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/nb041994

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(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00001)

Dataquest Predicts $100 Bil 1994 Semiconductor Market 04/19/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The major
role of the semiconductor in the computing and high-tech
industries has been affirmed again. Market research firm,
Dataquest, estimates that the semiconductor market will exceed
$100 billion in 1994, and that consumption in the Asia/Pacific-
ROW region will surpass Japan's consumption in 1995.

The company's conclusions come as a result of its most recent
semi-annual worldwide semiconductor consumption forecast,
which reportedly estimates consumption of semiconductors
through 1998 by product and region.

In announcing the predictions, Gene Norrett, vice president and
director of Dataquest's Worldwide Semiconductors group, said:
"Dataquest increased its consumption expectations in Asia/Pacific
because we anticipate the region's explosive growth in 1993 to
continue. Another major shift in market dynamics will occur in
1995 when microcomponent ICs (integrated circuits) will surpass
 memory ICs as the dominant semiconductor product."

The Asia/Pacific-ROW region is expected by the company to have
28 percent of the market by 1998. China is predicted to be the
largest consumer in the region. North America is expected to
make up 34.7 percent of the total market in 1998. Dataquest says
that the figure is the highest for the region since 1986.

Worldwide semiconductor consumption revenue in millions of
dollars is estimated by Dataquest to be as follows: 1994 - 101,276;
1995 - 112,575; 1996 - 124,815; 1997 - 142,099; 1998 - 163,124.
The North America figures are: 1994 - 33,576; 1995 - 37,141;
1996 - 41,871; 1997 - 48,639; and 1998 - 56,633. The Japan
figures are: 1994 - 26,607; 1995 - 27,317; 1996 - 28,889;
1997 - 31,010; 1998 - 33,338.

While Dataquest estimates that the North American and
Asia/Pacific-ROW regions will continue their growth of
the past few years, Japan and  Europe will slow up.

Interestingly, the company predicts that Japan will be hard
hit in revenue growth as electronic equipment manufacturing
migrates to other Asia/Pacific nations.

Financial figures from the major semiconductor firms would
appear to backup Dataquest's growth contentions. As reported
extensively by Newsbytes recently, it is not only Intel that is
posting huge profits in the semiconductor market.

In January, Newsbytes reported that Motorola had record sales
and earnings for the fourth quarter of 1993 and for the full year.
Fourth quarter corporate sales were reported at $4.99 billion, up
35 percent from the previous year, with earnings of $340 million
compared to $181 million the previous year. For all of 1993,
Motorola said sales were up 28 percent to $17 billion, and earnings
were $1.02 billion compared to $576 million in 1992.

National Semiconductor Corp., recently reported earnings of $63.8
million, or 48 cents a share, for its third quarter ended February 27,
more than double earnings of $26.9 million, or 19 cents a share, in
the year-ago quarter. Sales were up 11 percent to $544.7 million.
According to the company, market conditions improved in the third
quarter as worldwide orders rose compared to the second quarter,
in spite of holiday shutdowns.

Just a week ago Newsbytes reported that, as a result of an increase
in sales of the company's Am486 microprocessors, Advanced
Micro Devices reported record sales, record operating income
and record net income for the first quarter of 1994. On revenues
of $513,080,000 the company reported operating income of
$121,528,000 and net income of $84,587,000. In the immediate-
prior quarter, AMD reported revenues of $413,404,000 which
resulted in operating income of $54,957,000 and net income of
$41,639,000.

(Ian Stokell/19940418/Press Contact: Paul Wheaton,
408-437-8312, Dataquest Inc.)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00002)

Dataquest - Interoperability Top With Handheld Users 04/19/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The personal
digital assistant (PDA) and handheld computer market may not
be living up to its hype, but it is still becoming a valuable tool
for many mobile business professionals. And, according to a
survey from market research firm, Dataquest, business
professionals regard interoperability with desktop PCs and
software to be the most important feature for handheld
computers.

Business applications are the primary role of handheld computers,
says the survey, with respondents expecting to use such devices
for business rather than personal purposes more than 80 percent
of the time.

In announcing the results, Janet Cole, industry analyst for
Dataquest's Mobile Computing program, said: "What people want
from handhelds isn't a new calendar, but access to data from their
desktop. The challenge for handheld computer manufacturers
is to provide an easy, reliable method for users to interact with
the information on the desktop PC in their office."

Dataquest says it surveyed 200 "professionals" who either already
use handheld computers or intend to purchase one within two years.
The ability to interact with desktop PCs and software, and having
more than one megabyte (MB) of storage capability were the most
important handheld computer features, according to the survey.

The next most important features, according to the survey, are:
network integration; a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association) slot; communications software (such
as electronic mail); and a built-in fax modem.

The survey is available to subscribers of Dataquest's Mobile
Computing program. The report is titled "What Early Adopters
Want from Handheld  Computers." For non-subscribers the
report can be purchased for $2,495.

Newsbytes notes that the PDA market has got off to something
of a stuttering start, with, for example, sales of Apple's
much-hyped Newton well below expectations. While some
analysts argue that the reason is because PDAs are only a niche
market, others maintain that, as with all new markets, it will
take time for the technology to establish itself.

(Ian Stokell/19940418/Press Contact: Paul Wheaton,
408-437-8312, Dataquest Inc.)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00003)

UK - HP Intros 100VG-AnyLAN 100Mbps Products 04/19/94
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Hewlett-
Packard's UK operation has unveiled, what it claims, are the
industry's first 100VG-AnyLAN (local area network) networking
products.

According to HP, 100VG-AnyLAN is the most viable 100 megabits-
per-second (Mbps) "fast" networking technology on the market at
the moment, since it offers support for new types of applications,
is easy to integrate with existing LANs and is more economical
than other high-speed networking alternatives.

The new HP products, which include a 15-port 100VG-AnyLAN hub
and selectable 10 megabit 10Base-T/100 Mbps 100VG EISA (Extended
Industry Standard Architecture) and ISA adapter cards, are part of
HP's new AdvanceStack line of distributed network connectivity
products.

So what is 100VG-AnyLAN? The technology is an emerging IEEE
802.12 (the electrical standards body) standard for transmitting
Ethernet and Token Ring frame information at 100Mbps. According
to HP, it was designed to provide the support for present Ethernet
and Token Ring networks and for the future by enabling new
classes of applications.

HP claims that 100VG-AnyLAN products are ideal for optimizing
emerging applications in multimedia, medical and imaging as well
as new business applications, such as Lotus Notes, that require
significantly higher networking speeds to provide full benefits to
users.

Using a new frame-switching technique called "Demand Priority,"
100VG-AnyLAN hubs handle and process requests from connected
nodes for access to the network, providing good bandwidth usage
(compared to other 100Mbps LAN technologies), 95 percent usage
with 1,500 byte packets and 98 percent with 4,500 byte packets,
according to HP.

"Customers are looking for a cost-effective performance upgrade that
will enable new applications and improve the performance of existing
ones," explained Mark Hollister, HP's UK network marketing manager.
"100VG provides ten times the performance of Ethernet at just two
times the price," he said.

According to Hollister, 100VG-AnyLAN technology can be easily
integrated with existing networks because 100VG products use the
most common types of network cable -- Category 3, 4 and 5
unshielded twisted-pair cable. Category 3 and 4 cable is supported
at distances up to 100 meters and Category 5 cable is supported up
to 200 meters from end node to hub.

The HP AdvanceStack 100VG-AnyLAN products announced this week
support Ethernet, Newsbytes understands, and are expected to be
available from August 1, 1994, on a worldwide basis. Products
supporting both Ethernet and Token Ring are expected to ship in
early 1995.

Pricing on the new products will be announced closer to shipment
date, Newsbytes understands.

(Steve Gold/19940419/Press & Public Contact: Hewlett-Packard,
44-344-369222)


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

UK - Phonelink Readies Online Info/Directory Assist 04/19/94
BIRKENHEAD, LIVERPOOL, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Phonelink, the
communications software developer, has pre-announced its "Tel-Me"
online service, which aims to offer a variety of information. It will
be formally unveiled on May 4, Newsbytes understands.

According to Nick Horley of Buffalo Communications, the public
relations agency for Phonelink, Tel-me is a Windows application
that is designed to act as a comms interface to a modem, which
then dials into a variety of online databases.

"The idea is one user interface to a variety of information,"
Horley told Newsbytes, adding that information providers to the
service include the Automobile Association, British Telecom, GB
Mailing Systems, British Rail, Ordnance Survey, Infocheck (the
credit checking company), British Weather Service, Thomson
Directories (a rival to Yellow Pages), and the Press Association.

Tel-me will be unveiled on May 4, and Phonelink will be offering
continuous demonstrations at IBM's South Bank headquarters in
London over the following three months. According to Horley, the
idea is to allow the press, potential dealers, and potential
customers to have the opportunity to try the products for
themselves.

So who is Tel-me aimed at? According to Horley, the service is
aimed at a variety of users, ranging from consumer (home) to small
businesses and upwards. "It's primarily an information service,"
Horley explained.

Based on this pre-launch information Newsbytes concludes that the
service is very much along the lines of the French Minitel service,
acting as a switching point "front end" to a variety of online
services.

According to Neil Laver, product services manager with CompuServe,
which Newsbytes had thought would be a rival to Tel-me,
CompuServe has been in contact with Phonelink with a view to
offering its service on a "pay as you go" basis.

"It's difficult to say what market they'll be aiming for until they
actually launch the product. We've been talking to them," he said.
In reply to Newsbytes' suggestion of Tel-me being a possible rival,
he said that, "It's always interesting to compare products and see
where we lie in the market."

Laver added that discussions between CompuServe and Phonelink
are at an early and exploratory stage. "I can't say whether they'll
come to anything, but It doesn't seem like we're in competition
with each other. We are pitching at different segments of the
market," he told Newsbytes.

"You can't say we're in direct competition. It's a bit like CIX
(Compulink Information eXChange). You could say we compete, but
we have a relationship with them. We're based in one segment of
the market, they're based in another. There's a degree of overlap,
but we do talk to each other," he said.

(Steve Gold/19940419/Press & Public Contact: Phonelink,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Oracle Canada Unit Focuses On Applications 04/19/94
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Oracle
Corp. Canada Inc. has set up a business unit to create mission-
critical applications for specific industry sectors. The move goes
hand in hand with Oracle Corp.'s worldwide launch of Cooperative
Applications Release 10, a set of client/server software
packages, officials said.

Oracle units in some other parts of the world already have
business units dedicated to industry-specific applications, said
Dave Langston, newly named director of the applications group in
Canada.

The new unit will have as many as 100 employees, many of whom
will be hired from outside the company over the next three years,
Langston told Newsbytes. "We're really looking at building our
industry expertise," he said. A large part of the unit's staff
will be based at Oracle Canada's headquarters in Mississauga,
just outside Toronto, but some will work from regional offices in
several cities across the country.

Company officials said they hope to capture as much as 30 percent
of the market for industry-specific client/server applications in
Canada.

The new Cooperative Applications software combines agent,
imaging, and distributed processing functions with the company's
Oracle7 Parallel Server database. It will begin shipping in May,
the company said.

Langston said the new unit will work closely with SHL Systemhouse
Ltd., an Ottawa-based systems integrator and outsourcing firm
with which Oracle has just announced a worldwide cooperative
marketing agreement.

(Grant Buckler/19940418/Press Contact: Dave Langston,
Oracle Canada, 905-890-8100; Stan Didzbalis, Benchmark
Communications for Oracle, 416-444-7434)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00006)

 ****Toronto Trial To Run Broadband To Homes 04/19/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- A technology
trial soon to get under way in Toronto will include running
high-bandwidth communications into a suburban subdivision to
provide entertainment, education, and other services.

While the trial just announced by the Intercom Ontario Consortium
is one of several trials of the so-called information highway
concept recently announced in Canada, this is the first to
involve a group of purpose-built houses equipped with advanced
communications technology. This trial is also interesting because
of the wide range of services to be provided to a variety of
users.

The specially equipped homes, to be built in Newmarket, a Toronto
suburb, are actually the second phase of the trial. It will begin
with testing of some services at Calumet College, a residence on
the campus of York University. About 500 students will have
access to services starting in November, Paul Hoffert, director
of the trial, told Newsbytes.

All in all, according to trial organizers at CulTech
Collaborative Research Center, which is based at York University,
services will be provided on three university campuses, at one
college and two primary schools, to businesses, and to an
eventual total of 1,300 homes in the Newmarket subdivision,
which is being built by a real estate developer, Ronto Development
Corp., participating in the consortium.

Other participants in the trial include IBM Canada Ltd., Apple
Canada Inc., Bell Canada, Ryerson Polytechnic University, the
University of Toronto's McLuhan Program in communications, and
River Oaks Primary School, a Toronto-area school whose extensive
use of computers has been widely publicized.

Several levels of government, from the town of Newmarket to the
Canadian federal government, are also involved, as are assorted
publishing and broadcasting interests, including the Canadian
Broadcasting Corp., and Rogers Communications Inc.

Instead of a set-top box that attaches to a television set, the
Intercom trial will use a multi-purpose device that will control
television and computer services, smart appliances, and wireless
communications within the home. Hoffert likened the unit to a
personal digital assistant, saying it will be portable so it can
be taken to any room in the house. "If you're in the john and you
want to read an electronic book," he said, "you should be able
to."

The services offered will include most of the usual "information
highway" offerings, such as home banking, distance education,
video teleconferencing, interactive television, information from
government agencies, and video-on-demand.

The purpose of the trial is to determine what services consumers
want, Hoffert said, so the idea will be to offer a wide variety
of options and see what people use. To that end, the consortium
plans to keep detailed records of how the services are used.

Hoffert admitted that it could raise privacy issues, and said the
Intercom group is concerned about that. It is possible people who
buy houses in the subdivision where the trial is taking place
will be asked to sign a document acknowledging that they are
participating in a trial and their use of services may be
monitored, he said.

However, those people will be getting a wide assortment of
services for less than it costs to provide them, Hoffert pointed
out. He said it would not be possible today to make the services
pay for themselves -- the communications bandwidth involved
would alone cost thousands of dollars per household per year, he
claimed. The trial will use optical fiber and symmetrical
high-bandwidth switches, allowing two-way audio, video, and
data communications.

Because the project is a trial, buyers in the Newmarket
subdivision will have no guarantee their high-tech services will
continue forever. However, Hoffert said, the consortium hopes to
be able to move into commercial services after the trial ends. In
the meantime, the homes will be equipped with conventional
telephone and cable television connections in addition to their
futuristic high-bandwidth links.

The houses will sell for between C$160,000 and C$200,000,
consortium officials said. That price range is relatively low for
the Toronto area, one of North America's most expensive real
estate markets.

(Grant Buckler/19940419/Press Contact: Paul Hoffert, CulTech
Collaborative Research Center, 416-736-5405, fax [phone],
electronic-mail: [e-mail]; Simon Atkins or Ilyse
Smith, Atkins & Ellis Ltd. for CulTech, 416-368-6880)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00007)

Cray Research Intros New Large Memory Supercomputer 04/19/94
EAGAN, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Cray Research has
introduced the Cray C90D series of large-memory supercomputer
systems.

The company says the C90D is designed to solve extremely large
scientific and engineering research problems and handle heavy
multiuser workloads.

The C90D is a combination of Cray's C90 supercomputer technology
and 16-megabit dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips to
provide up to two billion words of real main memory, claims the
company.

Cray will market three models of the new system.  The air-cooled
C92AD can perform up to two billion calculations per second at
peak performance and has 512 million words of central memory.
The C94D, a liquid-cooled unit, can handle up to four billion
calculations per second and has a one billion word memory capacity.
The Cray C98D, also liquid-cooled, can perform eight billion
calculations per second and has a two billion word memory.

The company says C90D series pricing starts at $3.5 million, and
are immediately available.

Cray Research recently installed a C92AD in the Central Research
Facility of Bayer AG, a chemical plant in Leverkusen, Germany.
Cray says Bayer will use the system to solve large, computationally
intense problems in chemical process simulation such as planning
and laying out production facilities. The C90D's run Unicos, Cray's
version of Unix, and support the company's library of more than
600 software applications. A C90D can be coupled with a Cray T3D
massively parallel processing system if needed.

The company claims the C90D series of supercomputers are ideal
for solving problems that are too big to run in one piece on other
supercomputers. "Problems too large for a system's central
memory have to be broken down and run in smaller pieces,
resulting in cumbersome programming work and slower solutions,"
according to Robert Ewald, Cray Research chief operating officer
for supercomputer operations.

(Jim Mallory/19940419/Press Contact: Steve Conway, Cray
Research, 612-683-7133)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00008)

Romania - IBM Secures $Multi-Million Govt Contract 04/19/94
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- News has reached
Newsbytes that the Romania Ministry of the Interior, the equivalent
of the US Senate, has contracted with IBM for the supply of an
ES/9000 mainframe computer, terminals, and a variety of
peripheral equipment.

The deal, according to one source, is worth several million dollars
and is thought to be the first of its kind in the country. Romania,
like many former Eastern Bloc countries, has been struggling to
make the transition to a democracy. Unlike many of the Russian
states, however, the path has been long and hard, with government
agencies admitting that there is still a lot of work to be done.

According to IBM, the new mainframe will be delivered to the
Romanian government this summer, and will take almost a year to
commission fully. Operating systems for the computer include MVS,
CICS, DB2 and, surprisingly for a mainframe, OS/2. IBM is discussing
which applications to supply to the government for use on the
mainframe.

Newsbytes understands that the computer will be used to create the
kernel of a Romanian government computer information system.
Plans are in hand to computerize the old paper-based "national ID
card" system that stems from the Communist days, allowing the
ID card to be used as the basis of health records, tax, and state
benefits.

According to IBM, Creditanstalt, the Austrian banking concern, is
financing the hardware. No details of how the Romanian government
intends to pay for the software were available at press time.

The move towards democracy have cost the country heavily,
with crippling Western debt and a general lack of even basic
commodities stifling the economy.

While life in Bucharest is spartan but tolerable, poverty is a
watchword in the country regions, with queues for sparse goods
being the order of the day. The situation in Romania mirrors that
of the early days of Peristroika in Russia, when Premier
Gorbachov came to power.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940419/Press Contact: IBM UK, 44-256-56144)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00009)

Philips & Matsushita To Open Polish Battery Factory 04/19/94
POZNAN, POLAND, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- One of the biggest problems
facing electronic device users in Poland is about to be solved.
Until now, batteries have been difficult to find, and those which are
available are either horrendously expensive Duracells imported
from the West, or Russian-produced batteries with only a limited
charge and lifespan. Now Philips and Matsushita have announced
plans to open a massive battery factory in Poland.

Both companies have formed a joint venture firm, called Philips
Matsushita Battery Poland, with the express aim of setting up a
factory in Poznan, a major industrial city about 200 kilometers
West of Warsaw, Poland's capital city.

The plant, which will cost around $40 million to get up and running
in the next 12 months, will initially specialize in the production
of "dry cell" batteries, although plans are in hand for alkaline and
other high capacity cells in due course. The first batteries should
be rolling off the production line by the summer of next year.

Poznan is an industrial area of Poland for the simple reason it is
in an area rich in iron and other metals. the primary component in
dry cells is zinc, an element that is found in abundance in the
region, Newsbytes notes.

Added to the notion that Poznan is in the grip of transitional
unemployment caused by the sudden switch from Communism to
Capitalism in Poland, and labor is freely available, then building
the new 50/50 joint venture company in the area becomes
logical.

By the end of 1995, Philips says it should be producing around a
half a million batteries a week at the new plant. Plans are in hand,
Newsbytes notes, to massively expand the facility with a target
production of around 10 million cells a week within the next five
years.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940419/Press & Public Contact: Philips GmbH,
49-911-526-4144)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00010)

Philips Reports CD-I European Sales Success 04/19/94
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Despite the
relatively high price for the machines, CD-I (compact disc-
interactive) has been a sales success in Europe, according to
Philips, one of the prime movers behind the technology.

At the end of December, 1993, Philips reports it had sold around
300,000 CD-I units in the first year of sales. Until the end of last
month, a further 100,000 units had been sold, pushing the company's
European sales to top the 400,000 mark.

According to Philips, plans are in hand to sell around 70,000 units
a month to reach a year-end target of a million CD-I units.
According to the company, there are two reasons for this success:
the arrival of a number of CD-I games on to the market; and the
imminent arrival of the movie adapter.

The movie adapter will allow CD-I discs with a much higher density
of data to be played on a standard CD-I player. Since CD-I discs are
the same size as their audio counterpart, compressing the same
amount of information from a 12-inch laserdisc onto a CD-I disc
needs the data to be highly compact.

CD-I is a multimedia system that allows advanced graphical games to
be played on an interactive adapter unit that normally plugs into a
standard TV set. Because of the massive amount of data that can be
stored on a standard CD-I disc, the games can have different endings.
They can rely on input from the player to decide how a game is going
to end. In this way, a "played out" game can be played again several
times by the same user without any worries of interest flagging.

(Steve Gold/19940419/Press & Public Contact: Philips Consumer
Electronics, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00011)

UK - NEC Upgrades Powermate 486es Portables 04/19/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- NEC UK has announced it is
upgrading its Powermate 486es portable PC without increasing the
price.

In addition to the upgrades, two new models have been added to the
basic 4S66es machine available in the UK: the Powermate 4S33es
with a 33 megahertz (MHz) 486SX processor; and the Powermate
450es with a 50MHz 486SX processor.

All the Powermates now come with a 210 megabyte (MB) hard disk,
compared to a 170MB unit previously. Prices are UKP1,110, UKP1,390
and UKP1,685 for the 33, 50 and 66MHz machines, respectively.

According to NEC, the new machines in the range are aimed at
lowering the entry-level costs for the Powermate in the UK. All
three machines feature NEC's unique OptiBus technology which a
spokesman for NEC told Newsbytes boosts data throughout to the
main processor by up to 50 percent over conventional bus technology.

All three Powermate 486es series are now billed as "Pentium ready,"
with 1MB of video RAM, integrated local video bus and "true color"
support. The new machines are also now accredited as "Energy
Star" compliant. Energy Star is a US government-sponsored
approvals note that signifies low energy consumption.

"increasingly, users are running larger and more complex
applications and need greater performance from their PCs. NEC has
responded to this demand by improving the performance of the
PowerMate 486es series, but without increasing the price," noted
Steve Finnemore, NEC UK's product marketing manager,

Other features of the Powermate 486es series include single in-line
memory module (SIMM) memory expansion to 36MB, and three device
bays. The machines have a software upgradable BIOS (basic
input/output) and a scalable CPU (central processing unit)/cache
architecture.

(Steve Gold/19940419/Press & Public Contact: NEC PC Division,
44-81-993-8111)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00012)

 ****First PowerPC 604 Chips Announced 04/19/94
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- IBM and Motorola Corp.
said they have finished the development and fabrication of the
PowerPC 604 chip, next in the line of reduced instruction-set
computing (RISC) processors the two firms are developing along
with Apple Computer Inc.

The 604 is a more powerful sibling to the PowerPC 601, which is
the chip used in PowerPC systems already announced by IBM and
Apple. It is meant for use in high-powered desktop PCs and
workstations.

According to IBM and Motorola, samples of the 604 will be
generally available in the third quarter of this year and volume
production will begin by year-end. Apple officials said they plan
to use the chip in their computers some time in 1995.

The 604 is the third in the PowerPC line. In addition to the 601,
there is also a PowerPC 603 chip, which is a power-saving version
of the 601 meant for laptop computers and low-end desktops. The
fourth in the line will be the 620, meant for high-performance
workstations and servers.

IBM plans to begin making these chips this year and next year,
company spokesman Jim Smith told Newsbytes.

IBM and Motorola claim the PowerPC 604 will offer close to
twice the performance of competing microprocessors, and provide
the power to support new classes of advanced multimedia,
graphics, and other applications.

The PowerPC 604 uses a 0.5-micron, 3.3-volt complementary metal
oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, and incorporates 3.6
million transistors. It is a superscalar, multiprocessor-enabled
chip that issues up to four instructions in parallel every clock
cycle to six execution units. It includes a three-stage
double-precision floating-point unit that the designers said is
useful for graphics and multimedia applications.

In February, IBM Microelectronics said it had shipped more than
250,000 PowerPC 601 chips in its first four months of making the
microprocessor. The company announced a cut of about 15 percent
in the price of the 601.

In March, Apple announced its first Macintosh computers using
PowerPC chips. IBM had announced its first PowerPC systems
last fall.

(Grant Buckler/19940419/Press Contact: Jim Smith, IBM
Microelectronics, 914-892-5389; Steven Malkiewicz, IBM,
914-642-5449; Dean Mosley, Motorola, 512-891-2839; Betty
Taylor, Apple Computer, 408-974-3983)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00013)

Microhelp Upgrades Visual Programming Toolkit 04/19/94
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Microhelp Inc,
the company that publishes a software program that un-installs
Windows applications, has announced an upgrade to its toolkit for
Visual Basic applications developers.

The company says VB Tools version 4 custom control toolkit
includes controls from VB Tools 3 and 3-D Gizmos 2 plus five new
controls, 54 custom controls including Grid/VBX from Farpoint
Technologies, and 22 data-aware controls that include a virtual
list box and a combo box.

Grid/VBX cells can be limited to any of the following data types:
float, date, time, edit, PIC, static text, or picture. Each cell
can be configured to contain a button, checkbox, or combo box.

New controls include Tab and Tip controls similar to those in
Microsoft Word 6. Microhelp says the tab control allow the user to
create selection dialogs. The number of tabs, rows, and position
of the tabs at design and run time can be controlled, as can the
color. Folder color can also be controlled.

The Tip control displays a "tip" or hint as to what the control
does when the pointer is moved over the control. Time-delay
before displaying the tip is controllable, as is the color of the
text and foreground.

Other features include optional three-dimensional (3-D) captions
and borders and an array of Visual Basic and Visual C++ examples
to get you up and running quickly. Most controls have a choice of
3-D, etched steel or shadowed styles.

Microhelp spokesperson Phil Hall told Newsbytes VB Tools 4 is
available immediately at a suggested retail price of $129.
Hall says current users of VB Tools can upgrade for $69. 3-D
Gizmos 2 users can upgrade for $99, while users of both products
can upgrade for $39.

Microhelp says the product is compatible with all versions of
Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows, Visual C++, and Borland
C++ 4.0.

Each custom control is contained in a separate VBX file that is
distributed royalty-free with the developer's application.
Microhelp's custom controls are usable in a Visual Basic program by
doing a "File-Add File" for the appropriate VBX file. In Visual C++,
the user starts AppStudio and then does a "File-Add controls" on
the desired VBX file.

The company says it has removed some of the controls that were in
earlier versions of VB Tools because either their functionality is
now provided within Visual Basic itself or there is a more advanced
version in 3-D Gizmos 2.

(Jim Mallory/19940419/Press Contact: Phil Hall, Open City
Communications for Microhelp Inc., 212-714-3575; Reader
Contact: Microhelp Inc., tel [phone] or 404-516-0899,
fax [phone])


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

US West Intros LAN-In-A-Box For Branch Offices 04/19/94
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) - US West Advanced
Communications (ACS) has announced a personal computer (PC)
networking product designed to connect PCs in small businesses,
including those with branch offices.

US West is stressing the simplicity of connecting PCs with its
Interconnect for PC, calling it "simple and affordable for
non-technical users."

Rusty Wright, director of new product development for US West
ACS says non-technical users were able to set up a local area
network (LAN) consisting of three PCs and a printer in less than
an hour without prior exposure to the product and without
instructions during lab tests.

Interconnect for PC is a set of modular components that can
create a LAN, interconnect existing LANs, or create LAN access
to remote sites. It supports Microsoft DOS or Windows-based
computers on an Ethernet 10 megabit-per-second network.

System kits range in price from $250 to $775 depending on the
number of PCs and peripherals involved. Wright says the average
setup cost is about $300 per computer.

Interconnect for PC uses Novell's Personal Netware, some modem
sharing software, and office mail. XT and later model PCs and
laptop computers are supported. A PCMCIA (Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association) adapter is available for
connecting laptop computers.

Other options include an Ethernet hub for attaching up to eight
devices to a LAN, a modem kit that provides hardware for dial-up
wide area access and a printer kit for sharing a PC's parallel
port between a printer and an external LAN adapter.

To use the product, the PC that will have the Novell software
installed has to have at least nine megabytes (MB) of available
hard disk storage. The workstations, or client, connected to the
net need 5MB of disk storage. A fixed-rate business telephone
line is also required for interconnecting to a remote site.

(Jim Mallory/19940419/Press contact: Giulia Urquhart,
US West ADC, 303-965-9252)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00015)

Plantronics Intros Telephone Headset "Standard" 04/19/94
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Plantronics,
a manufacturer of headsets, has announced a "working relationship"
with Intel and HP in support of an "open, comprehensive" computer
audio I/O (input/output) standard.

The telephone headset is seen by some as becoming a recognized
computer peripheral and in some cases being called the "mouse of
the future."

With expansion of computer-telephone integration necessary for
videoconferencing, voice recognition, voice mail, voice store and
forward, voice dictation and numerous multimedia features,
Plantronics has developed a number of products which are
specifically designed for the desktop environment.

Its CompuSet is a hands-free headset that connects to either, an
internal or external modem, and allows a user to switch from
data to voice conversations during phone calls. Using a computer
keypad for dialing, CompuSet eliminates the need of a traditional
handset which enables desktop users to continue uninterrupted
keyboard operations.

Plantronics, which claims to be the manufacturer of the first
lightweight headset in 1961, is working with a number of chipset
manufacturers to establish technical and safety standards for
headset use in the computer environment.

Speaking to Newsbytes, Paul Wcislo, marketing communications
manager for Plantronics, said, "We are shipping an OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) headset product with Intel's ProShare
teleconferencing system that was introduced at ComNet in
Washington DC. It won an ID design award in the ID Design Review.
When users were using the headset in the teleconferencing
demonstrations, they had to turn their heads sideways to show
the headset. Its design is so sleek and improved that the
traditional mouthpiece has been dramatically reduced."

Wcislo continued, "We are in discussion with chipset makers for
modems and we are working to establish software standards so
that a headset will work under all circumstances in the Mac,
Microsoft and workstation environments. Our experience in
telephony allows us to be a leader in establishing safety standards
that  will protect users from electric shocks and sound spikes."

Plantronics product line includes a variety of traditional headsets,
CompuSet, S62 Stereo Headset (OEMed to HP) and StarBase 2000
Plus, a complete telephone with headset and base features for the
SOHO (small-office, home-office) market.

(Patrick McKenna/19940419/Press Contact: Paul Wcislo,
Plantronics, 408-458-4468)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00016)

New Media Expo - Kiosks As Multimedia Platform 04/19/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- While the
architects of future information highways focus on gigabyte-
speed networks and satellite delivery systems, many people are
finding a more down-to-earth means for delivering digital
information -- the kiosk.

Known mostly for collecting unsightly flyers of long-forgotten
events, the kiosk is being combined with the computer to create
a potent multimedia machine.

Of the 26 finalists in the Interactive Advertising and Media
Awards, handed out at New Media Expo here April 12, eight
involved kiosks.

The digital kiosk typically involves a computer with data storage
such as a CD-ROM or laser disc, a special keyboard or a touch-
sensitive screen, and software designed to let the user make
choices or request information. Some include built-in printers.
Some are connected to wide area networks (WANs), so their
information can be updated quickly, or to send data captured
from users to a central location. Many are housed in attractive
or bizarre housings which draw attention to themselves or dispel
the fear that many people have of computers.

A major reason for the popularity of kiosks is powerful but
inexpensive new software which lets developers use ordinary
personal computers (PCs) or Macintoshes to develop and
run the applications.

Programs like Macromind Director or Harvard Graphics let
developers create "hot buttons" on screen which users can push
or select to choose the information they want, or the direction
they wish to go.

Karina Aberg, creative director for Ohana Communications of New
York, says well-done kiosks attract customers. Ohana's kiosks in
the upscale Le Printemps department stores in France had
customers lining up to buy perfume.

The Le Printemps kiosks were more than vending machines. Using
special profiles developed by the perfume manufacturers, the
kiosks asked customers unconventional questions such as, "Are you
espresso or tea?" and "Are you mink or silk?" Based on their
answers, the kiosks -- which looked like seven-foot-high lipstick
tubes -- printed out a personality profile and suggested two
perfumes for the customer to try. The kiosk, "Asks people to talk
about themselves, which people love to do," said Aberg.

A kiosk is less threatening to many people than a salesperson,
whose attentions may sometimes be unwanted, Aberg noted. On the
other hand, a kiosk is also unlikely to wander from perfumes to
housewares to cover for someone else's coffee break.

"With a kiosk you have a 24-hour, 100 percent accurate salesperson
standing by the merchandise" says Steve Dillingham, whose company,
HMG Worldwide Intermark Division, developed an award winning
mini-kiosk for Philips electronics.

Ohana's interactive displays do not look like a computer application.
Built with Ohana's Engage software, which runs on a Macintosh,
they have no sculptured buttons, OK prompts, or scroll bars. Simple
frames, overlaid on attractive images, prompt the user to answer
questions.

On display at New Media Expo was an Ohana application for Paris
tourist authorities. Located in the Paris Metro, the kiosks ask
visitors playful questions about their preferences and personality,
then suggests sample attractions and even prints out a map of how
to get to them.

GTE developed a kiosk application to advise customers in its Phone
Marts about additional phone services. Federal Express has developed
kiosks so that customers can enter information about their parcels.
The information is always readable, and spares Federal Express the
necessity to re-enter it.

One bank is carrying the ATM (automated teller machine) concept
further than simply dispensing cash and taking deposits. Combined
with artificial intelligence it can pre-qualify lenders for loans.

"ATMs have done a great service,'' Robert Carberry, vice-president
of technology for Blockbuster Entertainment, said in the opening
keynote speech at New Media Expo. "The ease by which people
navigate through a bank ATM has lowered the threshold of
intimidation for kiosks."

Unlike their impassive forbearers, today's computerized kiosks
can be combined with other computer and communications
systems in a complex information delivery or collection system.

The istation, for example, is a kiosk intended to be located in
record stores. Customers get an "icard" by filling out a form which
collects demographic information and musical preferences, as well
as their name and address. The kiosk's bar code reader links the
user with the musical preferences they indicate.

The company gains valuable data about customers, which it uses in
associated music promotions. Customers gain access to the kiosk,
where they can hear 30 second clips from thousands of albums.

Store customers reportedly like the istation because it lets them
preview music before they buy, and retailers like it because
customers buy the music they listen to 70 percent of the time.
About 30 percent of customers purchase music they would not
otherwise buy, say istation developers, the Intouch Group.

One of the most successful integrations of the kiosk with other
media is the Movie-Fone. Customers call a local number, such as
777-FILM and, using their touchtone phone, they can choose a
movie by entering the first three letters of its name, by browsing
a list, or by selecting a particular theater. When they enter their
zip code, the system will tell them which movies are being shown
in their neighborhood, and the remaining show times that day.

Users can call ahead and, using a credit card, reserve tickets from
theaters which have tele-ticketing kiosks at them. When they
arrive at the theater they get their tickets from the kiosk
immediately.

However, kiosks have their drawbacks. At about $40,000 each,
Movie-Fone kiosks are expensive. Touch screens require frequent
cleaning, and the data on kiosks must be rich enough, or changed
frequently enough, to ensure that users (and nearby staff who
may have to listen to them) do not get bored.

Still, as with many approaches, technology has given the kiosk a
new lease on life. As the software gets more powerful and the
computing platforms and networks get cheaper, kiosks are
becoming an attractive and powerful way to sell products and
information.

(Paul De Groot/19940419)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00017)

New Media Expo - Internet Art Gallery 04/19/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The
world's most accessible art gallery has opened on the Internet.

Up only since the end of March, Kaleidoscope Media makes it
possible for any of the 20 million users on the Internet to browse
the work of aspiring artists.

Artists need not be Internet users to get on the system, says
Peter Markiewicz, one of two principals in the company. They need
only bring in images or samples of their art, which can include
paintings, videos, sculpture, literature, poetry or music, and
Kaleidoscope will put the information into its on-line gallery.

"We want to have traditional artists on here," so Kaleidoscope
will digitize the work of artists who may be unfamiliar with
computers and the Internet.

In addition to their art, participants are encouraged to submit
photos of themselves, biographical information, past and future
exhibits or installations, press clippings, and other information.

The key to Kaleidoscope's presence on the Internet is new software,
NCSA Mosaic, part of World Wide Web. The software provides a
graphical interface for the Internet, permitting the display of
graphic images on Windows PCs, Macintoshes, and Unix terminals.
The software became available last fall, and Markiewicz, a genetic
engineer by profession who handles the technical side of the gallery,
began working with it immediately.

Markiewicz' partner, Jeannie Novak, is a musician who inspired the
project and designed Kaleidoscope's gallery. The gallery contains
various rooms, including: the Art Studio for display of still or video
images and announcements of upcoming installations; Center Stage,
where they can advertise clips from performance videos, or
publicize live shows; the Music Kiosk, where musicians and record
labels can showcase excerpts from their music; the Newsstand,
where small presses can create virtual newspapers; a Reading Room
for showcasing literary arts; and Renaissance Faire for personalized
jewelry and clothing, interior design, made-to-order art and music
and other art which requires audience or purchaser decisions.

Artists pay about $50 a month to be in the gallery, which presently
features the work of about 20 artists. Kaleidoscope may also ask
for a proportion of any sales resulting from the display of work
in the gallery, similar to financial deals with regular art galleries.

Modem speeds are a significant limitation for Internet users,
especially when viewing video or listening to sound. Users must
typically download the files before running them, Markiewicz noted.

As network bandwidth increases and higher speed and ISDN
(integrated services digital network) modems become available,
however, access to the gallery's offerings will improve,
Markiewicz said.

Gallery viewers who want to order art or speak to the artists can
use the telephone or fax, or leave electronic-mail messages with
Kaleidoscope. The gallery is a member of CIX, a commercial
Internet exchange, and can take orders online.

Markiewicz said the gallery can serve artists in a number of ways.
Well-known artists gain instant worldwide access to their work
over the Internet. Lesser-known artists gain exposure they would
not otherwise gain from a small gallery which required in-person
visits. Artists with unusual or specialized arts, such as a jazz
harpist, can use the Internet's large user base to find a sufficient
number of patrons.

(Paul De Groot/19940419)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00018)

New Media Expo - Portable CD-ROM Drives For The Road 04/19/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) --An
increasingly important part of many a computer user's kit  -- the
CD-ROM drive -- is now easier to take on the road. Several products
for portable computers, unveiled at New Media Expo, give users the
power to include CD-ROM in their portable kit.

Media Vision's ReNO CD-ROM player, or Axonix' CardStation
ProMedia, are both portable CD-ROM systems. The ProMedia, in
addition, includes a 16-bit sound card.

As accessories which can be left at home when not required, these
products maintain the portability and flexibility of notebook
computers. Notebooks with built-in multimedia features are
typically much heavier and more expensive than standard notebooks.

Both of the new accessories can take advantage of the slim
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)
slots build into most new notebook computers.

Promedia is a 2.7-inch-high box with a footprint similar to that
of many portables, at 10.2-inches deep and 11.5-inches wide.
With a PCMCIA card connecting it the computer's bus, the box
contains a MPC 2-compliant double-speed CD-ROM drive, along
with a 16-bit sound card. The card can take audio data in from a
variety of sources and can record data at CD-quality levels. It
includes MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)-in and
MIDI-out ports. There is enough room left in the device to fit a
game port and a two-third length slot for ISA (Industry
Standard Architecture) cards such as network cards.

The product is a complement to Axonix' other PCMCIA products,
such as an ISA expansion chassis. ProMedia will ship by the end of
May.

Media Vision's slim new ReNO CD-ROM player could easily be
mistaken for an portable audio CD player. It fits easily into a
small, colorful nylon pouch for safekeeping. Control buttons on the
front of the player select tracks, adjust volume and perform other
standard CD functions. ReNO will reportedly function either as a
portable CD player or as a SCSI (small computer system interface)-
driven CD-ROM device for portable or desktop computers. A SCSI
interface attaches to the back end of the device, permitting it to
be hooked via a standard SCSI cable to a computer.

It will connect to Macintosh Powerbooks through their standard
SCSI port. IBM compatibles require a SCSI adapter which plugs
into a parallel or PCMCIA port. In addition to its light weight and
portability, the ReNO boasts the fastest access time available
on any CD-ROM drive -- 180 milliseconds.

"The triple-speed drive that we ship with our standard multimedia
kit has a 195 millisecond access time, so ReNO is a very fast drive,"
a company spokesman said. Sustained data transfer rates of 306
kilobytes a second are in line with those of other MPC 2-compatible
CD-ROMs. Prices for ReNO range from $399 to $549 depending on
configuration.

(Paul De Groot/19940419/Press Contact: Media Vision Inc.,
800-845-5870; Axonix, 801-466-9797)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00019)

Sylvan Learning Picks Up Worldwide ETS Contract 04/19/94
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND, U.S.A. 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Sylvan Learning
Systems has picked up a 10-year, exclusive contract with
Educational Testing Service of Princeton, N.J., to provide computer-
based tests around the world. The Columbia-based Sylvan said the
deal will start making a significant contribution to the company's
bottom line in 1995.

Sylvan already has an agreement with ETS for a wide range of
domestic tests administered by computer, including the Graduate
Record Exam, or GRE.

In the new deal, Sylvan will open testing centers in 38 cities in
20 countries in 1994 to offer the GRE and the American Production
and Inventory Control Specialists test and other tests later.
Sylvan says it will expand this testing center network into more
than 150 countries by 1997.

Also, ETC will purchase $1.5 million of Sylvan's restricted stock,
with an option to buy another $4 million of stock over the next three
years.

"The market for an international testing center network is very
large," says Chris Hoehn-Saric, Sylvan's chief executive officer.
"Organizations and governments wishing to certify or license people
often cross borders and Sylvan's will be the first and only network
capable of meeting local, regional and global testing needs."

ETS is the world's largest educational testing firm, administering
more than 8.3 million tests in North America, and 1.2 million tests
overseas each year. Sylvan has provided computer-based tests
administered by ETS in North America since 1991. Sylvan offers
computer based testing through its network of 220 testing centers
in 180 North American markets.

"Sylvan's vast network of centers, which give it the ability to offer
testing at convenient times and sufficient locations to satisfy our
clients' needs, offers the ideal computerized test delivery capability
for ETS in North America," said Ernest Anastasio, ETS executive vice
president. "Having proven that it has the technical and operational
expertise to provide the high level of security and professional test
administration we require, Sylvan is the natural choice as we
implement computer-based testing worldwide."

Sylvan says the agreement with ETS will allow it to establish a
single international network for computer testing services, offering
consistent service and support throughout Europe and in major Asian
and most African countries. Over the next few years, Sylvan says it
will explore using its international testing center network with
additional testing organizations in Europe and Asia.

Sylvan Learning Systems is a major provider of supplemental
educational services in North America. The company operates more
than 500 franchised and company-owned educational centers
throughout North America. More than 200 Sylvan centers offer
computer-based tests, including the GRE, the registered and
practical nurses licensure examination (NCLEX), and the PRAXIS
Series for teachers.

Also, Sylvan offers tests sponsored by organizations such as
WordPerfect, the Institute for Certification of Computing
Professionals, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

(Kennedy Maize/19940418/Press Contact: Vickie Glazar,
410-880-0889 ext 8867)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00020)

Corp For Public Broadcasting Offers Community Access Grants 04/19/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The Corporation for
Public Broadcasting has picked public radio and television stations
in 12 states, reaching an audience of 25 million, for expanded and
free community access to online services linked to the local
broadcast outlet. The grants total $1.4 million.

Of the dozen total grants, 10 cover cities and metropolitan areas
while two are statewide. The project is a first for CPB, which is
the main funding agency for public radio and TV in the US, and has
focused on supporting programming through National Public Radio,
American Public Radio, and the Public Broadcasting Service.

In a press conference in Washington, CPB Executive Vice President
Robert Coonrod said the project is designed to get local communities,
and local broadcast providers, thinking interactivity. He said he
hopes the grants will help "make the psychic transition for shooting
out a signal and hoping people get it" to an understanding of how
to connect with information and information providers.

Under the program, public broadcasters are to work with local,
community organizations to link broadcast services with online
services. For example, a radio station offering the nightly "All
Things Considered" news show could also work with a local
community group for an online bulletin board for messages and
opinions about the topics on the show, much as America Online
carries an online chat during broadcasts of National Public Radio's
"Talk of the Nation" and "Science Friday."

Also, Coonrod said, a public TV station offering a major feature,
such as the PBS "Civil War" series, could coordinate with the
local library and museum for special books and exhibits and
communicate this back to viewers on the series, and through a
bulletin board.

(Kennedy Maize/19940418/Press Contact: Jeannie Bunton,
202-879-9687)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00021)

AST Intros Graphical Interface Aimed At New Users 04/19/94
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- With computers
becoming a commodity, computer makers are searching for ways to
differentiate their systems to the home user. In that vein, AST
Research has announced its own colorful, animated graphical
interface aimed at new users which also offers faxing and voice
mail. It even identifies who is calling.

AST calls the package AST Works and says the interface is more
than just a push-button remote control-style gateway to
applications on the personal computer (PC). Each new Advantage
now comes with a built-in fax/modem and software.

Besides the access software to bulletin board services Prodigy
and America Online, AST also includes software that offers call
management capabilities such as up to 99 private personalized
voice mailboxes and support for Caller ID (where available) so
the computer can indicate who is calling before the phone is
answered.

Other included software packages that take advantage of the
fax/modem are: Lotus Organizer which offers automatic dialing of
phone numbers in its phone directory, and Phoenix Fax which
allows for sending, receiving, and forwarding of faxes.

Quicken is included for financial management and Microsoft Works
for database, spreadsheet, and word processing functions. Home
finance, inventory, and even a graphics package to print custom
banners, greeting cards, and name tags is included.

AST claims it is introducing more powerful computers in its
upgraded Advantage! line based on Intel 486SX 33 megahertz (MHz),
486SX2 50MHz, 486DX2 66MHz, and 486 100MHz microprocessors.

A multimedia version of the upgraded versions, called the
Advantage! Adventure, offers multimedia help from AST support
technicians which can be played back on the included compact
disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive. Microsoft's Encarta, a
multimedia encyclopedia, is also included with the Adventure
series computers, AST added.

AST also offers 24-hour technical support toll-free and software
included with the computer can automatically register the
purchase for the user using the fax/mode. The Advantage! line is
available at retail locations such as Circuit City, Computer
City, CompUSA, Fretters, Silo, Pricecostco, Sam's Wholesale Club
and Incredible Universe. Prices range from about $1,800 to $2,500
depending on the configuration.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940419/Press Contact: AST Research, Hollie
Cronin, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Ryan Wilson,
KVO PR, 503-221-2395/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00022)

 ****Intel's 7th Record Quarter, PC Demand Credited 04/19/94
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The world's
largest chip maker, Intel, announced its seventh record quarter
of revenue and earnings. While the company's profit margins are
being squeezed, it said demand in the IBM-compatible personal
computer (PC) market it dominates continues to account for the
growth.

In its first quarter of 1994 earnings statement, Intel announced
revenue was up to $2.66 billion, up from the $2.02 billion reported
in the year ago quarter and up from last quarter's $2.39 billion
in revenue. Net income was reported at $617 million (or $1.40 per
share) compared with $548 million (or $1.24 per share) in the
same quarter last year and up from the $594 million (or $1.35 per
share) in the fourth quarter of last year.

Intel's contention is that computer buyers, even those seeking
home computers, are after higher performance PCs and a steady
migration to more powerful 486DX2 and Pentium-based systems is
pushing revenues upward. However, the company's cost of sales in
the first quarter of 1994 grew by $189 million from the $935
million reported in the first quarter of 1993, driven by
increased volumes.

Intel said the trend toward a lower gross margin percentage
continued, reflecting higher factory start-up costs and higher
proportions of costs of flash memory and system-level products.
Competition from clone makers as well as the PowerPC from
Motorola, Apple, and IBM is forcing the giant to make cost cuts
in its lucrative microprocessor line. Intel announced last year
its intention to lower Pentium prices and claims its goal is to
double PC performance at major price points in 1994.

The company also wants to talk more directly to consumers.
Television advertisements for the Intel microprocessors have
increased dramatically and it is setting up a forum on the
popular, graphical America Online service to aim microprocessor
and other company information directly to consumers.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940419/Press Contact: Howard High, Intel,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00023)

 ****Motorola Plans $100M Cellular Plant In Rural Illinois 04/19/94
HARVARD, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- The citizens of
Harvard, Illinois, might want to replace the statue of a plastic cow
in the downtown business district with a giant cellular telephone
after Motorola opens a $100 million, 3,000 employee cellular
telephone plant in the rural Illinois town.

The cow represents the area's major industry at present, but that
will change when Motorola comes to town to build its new facility
on 300 acres of farmland 60 miles northwest of Chicago.

The company says construction of the one million square foot
plant, which is scheduled to begin in June, will generate about 800
temporary jobs during the two-year construction period. The state of
Illinois will reportedly provide $36 million in incentives, most in
the form of road improvements and other infrastructure upgrades.

Motorola spokesperson David Pinsky told Newsbytes Harvard was
selected because of its proximity to Motorola's Libertyville,
Illinois, plant about 50 miles away, and the availability of a
new labor pool. Pinsky downplayed the importance of Harvard being
the hometown of Motorola founder Paul Galvin. Motorola's
worldwide headquarters is located in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Illinois Governor Jim Edgar said the facility will pump about $11
million annually into the state economy in the form of state taxes
and another $8.7 million in local taxes.

Beloit, Wisconsin, was also a contender for the plant site. Even
though it was not selected the state of Wisconsin will still benefit,
since about 40 percent of the Harvard workforce is expected to
come from the state.

Motorola has also said it will establish a research plant in
Australia. However, Pinsky said that facility is not related to
Motorola's cellular phone activities. The Motorola Technology
Center will reportedly employ about 400 research and development
engineers by the year 2,000, doing software development, wireless
communications research, and design and systems integration.

Motorola says more than 16 million people have signed up for
cellular service since its inception in the US 10 years ago.

(Jim Mallory/19940419/Press Contact:  David Pinsky, Motorola,
708-523-2841)


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

Newton & Portable MLS Software Available For Lease 04/19/94
HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) --
Integration Systems has announced a two-year leasing deal for
real estate agents that includes a Newton Messagepad 110, a
modem, and its Portable MLS software for $57.95 a month. The
Portable MLS allows agents to download to the Messagepad the
multiple listings of available properties in an area, then access
it while out with clients.

The Portable MLS software, announced in August of last year when
the Messagepad was introduced, comes on a two megabyte card that
inserts into the Newton's Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA) slot. The card not only offers
the software, but room to store listings which can be downloaded
using the modem at the rate of one every three seconds.

All the available listings in an area may be downloaded, then
searched by key fields, such as price or square footage. Once the
available addresses that meet the criteria are listed, the agent
need only tap on an address to see the details of the listing.

The lease plan offers a 90-day deferred payment and the
Messagepad can be purchased at the end of the lease for just $1,
according to Jim Guy, president of Integration Systems.

Scott Zimmerman, also known as "ZZ," has been hired away from
working in Apple's Personal Interactive Electronics (PIE)
division to work for Integrated Systems on the MLS software
project.

Zimmerman is one of the list of developers that scrolls
by on the Messagepad in one of the hidden Newton "Easter Eggs,"
an undocumented feature programmed into the personal digital
assistant (PDA). To see the development team, users print
"about Newton," then press Assist.

The Portable MLS software is being updated to work with the
various formats of multiple listing services (MLS) available in
the US and Canada. Guy said 150 total formats will be available
in the next three months and the other 200 formats in the US will
be available by the end of this year. The company is working on
the MLS formats for areas with the most demand first.

The Portable MLS software itself is retail priced at $345 and
was voted the best new product of 1993 at the Association of
Realtors convention held in Miami last November.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940419/Press Contact: Jim Guy, Integrated
Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact:
US Only, 800-645-4511)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00025)

Hybrid Offers High-Speed, Wireless Internet In DC 04/19/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Infonauts in the
Washington, DC, area can now get 10 megabits-per-second wireless
access to the Internet and may soon have similar high-speed access
to other services such as America Online and Prodigy, according to
Craig Strachman of Hybrid Networks.

Hybrid, based in Cupertino, Calif., has worked out a deal with George
Washington University that will not only give Internet access to
Washington residents, but also to the campus data system. It is
Hybrid's first commercial offering in the two years the company
has been working on wireless technology, Strachman, Hybrid's
manager of market communications, told Newsbytes.

Hybrid has installed an antenna at American University, one of the
highest points in the DC area. Users of the Hybrid access system
will need to buy remote link adapters from Hybrid and be within line
of sight from the AU tower. GW is providing the wireless TV channel
for delivery of the signal.

"With (Hybrid's system), GW will place important campus data and
other information online," said Ted Christensen, assistant vice
president for GW television. "The university and medical center
will be able to offer cost-effective remote access to this
information through the greater Washington, DC, area."

The remote link adapters are devices that receive high speed data
from cable or wireless and send it to the computer over an Ethernet
connection. The RLA model for an Ethernet connection costs $1,495.
In addition, the connection requires a $100 monthly charge. Users
will get a full Internet TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol) connection and a unique Internet address.

"This is fast enough to allow real use of Mosaic (the Internet
graphical interface) from a remote site," Strachman said. "Most
users find Mosaic too slow from a modem." Later, Strachman said,
"We will be running some trials with America Online and Prodigy
connections over wireless" in Washington.

The Washington offering is based on work Hybrid began earlier in San
Francisco and is still working with on an experimental basis. "DC is
the only place offering full service," Strachman said. "We are also
doing a two-way cable trial in Marion, Pa., and Castro Valley,
Calif.," he added.

According to Strachman, Hybrid is also working with Intel and
General Instrument to shrink the remote link access box down to
the size of a PC card. He said that project will probably take six
months or so.

(Kennedy Maize/19940419/Press Contact: Craig Strachman,
408-752-3262)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00026)

MCI Mail Will Open To Internet Users 04/19/94
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- MCI is opening up its
MCI Mail electronic mail system to Internet users, allowing those on
the Internet to sent mail to any valid facsimile, telex, postal or
courier address worldwide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at
standard MCI Mail rates.

The service will be available in June, MCI spokeswoman Pam
Small told Newsbytes.

"The Internet community has always used electronic mail to
communicate with associates," said Vinton Cerf, MCI senior vice
president for data architecture at MCI and president of the
Internet Society. "Now, with the growth in the commercial
Internet, we anticipate these millions of users will need access
to reliable messaging services to supplement their e-mail
correspondence."

Internet users will have to register with MCI Mail to use the
service, which they can do electronically. To register or to
request additional information, send an e-mail to:
MCI-info-requestgatekeeper.mcimail.com, and type "help" as
the message test.

MCI's move will give Internet users the full menu of MCI Mail
services, including: electronic message transfer to letterhead and
use of signature graphics; image transmission via fax; alternate
addressing when sending a fax; and automatic retry for fax and
telex.

"The demand for more sophisticated messaging and information
services will grow exponentially as businesses and consumers
continue to take advantage of the capabilities developed through
the convergence of multimedia, computers and telecommunications,"
said Marilyn Bardsley, MCI's vice president for messaging and
information services. "Our efforts to expand MCI Mail services to
the Internet user community is part of our overall network MCI
vision to harness technologies and turn them into real-world
communications tools."

While Internet users have been able to exchange electronic mail
messages and binary files with MCI Mail users since 1989, they did
not have access to message delivery options or enhanced message
handling capabilities commonly used by MCI Mail customers for
years.

Internet users have had to either go outside the Internet to send
messages via other delivery methods or obtain them through
specialized commercial providers on the Internet.

Will we see full-scale Internet availability from MCI Mail? "We
are looking at a lot of different things with regard to the Internet,"
Small told Newsbytes. "Stay tuned through the rest of 1994,
because we will be making some announcements. There is a lot of
interest in the Internet and we have done a lot of hiring in the
past year of people with Internet expertise, such as Cerf and
Bardsley. The whole idea is to leverage the network we have now,
and we are putting a large number of dollars into that."

(Kennedy Maize/19940419/Press Contact: Pam Small,
202-887-2442)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00027)

Nestor Software Brings Recognition To Electronic Forms 04/19/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Just a few days
after the debut of the Ni1000, a chip jointly developed with Intel,
and intended to give computers "human-like" abilities to recognize
patterns, Nestor Inc. has unveiled a suite of software specifically
designed to bring capabilities of this kind to electronic forms.

Launched this week at the AIMM (Association for Information and
Image Management) conference and expo in New York City, Nestor's
new software is aimed at permitting computers to correctly "read"
hand- or machine-printed faxes and scanned pages, and to route
these documents over electronic mail systems.

Slated for availability in May, the software offerings include an
upgrade of NestorReader, the company's multiplatform flagship
product, along with two new Windows-based packages: the N'Route
1.0 utility for electronic-mail routing; and the OmniTools 1.0
application development system.

In a meeting with Newsbytes on a pre-AIMM press tour of Boston,
David Fox, president of Providence, Rhode Island-based Nestor, said
that NestorReader performs intelligent character recognition
(ICR), a technique aimed at allowing automatic identification of
information on hand- and machine-printed forms.

The company president added that NestorReader 2.0, which
represents an update to the previously released NestorReader 1.0,
brings a high degree of accuracy through the use of multiple
"neural networks." Through these techniques, the software is
able to recognize patterns in an individual's handwriting, or in a
particular font style, and to "learn" through repeated examples,
according to Fox.

Targeted at OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and systems
integrators, NestorReader reads printed information that has been
entered into blocks, or "fields," in a form, he explained. The new
Version 2.0 presents the user with first, second, and third choices
for the interpretation of a character, along with a "confidence
levels" for each choice.

For the character "8," for example, NestorReader might present "8"
as a "first choice," with a confidence level of 92, followed by "6"
as a second choice, with a "06" confidence level, and "9" as a
third choice, with a "01" confidence level.

The software uses "form identification" to recognize a pre-printed
form identification number. In addition, several techniques are
employed to raise the accuracy of character and word recognition,
Fox told Newsbytes.

A technique called "zone definition" defines "recognition areas" --
such as a person's zip code or phone number -- on the form, and
also assigns specific "attributes" to each area.

Another technique, "character segmentation," is based on the
software's "realization" that overlapping and touching characters
consist of separate letters or characters that must be separated.
A third technique, "character level context," uses the statistical
probability of neighboring characters to help out with recognition.

A fourth methodology, "word syntax," employs parameters based on
the character's position in a word. Another, "word level context,"
is intended to "optimize the word value" through the use of the
primary and alternate choices, confidence values, and character
strings within field-specific context and user dictionaries.

Recognition is further increased through a feature that
will align and deskew any skewed documents for proper
registration of the data fields, Newsbytes was told.

NestorReader 2.0 will be offered for Windows, DOS, OS/2, AIX,
Sun OS and Solaris, according to Fox. The PC versions will be
priced at $2,995, and the workstation editions at $7,500.

Nestor's new N'Route utility allows the printed document to be
routed through an e-mail system simply by dropping it into a
scanner or fax batch, the company president reported.

After the software "reads" the names of the intended recipients,
the document image is attached to a mail message and delivered.
N'Route is able to work with several common mail systems,
including Lotus Notes using cc:Mail and Windows for Workgroups
using Microsoft Mail. A fax server can also be utilized to identify
the recipients and initiate the routing process.

N'Route can be configured to detect the receipt of images in either
a system directory or a mail system, Fox continued. The software
automatically queries the mail system for valid recipient addresses
and routes the images, sending "unroutable addresses" to a
user-defined system manager directory, or to a mail stop.

System managers are provided with full routing protection, he said,
and password protection is also available. N'Route 1.0 will be
priced at $1,995.

The new OmniTools product is meant to permit development of
NestorReader 2.0- based applications without C programming,
according to Fox. The new kit allows access to NestorReader's ICR
tools through Microsoft's Visual Basic, as well as through a
variety of macro languages, including Visual Basic for
Applications.

OmniTools 1.0 also provides simple calls for displaying an image.
The image can then be used to define recognition zones, or for
"video correction" of the image after recognition, the company
chief maintained. OmniTools 1.0 is priced at $2,995.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940419/Reader Contact: Nestor Inc., 401-331-
9640; Press Contacts: David Wright, Nestor, 401-331-9640; Xenia
Moore, Franson, Hagerty & Associates for Nestor, 619-457-4490)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00028)

Japan - NEC & General Magic Talk Multimedia 04/19/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Japan's NEC has begun talks
with California-based General Magic concerning joint business
involving multimedia devices.

Some reports have NEC purchasing an equity in General Magic,
and obtaining a license to Telescript.

An NEC spokesman confirmed to Newsbytes that NEC has been
talking with General Magic on a possible business agreement.
However, the spokesman declined further comment.

NEC will likely use General Magic's Telescript communication
software technology and terminal operating system to develop
telecommunication terminal devices and a multimedia service
in Japan. NEC is already planning to begin an interactive
telecommunication business next year.

Major Japanese firms such as NTT and Fujitsu are already
participating in General Magic, and are preparing to start
multimedia telecommunication services in Japan.

With General Magic's Telescript and the accompanying
technologies, powerful application programs with a
variety of features can reportedly be produced.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940419/Press Contact: NEC,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00029)

SHL Systemhouse & Oracle Announce Alliance 04/19/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Canadian systems
integrator and outsourcer SHL Systemhouse Inc. has announced an
alliance with Oracle Corp., the Redwood Shores, California, maker
of database software.

Systemhouse's sales force will market Oracle's newly announced
Oracle Cooperative Applications, a line of client/server software
aimed at specific vertical markets. In turn, Oracle's sales force
will help sell Systemhouse's outsourcing services. The alliance
covers the United States and Canada, Systemhouse spokesman Rick
Gray told Newsbytes.

The deal also gives Systemhouse the right to resell Oracle7
Parallel Server and Oracle's Cooperative Development Environment.
Officials said this makes Systemhouse the first major integrator
authorized to resell Oracle's financial and manufacturing
application software.

It is also the first alliance Systemhouse has signed covering
client/server application software like Oracle's Cooperative
Applications, Gray said, though the integrator has "a host" of
alliances with other software and hardware vendors.

Systemhouse and Oracle have frequently worked together in an
informal way in the past, as Oracle's flagship database software
has often figured in the projects Systemhouse has done for its
clients, Gray said. "That's one of the reasons why this
particular alliance was formally established," he said.

(Grant Buckler/19940419/Press Contact: Rick Gray, SHL
Systemhouse, 312-697-5668; Sue Stoney, Oracle,
415-506-3220)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00030)

Canada - University/Industry Research Sharing Urged 04/19/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- Canadian
university researchers should do more to share the results of their
work with industry, and to inform the general public about what
they are doing and why it is worthwhile, says the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

NSERC is, along with the National Research Council (NRC), one of
two granting agencies responsible for most of the Canadian
federal government's support for scientific research. Its views
on researchers communicating with industry and the public are set
forth in Partnerships In Knowledge: Maximizing the investment in
university research, a strategy paper released recently.

In the paper, NSERC observes that "university research has been
at the center of most of this century's major new ideas and the
development of new industries." But it says there is a need for
closer ties between university researchers and industry.

The NSERC paper sets out to defuse possible concerns that the
granting agency's greater emphasis on collaboration with industry
might lead to more emphasis on commercially attractive projects
at the expense of basic research. "New discovering and the
applications that might result are rarely predictable," the paper
says. "It follows that Canada must maintain a broad portfolio of
investments across the natural science and engineering
disciplines." University laboratories will not become industrial
research facilities, the council says.

At the same time, though, the strategy document makes it clear
that researchers' ability to sell the value of their research to
the public will be an increasingly important factor in obtaining
grants. "NSERC believes that possession of an NSERC grant
implies acceptance of the responsibility to keep abreast of the
opportunities to transfer discoveries to society, and to make the
effort to communicate the excitement and value of research to the
public," says the document.

The strategy paper outlines several steps NSERC plans to take
on this front. It will provide university researchers with
information about possible use of their work in industry, and
make it easier for the private sector to get information about
university research. It will also encourage small companies,
which often cannot afford much research of their own, to work
with universities. International research partnerships will be
another goal.

NSERC says it will try to expand opportunities for students to
work with industrial researchers, emphasize the relevance of
training to employment prospects, and improve both company and
student access to existing industrial scholarship and fellowship
programs. Finally, the council plans to encourage universities to
put more work into "outreach" activities in which they work with
industry and professional organizations.

(Grant Buckler/19940420/Press Contact: Arnet Sheppard, NSERC,
613-995-5997; Public Contact: NSERC, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00031)

Newsbytes Daily Summary 04/19/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 19 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> Dataquest Predicts $100 Bil 1994 Semiconductor Market 04/19/94
The major role of the semiconductor in the computing and high-tech
industries has been affirmed again. Market research firm, Dataquest,
estimates that the semiconductor market will exceed $100 billion in
1994, and that consumption in the Asia/Pacific- ROW region will
surpass Japan's consumption in 1995.

2 -> Dataquest - Interoperability Top With Handheld Users 04/19/94 The
personal digital assistant (PDA) and handheld computer market may not
be living up to its hype, but it is still becoming a valuable tool for
many mobile business professionals. And, according to a  survey from
market research firm, Dataquest, business  professionals regard
interoperability with desktop PCs and
 software to be the most important feature for handheld computers.

3 -> UK - HP Intros 100VG-AnyLAN 100Mbps Products 04/19/94 Hewlett-
Packard's UK operation has unveiled, what it claims, are the
industry's first

Press <RETURN> or <S>croll?s 100VG-AnyLAN (local area network)
networking products.

4 -> UK - Phonelink Readies Online Info/Directory Assist 04/19/94
Phonelink, the  communications software developer, has pre-announced
its "Tel-Me"  online service, which aims to offer a variety of
information. It will  be formally unveiled on May 4, Newsbytes
understands.

5 -> Oracle Canada Unit Focuses On Applications 04/19/94 Oracle Corp.
Canada Inc. has set up a business unit to create mission- critical
applications for specific industry sectors. The move goes hand in hand
with Oracle Corp.'s worldwide launch of Cooperative Applications
Release 10, a set of client/server software packages, officials said.

6 ->  ****Toronto Trial To Run Broadband To Homes 04/19/94 A
technology  trial soon to get under way in Toronto will include
running high-bandwidth communications into a suburban subdivision to
provide entertainment, education, and other services.

7 -> Cray Research Intros New Large Memory Supercomputer 04/19/94 Cray
Research has introduced the Cray C90D series of large-memory
supercomputer systems.

8 -> Romania - IBM Secures $Multi-Million Govt Contract 04/19/94 News
has reached  Newsbytes that the Romania Ministry of the Interior, the
equivalent of the US Senate, has contracted with IBM for the supply of
an  ES/9000 mainframe computer, terminals, and a variety of
peripheral equipment.

9 -> Philips & Matsushita To Open Polish Battery Factory 04/19/94 One
of the biggest problems facing electronic device users in Poland is
about to be solved. Until now, batteries have been difficult to find,
and those which are available are either horrendously expensive
Duracells imported  from the West, or Russian-produced batteries with
only a limited  charge and lifespan. Now Philips and Matsushita have
announced  plans to open a massive battery factory in Poland.

10 -> Philips Reports CD-I European Sales Success 04/19/94 Despite the
relatively high price for the machines, CD-I (compact disc-
interactive) has been a sales success in Europe, according to Philips,
one of the prime movers behind the technology.

11 -> UK - NEC Upgrades Powermate 486es Portables 04/19/94 NEC UK has
announced it is upgrading its Powermate 486es portable PC without
increasing the price.

12 ->  ****First PowerPC 604 Chips Announced 04/19/94 IBM and Motorola
Corp. said they have finished the development and fabrication of the
PowerPC 604 chip, next in the line of reduced instruction-set
computing (RISC) processors the two firms are developing along with
Apple Computer Inc.

13 -> Microhelp Upgrades Visual Programming Toolkit 04/19/94 Microhelp
Inc, the company that publishes a software program that un-installs
Windows applications, has announced an upgrade to its toolkit for
Visual Basic applications developers.

14 -> US West Intros LAN-In-A-Box For Branch Offices 04/19/94 S West
Advanced Communications (ACS) has announced a personal computer (PC)
networking product designed to connect PCs in small businesses,
including those with branch offices.

15 -> Plantronics Intros Telephone Headset "Standard" 04/19/94
Plantronics,  a manufacturer of headsets, has announced a "working
relationship"  with Intel and HP in support of an "open,
comprehensive" computer  audio I/O (input/output) standard.

16 -> New Media Expo - Kiosks As Multimedia Platform 04/19/94 While
the architects of future information highways focus on gigabyte- speed
networks and satellite delivery systems, many people are finding a
more down-to-earth means for delivering digital information -- the
kiosk.

17 -> New Media Expo - Internet Art Gallery 04/19/94 The  world's most
accessible art gallery has opened on the Internet.

18 -> New Media Expo - Portable CD-ROM Drives For The Road 04/19/94 n
increasingly important part of many a computer user's kit  -- the
CD-ROM drive -- is now easier to take on the road. Several products
for portable computers, unveiled at New Media Expo, give users the
power to include CD-ROM in their portable kit.

19 -> Sylvan Learning Picks Up Worldwide ETS Contract 04/19/94 Sylvan
Learning Systems has picked up a 10-year, exclusive contract with
Educational Testing Service of Princeton, N.J., to provide computer-
based tests around the world. The Columbia-based Sylvan said the  deal
will start making a significant contribution to the company's  bottom
line in 1995.

20 -> Corp For Public Broadcasting Offers Community Access Grants
04/19/94 The Corporation for  Public Broadcasting has picked public
radio and television stations  in 12 states, reaching an audience of
25 million, for expanded and free community access to online services
linked to the local  broadcast outlet. The grants total $1.4 million.

21 -> AST Intros Graphical Interface Aimed At New Users 04/19/94 With
computers becoming a commodity, computer makers are searching for ways
to differentiate their systems to the home user. In that vein, AST
Research has announced its own colorful, animated graphical interface
aimed at new users which also offers faxing and voice mail. It even
identifies who is calling.

22 ->  ****Intel's 7th Record Quarter, PC Demand Credited 04/19/94 The
world's largest chip maker, Intel, announced its seventh record
quarter of revenue and earnings. While the company's profit margins
are being squeezed, it said demand in the IBM-compatible personal
computer (PC) market it dominates continues to account for the growth.

23 ->  ****Motorola Plans $100M Cellular Plant In Rural Illinois
04/19/94 The citizens of Harvard, Illinois, might want to replace the
statue of a plastic cow in the downtown business district with a giant
cellular telephone after Motorola opens a $100 million, 3,000 employee
cellular telephone plant in the rural Illinois town.

24 -> Newton & Portable MLS Software Available For Lease 04/19/94
Integration Systems has announced a two-year leasing deal for real
estate agents that includes a Newton Messagepad 110, a modem, and its
Portable MLS software for $57.95 a month. The Portable MLS allows
agents to download to the Messagepad the multiple listings of
available properties in an area, then access it while out with
clients.

25 -> Hybrid Offers High-Speed, Wireless Internet In DC 04/19/94
Infonauts in the Washington, DC, area can now get 10
megabits-per-second wireless access to the Internet and may soon have
similar high-speed access  to other services such as America Online
and Prodigy, according to  Craig Strachman of Hybrid Networks.

26 -> MCI Mail Will Open To Internet Users 04/19/94 MCI is opening up
its MCI Mail electronic mail system to Internet users, allowing those
on the Internet to sent mail to any valid facsimile, telex, postal or
courier address worldwide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at
standard MCI Mail rates.

27 -> Nestor Software Brings Recognition To Electronic Forms 04/19/94
Just a few days after the debut of the Ni1000, a chip jointly
developed with Intel, and intended to give computers "human-like"
abilities to recognize patterns, Nestor Inc. has unveiled a suite of
software specifically designed to bring capabilities of this kind to
electronic forms.

28 -> Japan - NEC & General Magic Talk Multimedia 04/19/94 Japan's NEC
has begun talks with California-based General Magic concerning joint
business involving multimedia devices.

29 -> SHL Systemhouse & Oracle Announce Alliance 04/19/94 Canadian
systems integrator and outsourcer SHL Systemhouse Inc. has announced
an alliance with Oracle Corp., the Redwood Shores, California, maker
of database software.

30 -> Canada - University/Industry Research Sharing Urged 04/19/94
Canadian university researchers should do more to share the results of
their  work with industry, and to inform the general public about what
they are doing and why it is worthwhile, says the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

(Ian Stokell/19940419)