" characters required for Chinese
language processing.

Like all Windows applications, it enables users to create
what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) documents that
appear on-screen as they do in printed form.

Among the most exciting new Windows-based ease-of-use features
in Chinese Word 5.0 for Windows is drag-and-drop. This enables
text to be rearranged quickly on the page by highlighting the
section to be moved and dragging and dropping it into its
destination - all by using the mouse.

In addition, tables are far easier to construct. With one click
on the toolbar they can be added to documents in seconds. Once
on the screen, the column widths can be changed with a click
of the mouse. The toolbar now includes "envelope" and "bullet"
buttons to address envelopes or add bullets to text -
also at the click of the mouse.

A grammar checker, as well as a spell checker, is now available
in the pull-down menu under the tools heading. And a new
drawing feature makes logos, maps, diagrams and charts
quick and easy to create.

Like the previous version, Word 5.0 for Windows has a full
Chinese interface, with Chinese character pull-down menus.
However, the new release also has training built-in. This
computer-based tutorial compliments the existing Chinese
on-line help and Chinese documentation.

Under Chinese Windows 3.1, users can freely mix Chinese and
English text in a Word document or Excel spreadsheet. In
fact, Chinese Windows 3.1 will enable any English Windows
applications to handle traditional Chinese characters.

Thus Chinese Word and Excel can be used in conjunction with
other elements of the Microsoft Office, including Microsoft
Powerpoint and Microsoft Mail. With the language enabling
technology of Chinese Windows 3.1, users can set up
a complete Chinese language office environment, sending
Chinese e-mail to their colleagues and creating Chinese
language business presentations.

Microsoft says it is committed to releasing full Chinese
language versions of its other major Windows applications,
including its award-winning Powerpoint presentation software
and Works, an integrated, multifunction software package.

Microsoft Chinese Word 5.0 for Windows has a recommended
retail price of HK$4,356.

(Keith Cameron 19940330 Contact: Sasha Skinner, Microsoft,
852-804 4261)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00010)

HK Tel's $100 Million Digital Inmarsat Stations 04/01/94
CHAI WAN, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Hongkong Telecom officially
launched its two new $100 million digital Inmarsat M/B land earth
stations at Cape D'Aguilar, marking a new era of digital mobile
satellite communications in Hong Kong.

The new stations represent the 19th Inmarsat site in the Pacific
and Indian Ocean regions, as well as the most technologically
advanced. Inmarsat M supports voice telephony, fax and low-speed
data while Inmarsat B is the digital successor to Inmarsat A,
the full-featured service supporting telephone, fax, data and
telex services.

"Inmarsat M and Inmarsat B are the most advanced products we have
in terms of all-digital technology," said Keith Thacker, executive
vice-president of Inmarsat. "Inmarsat M is destined to become
known as the global phone in a briefcase and Inmarsat B will
provide all the services of Inmarsat A but at roughly half the
cost."

"The $100 million spent thus far represents only the first half of
our overall investment," said Norman Yuen, Hongkong Telecom's
strategy director, at a press conference just prior to the
official opening. "This investment offers proof of Hongkong
Telecom's commitment to providing truly regional services
while keeping at the forefront of technology.

"The new land earth stations also solidify Hong Kong's position
as the region's telecommunications and business hub and
underline Hongkong Telecom's position as the pre-eminent
service provider in Southeast Asia. By the turn of the century,
these stations will help pave the way for the day when you
will be able to call anywhere in the world via Inmarsat using
mobile phones similar to the ones many of you carry now. "

Annual satellite communications traffic in the Pacific and Indian
Ocean regions has reached approximately 50 million minutes.
Yuen predicted this figure would double by the end of the
century, by which time the two regions would account for half
of the global traffic.

The driving force in the spread and expansion of satellite
communications is digital technology, which is increasing
the quality of the signals broadcast while reducing both the
cost of transmitting signals and the size of the portable
terminals required.

As a means of making satellite communications more affordable to
users, Yuen cited Hongkong Telecom's new Project Condominium,
a low cost alternative to building a land earth station while
providing many of the same benefits.

As the name suggests, Project Condominium enables users to lease
a land earth station identity to market and sell their own
Inmarsat services at a fraction of the cost of building a
land earth station of their own.

"The partnership enables us to cover all four of the earth's
main ocean regions," said Yuen. "The arrangement provides
economy of scale, lower investment costs, and the ability to
expand coverage throughout the world as required. These benefits
and savings are then passed along to our Project Condominium
customers who, in turn, use them to their sales and marketing
advantage."

Project Condominium is provided by a consortium comprising
Hongkong Telecom, Cable & Wireless, IDB Mobile Communications
of the US, Teleglobe Canada and Morsviazsputnik of Russia.

Inmarsat, the International Maritime Satellite Organization,
headquartered in London, is an internationally owned cooperative
which provides mobile communications worldwide. Established in
1979 to serve the maritime community, Inmarsat has since evolved
to become the only provider of global mobile satellite
communications for commercial, distress and safety applications at
sea, in the air and on land.

(Keith Cameron 19940330 Press Contact: Judy Inn, HK Telecom,
852-888 6374)


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

Sony Develops Blue Semiconductor Laser 04/01/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Sony claims that it
has developed a blue semiconductor laser with the capability
to function continuously at room temperature. A previous blue
laser created by Sony required below freezing temperatures
to operate -- specifically cooled to the temperature of liquid
nitrogen, about -200 Celsius

According to the firm, this is the first of its kind and
presents considerable potential for future advanced
industrial devices. Designed to be used in compact disc
players and storage devices, the laser is designed to
manipulate data that is denser, researchers say.

Sony's blue semiconductor laser reportedly functions continuously
at a room temperature of 23 degrees centigrade. The wavelength
is 489.9 nanometers -- smaller than the firm's previous
version which functioned at 523 nanoseconds. Sony has created
the laser with zinc, magnesium, sulfur and selenium in order to
reduce resistance.

Sony developed the basic technology for the blue semiconductor
laser in May 1993 and has since been improving the
technology.

In combination with red and green lasers, the blue semiconductor
laser may be applied to full-color displays and powerful color
printers. Strong demand could be in the multimedia industry
as well as the medical and measurement instrument industries.

Many electronics firms are trying to develop blue
semiconductor lasers. In 1991, 3M in the US developed a blue
semiconductor laser with the wavelength of 525 nanometers. Sony's
blue semiconductor laser pulse is much shorter. A
Sony engineer has told Newsbytes that it will take another four
to five years before it is commercially viable.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940329/Press Contact: Sony,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00012)

Personnel Changes Roundup 04/01/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- This is
a regular feature, summarizing personnel changes at companies
not covered elsewhere by Newsbytes: Pinnacle Micro Inc.,
Digital Equipment Corp., Micronics Computers Inc., NTN
Communications Inc., Southwall Technologies Inc., Triconex
Corp., Optek Technology Inc., and Exabyte Corp.

Optical storage system company, Pinnacle Micro Inc.,
(800-553-7070), announced the promotion of Lily M. Craig as
vice president of finance. Craig's past positions include vice
president and treasurer of Mass Optical Storage Technologies,
chief financial officer of Nakamichi USA, and chief financial
officer of tape drive firm, Mountain Computers. Pinnacle also
recently hired Philip L. Gioia as director of manufacturing and
procurement. Most recently, Gioia was director of manufacturing
for Toshiba America Inc., where he was responsible for all
phases of manufacturing and procurement.

Digital Equipment Corp., (508-493-6369), has appointed Frank
McCabe, 57, to vice president, Memory and Peripheral Products
Group, and Bruce J. Ryan, 50, to vice president, Corporate Industry
Marketing, effective immediately. Both continue to report to
Edward E. Lucente, Digital's vice president of Worldwide Sales
and Marketing and general manager of the Systems Business Unit.

System board supplier, Micronics Computers Inc.,
(510-651-2300), has announced the expansion and realignment
of its sales and marketing efforts. Robert Gunn, formerly vice
president of marketing for the company, has been appointed vice
president of sales and marketing. In his new capacity, Gunn will
be more closely coordinating the sales and marketing efforts.
Micronics also announced the appointment of Ray
Heckman as director of product marketing, a new position
within the company. Prior to joining Micronics, Heckman held
similar positions at Adaptec and Kalok. Larry Barber, formerly
vice president of worldwide sales for Micronics, has been named
vice president, business development.

Interactive television firm, NTN Communications Inc.,
(310-473-4147), says that Pete Rozelle, the former
commissioner of the National Football League, and Kenneth Hamlet,
the former president and chief executive officer of Holiday Inns
Inc., have been elected to the board of directors of NTN,
commencing April 1. Rozelle served as commissioner of the NFL
from 1960 to 1989, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of
Fame. He also serves on the board of directors of Chris Craft
Industries. Hamlet served as president and CEO of Holiday Inns
from 1980 to 1990.

Southwall Technologies Inc., (415-962-9111), announced
that J. Larry Smart will be resigning as president and chief
executive officer of Southwall effective June 1, 1994. From
that date, Smart will be the chairman of the company's board
of directors and plans to continue as the non-employee chairman
if elected at the company's annual meeting of stockholders on
May 19, 1994. Smart will become the executive vice president
and chief operating officer of a much larger company in the Bay
Area. The company designs and produces thin film coatings that
selectively absorb, reflect or transmit certain types of
electromagnetic radiation.

Triconex Corp., (714-768-3709), announced the appointment
of Denny A. Rigas to the newly created position of executive vice
president, sales and marketing. Rigas, 49, most recently served
as global industry sales manager at the Milwaukee-based Allen-
Bradley division of Rockwell International. Charles W.
McBrayer has been named executive vice president
and chief financial officer. McBrayer previously held the position
of vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Triconex
develops fault-tolerant TMR safety and control systems.

Optoelectronic and Hall Effect sensor components company, Optek
Technology Inc., (214-323-2301), says that Richard G. Dahlberg
has been elected by the Optek board of directors to the post of vice
president, director of engineering. Dahlberg has been with by the
company since January, 1983, holding various managerial posts in
engineering, most recently director of commercial engineering.

Exabyte Corp., (303-447-7434), has announced several
management changes in its operations, finance, and sales and
marketing areas. In operations, Exabyte appointed Ronald T.
Sexton to the new position of director of software development.
He is responsible for all facets of Exabyte product software
development, including operating system compatibility and
storage application qualification. In the manufacturing and
materials organization, Dennis E. Schell was named to the new
position of director of worldwide manufacturing and logistics.
Schell oversees Exabyte's tri-continent manufacturing and the
strategic planning associated with it. Also, David A. Wickersham
was appointed to the position of director of corporate materials.
Wickersham, who also reports to Ward, is responsible for
procurement, logistics, master scheduling, inventory and supplier
quality. In finance, Bernie Herrmann joined the company as
corporate controller, directing all accounting activities and
financial reporting. He reports to William L. Marriner, senior
vice president of finance and administration. Director of
Program Management Michael G. Befeler added director of
market planning to his title.

(Ian Stokell/19940401)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00013)

NetManage Ships Windows NT Client/Server RPC Dev't Kit 04/01/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- NetManage claims
it is the first vendor to ship a software development kit for building
RPC client/server applications on Windows NT.

The RPC SDK is based on the ONC (Open Network Computing) RPC/XDR
(Remote Procedure Call/External Data Representation) specification,
and includes an RPCGEN protocol compiler, sample code and both
client and server support for Microsoft's 32-bit NT.

The company adds that, applications developed with the kit are
compatible with the RPC DLL in NetManage's Chameleon32NFS, which it
claims is the "only shipping NFS client and server package" for NT.

In announcing the shipments, Bob Williams, NetManage vice president
of marketing, said: "The powerful combination of Chameleon32NFS
and our ONC RPC/XDR development kit provides developers with a
comprehensive set of tools which they can use to create custom
distributed applications for the NT environment."

NetManage's RPC DLL supports the Winsock interface which allows it
to run on the Microsoft TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol) stack which comes with Windows NT. The company
also says that the kit provides support for RPC development on NT
running on an Intel, DEC Alpha or MIPs based platform.

The ONC RPC/XDR development kit is already shipping, priced at
$500. Chameleon32NFS is sold separately.

NetManage, best known for its Windows TCP/IP products, has
been in the news lately.

Just this month, Newsbytes reported that NetManage had
announced the results of a working group meeting which tested
and reportedly validated the WinSNMP networking standard.
WinSNMP defines the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
interface for Microsoft Windows. Companies participating in the
testing forum included American Computer, Cabletron, FTP
Software, Hewlett-Packard, Novell, and NetManage.

Also this month, as reported by Newsbytes, NetManage announced
shipments of its $199 Internet Chameleon communications program
for Windows, designed for dial-up access to the Internet. The
software is based on the company's own Chameleon TCP/IP for
Windows software suite, and comes with a dozen applications,
plus pre-configured setup scripts for a number of Internet access
providers.

Newsbytes notes that anyone not belonging to an organization or
company with its own Internet access, needs to access the
Internet via one of the many Internet access providers nationwide.

Back in December, Newsbytes reported that NetManage began
shipping its $495 Chameleon32, claimed at the time to be the first
TCP/IP for Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. Chameleon32
is written to the Windows Sockets API (application programming
interface) and runs on the native NT TCP/IP stack. The product
provides a suite of TCP/IP applications, including Telnet terminal
emulation (VT100, VT220, TN3270) FTP, NewsReader, TFTP, Ping,
Bind, Finger, and Whois.

(Ian Stokell/19940331/Press Contact: Donna Loughlin,
tel [phone], fax [phone], NetManage Inc.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00014)

Personal Handy Phone Testing Starts In Tokyo 04/01/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Japan's major domestic telephone
firms NTT and DDI will start experimental use of their personal
phones in Tokyo this month. Both firms have already
conducted testing in Sapporo and Hokkaido in Japan, which was
successful. The Personal Handy Phone presents lucrative
opportunities in Japan, according to the two firms.

NTT and DDI will test the Personal Handy Phone in the
center of Tokyo including Hibiya, Kasumigaseki, Otemachi,
Marunouchi, Ginza, Yaesu, Haneda airport, Toranomon, Yurakucho,
Uchisaiwaicho, Shimbashi and Nihonbashi. NTT will lend 1,200
units of the Personal Handy Phone to its testers in the
area. DDI will lend 1,500 units in the area. NTT has already
set up 100 ground radiowave relay bases, and DDI has set up
about 65 ground bases. Testing will be conducted until the
end of October.

The Personal Handy Phone is a kind of a long distance internal
telephone. The phone itself looks similar to a cellular phone.
However, usage fees will be about a half to a third of that
charged for cellular phones. The only disadvantage is that
the area in which it can be used is smaller -- the Personal
Handy Phone can be used only within a radius of about 200 meters.

The reason why the Personal Handy Phone costs less to use is
because ground bases are also cheaper to create. It will cost
500,000 to 600,000 yen (around $5,000) to set up one ground base,
compared to a cost 100 times higher for a ground base for a
cellular phone.

The Personal Handy Phone uses digital signals, and can be
connected with personal computers or other telecommunication
devices easily.

NTT and DDI are expecting to start commercial service for
Personal Handy Phones next year. The Japanese Posts &
Telecommunication Ministry expects that this phone service will
be in use by more than 40 million people by the year 2010.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940330/Press Contact: NTT, +81-3-
3509-3101, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00015)

Feds Can Take SPARCy On The Road 04/01/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Look out for those
federal workstation road warriors. Sun Microsystems Federal is
now adding the Powerlite portable, made by RDI Computer, to its
line of third-party offerings to US government buyers.

"RDI's Powerlite workbook family fulfills a growing demand from
our government customers requiring workstation functionality in a
notebook sized package," said John Marselle, president of Sun's
federal marketing organization.

Based on the microSPARC processor, the 8.5-pound Powerlite runs
at 50 MHz providing 60 MIPS of processing power. The system
supports configurations of up to 80 MB of memory and over 1 GB of
internal disk storage. RDI loads the machine with unmodified
versions of Solaris 1.1.1 or 2.3, Sun's Unix dialect, to insure
compatibility with applications developed for Sun Microsystems
and SPARC-based workstations.

The Powerlite has two display options on its 10.4-inch diagonal
liquid crystal display screen. The 640 x 480 resolution Colorplus
active matrix LCD provides a palette of 262,000 colors (64 levels
of gray scale). This extensive palette is important for
applications such as mapping and GIS that require accurate color
illustration, image rendering, and smooth surface shading. The
Colorplus also allows simultaneous display to an external VGA
device.

RDI also offers the Powerlite with a 1024 x 768 high resolution
active matrix color LCD. This display matches the resolution of
Sun's desktop SPACRstation Classic and SPARCstation Voyager.
The Powerlight's full-sized, 104-key keyboard provides complete
Sun Type-5 keyboard functionality, and a three-button integrated
trackball allows mouseless operation in tight quarters. The
Powerlite case has a built-in palm rest.

"With a 1024 x 768 high resolution LCD, over one gigabyte of
internal disk storage, and unmodified Solaris 1.1.1 or 2.3, the
Powerlite is the perfect solution for Sun Federal's wide range of
mobile government users," said Frank Smaldino, vice president of
sales at RDI.

(Kennedy Maize/19940401/Presss Contact: Lisa Heller, RDI
Computer, tel [phone], fax: [phone], internet:
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00016)

AEA Cheers White House On Exports, BSA Burns 04/01/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- The American
Electronics Association is beaming about the White House decision
to back off on export controls, saying it would move from
specific licenses to a general license for a broad range of
computer and telecommunications gear.

"President Clinton's team deserves a round of applause," said
Dick Iverson, AEA president and CEO. "This action helps ensure
that the US high tech industry will compete on an equal footing
with foreign competitors. And it will also give these former
communist countries the critical tools to rebuild and grow their
civilian economies."

AEA noted that the administration's announcement builds on its
September move to decontrol a wide range of personal computers
and workstations by expanding the classes of computers eligible
for general license treatment. Just as significant, said AEA,
the new policy decontrols most telecommunications products for
civilian end-use.

"While there remain exceptions to products eligible for this
general license treatment, such as microprocessors, encryption
products and some production technology," Iverson said, "this
effort should result in billions of dollars of additional exports
for America's high technology companies."

Now AEA says it hopes the administration will follow up with new
legislative initiatives. "The administration's first legislative
proposal for reform last month fell short of our expectations,
but this is a huge and significant step forward," said Iverson.

AEA is calling for legislation so that future administrations
can't undo what the Clinton administration has done. "This means
ending or disciplining the use of unilateral US export denials
or delays; gaining full multilateral cooperation for controls on
technologies that are truly critical to proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction; and regularly evaluating existing controls
and eliminating them when the products are globally available and
the controls are ineffective," Iverson said.

But not all high-tech business interests were happy with the
Clinton action. "It doesn't do anything for us," Diane Smiroldo
of the Business Software Alliance told Newsbytes. "It doesn't do
anything about encryption or Clipper," the administration's
proposal to require weak encryption on software products.

(Kennedy Maize/19940401/Contacts: Ramona Gann, tel [phone];
Greg Garcia, tel [phone] of AEA; Diane Smiroldo, BSA, tel
202-872-5500, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00017)

Toronto Stock Exchange Floor Closing Expected By Year-End 04/01/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Despite new delays
in testing a fully automated stock trading system, the Toronto
Stock Exchange still expects to be able to close its equities
trading floor by the end of 1994.

Closure of the 115-year-old trading floor was originally planned
for March of 1993, but was pushed back to last fall and then to
this year.

A key phase in the plan to move entirely to automated trading is
a pilot testing phase in which about 20 traders will conduct live
trades on the new automated system, Jim Gallagher, executive
vice-president of the exchange, told Newsbytes. That trial, which
was pushed back from January to April and then in late March
further delayed to June, is "where the rubber hits the road,"
Gallagher said.

He said people at the exchange, Canada's largest, cannot be sure
when they will be able to move all traders to the automated system
until they see how the pilot works. But he said he still
expects the floor to close by the end of 1994.

The exchange announced in late March that the pilot project would
be put off due to the discovery of more problems than expected
and to a flood that damaged equipment in the exchange's computer
room.

A memo to member firms of the exchange from Fred Ketchen,
chairman of the board, also said that because of record trading
volumes the exchange would have to install a generator to provide
electrical backup, a project that will take two weekends away
from testing of the new electronic trading systems.

(Grant Buckler/19940401/Press Contact: Jim Gallagher, Toronto
Stock Exchange, 416-947-4650)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00018)

QuickTime & Multimedia Conference Overview 04/01/94
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Highlighted by its
QuickTime Film Festival, the third, annual International
QuickTime & Multimedia Conference for developers and QuickTime
fans opened at San Francisco's Masonic Auditorium with a day of
tutorials and two days of seminars, conferences and exhibitions.
QuickTime, video, imaging and sound, development tools
and publishing issues are conference topics.

Producer, Jerry Borrell, president and CEO of Sumeria, delivered
the conference introduction in which he stated that Pagemaker
is the closest thing to a really good developer tool on the
market, that NEC has played a dominant role in CD-ROM drive
production with its 3x and 4x products and that CD manufacturing
needs more competition to lower CD prices.

He also advised developers to develop their own content,
never bundle their product, as it predicts the death of the
product, and follow closely the legal developments
that are defining multimedia.

While not endorsing Apple's Media Kit for developers, Mr.
Borrell thanked Apple for its QuickTime contribution
without which multimedia would not be where it is today.

Following the introduction, Tom Ryan, manager of media products
for Apple, delivered a keynote address that took note of Mr.
Borrell's Media Kit comments, outlined the role of QuickTime 2.0,
which will be released in June, and stressed the advantages of
Power PC.

Duncan Kennedy of Apple provided previews of the features of
QuickTime 2.0, "an architecture for sound and images that will
now produce music without MIDI interfaces."

In response to the all too obvious snub, Microsoft's Steven
Banfield, multimedia marketing manager, told Newsbytes, "We can
do anything in Windows that Apple can do in the Mac environment
with QuickTime. By that I mean that fundamentally there is nothing
that they are doing with QuickTime that we cannot do with Video
for Windows except developers will make money with Windows CDs
that have a 50 million customer base."

On the show floor, sixty hardware, software and peripheral companies
demonstrated their products and services, including SyQuest's new
5200, 5.25" storage disk, Presenter Professional's 3.0 developers'
tool and Adobe's new Premiere 4.0.

Newsbytes learned that San Francisco State University
now offers a Multimedia Studies program, the magazine, Desktop Video
World has been renamed Digital Video Magazine, and after its
announcement at Macworld, Fractal Design is shipping Dabbler
this week.

The QuickTime Film Festival runs for two consecutive evenings
and is a sold-out event that attracts outside film buffs as well
as the video developer crowd.

(Patrick McKenna/19940401/Press Contact: Jerry Borrell, Sumeria,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00019)

Microsoft Creates Messaging Standards Group 04/01/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation has announced the formation of the Messaging Management
Council (MMC), an advisory group the software company says will
attempt to obtain agreement on which industry standards Microsoft
and key messaging vendors should support and in what priority.

The company says council members will represent a broad range of
messaging users, as well as vendors offering message switching,
wireless messaging, US and international telecommunications
service, and computer hardware, systems and software.

Microsoft says most large corporate users have multiple electronic
mail systems and messaging hardware components with separate and
often proprietary network management and monitoring systems.

Research firm International Data Corporation says electronic mail
(e-mail) systems will more than triple in popularity by 1997.
Microsoft expects the messaging management problem to become
increasingly challenging as messaging moves from local area
networks (LANs) to enterprise-level client-server systems, a
problem MMC will address.

"Information can't get where it is needed unless companies have the
tools to manage their messaging systems effectively," according to
Tom Evslin, Microsoft general manager or server applications.
Evslin's division deals with current and future versions of
Microsoft's messaging products, Hermes and SNA Server.

MMC founding members plan to begin their discussions during the
Electronic Messaging Association Annual Conference the week of
April 18, 1994 in Anaheim, California.

Microsoft spokesperson Ray Berardinelli told Newsbytes other
founding members include The Radicati Group, AT&T Global Information
Solutions, Collabra Software, and MCI Telecommunications. "There
seems to be a lot of support for it when you talk to users and
vendors," said Berardinelli.

One industry analyst wasn't enthusiastic about the
announcement. According to IDC analyst Ann Palermo there are already
so many standards setting groups it's difficult to get to all the
meetings. "The plethora of so-called standards in the messaging
industry are getting to be problematic," Palermo told Newsbytes.
"When there are so-called standards that are not widely adopted and
but just fostered by certain camps it only serves to delay
applications development and ultimately hurts the customers of
messaging systems."

(Jim Mallory/19940401/Press contact: Ray Berardinelli, Waggener
Edstrom for Microsoft, 503-245-0905; Reader contact: Microsoft
Corporation, 206-936-9459)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00020)

Former CompUSA President, Named CEO Of OEC 04/01/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Open Environment
Corporation (OEC), the Boston-based client-server software vendor
that produces OEC Toolkit, has named Nathan Morton, who previously
headed up CompUSA, to the position of president and CEO.

In an interview with Newsbytes, the newly appointed chief of OEC
said that he plans to "substantially grow" the 15-month-old
software company, using OEC Toolkit as a base. OEC's flagship
product is now installed at hundreds of Fortune 500 sites
worldwide, ranging from Alcoa and Bank of America to United Health
Care and Weyerhauser, according to Morton.

Morton told Newsbytes that he will use his experience in managing
rapidly growing small companies to determine and take advantage of
new market opportunities for the OEC Toolkit, a multiplatform
software environment that features a three-tier architecture.

"What appealed to me about OEC is that we have a market opportunity
which I believe is very large. The three-tiered architecture is the
core of OEC's offering, but I envision that in going forward, our
offering will broaden substantially," Newsbytes was told.

OEC's former president and CEO, Sundar Subramaniam, a company co-
founder with John Donovan, will now take on the title of co-
chairman. Subramaniam will also remain chief technology advisor.
Morton will report to Donovan and Subramaniam.

OEC is now in the process of preparing a new strategic plan which
will "redefine" OEC, Morton added. Scheduled for completion over
the next 30 days, the plan will pinpoint new market growth areas
for the company.

OEC claims to be the first vendor to have introduced the three-tier
architecture. Under the new technology, which is now being adopted
by major players such as Microsoft, distributed computing
operations are separated into user interface (client), applications
logic (server), and data access components.

OEC produced revenues of approximately $9 million in 1993, its
first year of operation, and hopes to achieve revenue growth of
between 100 and 200 percent in 1994, according to Morton. The
company was spun off from Cambridge Technology Group, an executive
training firm, in January, 1993.

Morton told Newsbytes that he started at CompUSA in December, 1989,
as COO, and was later appointed president and CEO, and then became
chairman and CEO.

Morton left CompUSA in December, 1994. During his tenure there, the
private company moved from a two-store, $87 million operation to a
70-store, national public company with projected sales of $2.2
billion in sales of 1994.

Prior to joining CompUSA, Morton was senior vice president,
operations, for Home Depot. He arrived at Home Depot in 1984, when
the chain had 21 stores and revenues of $400 million, and is
credited with having helped to expand operations to over 100 stores
nationwide and revenues of over $2 billion.

OEC recently moved its headquarters from 219 Vassar Street in
Cambridge, Massachusetts to a larger, 30,000-square-foot building
at 25 Travis Street in Boston, located nearby the Harvard Business
School and WGBH-TV, Boston's public television station.

The company opened an expansion office in San Francisco,
California, in November, and recently launched international
offices in Tokyo, Japan; London, England; and Shannon, Ireland.

OEC sells its products through a direct sales force, systems
integrators, and marketing and distribution partnerships with
hardware vendors that include Digital, HP, IBM and Unisys.

The company also provides executive and technical education courses
in the use of client/server technology. These courses have trained
more than 2000 people to help users build client-server
applications, according to Morton.

The OEC Toolkit runs on DEC OSF/1 and Ultrix, Sun's Sun OS and
Solaris, Unisys Unix System V, HP-UX, AIX/6000, and OS/2.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940401/Reader contact: Open Environment
Corporation, 617-603-6690; Press contacts: Brenda Harrison, Open
Environment Corporation, 617-562-5856; Christine LeCompte, Beaupre
and Company Public Relations for Open Environment Corporation, 603-
436-6690)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00021)

Novell's Vision Of The Future 04/01/94
PROVO, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Following the acquisition
by Novell of word processing publisher Wordperfect Corporation
in late March 1994 Novell has provided some clues to its vision of
the next generation of network computing.

Until the acquisition Novell was generally known as the company
that makes Netware, the network operating system software for
personal computers. But that image changed overnight when it traded
59 million shares of Novell common stock for all of Wordperfect
shares and stock options to add applications software to its
product line. That product line now not only includes network
software but word processing and a popular spreadsheet program,
since Novell bought Borland's Quattro Pro spreadsheet software for
$145 million. The deal also made Novell a serious competitor with
Microsoft Corporation.

Novell says it has a mission to connect people, workgroups, and
companies through networked software. The company says its network
aware software "will usher in a new era of communication and
collaboration in the form of groupware, document management,
workflow and other network-intelligent desktop productivity
applications."

It already has the tools to achieve one of those goals. With the
acquisition of Wordperfect came a project tentatively named Envoy,
an electronic publishing application that is scheduled to ship in
mid-May of this year with a suggested retail price of $189 for
Macintosh and Microsoft Windows-based personal computers. Envoy
allows readers to comment on documents, affix sticky notes, highlight
text and otherwise manage documents. The Envoy name may change before
shipment due to a trademarking process presently underway.

Novell also has its eye on other workgroup applications including
enhanced messaging, management, software distribution, licensing,
telephony, imaging, workflow and multimedia services and has
already announced a deal with AT&T to market software that links
personal computer networks with telephone networks. That deal opens
the door for electronic software distribution, while Wordperfect's
SoftSolutions provides document management features that include
intelligent text search and retrieval, automatic document archiving
and deletion, and a set of library management services.

While Novell isn't ready to announce specific applications yet it
does say it plans a family of workgroup solutions that include
electronic messaging, personal and group calendaring and scheduling,
task management, information sharing, conferencing, imaging, workflow
services and office automation. It also hints at services for mobile
computer users, saying it will offer remote networking and messaging,
cellular service, fax, and paging connections.

(Jim Mallory/19940401/Press contact: Novell Inc, 801-429-7000)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00022)

VIDI Demos Presenter Professional 3.0 04/01/94
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- One of
the highlights of the QuickTime and Multimedia Conference that
is continuing through April 1, has been the demonstration of
Presenter Professional 3.0, a 3-D modeling, rendering, and
animation software for the Macintosh 68000 series and the
Power PC Macintosh.

According to VIDI (Visual Information Development, Inc.), its
new software allows developers for the first time to produce 3-D
images, animations and 3-D sound simultaneously.

Nick Pavlovic, VIDI CEO, told Newsbytes, "We have created a
breakthrough developer tool that allows graphic artists and
presentations professionals to attach audio objects to visual
images so that the sound moves with the visual object.
Sound and image do not operate separately in the real world;
as an image moves so does the sound. With the attachment of
audio to a visual object and the placement of microphones in
the 3-D environment, we allow the designer to have the sound
move with the image."

Using the image of a passing locomotive and a ball bouncing
down the stairs, VIDI demonstrated the power of 3-D audio.

Presenter Professional 3.0 features Digital Clay, A
Boolean Toolbox, PostScript Import, TrueMotion Animation,
TrueSound Virtual Sound, and Photorealistic Rendering. The
positioning of microphones and speakers throughout the 3-D
environment provides the developer with true stereo and Doppler
effects that can be varied and altered in direct combination
with the video.

VIDI is shipping Presenter Professional 3.0 early in the second
quarter at a suggested retail price of $1995. The software
requires a math coprocessor or a Power Macintosh, 5MB RAM,
an 80MB hard disk -- for optimal performance a Mac IIfx, PPC
or Quadra with 16MB RAM and a 160MB hard disk is recommended.

Presenter Professional 3.0 has been beta tested by Disney
Studios and Paramount Studios.

(Patrick McKenna/19940401/Press Contact: Skip Ferderber, Skip
Ferderber & Assoc., tel. [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00023)

Syquest Says Legal Battle W/ Nomai, Iomega Not Over 04/01/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- While Iomega
announced yesterday the legal battles between it, Nomai and
Syquest were ending, Syquest released a statement saying no
definitive settlement has been reached.

The fight between Syquest, maker of Winchester removable
cartridge drives, and Nomai, a French company manufacturing
cartridges for the drives, has been a long and ugly one.
Syquest's contention has been that its patents prevent any other
company from making compatible cartridges without paying
royalties. Iomega and Sun Microsystems subsidiary Ramtek became
involved when they agreed to distribute the Nomai cartridges in
the US.

Syquest has continued to make public accusations throughout the
battle, including industrial espionage and theft of trade
secrets. In fact, it announced it would not stand behind its
warranty on its drives if Nomai cartridges were used because it
claimed the cartridges would cause damage, a claim both Iomega
and Nomai have denied.

Iomega announced yesterday that it and Nomai had entered into a
binding Memorandum of Understanding for settlement of litigation
with Syquest. The agreement allegedly gave Iomega and Nomai
license to manufacture and sell 5.25-inch 44 megabyte (MB) and 88
MB cartridges for use with Syquest drives, in exchange for
payment of unspecified royalties on cartridges sold during 1994
and 1995. Iomega also said a definitive agreement would be
executed with any language differences to be resolved by the
judge appointed to mediate the matter.

Syquest's Chief Financial Officer Michael Perez told Newsbytes
that the company disagrees with Iomega that the Memorandum is
binding. Syquest's announcement states that although the date set
by the companies for execution of a definitive agreement has
passed, negotiations continue in order to resolve substantial
differences. The likelihood of settlement is high, said Perez, if
the differences can be resolved. Also, Ramtek is currently in
bankrupcy, so it's out of the picture, Perez said.

As for the reliability of the cartridges, Perez said Syquest
would validate the quality of the products, if the negotiations
are settled.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940401/Press Contact: Michael Perez, Syquest,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Kristy Pregill, Iomega, tel
801-778-1000, fax [phone]/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00024)

Apple Accused Of Fraud W/ Educational Resellers 04/01/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Apple Computer
has been charged with fraud, breach of duty of good faith, and
unfair and fraudulent business practices in a class action suit
representing over 400 educational computer resellers. The
resellers allege Apple tricked them into giving away critical
information about the educational market under the guise of a
marketing contract, then canceled the contract.

Three plaintiffs, Southern Photo and News and Ray's Showcase,
both in Florida, and Computer Ware of Modesto, California, charge
Apple with gaining confidential business plans, personal
financial information and data on education customers with the
intent of terminating the contract within 18 to 24 months. The
companies say Apple simply wanted to go after the educational
market alone.

The complaint says that under the 1991 agreement, cancelled
in March of last year, Apple made 400 education dealers
"Apple Education Sales Consultants" (AESC) with the agreement
these firms would only represent Apple computers. But the
companies allege Apple only made the agreements to "expropriate
for its own economic gain every shred of proprietary, confidential,
and special information" about the kindergarten through 12th
grade and higher education microcomputer market.

The suit was filed in the California Superior Court in San Jose,
California. Apple Computer representatives said the company has
not yet been served with the suit. "When we see the complaint,
we'll have something to comment on," said Apple public relations
representative Bill Kegan.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940401/Press Contact: Richard Alexander, The
Alexander Law Firm, tel [phone]; Bill Kegan, Apple Computer,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00025)

 ****Borland Restructures US Operations, Layoffs, Closings 04/01/94
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- In an
effort to regain profitability, Borland has announced it will
restructure, close some offices, and reduce its workforce. The
moves were forecasted last week by company officials when Borland
announced it would take substantial losses for the quarter and
the operating year ending March 31, 1994 and was selling
spreadsheet product Quattro Pro to networking software giant
Novell.

Two hundred employees, or about 14 percent of the US workforce,
are getting pink slips. Last week Borland said it could lose as
many as 100 of its total estimated 2,000 employees to Novell as
part of the $145 million Quattro Pro sale. The sale is contingent
upon the Novell merger with Orem, Utah-based word processing
software company Wordperfect, which is subject to government
approvals.

The company said it will also close most of its US regional sales
offices to focus its sales and technical resources at the Scotts
Valley, California headquarters. Restructuring of Borland's
European operations is next and will occur in the coming weeks,
company officials added.

In addition, Vice President of Worldwide Sales Doug Antone is
resigning effective May 31, 1994. Borland's chief financial
officer (CFO) Alan Hendricks, resigned earlier this month.

The company has hinted the driving force behind the changes is
Keith Maib. Maib, former head of a Price-Waterhouse turnaround
team Borland hired previously, was appointed the company's first
chief operating officer (COO).

Philippe Kahn, chairman, president and chief executive officer
(CEO), claims changes in the market have hurt Borland. "Recent
developments in the industry, including increased price
competition, the advent of software 'suites,' and the trend
toward client/server computing, require that companies change
their business model," Kahn advised. Borland is still emphasizing
dBASE for Windows, a product it has been promising for three
years and one it hopes will pull the company out of its downward
spiral. The company has announced the product for this summer,
but Kahn told Newsbytes to give Borland until October to actually
release it.

However, while Borland has been preparing dBASE for Windows, the
rest of the database world may have moved on. Database guru Adam
Green, who coined the unlovely term Xbase, has announced he will
be teaching seminars on the competing database Windows
development tool Powerbuilder from Burlington, Massachusetts-
based Powersoft. Mark Schnapp, a leading independent Xbase
consultant and chairman of the languages committee developing an
ANSI standard for Xbase products said: "The fact that Adam has
chosen to conduct seminars on Powerbuilder Desktop says a lot
about the future of this product."

Borland also develops languages and programming tools aimed at
the software development community. The company said it will
release other new products this year as well.

Borland (NASDAQ: BORL) has seen red ink every year since its 1991
purchase of database giant Ashton-Tate, from which it gained
dBASE. As for the amount of the loss Borland will announce at the
end of this fiscal year, the only specific figure that was
released was revenues for the last quarter of fiscal 1993 will be
less than $95 million. However, Wall Street appeared to react
favorably to the company's restructuring announcement, as the
stock climbed 3/8 to close at 14 and 1/8 in heavy trading on
Thursday.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940401/Press Contact: Steve Grady, Borland,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00026)

Networking Roundup 04/01/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- This is
a regular Friday feature, summarizing networking news not
covered elsewhere by Newsbytes this week: Newbridge Networks,
SunSelect, Network Equipment Technologies Inc., LANNET Inc.,
InterWorking Labs, AIRONET Wireless Communications Inc.,
and Dauphin Technology Inc.

Newbridge Networks, (613-591-3600), announced the
addition of the 36170 MainStreet ATMnet Backbone Switch to its
existing ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) product portfolio.
The 36170 MainStreet is reportedly a high capacity ATM switch
with modular architecture, aimed at backbone deployment, for
both public and private networks. The switch will support a
variety of ATM interfaces including T1/E1, T3/E3, OC3/STM1,
OC12/STM4, and the total throughput capacity ranges from
12.8 gigabits-per-second to 102.4 gigabits-per-second. The
basic architecture of the switch incorporates a broadcast matrix
with output buffer control, which supports full broadcast and
multicast capabilities.

SunSelect, (508-442-0271), introduced SolarNet, a TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) PC networking
software product that reportedly allows administrators to
integrate and manage large numbers of PCs on an enterprise
network from a single desktop. SolarNet resides both on the
client and server, and was developed by Sun Microsystems'
SunSelect. SolarNet was intended for organizations where large
 numbers of PCs make the cost of administration and
management expensive. According to the company, SolarNet gives
PC users full "citizenship" on the corporate network, providing
them with access to applications and data residing on larger
computers. PC users can work in familiar MS-DOS and Microsoft
Windows environments while accessing host and Unix distributed
applications. SolarNet is claimed to be compatible with Microsoft
Windows for Workgroups and co-exists with popular LANs (local
area networks) like Novell NetWare and Microsoft LAN Manager.
It also supports Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
The company says that "preliminary pricing" for a license covering
a single server and multiple clients will range from $3,000 to
$5,000, with "final pricing" to be announced within 90 days.

Network Equipment Technologies Inc. (415-780-5010),
introduced FrameXpress 2.01, which, according to the company,
includes full SNMP-support with point-and-click capabilities; an
external trunk feature for "private virtual circuit (PVC) tunneling;"
PVC priority queuing; and the ability to download statistics for
billing purposes. The frame relay, network-management
capabilities provided through support of SNMP helps network
managers monitor and maintain frame relay networks. The company
adds that, when coupled with the FrameXpress Node Manager, the
FrameXpress software offers network managers "simple point-and-
click access to full forms-based network query." The FrameXpress
Node Manager is written on the HP OpenView platform. FrameXpress
2.01 is available immediately with a list price starting at $12,000
for a four-port switch configuration.

LANNET Inc., (714-752-6638), introduced the LANstack hubs,
designed for departmental Ethernet and Token Ring networks. The
new 8- and 16-port LANstack hubs deliver a reported list price of
$86 per managed Ethernet port, plug-and-play design, and graphical
management running on HP OpenView for Windows open-systems
platform. LANstack gives departmental LAN managers port
redundancy to set up fault-tolerant server and backbone links for
mission-critical data. A LANstack can be segmented into up to five
LANs. LANstack's also offers a plug-in SNMP management modules.
Fiber backbone upgrades are possible with a slide-in card. Example
pricing includes: the SH-E16, a16-port Ethernet stackable hub,
priced at $1,195; and the SH-E8, and 8-port Ethernet stackable hub,
priced at $750

InterWorking Labs, (415-969-4544), says that the second SNMP
Test Summit will be held June 27 through July 1, 1994, at the
Holiday Inn Park Center Plaza in San Jose, California. According to
the company, a "more extensive battery of SNMP agent & manager
network management compatibility tests will be employed,
including new tests for RMON and SNMPv2 compliance." The firm
claims that the SNMP Test Summit will provide a "neutral"
environment where computer hardware and software vendors can
test for independent verification that their SNMP implementation
interoperate in accordance with the standard.

Finally, on the wireless front, AIRONET Wireless Communications
Inc., (800-800-8001), announced that it would supply mobile
computer designer Dauphin Technology Inc., with its spread
spectrum radio for wireless LAN (local area network) connectivity.
Dauphin will use the technology to further the mobile capabilities
of the DTR-1, its pen-based 486 computer. The LAN radio, along
with an extended battery pack, will be housed in a cover which
slips onto the DTR-1. The DTR-1/LAN cover is claimed to be an
integrated product, free from external cables and antenna modules.
For AIRONET Wireless, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telxon Corp.,
the arrangement reportedly marks the first new OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) deal since its formation.

(Ian Stokell/19940401)


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

Company Results Roundup 04/01/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- This is
a regular feature, summarizing company results not reported
elsewhere by Newsbytes: CompUSA Inc., Internet Communications
Corp., Comverse Technology Inc., Integrated Systems Inc., and
TouchStone Software Corp.

This week, the trend towards computer superstores is highlighted
with CompUSA posting huge sales increases for fiscal 1994. There
was encouraging news for the other companies listed as well.
Network developer Internet Communications more than doubled
its sales for the year. Comverse, a designer of special purpose
computers and telecommunications systems, posted record
revenues, and Integrated Systems, involved in control systems
design and real-time software development, reported record
revenue and earnings. PC diagnostic software house TouchStone
also posted a 42 percent increase in revenues for the year.

Computer superstore retailer, CompUSA Inc., (214-383-4404),
announced that for its third quarter of fiscal 1994 ended March 26,
net sales increased 63 percent to $599 million from $367 million
for the comparable period ended March 27, 1993. Comparable-store
sales were up 10.1 percent for the fiscal 1994 third quarter for
the 41 stores open for a year or more. For the nine months of fiscal
1994, net sales were up 65 percent to $1.573 billion from $954
million for the nine months of fiscal 1993. Comparable-store sales
were up 12.9 percent for the nine months of fiscal 1994 for the 41
stores open for a year or more. CompUSA operates 72 high-volume
computer superstores in 37 US metropolitan areas.

Network developer, Internet Communications Corp.,
(303-770-7600), announced its year-end financial results for
the fiscal year ended January 31, 1994. Net sales for the year more
than doubled to $15.9 million compared to $7.8 million a year ago.
Internet reported net income of $300,000, or 14 cents per share,
compared to a net loss of $118,000, or 6 cents per share, in the
prior year. Sales in all areas of the business exceeded the prior-
year results. Equipment sales increased by $6.4 million, or 162
percent. Internet sales of data communication services increased
by $1.7 million, or 43 percent, including increases in carrier
services (63 percent), network management (47 percent),
maintenance services (9 percent) and installation (69 percent).
In addition, for the fourth consecutive year, Internet increased
its gross margin as a percentage of total sales -- 28.4 percent
for the year, compared to 26.3 percent in the prior year.

Comverse Technology Inc., (516-677-7200), a designer,
developer, and manufacturer of special purpose computer and
telecommunications systems, announced record 1993 revenues
and net income, but noted that factors including significant
increases in planned investment in operations, and a lag in large
government Systems Division orders, were likely to cause 1994
net operating results to decline from the 1993 levels. Comverse
reported record total revenues of $70,438,000 for the year ended
December 31, 1993, an increase of $32,016,000 (83 percent) over
the previous year, and record net income of $12,707,000 (65
cents per share), an increase of $7,030,000 (124 percent) over
1992 net income of $5,677,000 (37 cents per share).

Integrated Systems Inc., (408-980-1500), a developer and
marketer of software products and services for control systems
design and real-time software development, reported record
revenue and earnings for its fiscal year ended February 28, 1994.
Revenues in fiscal 1994 were $41.7 million, up 29 percent from
$32.4 million in fiscal 1993. Revenues in the fourth quarter were
$12.2 million, up 35 percent over the $9.1 million reported in the
fourth quarter of fiscal 1993. Net income for fiscal 1994 was $4
million or $0.44 per share compared with net income of $3.4
million or $0.37 per share reported in fiscal 1993, an increase of
18 percent. Net income for the fourth quarter increased by 40
percent to $1.4 million or $0.15 per share, compared with $1
million or $0.11 per share in the same period of the previous year.

Finally, TouchStone Software Corp., (714-969-7746), publishers
of the CheckIt line of PC diagnostic software packages, reported
that revenues for the year ended December 31, 1993, increased
42 percent to $4,947,000, compared with revenues for the prior
year of $3,495,000. Net income increased to $307,700, or 6 cents
per share, in fiscal 1993, compared with a profit of $41,000, or one
cent per share, for the prior year. TouchStone fourth-quarter 1993
revenues reached $1,327,900, compared with 1992 revenues for
the same period of $950,500, an increase of 40 percent. Net income
for the fourth quarter was $93,500, compared with a loss in 1992
of $18,000 for the same period.

(Ian Stokell/19940401)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)

Globalstar Mobile Phone Satellite Consortium 04/01/94
NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- Vodafone has
announced it is joining with nine other major international
companies to launch a global satellite-based mobile telecoms service
known as Globalstar.

Vodafone will contribute $37.5 million payable over the next 12
months and will have a 10 percent stake in the new consortium.

Globalstar will operate in a similar manner to existing planned
satphone networks such as the Iridium network. Plans call for
Globalstar to have 48 low earth orbit (LEO) satellites spinning
around the globe in several orbits. The network will go live in
1998, Newsbytes understands.

Unlike other LEO satphone systems, Globalstar will not offer its
service on an exclusive basis. Instead, plans are in hand for the
various consortia companies to issue phone users with multiple-
network phones that will be capable of using the Global System for
Mobile (GSM) digital phone network where available on an
international basis, and, where not available, the phones will
switch to the LEO system.

With call charges of around $3 a minute on the LEO system, and
typical GSM calls of around 20 percent of this fee in local office
hours, this will give subscribers the best of both worlds, Vodafone
claims.

"We have always been at the leading edge of mobile telecoms
technology, having launched the first national cellular service in
the UK and then the world's first commercial GSM network," commented
Gerry Whent, Vodafone's CEO, who added that the company regards the
Globalstar service as being complimentary to the terrestial
cellphone networks that already operate in many countries.

"It will enhance the potential coverage in more remote areas who
will use dual mode handsets capable of accessing either GSM digital
terrestial networks or Globalstar when out of local cellular
coverage areas," he explained.

Globalstar, Newsbytes understands, has been granted franchises and
plans to apply for appropriate licences to offer services in the UK,
Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Malta and
Greece.

Newsbytes notes, however, that any potential mobile user will be
free to obtain a Globalstar phone for use anywhere in the world,
since the network will be totally global in operation.

(Steve Gold/19940401/Press & Public Contact: Vodafone - Tel: +44-
635-33251; Fax: [phone])


(REVIEW)(IBM)(SFO)(00029)

Review of - Zoo Keeper 04/01/94

Runs on: Macintosh and MS-DOS machines

From: Davidson & Associates, P.O.Box 2961, Torrance, CA90509
(800-545-7677

Price: $59.95 for both the Macintosh and MS-DOS versions

PUMA rating: 3.75 on a scale of 1=lowest to 4=highest

Reviewed for NEWSBYTES by: Naor Wallach

Summary: A fun game that teaches you about zoos and the animals
that reside in them. Great value in educating you about those
animals and their habitats.

=======

REVIEW

=======

Zoo Keeper is a delightful game that teaches children as young as
six years old some important lessons about the natural world,
conservation, and the role that zoos play in the world. The game is
entertaining and contains significant elements of increasing
complexity and fun while ensuring that the lessons learned are not
easily forgotten.

Zoo Keeper is a huge game. It comes on 7 diskettes in the Macintosh
version which take up 10 MB of space on your hard drive. The MS-DOS
version comes with 10 diskettes and takes up 7.5 MBof disk space.
In addition to the diskettes you get a 40-page manual, a
registration card, a catalog of other Davidson offerings, and for
MS-DOS users a postcard that allows for purchase of the 5.25"
diskettes since the box comes with 3.5" diskettes only.

The manual is a must read. Not only does it cover the way the game
is played and installed on your machine, but it also contains a
wealth of information in the section on the educational objectives
of the game and how they are best achieved. There are also sections
in the manual about endangered animals, what you can do to help, the
specific animals covered in this game, and a troubleshooting
section.

The game's premise is that you are attempting to help out by
becoming a Zoo Keeper. This is a very important job because it
entails taking care of all of the animals presently in the zoo while
the zoo's scientists get some of them ready to be released back to
the wild. Of course, nothing in life is too easy, so you will have
to contend with a somewhat wily group of troublemakers who believe
that the only real reason for a zoo's existence is to provide them
with fun and amusement - even if it means harming the animals!

These troublemakers must be stopped or the animals will not be
released to the wild. Also, each area that the troublemakers visit
will need to be mended to make it fit again for that animal's
living. The troublemakers are called Greedy Gert, Brain Drain, the
Meaniac, and Stir Crazy. Each of them tends to cause different
damage to any area that they visit. Only once the damage that they
caused has been repaired will the rightful inhabitant of that area
come back out again and be seen.

To be sure, you are not alone in your quest to restore the zoo.
There are two helpers available to you. One is Funk E. Monkey who is
a cool dude who rides around the zoo on a skateboard. Funk comes and
gives you items every time you restore an area for an animal. The
other is Zoonie the Robot who is your faithful companion. Zoonie has
a whole lot of information that will help you sort out what kinds of
mischief the troublemakers caused and help you fix it.

Each area needs to have within it plants that are familiar to the
animal. It should also contain appropriate foodstuffs for that
animal and the temperature and humidity should not be set wrong. The
troublemakers tend to disrupt those things by resetting thermostats
and humidifiers, stealing foods and plants, or strewing
inappropriate things - even garbage - inside the areas.

When each episode of the game begins, you are outside of the zoo
gates waving to the zoo's scientists as they leave in a helicopter
to prepare some location somewhere in the world for an animal's
release. Once they are off, one of the troublemakers appears in the
gate area and drops a hint as to where they are going and which
animal they plan to disrupt. Funk and a friendly parrot are also
there to assist you.

The clues that the troublemakers leave tend to get harder and more
obscure as you rise within the ranks of the zoo keeping fraternity.
In the beginning, the troublemakers show you little icons of both
the area and the animal that they are planning to visit. Later,
they will display some text that will contain the hint of where they
are going.

The zoo itself is divided into different areas by types of habitat.
In this, the program displays all of the markings of the latest
thoughts in zoo design. No longer will you find a "cat building"
with a "reptile house" or other such structures. This zoo is laid
out into sections. The sections include: Deserts, Rain Forests,
Mountains, Grasslands, Polar Regions, Oceans & Rivers, and Forests
&Woodlands, each with its own complement of animals that
reside in those environments. By clicking on the region that you
want to visit, you go there.

Once within an area you must select which animal you want to visit.
Here, there is some variation between the MS-DOS version and the
Macintosh version of the program. In the Macintosh version you are
shown an expanded map of the area with all of the animals shown as
little icons. Click on one of the animals and you go to their area.
In the MS-DOS version you are shown a picture of a set of trails
with footprints that lead to the specific animal's domain. You do
not need to guess the animal from its footprints, the animal's
name will be displayed as soon as you put the cursor on that
footprint.

In each of the areas, you might find some animals that are
unfamiliar to you. The program contains information on some animals
that are already extinct. In such cases, you will see an area with a
tombstone for the missing animal.

If you make a mistake in interpreting the clues that the
troublemaker have left, you will come to an area where the animals
are in view and no sign of the troublemakers exists. Do not despair,
you are only a walkie-talkie distance away from Funk. He will give
you additional clues to get you back on the right track.

Finally, you make it. You arrive at the area where the troublemaker
is visiting. If you are lucky, you will be able to capture him and
place him in the zoo's detention area. Sometimes, you will not be
quick enough and all you will see will be a flash of color as the
troublemaker escaped to make life more difficult for some other poor
animal. After this, you will be shown an additional clue as to the
whereabouts of the next troublemaker that you need to track down.
But don't leave yet!The troublemaker that was here has certainly
left some sort of a mess behind and the poor animals who normally
occupy the area are nowhere to be seen. This is where you use your
collection of tools - including Zoonie. You must first clean up any
junk that the troublemakers may have left behind. You should also
remove any items that are inappropriate to that area. For instance,
it is highly unlikely that any desert animals will have much to do
with seaweed and fish. Then, you should replant the area with some
of the indigenous plant life for that area and spread some of that
animal's food around. These are all carried in a couple of
containers that will appear in that cage. Finally, you should check
the temperature and humidity settings to make sure that they are set
properly. In all of this, Zoonie can be a great help with his
storehouse of information about the different animals. Once the area
is cleaned and prepared, the animals will come out. You can then use
your binoculars to view a picture of the real animals at play.

Sometimes, you will find a small door hidden in parts of
the cage. By clicking on this door you will find your way
into the subterranean tunnels that lead to all parts of the zoo and
that help the zoo keepers go around. There are some additional
little gimmicks and tricks available in this area but I will let
you experiment with them on your own. A hint will suffice -
they are fun to discover.

As you continue around the zoo, cleaning up and straightening the
mess left by the troublemakers, you will eventually begin to catch
them. Once they are all safely put away, you can relax and get your
reward. Your reward is a multi-step process. First, Funk will meet
you on one of the zoo's paths and will give you the good news. Next,
you will move to that animal's cage and see the animals before they
leave. And lo and behold, they will have a little baby with them.
Next, you will receive a certificate suitable for framing that
acknowledges your feat. Next, you will see the animal in a cage on a
truck that is leaving the zoo. Next, your friends (Funk, Zoonie, and
the parrot) will cheer you as the truck leaves. Finally, you will be
promoted to the next position in the zoo keeper's hierarchy.

You start out in this game as a Cage Cleaner. There are eighteen
levels between that and being Head Zoo Keeper. Some of the position
titles include such worthwhile occupations as Whale Waterer, Carrot
Cutter, and Shell Shiner. However, as you climb up the career
ladder, the cases that you tackle will get more difficult. Once you
are the Head Zoo Keeper, and succeed at catching all of the
troublemakers, you will see additional signs of your success.
Fireworks will accompany the truck's exit and other things will
happen. However, I'll leave it up to you to get there to see what
they all are.

As you can probably surmise from this description, I had a lot of
fun with this game. It was very easy for me to go back to it time
and time again - even when I should have been doing other things!
This game had a good mixture of game playing elements, fun, and
educational.

With all of this good stuff, I'm afraid that there were a couple of
rough spots. First, this game can be very slow at time. I suspect
that the fault is in the physical size of the game but many times, I
was just staring at the screen waiting for the next piece to appear.
This was especially evident during the frequent locations where
sounds are being played. These sounds would almost always be out of
sequence with the animation being played on the screen. The other
problem that I have is that I believe that the next troublemaker's
clue should appear after I cleaned up and repaired the cage and not
right at the beginning of the sequence. Frequently, I had to use the
walkie talkie to find Funk to tell me where I should be going since
I had already forgotten the clue given.

Even so, this is a fun game and a worthwhile education to get.

=============

PUMA RATINGS

=============

PERFORMANCE: 3 The game is slow at times.

USEFULNESS: 4 This is an educational product that achieves its
goals and does it in a fun way.

MANUAL: 4 The manual is chock full of graphics and examples and
makes for quick and interesting reading. Everything that you need to
know is contained in the manual which is also logically laid out.

AVAILABILITY: 4 Available from mail order and software stores.
Davidson maintains a toll-free number for technical support

(Naor Wallach/19940401)


(REVIEW)(APPLE)(SFO)(00030)

Review of - Treasure MathStorm! 04/01/94

Runs on: Macintosh and MS-DOS Compatibles

From: The Learning Company, 6493 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA
94555, [phone]

Price: $59.95

PUMA rating: 3.875 on a scale of 1 = lowest to 4=highest

Reviewed for NEWSBYTES by: Naor Wallach

Summary: A program that teaches math, problem solving, time
telling, and measurement skills using an adventure game format
that really appeals to the 5 to 9 year old set.

=======

REVIEW

=======

Treasure MathStorm! is part of a series of programs that The
Learning Company (TLC) has released that use a common storyline
to educate children between the ages of 5 and 9 and help them
acquire certain critical skills. In all cases, your child is
known as the Super Seeker. In all cases, the main enemy -
known as The Master of Mischief - has caused some sort of
trouble and it is up to you to help repair the damage and
restore the world to its pristine condition.

In the case of Treasure MathStorm! the program concentrates
on Math and Problem Solving skills although it also throws
in some weight and measurement work, clock reading skills,
and money counting skills. Others in the series concentrate
on other important aspects of learning. The story line is
that The Master of Mischief has concocted a machine that
creates an incredible winter weather front that completely
envelopes Treasure Mountain and has frozen the Kingdom's
magic crown. It is your task to find a method to unfreeze
the crown and remove the storm from keeping all of Treasureland
under ice and snow.

Treasure MathStorm! needs to be installed on your hard drive
to operate quickly. It is possible to operate it from the
floppies but I would not recommend that approach. The
Macintosh version of the game uncompresses itself to take up
more than 5MBof hard disk space. The MS-DOS version comes
with both 3.5" and 5.25" floppies so you can install it easily
on your machine. In addition, the MS-DOS version can run
through Windows as well.

Installation is very straightforward. On both the Macintosh
and MS-DOS side, there is an Installer program that does all
of the work once started. Should you have some sort of sound
card installed, you need to let the MS-DOS version know about it,
especially if it is not a Sound Blaster. The Macintosh
does not need this as its sound quality is significantly
better. Although it is not absolutely required, it is
probably a good idea to spend the time to read the manual.

Game play is where this program shines. Since The Master of
Mischief has barricaded himself on top of Treasure Mountain,
part of the game requires that you manage to find a way to
climb up to the castle. You start at the bottom of the
mountain, inside your clubhouse.

There are three levels that you need to climb. At each
level you will find elves who can help you and several
other rooms or activity centers as well as stores where
you can purchase the essentials for the game's character.

There are three types of things that are important to you
in this game. First, there are nets. You use the nets to
capture the elves. When you capture an elf, he will ask
you to solve a math problem. If you answer correctly,
the elf will give you some money. Some special elves
will also give you a clue as to how to find some treasures
at each level. In addition to the club house there is
another special room at each level. In the first level
is the Time Igloo; the second level contains the Gold Room;
the third level has the Crystal Cave. In each of these
rooms you are challenged by an activity. Should you
succeed, the resident elves will give you some
equipment necessary for climbing to the next level.

Your challenge in the Time Igloo involve setting clocks
appropriately. In the Gold Room you are asked to measure
different weights. In the Crystal Cave you need to count
the number of crystals shown.

Finally, each level contains a store. In this store you
can buy additional nets or the necessary tools. The problem
here is that the store keepers will only accept the
exact and correct change. If you give them anything
different, they will refuse to sell you the merchandise.

At the first level, you need to collect as many treasures
as exist and get four spades before the mountain path to
the next level is opened to you. In the second level,
you need to build a catapult from various parts. This
catapult throws you to the third level. At the third level
you need to find four ladders. However, that is not enough.
In addition to the ladders, you must convince Snooze
(who looks like a cuddly abominable snowman) to let you
pass. Essentially he asks you a riddle involving a series
of numbers that must be completed correctly. Once past
Snooze, you climb the ladders to the castle chamber
where the Master of Mischief and the frozen crown reside.
There, one of the friendly elves will take the treasures
that you collected and give you a gift in return.

The way back down the mountain is by jumping out of the
window and parachuting all the way back to the clubhouse.

Once you start progressing in rank, The Master of Mischief
sends out some of his minions in the form of Snow
Bullies to disrupt you in your progress. These snow puffs
with evil grins tend to knock you down and steal some of
your money at every encounter. Thankfully, you can get
rid of them by netting them, or you can avoid them
altogether by ducking underneath them when they approach.

Progress towards unfreezing the crown and releasing
the land from the massive storm is made by bringing those
treasures to the top of the mountain. For every so many
treasures, you are promoted. You start as a trainee and
then progress from a one star to a five star super seeker
and finally on to a champion. To get to the champion rank
you must have retrieved 450 treasures. Since there are
only between 9 and 15 treasures available at each round,
expect to spend a lot of time to get to the champion
level.

Once you do reach the Champion level you are treated to
a series of animations that show your success and its
aftermath.

Each of the activities that include questions and problem
solving are programmable to one of six levels. These
levels can be set at will. However, the program will
keep track of your progress and if you show that you've
mastered an activity, it will automatically bump you up
to the next level of questioning. So, for instance, the
elves' questions start at single digit addition but then
progress all the way to multiplication.

This program is very good at making sure that you cannot
fail and get stuck and not be able to complete the program.
Outside of the elves' questions, each other activity
gives you a hint after you fail it the first time and
provides the correct answer after you fail it a second time.
Should you run out of materials, a simple way is provided
to get more.

According to the box and the instructions this game is
oriented towards the 5 to 9 year old set. I assembled a
crack team of reviewers who are in that age range and
sat back to watch. I also played to game to completion
myself. As an adult, I had very little trouble conquering
the mountain. That is not to say that it was quick.
Collecting 450 treasures entails a LOT of trips up and
down that mountain and became rather monotonous. However,
I am not the target for this game. My five year old had
an absolute blast with the game. Although he could not
really answer the math question, nor do much of the
other activities without help, he was enthralled with
the game and has asked to play it numerous times.
His greatest satisfaction is derived from running around
catching the elves and collecting the treasures. He
also enjoys answering the simple addition problems
although he tends to miss some of the answers.

The seven and nine year old testers took a bit of time
before they started having trouble answering the questions
and solving the problems. However, they too cannot get
enough of the game. They are well along the path of
getting their 450 treasures and will get there eventually.

In all, the program is a very good addition to any suite
of educational programs that you may wish to have around
the house. I've consulted with some elementary school
teachers and had them look at the game as well. They
all liked the progression of events and felt that TLC
did a marvelous job in capturing good pedagogical
practices and implementing them in the program. Their
one concern was one of monotony. It simply takes a
very long time to collect all 450 treasures and there
is really very little difference in game play whether
you are a novice who has just begun or someone who
already has 400 treasures and is almost done with the game.

Since I've reviewed both the MS-DOS and the Macintosh
versions of the program, a few words about their
differences is in order. Basically, outside of the
innate graphical and sound superiority of the Macintosh,
there were very little differences between the two
versions of the program. The items shown on the
screen were the same in both versions although
arranged a bit differently. The Macintosh version had
slightly better displays that showed you how many
treasures you've collected at each level as well as
how many there were there in total. But again, these
differences are relatively minor and do not affect game
play at all.

=============

PUMA RATINGS

=============

PERFORMANCE: 4 The program ran well and speedily enough.

USEFULNESS: 3.75 My one quibble is with the monotony of
the game.

MANUAL: 4 Everything you want to know is there as well
a lot of background information.

AVAILABILITY: 4 Available from mail order and software stores.
TLC is well known in the educational software field and
maintains a toll-free number for technical support.

(Naor Wallach/19940205/Sharyn Fitzpatrick, The Learning
Company)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MSP)(00031)

Newsbytes Daily Summary 04/01/94
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 1 (NB) -- These
are capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> Emerald Systems Ships XpressSERVE Network Backup 04/01/94 Seven
months after introducing the XpressSERVE network file server-based
backup software product, Emerald Systems says it is now shipping.

2 -> Media Vision 3-D PC Sound Boards 04/01/94 PCs rarely come  with
effective sound capabilities built-in, unless they are  equipped with
a CD-ROM drive. As a result, the market for  add-in audio boards for
PCs is large. Now Media Vision says it  has introduced a family of
16-bit CD-quality boards which offer  "three-dimensional (3-D) sound
without the need for any software  reprogramming."

3 -> Sun Microsystems In South Africa 04/01/94 Deriving almost half
of its $4.3 billion revenue from sources outside the United States,
Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) announced the expansion of its
145 worldwide locations to include Midrand, South Africa.

4 -> Fujitsu Joint Telecom Venture In India 04/01/94 Fujitsu has
signed a joint venture business agreement with three Indian firms to
create  "Fujitsu Optel" in India. Fujitsu claims to be the first
Japanese electronics firm to create an electronics manufacturing
plant in India.

5 -> Dataware Acquires Optim In Canada 04/01/94 Dataware
Technologies, Inc., has announced its second Canadian acquisition in
three months, purchasing Optim Corp. of Ottawa, a long-time
distributor of Dataware compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)
products.

6 -> SGML Enabler Aimed At QuarkXPress Users 04/01/94 SoftQuad Inc.,
one of the first companies to build its fortunes around the Standard
Generalized Markup Language (SGML), has announced software meant to
help users of Quark's QuarkXPress desktop publishing software work
with SGML-formatted documents.

7 ->  ****Virtual Company Targets Online Projects, Programming
04/01/94 Online Construction and Exploration is not much like a
traditional company. It's more of a network of individuals scattered
around the world, with a variety of skills to offer customers who
want to develop online projects or information systems or tackle
other jobs related to information technology and communications.

8 -> Virtual Reality Network Online In California 04/01/94 Helped by
idealism and some hope of a collective profit, David Mitchell has
put the Diasper Virtual Reality Network online.

9 -> Microsoft Chinese Word For Windows 5.0 04/01/94 Microsoft has
added a  host of new features to the Chinese version of its
best-selling  word processor with the launch of Chinese Word 5.0 for
Windows.  The new version also enables enterprises which rely on
Chinese  language computing, or a combination of both Chinese and
English, to take advantage of the power of Microsoft's  integrated
suite of Office software.

10 -> HK Tel's $100 Million Digital Inmarsat Stations 04/01/94
Hongkong Telecom officially launched its two new $100 million digital
Inmarsat M/B land earth  stations at Cape D'Aguilar, marking a new
era of digital mobile  satellite communications in Hong Kong.

11 -> Sony Develops Blue Semiconductor Laser 04/01/94 Sony claims
that it has developed a blue semiconductor laser with the capability
to function continuously at room temperature. A previous blue laser
created by Sony required below freezing temperatures to operate --
specifically cooled to the temperature of liquid  nitrogen, about
-200 Celsius

12 -> Personnel Changes Roundup 04/01/94 This is  a regular feature,
summarizing personnel changes at companies not covered elsewhere by
Newsbytes: Pinnacle Micro Inc., Digital Equipment Corp., Micronics
Computers Inc., NTN  Communications Inc., Southwall Technologies
Inc., Triconex  Corp., Optek Technology Inc., and Exabyte Corp.

13 -> NetManage Ships Windows NT Client/Server RPC Dev't Kit 04/01/94
NetManage claims it is the first vendor to ship a software
development kit for building RPC client/server applications on
Windows NT.

14 -> Personal Handy Phone Testing Starts In Tokyo 04/01/94 Japan's
major domestic telephone firms NTT and DDI will start experimental
use of their personal phones in Tokyo this month.

15 -> Feds Can Take SPARCy On The Road 04/01/94 Look out for those
federal workstation road warriors. Sun Microsystems Federal is now
adding the Powerlite portable, made by RDI Computer, to its line of
third-party offerings to US government buyers.

16 -> AEA Cheers White House On Exports, BSA Burns 04/01/94 The
American Electronics Association is beaming about the White House
decision to back off on export controls, saying it would move from
specific licenses to a general license for a broad range of computer
and telecommunications gear.

17 -> Toronto Stock Exchange Floor Closing Expected By Year-End
04/01/94 Despite new delays in testing a fully automated stock
trading system, the Toronto Stock Exchange still expects to be able
to close its equities trading floor by the end of 1994.

18 -> QuickTime & Multimedia Conference Overview 04/01/94 Highlighted
by its  QuickTime Film Festival, the third, annual International
QuickTime & Multimedia Conference for developers and QuickTime  fans
opened at San Francisco's Masonic Auditorium with a day of  tutorials
and two days of seminars, conferences and exhibitions.  QuickTime,
video, imaging and sound, development tools  and publishing issues
are conference topics.

19 -> Microsoft Creates Messaging Standards Group 04/01/94 Microsoft
Corporation has announced the formation of the Messaging Management
Council (MMC), an advisory group the software company says will
attempt to obtain agreement on which industry standards Microsoft and
key messaging vendors should support and in what priority.

20 -> Former CompUSA President, Named CEO Of OEC 04/01/94 Open
Environment Corporation (OEC), the Boston-based client-server
software vendor  that produces OEC Toolkit, has named Nathan Morton,
who previously headed up CompUSA, to the position of president and
CEO.

21 -> Novell's Vision Of The Future 04/01/94 Following the
acquisition by Novell of word processing publisher Wordperfect
Corporation in late March 1994 Novell has provided some clues to its
vision of the next generation of network computing.

22 -> VIDI Demos Presenter Professional 3.0 04/01/94 One of  the
highlights of the QuickTime and Multimedia Conference that  is
continuing through April 1, has been the demonstration of  Presenter
Professional 3.0, a 3-D modeling, rendering, and  animation software
for the Macintosh 68000 series and the  Power PC Macintosh.

23 -> Syquest Says Legal Battle W/ Nomai, Iomega Not Over 04/01/94
While Iomega announced yesterday the legal battles between it, Nomai
and Syquest were ending, Syquest released a statement saying no
definitive settlement has been reached.

24 -> Apple Accused Of Fraud W/ Educational Resellers 04/01/94 Apple
Computer has been charged with fraud, breach of duty of good faith,
and unfair and fraudulent business practices in a class action suit
representing over 400 educational computer resellers. The resellers
allege Apple tricked them into giving away critical information about
the educational market under the guise of a marketing contract, then
canceled the contract.

25 ->  ****Borland Restructures US Operations, Layoffs, Closings
04/01/94 In an effort to regain profitability, Borland has announced
it will restructure, close some offices, and reduce its workforce.
The moves were forecasted last week by company officials when Borland
announced it would take substantial losses for the quarter and the
operating year ending March 31, 1994 and was selling spreadsheet
product Quattro Pro to networking software giant Novell.

26 -> Networking Roundup 04/01/94 This is a regular Friday feature,
summarizing networking news not  covered elsewhere by Newsbytes this
week: Newbridge Networks, SunSelect, Network Equipment Technologies
Inc., LANNET Inc., InterWorking Labs, AIRONET Wireless Communications
Inc., and Dauphin Technology Inc.

27 -> Company Results Roundup 04/01/94 This is  a regular feature,
summarizing company results not reported  elsewhere by Newsbytes:
CompUSA Inc., Internet Communications  Corp., Comverse Technology
Inc., Integrated Systems Inc., and TouchStone Software Corp.

28 -> Globalstar Mobile Phone Satellite Consortium 04/01/94 Vodafone
has announced it is joining with nine other major international
companies to launch a global satellite-based mobile telecoms service
known as Globalstar.

29 -> Review of - Zoo Keeper 04/01/94 Runs on: Macintosh and MS-DOS
machines

30 -> Review of - Treasure MathStorm! 04/01/94 Runs on: Macintosh and
MS-DOS Compatibles

(Wendy Woods/19940401)