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/nb042194

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(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00001)

IBM Japan & Compaq Intro Color Notebook PCs 04/21/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- IBM Japan has released a
color notebook personal computer (PC), as part of its Thinkpad
family, priced at 398,000 yen ($3,980). Meanwhile, Compaq has
also released a color notebook PC priced at 438,000 yen ($4,380).

IBM Japan's new Thinkpad 555BJ comes equipped with Canon's
bubble-jet printer as part of the main chassis, under the
keyboard.

The Thinkpad 555BJ comes equipped with a 10.3-inch dual-scan
STN (super twist nematic) color liquid crystal display (LCD) and
a 50 megahertz (MHz) 80486SLC2 processor. Hard disk versions
are also available -- either 170 megabyte (MB) or 340MB.

Compaq's new color notebook is called the LTE Elite, which
includes a 75MHz 80486DX4 processor and Windows accelerator.
There are two types of LCD -- either 8.4-inches or 9.5-inches.
A 510MB built-in hard disk is also an option. With an internal
battery, the PC can be reportedly be used for 5.5 hours.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940420/Press Contact: IBM
Japan, tel [phone], fax [phone],
Compaq, Tokyo, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00002)

Japan - NEC To Set Up Multimedia Operation 04/21/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- NEC says it will create a
new operation on April 25, called the Multimedia Business
Development Department.

The new department will deal with various multimedia-related
activities, including marketing and market analysis, planning
and development, along with sales and service. The department
will start with 40 employees. The firm wants to add an additional
60 employees in April, 1995. NEC's Vice President Yukio Mizuno
will be the head of the department.

To start with, the unit be involved in the planning and
development of cable television and video-on-demand
systems. A total of three billion yen ($30 million) will be
budgeted for the department this fiscal year.

NEC President Tadashi Sekimoto participated in a press
conference announcing the new department at Tokyo's
Keidanren Kaikan. He said: "NEC will put all its effort into
the multimedia business, applying all technologies under
the leadership of this new department."

NEC's multimedia business has already been relatively
successful. According to Sekimoto, the company gained
almost half of its sales from multimedia-related
hardware and software.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940420/Press Contact:
NEC, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00003)

Japan Govt OK's Radio With Text LCD 04/21/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of
Posts & Telecommunications has announced that it will further
deregulate the telecommunication industry to allow a radio
with a display to receive text data broadcasting.

The announcement is part of the deregulation plan of the
current Japanese government. The industry has, understandably,
welcomed the deregulation, and is hoping that it will be
extended to other telecommunication laws.

After the deregulation, a radio equipped with a small display to
show text broadcasting will be released by such electronics
firms as Sony and Matsushita. It is also expected that a radio
for cars will be released. A low-end version of the radio is
expected to be around 15,000 yen ($150).

Japan's major FM radio stations are preparing to start text
broadcasting. FM Tokyo, for example, is reportedly preparing
to begin broadcasting this October. The station is planning
to provide three to five channels for text broadcasting.

One screen allows only 30 text letters along with regular radio
broadcasting. Despite its small screen size, it may prove useful
for car drivers. Broadcasting will include weather forecasting,
traffic information, regular news, sports news, and music
information. Text broadcasting is already popular in Japan. It
is provided on commuter trains and televisions.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940418)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00004)

Hong Kong Computer Utility Reshuffles Management 04/21/94
KWUN TONG, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- While virtually all
other organizations the territory are localizing management in
preparation for reversion of sovereignty to China in 1997, COL
Ltd, Hong Kong's leading computer services company, has
appointed Richard Weatherstone as its new managing director.

Reporting to Chairman Ian Melrose, Weatherstone will be
responsible for the company's day-to-day operations and for
expanding its business, particularly in the areas of outsourcing,
business continuity and distribution of leading-edge information
technology products.

"Richard Weatherstone brings a lot of outsourcing experience
gained in Europe and his experience in this area will be of great
value to COL," said Melrose. "In the Hong Kong economic climate,
where high rents and high salaries are forcing companies to
reconsider their cost structure, they can achieve significant
economies of scale by outsourcing human resources, processing
capacity, and purchasing power through a specialized supplier."

Weatherstone joins COL from CFM, the facilities management
subsidiary of UK computer manufacturer ICL, where he was
divisional director. Serving clients such as the BBC, Rolls Royce
Motor Cars, Trafalgar House, British Airways, and the Trustee
Savings Bank, Weatherstone's division recorded turnover of
US$40 million in 1993.

(Keith Cameron/19940420/Press Contact: Peter Fishwick,
852-798-4798, COL)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00005)

Aldus Ships Freehand 4.0 For Power Macintosh 04/21/94
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Aldus Corp.,
says it has started shipping Aldus Freehand 4.0 for the Power
Macintosh.

The company says its first "native" design and illustration software
for the Power Mac shows significant performance improvement in
functions such as screen redraw, complex graphic movement, and
path-editing shortcuts. According to Aldus the Power Mac version
performs up to eight times faster than its counterpart running on
the fastest Apple Quadra computer, depending on the operation
being performed.

"Users are finding that Freehand for the Power Macintosh allows
them to open illustration files up to two times faster and move
complex graphics and initiate screen redraw up to three times
faster, versus comparable operations performed on existing
Macintosh computers," according to Aldus President Paul Brainerd.

Aldus recompiled and optimized Freehand in order to take
advantage of the speed of the PowerPC microprocessor that powers
Apple Computer's new Power Macintosh. The company says Freehand
4.0 for the Power Mac has the same feature set as its counterpart
running on earlier Macintosh computers and can share files
seamlessly forward and backward across platforms.

Aldus is in the process of porting other products and says it will
release Power Mac versions of Pagemaker, Persuasion, Trapwise,
Gallery Effects, Fetch, Color Central, and CoSA After Effects later
this year.

To run Aldus Freehand 4.0 on a Power Macintosh you need a minimum
eight megabytes (MB) of system memory and have the virtual memory
turned on. Aldus recommends 16MB of memory. You also need 25MB of
available hard disk space and a mouse or digitized drawing tablet
with a stylus.

Supported output devices include a Postscript-compatible or
Quickdraw-compatible laser printer or film recorder or a
Postscript-language imagesetter. Localized versions for the
European and Pacific Rim markets are in development.

Aldus Freehand 4.0 for Power Macintosh has a suggested retail
price of $595. Registered owners of a 68K-based Mac version of
Freehand 4.0 can upgrade for $129. Owners of earlier versions can
upgrade for $249.

(Jim Mallory/19940421/Press Contact: Kim Bouic, Aldus Corp.,
206-628-2352; Reader Contact: Aldus Corp., 800-685-3543 or
206-622-5500)


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

Microsoft Brings Fortran Math/Stats Libraries To PCs 04/21/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corp., has announcement it is now shipping the 16-bit version
of the Microsoft IMSL Mathematical and Statistical subroutine
libraries for Microsoft Fortran version 5.1 development system.

The libraries are the result of a late 1993 deal between Microsoft
and Houston, Texas-based Visual Numerics Inc. Microsoft says it
will provide 16-bit and 32-bit versions of the libraries that will be
compatible with all of its Fortran products. The company publishes
Fortran 5.1 for the MS-DOS and Windows operating systems, Fortran
Powerstation (a 32-bit development system for MS-DOS and
Windows), and Fortran Powerstation 32 for Windows NT.

Microsoft says the PC libraries are identical to those for
workstations and larger computers, and will allow easy porting
of mainframe Fortran applications to personal computers.

The Microsoft IMSL subroutines can also be called from Microsoft
Visual C++ and Microsoft Visual Basic. The libraries contain nearly
1,000 subroutines and functions that can be included in
developer's applications. Pre-written code modules can save hours
of developer time, and translate to lower development costs.

The libraries include routines for linear systems, Eigensystem
analysis, interpolation and approximation, differential equations,
transforms, nonlinear equations, optimization, and random
number generations as well as other functions.

Microsoft is scheduled to ship the libraries for Fortran
Powerstation and Fortran Powerstation 32 for Windows NT in July.
It says those will interact seamlessly with Fortran Powerstation
32-bit for MS-DOS and Windows and Fortran Powerstation 32 for
Windows.

The libraries now shipping have a suggested retail price of $695.

(Jim Mallory/19940421/Press Contact: Wendy Slawter, Waggener
Edstrom for Microsoft Corporation, 503-245-0905; Reader Contact:
Microsoft, 800-426-9400 or 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00007)

Embedded Systems Conf - PowerPC For Embedded Apps 04/21/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- At the
Embedded Systems Conference in Boston this week, IBM is
previewing a 32-bit PowerPC embedded controller for use in
applications like cable set-top boxes, digital video cameras,
office peripherals, and personal communications and networking
devices.

The PowerPC Embedded Controller 403GA (PPC 403GA) has the same
Book 1 "base architecture" as IBM's PowerPC 601 microprocessor,
but differs from the desktop PowerPC chip in capabilities such as
memory management, input/output (I/O), and timing, said Harry I.
Linzer, a specialist in application engineering & architecture for
PowerPC, in an interview with Newsbytes at the show.

IBM is planning an official rollout of the PPC 403GA for the end of
the third quarter or the start of the fourth quarter, according to
Linzer. Pricing will also be announced at that time, along with
development tools for the embedded controller, Newsbytes was
told.

IBM's PowerPC embedded controller will enter volume production
"concurrently (with the rollout), or not long after," Linzer added.
Bell Atlantic and LeGroupe Vidotron have already announced their
intentions to use the product in cable set-top boxes.

Competing chipmaker Motorola is slated to introduce its own
PowerPC embedded controller in a press conference today at the
show in Boston. Afterward, Motorola and IBM officials will describe
and compare the two products in a session called "PowerPC for
Embedded Applications," which will be open to all conference
attendees.

Linzer told Newsbytes that IBM's PowerPC 403GA and 601 chips will
be built on a "common instruction set."  The 403GA, though, will be
without the virtual memory and I/O "hooks to a design controller"
that are incorporated in the 601. "Our market research shows us
that an embedded controller doesn't really need to have virtual
memory," Linzer reported.

Similarly, he explained, the 601's design controller interface is
useful for desktop applications, but would add "unnecessary
complexity" to the embedded chip.

IBM's PowerPC embedded controller will execute programs at speeds
approaching one cycle per instruction, according to Linzer. The
RISC (reduced instruction-set computer) processor core will be
"tightly coupled" to an internal two kilobyte (KB) instruction cache
and 1KB data cache, for reduced overhead in data storage, he said.

The chip's bus interface unit will support 8-, 16-, and 32-bit
devices, and be equipped with direct-connect SRAM (static random
access memory) and DRAM (dynamic random access memory)
interfaces, external bus master support, and addressing for 512
megabytes (MB) of main storage.

Other capabilities of the 403GA will include a 3.3-volt power
supply, four-channel DMA (direct memory access) controller, serial
port, interrupt controller, timer unit, and 126 signal I/Os. The
timer unit will incorporate a 56-bit time base, 32-bit
programmable interval timer, fixed interval timer, and watch
dog timer.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940420/Reader Contact: IBM, 800-426-3333;
Press Contacts: Jim Smith, IBM Microelectronics, 914-892-5389;
Russell Castronovo, Thomas Associates for IBM Microelectronics,
415-325-6236)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00008)

Patricia Seybold 1994 Technical Forum Starts April 25 04/21/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Patricia
Seybold's 1994 Technology Forum, a three-day conference slated to
begin on April 25, will show how companies like Pacific Gas &
Electric, Fidelity, Hughes Aircraft Company, and GTE have used
distributed objects to build enterprise client/server applications,
and will also offer tips on how other organizations can do the same.

Combining user case studies with seminars and learning labs, the
conference will look at issues in object-oriented (OO) technology
that range from selecting application development tools to
leveraging object reuse, and from addressing "security challenges"
to integrating mainframe applications.

Set to take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the event will start
out on the morning of Monday, April 25 with an initial series of
five case studies, all to be presented by users.

The first cases will include: the "implementation of business
processes" at GTE; "modeling business objects for the design of
medical plans" at CIGNA; "insuring reusability" at Hughes; the use
of OO technology to support "large-scale business process re-
engineering" at General Motors; and the development of an OODBMS
(object-oriented database management system) at Westinghouse's
Nuclear Services Division.

In the afternoon, attendees will be able to choose either two
seminars or one three-hour learning lab. Monday's seminar topics
will include "A Competitive Assessment of Repository Offerings,"
"Using Workflow to Redesign Business Processes," "Re-engineering
Your Software Development Operation," and "Object-Oriented
Business Engineering & Business Object Management."

Learning Labs topics will be as follows: "Groupware Tools for
Rapid Application Development," "OO Tools for Rapid Application
Development," "Middleware Tools," "Business Process Design
Methodologies & Tools," "Tools for Developing Client/Server
Technologies," "Tools for Managing Client/Server Systems," and
"Tools for Architecting Client/Server & Distributed Applications."

Tuesday and Wednesday will follow much the same format, with user
case studies in the morning, and seminars and Learning Labs in the
afternoon. Learning Labs topics will be the same for all three
days, but the case studies will be entirely different.

Tuesday's case studies will include: a "20,000-node client-server
experience" at Pacific Gas & Electric; the use of ORB (Object
Request Broker) technology at Fidelity; Arthur Andersen's
utilization of Expersoft's XShell; and "Using Lotus Notes as a
Business Process Redesign Platform & Integrating Notes into
Your Distributed Applications Architecture."

The agenda for Tuesday also features a lunch-time presentation
on a research project being carried out at MIT's Center for
Coordination Science. The presentation will be called "Tools for
Inventing Organizations: Toward a Handbook of Organizational
Processes."

Tuesday's seminar topics will include emerging standards in the OO
industry, how to "architect" enterprise client/server applications,
how to migrate from legacy systems to distributed computing, and
"Leveraging Reuse - Techniques for Insuring Reusability; Packaging,
Buying, & Selling Object Class Libraries."

The five case studies for Wednesday will focus on security,
performance, management, and cross-platform support issues.
"Managing Distributed Systems & Applications at First Boston" is
one example.

Seminar topics for the final day are as follows: "Selecting and
Implementing Global Directory Services;" "Introduction to Designing
and Developing Domain-Specific Frameworks;" "Transactional
Messaging: An Emerging Standard for Enterprise Interoperability;"
and "Selecting Tools for Single-Platform Design & Multi-Platform
Deployment of Distributed Applications."

Monday and Tuesday of the conference will end with a new products
showcase from 5 to 7:30 pm. Wednesday will conclude instead with
a "summary and wrapup" at 4 pm. Predictions for the coming year
will also be provided at that time.

For information on conference fees, contact the Patricia Seybold
Group in Boston, Massachusetts at 800-826-2424 or 617-742-5200.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940420/Reader & Press Contact: Patricia
Seybold Group, 800-826-2424 or 617-742-5200)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00009)

Australia - Firm Offers Interactive IT Buying Guide 04/21/94
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- International Research
Bureau (IRB) is an Australian information technology (IT) research
company. IRB has now released SoftBench, an interactive,
computer-based buying guide for IT equipment.

IRB Managing Director Peter Hall said SoftBench merges feature
comparisons of equipment with what he calls "user-driven rating
tools" to allow equipment users or resellers to determine the best
product for a need. He said it allows any level of user to stay
abreast of technological changes. "It's the result of four years of
development by our team in Sydney," he said.

The first SoftBench module is called "Mobiles" and as the name
suggests, it compares mobile PCs available in Australia at the
moment - currently 200, according to IRB. Users are able to
compare the models on features such as CPU (central processing
unit), power saving features, hard disks, PCMCIA (Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association), display,
docking stations, software bundles, options, and batteries.

The product evaluation section allows users to input their own
weighting to key components as well as vary data such as pricing,
where it applies to them. It then produces up to 22 integrated
charts to display the "winners," as well as a "Bags For Bucks"
chart.

Information for the program is provided on disk monthly. The
one-time license fee is AUS$49 (around US$35) with a monthly
fee of AUS$25 for disks, or regular bulletin board access to the
new figures for AUS$120 a year. The second module on more
than 160 laser printers will be available in May. Future modules
will include file servers and desktop PCs.

IRB hopes to have more than 6,000 SoftBench users by the end of
the year, with 20 percent penetration of the Australian high-end
corporate market and 50 percent penetration of the dealer channel.

(Paul Zucker/19940421/Press Contact: IRB, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00010)

 ****IBM Reports First-Quarter Profit 04/21/94
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- IBM was in the
black in the first quarter, reporting net earnings of $392 million,
or 64 cents per common share, on revenues of $13.4 billion. The
results were a turnaround from the first quarter of last year,
when IBM lost $399 million or 70 cents per share. Revenues
were up two percent year over year.

The results for the quarter ended March 31, 1994, include an
after-tax gain of $248 million or 43 cents per share from the
sale of IBM's Federal Systems Co., and an after-tax write-down
of $192 million, or 33 cents per share, for a change in software
amortization periods. That change, affecting all IBM software,
cuts the period over which IBM writes off software on its books
from six to a maximum of four years, recognizing faster changes
in technology, the company said.

The first-quarter 1994 results also do not include the Federal
Systems Co. operations, while the 1993 first-quarter results do.
Excluding these special items, IBM had net earnings of $336
million, or 54 cents per share, in the first quarter of this
year, and revenue was up six percent over the 1993 first quarter.

Mark Stahlman, president of research and finance firm New Media
Associates in New York, told Newsbytes a first-quarter profit was
encouraging in the wake of a "dismal" 1993. "I would say that the
company has gone a long way towards their initial goals" of
returning to profitability, stabilizing the business, and undertaking
the most extensive strategic review in IBM history, he said.

IBM's revenues in the United States were $5.3 billion in the
first quarter, up six percent from the same period of 1993
excluding Federal Systems results. In Europe, revenues were
up three percent year over year, at $4.7 billion, while Asian
revenues rose 13 percent to $2.3 billion and Latin American
revenues were up 14 percent at $600 million.

The company said its gross profit margin was 39.2 percent in
the first quarter of this year -- or 36.9 percent including the
software write-down -- compared with 39.5 percent a year
earlier.

Expenses were down 23 percent compared to the year-earlier
quarter, largely due to ongoing cost-cutting efforts and the
Federal Systems sale, company officials said.

Hardware revenues rose nine percent over all, with personal
computer, workstation, and AS/400 revenues rising while those
from mainframes and large storage systems fell. Software
revenues rose two percent, services revenues grew 21 percent,
and maintenance, rentals, and financing revenues dropped.

(Grant Buckler/19940421/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM,
914-765-6565)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00011)

 ****Re-integration Coming In IT Industry 04/21/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- The move away
from vertical integration in the computer industry over the past
decade will partly reverse itself in the next few years, Paul
Kennedy, president of research firm International Data Corp.
(Canada) Ltd., said at his company's annual strategy briefing.

Kennedy also predicted that the three companies dominating the
personal computer field -- Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp., and
Novell Inc. -- will find their interests diverging in the coming
years.

Before 1985, Kennedy said, the computer industry was dominated by
large, vertically integrated companies, notably IBM and the five
other mainframe computer makers known as the BUNCH (Burroughs,
Univac, NCR, Control Data, and Honeywell). Each was surrounded by
smaller vendors that sold related products such as storage
peripherals and software for its machines.

Since then, he said, the industry has "disintegrated" into many
segments, with intense competition within each. An example of
this competition was the price war in personal computers in the
past couple of years.

Over the next few years, Kennedy said, the number of layers in
the industry will decrease. One reason is that personal computer
vendors today only create about 20 percent of the value of the
products they sell, with the rest coming from component
manufacturers such as chipmakers, disk drive manufacturers and
so forth. The PC makers are now seeking to get a bigger piece of
the value for themselves.

One way they are doing that is by getting into the chip business,
he said. A prime example is the PowerPC microprocessor that IBM
and Apple Computer Inc. have developed in cooperation with
Motorola Corp. Another is Digital Equipment Corp.'s Alpha chip.

Also in coming years, Kennedy said, Microsoft, Intel, and Novell
will increasingly find their interests diverging.

"Everybody has been trumpeting open systems for the last decade,"
he said. And yet, "We happen to have lived through a period when
the fundamentals of the PC business have been dominated by three
self-serving and mutually stroking monopolies."

That is changing, Kennedy said, because in many cases what is
good for one of the industry giants is no longer good for one or
both of the others. For one thing, Microsoft and Novell are
increasingly competing in the network arena (and next, Newsbytes
notes, in applications software following Novell's purchase of
WordPerfect Corp. and the Quattro Pro spreadsheet software from
Borland International Inc.). Also, Microsoft's Windows NT
operating system stands to gain from a shift toward reduced
instruction-set computing (RISC) hardware, which would not be
good for Intel, while Intel would be happier to see the success
of IBM's OS/2.

Microsoft also faces a dilemma in the next couple of years,
Kennedy said -- whether to put the most emphasis on the business
software market or the home. "They don't have an infinite amount
of money to throw at the challenges of the next couple of years."
He noted that while Microsoft is seen as a software giant, IBM's
software revenues alone are still four times those of Microsoft.

Kennedy predicted Microsoft will put its major focus on the home
market, because "there are more of them (homes)" and because the
competition in that market will come from smaller companies such
as Broderbund, Electronic Arts, and Intuit, rather than from well
established firms such as IBM, Oracle Corp., and Lotus
Development Corp.

Kennedy also said hardware companies are likely to cut their
emphasis on software, which is not making a major contribution to
their revenues. And he said that in coming years, the fortunes of
the computer industry will be increasingly tied to the
performance of the economy as a whole.

In the past year, Kennedy noted, the computer industry has done
well in most parts of the world, with the exception of Western
Europe.

He also spoke of the convergence of computing, communications,
consumer electronics, and mass media -- the "information highway"
that has captured much popular attention. Initial applications
will be low-bandwidth ones, he said, and personal computer
companies, while for the most part staying out of major alliances
with companies in the other industries, will realize some
benefits. "The PC companies are very strongly positioned to reap
the rewards," Kennedy said.

(Grant Buckler/19940421/Press Contact: Elizabeth Fleming, IDC
Canada, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00012)

Intel, Duracell Announce Open "Smart Battery" Specs 04/21/94
BETHEL, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- The world's
largest chip maker, Intel, and leading battery manufacturer,
Duracell, have announced two "Smart Battery" specifications for
a rechargeable battery that gives information about its present
state to the system in which it is being used.

The companies say the specifications are aimed at electronics
manufacturers for development of portable electronic devices
that can take advantage of such batteries, like notebook
computers, video camcorders, and cellular telephones.

A "smart battery" includes hardware that provides its present
state, calculated and predicted information to the host system
under software control. To users this means accurate state-of-
charge information along with an accurate prediction of the
remaining operating time. Because the "smart battery" maintains
its own information, a given host device will be able to
accommodate multiple battery chemistries and charge them
appropriately, the companies said.

The specifications -- the Smart Battery Data (SBD) and the System
Management Bus (SMBus), are open to the industry and are heralded
by the companies as another step toward the standardization of
batteries.

Norm Allen, senior vice president for Duracell's New Products
and Technology Division, said: "Defined specifications that are
standards will allow the battery industry to deliver batteries
that offer computer OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) an
opportunity to enhance the functionality and performance of their
products while providing value-added features and longer battery
life to the consumer between charges."

Ron Whittier, Intel Architecture Labs (IAL) general manager,
said: "The specifications are another step in the continuing
effort by the Intel Architecture Labs to advance the PC (personal
computer) platform by developing computing standards."

PC manufacturer Compaq has endorsed the specifications and so
have PC basic input/output system (BIOS) vendors Phoenix
Technologies and Systemsoft. Component suppliers for PCs, such
as ACC Micro, Maxim, Opti, Picopower, and VLSI Technologies,
have also stated their intent to develop chips that embody these
specifications.

Intel is offering the specifications free of charge through its
sales or literature offices. Requests can be made by phone or by
mail, and in the US or Canada phone inquiries can be made toll-
free. Duracell is also offering a toll-free US line for
specifications requests.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940421/Press Contact: Jim Donahue, Duracell
International, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Dave Ramey,
Intel Corporation, 916-356-2746; Public Contact: Intel, Sales
Office 800-626-7256, Literature Center 800-253-3696,
International 916-797-4216; Mail Inquiries, Intel Literature
Packet SBS5220, P.O. Box 7641, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056-7641;
Duracell 800-422-9001 ext 423)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LAX)(00013)

AT&T Videophone Clones Expected 04/21/94
PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- AT&T
said it is licensing its Videophone technology -- the Global
Videophone Standard (GVS) -- to four Japanese electronics
manufacturers. The licensing agreements open the door to
Videophone clones, or other phones that will allow the
transmission of both voice and full-color video over standard
phone lines.

Introduced two years ago, the Videophone requires the party on
each end of the line to have one in order to get video
transmission, but it plugs right into any standard modular phone
outlets. Up until now AT&T has been the only manufacturer of the
unit, which it claims has been marketed in over 37 countries.
Based on the GVS technology, the Videophone also uses compression
and decompression technology provided by San Jose, California-
based Compression Labs.

Now Hitachi, Sanyo Electric, Sharp, and Victor Company of Japan
(JVC) will also be able to make phones that work with the AT&T
Videophone. Sony and Canon are in talks about also licensing the
technology.

Phil Chauveau, vice president, Telephone Products Group, AT&T
Consumer Products, said: "We're eager to offer our technology to
other companies so they too can develop GVS-based products that
consumers want."

However, the Videophone only transmits images at 10 frames-
per-second or one-third the speed of standard video. This means
images offer jerky movement and are often little behind the
voice transmission.

The agreement is sure to herald lower prices to consumers,
although that was happening anyway. AT&T originally marketed
the first Videophones for $1,499, but retail prices are now well
below the $1,000 mark. AT&T says it will talk licensing with US
and European manufacturers as well.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940421/Press Contact: Angela Cowan Ryan,
AT&T Consumer Products, tel [phone], fax 201-428-
8553/AT&T940421/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00014)

Florida Comes To America Online 04/21/94
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Florida is coming
to America Online, through AOL's existing relationship with
Chicago-based Tribune Co. Tribune owns the Orlando Sentinel
newspaper and Ft. Lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel.

The first AOL product will be Destination Florida, offering
interactive information about tourist attractions, hotels, sports,
entertainment and other activities, AOL spokeswoman Pam
McGraw told Newsbytes. Then will follow online editions of the
Sentinel and Sun-Sentinel.

"Destination Florida will come in mid-May," said McGraw, "with the
Orlando Sentinel in the summer and the Sun-Sentinel after that.
Destination Florida will be in the travel and shopping area and the
newspapers can be accessed from both Destination Florida and on
the AOL newsstand."

Destination Florida will also offer ticketing and merchandise
through an alliance with TicketMaster, as is now offered on Chicago
Online. Chicago Online is a joint venture that provides an edition
of America Online localized to Chicago, including an interactive,
online version of the Chicago Tribune.

Will AOL be offering Florida clones of Chicago Online? "We haven't
announced that yet," McGraw said cryptically. "But we are definitely
interested in bringing local communities together."

But the Tribune was clearly hinting at replicas of Chicago Online.
"We are eager to roll out Florida newspaper-based local editions of
America Online," Gene Quinn, Destination Florida general manager,
said. Quinn directed the startup of Chicago Online and will continue
to run it as well as Destination Florida.

"More than 30 million people visit Florida each year," John Puerner,
Orlando Sentinel president, said. "Destination Florida will provide
information to make their travel more fun and their planning more
efficient. For area residents and for those who want to get a flavor
of Florida, we will offer the Sentinel and the Sun-Sentinel online
each morning."

(Kennedy Maize/19940421/Press Contacts: Pam McGraw,
AOL, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Robert Carr,
Tribune, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00015)

 ****Texas Instruments Reports Best 1st Qtr Ever 04/21/94
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- The folks at Texas
Instruments must believe in self-fulfilling prophecies. After
predicting at the beginning of the year that the worldwide
semiconductor market would reach $91 billion, the company has
reported that its first quarter, 1994, profits hit $209 million.

That is an impressive figure by itself, but particularly so when you
compare it with the company's 1993 first quarter, when profits
were $140 million, and that was double the 1992 figure.

Market research firm Dataquest is even more optimistic about the
worldwide semiconductor market, saying recently that it expects
sales to reach $100 billion for the year, as reported by Newsbytes.

Texas Instruments says first quarter, 1994, net revenues were
$2.45 billion, a 30 percent increase over the $1.88 billion for the
same period in 1993. The company says most of that increase is
attributable to growth in semiconductor revenues and higher
royalties.

The news should make investors happy. TI shareholders gather today
for their annual meeting, where company President Jerry Junkins is
expected to announce a management recommendation to increase the
annual dividend rate on TI common stock from $0.72 to $1.00 per
share effective with the July dividend payment. Management will
also announce a dividend reinvestment plan to encourage long-term
ownership of the stock.

TI says semiconductors reached an all-time high in the first
quarter and set records in every major geographic region. Sales
were strong across all major TI product lines, according to the
company, including orders for digital signal processors which
grew faster than overall semiconductor orders.

TI took a pre-tax charge of $49 million for costs related to the
divestiture of some non-strategic product lines, mostly in the
information technology sector. Severance actions related to the
divestiture cost slightly more than 1,000 European employees
their jobs. The company says its Advanced Information Management
division will concentrate on its Information Engineering Facility
software, a computer-aided software engineering (CASE) product.

Based on the first quarter results, TI has revised its 1994 estimate,
and now says it expects the worldwide market to reach $93 billion,
a 21 percent increase over 1993. That is the same figure the
Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) estimated would be
reached by the end of 1996 in its mid-1993 prediction.

Speaking to Newsbytes, SIA Director of Communications
Kevin Brett said the worldwide semiconductor market reached an
estimated $77 billion in 1993, exceeding the organization's $71.9
billion estimate, and for the first time since 1986 giving US
companies the worldwide market lead over Japan. "Presently
American companies have a 43.3 percent worldwide share of the
market. Japan has 41.6 percent," said Brett.

Brett said SIA now estimates the worldwide market for
semiconductors will reach $87.8 billion in 1994, $92.5 billion
in 1995 and $103.4 billion by the end of 1996.

(Jim Mallory/19940421/Press Contact: Terri West, Texas
Instruments, 214-995-3481; Kevin Brett, Semiconductor
Industry Association, 408-246-2711)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00016)

IDC Canada Sees Lower Long-Distance Rates, Higher Local 04/21/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Canadians can
expect continuing cuts in the cost of long-distance telephone
service, and the emergence of three or four national carriers
over the next five years. In the meantime, though, local phone
rates will sooner or later have to rise.

This was the forecast from Joe Greene, director of communications
research at Toronto-based International Data Corp. (Canada) Ltd.,
given at the research firm's annual strategy briefing in Toronto
this week.

Greene said members of the Stentor consortium of telephone
companies, which until recently had a monopoly on long-distance
as well as local telephone communications, have been cutting
long-distance prices to meet new competition since federal
regulators opened up the Canadian market to long-distance
competition. As a result, he said, long-distance revenues are
declining.

Also as a result, Greene added, Unitel Communications Inc. of
Toronto, the principal new long-distance competitor, has captured
only one to two percent of the Canadian long-distance market,
much less than the company had hoped. Greene noted that Unitel
has accused the Stentor companies of predatory pricing, but he
said it is doubtful whether that charge is justified.

Unitel has now asked the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to conduct a ballot in which
all telephone users would be asked to choose their long-distance
carrier, a procedure previously used in the United States and
Australia. Greene forecast the CRTC will refuse, because in its
initial application to enter the market Unitel said such a ballot
would not be needed.

In granting Unitel's request, the CRTC also said it did not
foresee local telephone rates rising as a result of long-distance
competition. IDC Canada, however, expects that will happen some
time in the next few years. Most members of the Stentor
consortium have applied for local rate increases already, Greene
noted. Some of those requests have been turned down, but Greene
expects the companies will keep asking regulators for more money
until they get it. "We do believe that local rate increases are
inevitable," he said.

On the other hand, he said, competition may also come to local
service in the foreseeable future. In one sense it exists
already, in the form of wireless services such as cellular and --
just beginning to appear -- portable cordless telephones using
the CT2+ standard.

Four carriers have been licensed to provide this service, though
Greene said only one -- Telezone -- has so far revealed a solid
plan to begin service. "Cellular will continue to hold the lion's
share of the wireless market," he said.

Canada currently has more than 50 "aggregators" of long-distance
service that, while they do not own their own networks, resell
communications capacity from the major carriers. Greene forecast
that as many as 10 of these may decide to build their own
capacity in the next few years, and perhaps three to four
national carriers will survive.

(Grant Buckler/19940421/Press Contact: Elizabeth Fleming,
IDC Canada, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00017)

3Com Scales WAN Bandwidth To Remote Sites 04/21/94
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Local customers have
welcomed the latest product releases from 3Com Corporation.
The company has introduced a trio of hardware and software
products designed to provide more cost-effective WAN (wide
area network) access for remote sites, increased data
prioritization and centralized, automated network management.

Following hard on the heels of 3Com's NETBuilder Remote Office
family, introduced in January 1994, the new products offer
customers "full" interoperability with Novell's MultiProtocol
Router Plus 2.X and other routers via IPXWAN (Internetwork
Packet Exchange for Novell WAN environments).

A new high-speed V.35 tri-port module reportedly cuts WAN
operating costs and triples port density, while rising WAN service
costs are eased via software that supports non-mesh frame relay
and dial-on-demand.

"As the need for remote office networking in Hong Kong and China
escalates, 3Com is giving users greater reliability and management
options," said Roy Johnson, managing director of 3Com Asia Ltd.
The new products will offer users of 3Com's Boundary Routing
system more robust dial-up connectivity as well as non-mesh
frame relay support - further reducing the cost of remote office
internetworking, said the company.

According to the company, with NetWare deployed in about 70
percent of existing LANs (local area networks), IPXWAN support
will benefit users seeking interoperability with Novell NetWare
networks. The new capabilities deliver on 3Com's agreement last
August with Novell to provide customers with scalable offerings
for multiprotocol networking.

"Our customers are excited that 3Com is delivering IPXWAN
compatibility with NetWare MulitProtocol Router Plus solutions,"
said Andrew Lai, Asian regional director, Novell Inc. "This means
NetWare customers can build networks mixing products from both
vendors with confidence that the respective products will
interoperate."

To ensure network integrity during image and configuration file
downloads, 3Com says it offers "dual image flash memory" support,
which allows network administrators to have centralized control
over all file operations.

"Dual Image support is available within 3Com's NETBuilder II and
new NETBuilder Remote Office family hardware giving users the
ability to test a new software image or configuration file while
keeping the originals in use," said Johnson. "This means that in the
unlikely event of a new image update failing, the router
automatically reverts back to the original files. As a result,
customers never need to visit their remote router site for
software upgrades."

(Keith Cameron/19940420/Press Contact: Roy Johnson,
852-868-9111, 3Com)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00018)

CeBIT Success Prompts Display Research Chip Output Boost 04/21/94
KWAI CHUNG, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Display Research
Laboratory is to boost production of its VIP PC-to-TV converter
chip following the device's warm reception at the recent CeBIT
electronics fair in Germany.

During the week-long show, electronic design groups from Europe,
the US, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong committed to using the
VIP chip, according to Display Research's President and Founder
S.C. Mok.

The company plans to increase production of the chip by 10,000
per month to meet the demand for pilot orders and sample requests
from manufacturers keen to integrate the chip into existing and
upcoming products.

"The response at CeBIT was tremendous," said Mok. "Manufacturers
were impressed by the quality, sophistication and the extremely
competitive price of the VIP chip. It was a novel experience having
designers from all over the world come up to me and suggest
different ways in which my chip could be used -- sometimes ways
even I hadn't thought of."

One area where Mok sees tremendous potential for the new chip is
in home entertainment video games, an area which is currently
dominated by proprietary brands such as Sega and Nintendo.

"With more PCs now found in the home than ever before, it seems
much more cost-effective to use the power of the VIP chip to
create a home entertainment environment utilizing a PC and the
household TV set, rather than force parents to buy dedicated
games hardware for their children," said Mok.

Continued Mok: "Both dedicated games machines and VIP-equipped
PCs can use TV to display games. However, with the VIP chip a PC
has the advantage in price -- there is already a tremendous
amount of PC game software available freely as shareware,
whereas Nintendo or Sega owners have to purchase proprietary
cartridges each time they want to play a new game."

Following his trip to CeBIT, Mok believes that another big market
for his wonder chip could be in multimedia cards, where the chip
would add value by enabling users to generate smooth animated
images, video or decompressed video on a TV screen.

"There is a significant demand in the marketplace for a means of
putting these images on television," he said. "During the CeBIT
show we received commitments from several manufacturers to
design cards using the VIP chip."

Another potential application for the VIP chip was spotted by a
British manufacturer of CD-ROM players. This company is now
investigating the feasibility of displaying the rich variety of
multimedia material on a large-screen TV.

"This would provide users of multimedia PCs with a means of
presenting their software-based images to relatively large
audiences," explained Mok. "It could have applications in education,
training, entertainment, advertising and many other areas where
CD-ROM software is now appearing."

While production is increasing, Mok will maintain Display Research's
policy of keeping prices low to foster market growth. "By keeping
the price of the VIP chip low, we enable manufacturers to keep
their FOB prices competitive and we help keep the retail price for
VIP-based devices down, making them attractive to a wide range
of consumers," he said.

Established in 1989, Display Research Laboratory is a Hong Kong-
based developer and implementor of computer video products.

(Keith Cameron/19940420/Press Contact: S.C.Mok, 852-402-1121)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00019)

AIIM - Free Software For Receiving Color Faxes 04/21/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Plustek is
making their HiFax software for receiving color 300 dots-
per-inch (dpi) faxes available for free on their BBS (bulletin
board system).

According to the company, which made the announcement at
the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management)
show, all one needs to receive high quality color faxes is a fax
modem and the free software. To print color faxes, a color
printer is needed.

Plustek sells the ScanFX multipurpose scanner, cited as one of
the 15 best products at CeBIT '94 in Germany this past March.
The ScanFX is a 300 by 600 dpi deskside color scanner that
includes a 10-page document feeder. The ScanFX is TWAIN- and
HP Scanjet IIcx-compatible so it works with any software that
supports a scanner.  Wordscan and Picture Publisher LE software
are also included.

The ScanFX, in scanning mode, has a unique feature. The 14 autodial
buttons can be used to control the PC. A macro (a series of
keystrokes that are replayed) can be attached to each button. This
means the users does not have to start an application first then
scan the document. Instead, the user can go to the scanner and
have it tell the PC which application to start.

The ScanFX can be used to send faxes without having to be attached
to a  PC. To receive faxes, or to make copies, the output from the
ScanFX can be sent to a printer attached to the PC. The ScanFX only
works with sheets of paper, so it cannot scan books or other bound
materials.

A Plustek spokesperson told Newsbytes that the ScanFX is
positioned as a "personal enabling tool" and it is priced accordingly,
at $799 list. The spokesperson also noted that if there is no ScanFX
dealer in a particular area, the prospective buyer can call the
company's 800 number to order one and get $100 off the cost,
since the street price will probably be around $699 anyway.

(Nigel Dyson-Hudson/19940421/Press Contact: Louie Yan,
408-727-4356, Shotwell Public Relations Inc; Reader Contact:
Plustek Sales, 800-685-8088)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00020)

Intersolv Acquires Q+E Software 04/21/94
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Intersolv, a
Rockville, Md., firm which sells software development tools for
client/server environments, has bought Q+E Software of Raleigh,
N.C., a leading supplier of database access tools in the
client/server market. The deal is worth $36 million in cash and
stock.

"This is a good match," Intersolv Chief Financial Officer Kenneth
Sexton told Newsbytes. "We have a strong field sales force and
telemarketing. They have a strong relationship with third party
developers. Name any PC software product and Q+E have a
relationship with them. We were trying to develop those
relationships ourselves."

Intersolv, which had $60 million in revenues in the nine months
ended January 31 and 500 employees, has been aggressively
acquiring other companies. In 1989, the company bought a software
development firm in Portland, Ore., and now has gobbled up Q+E.
"In the future, there will probably be other acquisitions,"
Sexton said, "but don't look for anything for a month or two."

Sexton said Intersolv is following the same strategy that Bill
Gates has pushed at Microsoft for the PC market. "Customers want
one-stop shopping for software," he said. For example, he said,
MCI recently standardized on Intersolv development tools for all
1,200 of its software developers. "That gives you leverage when a
competitor comes in trying to sell a single product," he said.

While Intersolv will consolidate general and administrative
functions in Rockville, Q+E's development and marketing
operations will remain in Raleigh. Q+E has 150 employees.

Q+E's products include Q+E Database Editor, Q+E Database Library,
Q+E Multilink for Visual Basic and Q+E ODBC Pack. The company
had $13.5 million in 1993 revenues.

Intersolv will pay $5.3 million in cash and 2.37 million shares
of its stock for Q+E. The firm said the deal will lead to a one-
time charge of up to $32 million in the fourth quarter, which
ends April 30, which will put the company temporarily in the red.
Intersolv's profit in the first nine months was $4.7 million.

Richard Holcomb, Q+E president, said, "Our business has been
growing rapidly over the past several years. Intersolv gives us
instant access to worldwide markets, multiple distribution
channels, and the critical mass required to reach our full
potential faster."

"This makes a lot of sense for both companies," said analyst Tim
Harmon at META group. "For Intersolv, this extends their market
reach beyond centralized IS (information systems) into business
client/server development. For Q+E, it gives them direct
worldwide distribution to complement their OEM/VAR (original
equipment manufacturer/value-added reseller) channel."

(Kennedy Maize/19940421/Contact: Kenneth Sexton,
301-230-3210)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00021)

Pearson's Software Toolworks Acquisition Gets Closer 04/21/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- The acquisition of
Software Toolworks by Pearson Merger Corp. is getting closer
to completion.

The waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act applicable to
the cash tender offer of Pearson for all outstanding shares of
common stock of Software Toolworks terminated at 11:59 pm EST
on April 19, 1994. Under the terms of the offer the tender and
withdrawal rights will expire on April 28, 1994, at midnight EST.

Pearson announced that they will accept for payment all common
shares validly tendered by Software Toolworks and that they will
"commence payment for such shares accordingly."

On March 31, 1994, Pearson announced the offer of approximately
$462 million (UKP312 million) for 29.5 million outstanding shares
of The Software Toolworks at $14.75 per share. Software Toolworks,
famous for its Mavis Beacon typing tutor program, is also a major
supplier of entertainment software for video-game machines,
including Nintendo and Sega.

Speaking to Newsbytes, Bob Goldberg, president and chief operating
officer, said, "There are no impediments to the acquisition and we
see it running very smooth. These last eight days of the tender
offer will give us a chance to get over the 50 percent mark and we
see no problem with that."

He continued; "We are very comfortable with the fact that they are
acquiring us for our management as well as our products and our
long talks and interviews assure us that we will remain very much
the same company that we always have. We have just begun to look
into all of the benefits that will result for Software Toolworks
and look forward to the advantages that will accompany the
acquisition."

This acquisition introduces Pearson to the interactive entertainment
and educational software environment and will expand multimedia
development capabilities within its own operations.

Pearson, a London-based international media group, includes in its
holdings The Financial Times, Les Echos, over 100 UK regional
newspapers and a 50 percent ownership of The Economist.
Ownership of Longman and Addison-Wesley makes it a leader in
textbook publications and it owns Thames Television, Madame
Tussaud's and theme parks in England and Spain. Other full and
partial holdings include Penguin Books, Lazard Brothers of London
and Lazard Freres, New York and Paris.

(Patrick McKenna/19940421/Press Contact: Peter Hirsch,
Edelman, 212-704-8109)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00022)

 ****Bill Gates Shares Vision Of Electronic Comms 04/21/94
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates shared his vision of electronic communication
during his keynote speech to attendees at the Electronic Messaging
Association meeting this week in Anaheim, California, and it
includes voice and data transmission built into the next version
of Windows.

Gates says messaging is his most important application personally,
saying he spends as much as five times more time in electronic mail
as in spreadsheets or word processing. "It's probably the most
mission-critical application for Microsoft in terms of running the
company," Gates told his audience. Gates says he reads all his mail
no matter whom it comes from, even those that originate from
people he has not communicated with previously.

Gates says the various mail user interfaces with their different
directories, different installs, and different security that exist
today make it difficult to know which system should be used. His
vision is to bring those systems together. "We could have an
overall category we might think of as information exchange, where
you learn one set of techniques for finding messages, for finding
files. One set of techniques that gives you rich views of your
documents, on your share bulletin boards, and on the messages that
have been addressed to you. For all the different audiences, from
the people who set up those systems to the workgroups who use
them, to the individual users, this could redefine how they think
of the exchange."

Gates said Microsoft is working with modem manufacturers,
including Radish Communications, to develop systems that will
carry both voice, data and graphics all on a single phone line.
Gates says that capability will be built into all modems that ship
starting this Fall. He says it will also be an integral part of the
next version of Windows, which is being developed under the
code name Chicago.

In February, 1994, Newsbytes reported on Voiceview, the Radish
technology that allows voice and data exchange on a single phone
call. Microsoft, Intel, Rockwell, and Octel have all endorsed
Voiceview.

Gates' vision also includes fax transmissions. He envisions faxes
moving from the bit-map stage to high-level formats and being
able to tie into mail systems. He believes a user will be able to sit
at a PC and check the status of all the company's fax machines,
update the dialing lists, download usage patterns, and check the
paper supply.

According to Gates, object linking and embedding (OLE) is the
technology to bring messaging together, particularly on the
Internet. Within organizations he foresees the distribution of
software, forms or a database as simple as dragging and dropping
the file into a shared folder, with the file appearing throughout
the organization using the X.400 protocol to eliminate gateways.

Gates is a strong advocate for the Internet, but says it needs
protection to keep unauthorized users from getting into sensitive
files. He called it a "fire-wall" that would only allow access to
information on a server that has been designated for public
access. "This is a fairly straight-forward technology if its
designed right in with the internet server," says Gates.

(Jim Mallory/19940421)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00023)

 ****UK - BBS Pornographer Found Guilty 04/21/94
SWAFFHAM, NORFOLK, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Colin Jack, a
41 year-old man who ran a computer bulletin board system (BBS)
accessible on British Telecom's premium rate lines, has been found
guilty of transmitting obscene material over the public switched
telephone network (PSTN), Newsbytes has learned.

Jack has been sentenced to five months in jail, but is free pending
an appeal. According to Police investigating the case, the BBS was
advertised in several publications and has several thousand still
and moving pornographic images accessible on the system's
CD-ROM (compact disc, read only memory) storage system.

Police became involved when a Scottish modem user complained to
them about the images held on the system. Jack's house, where the
BBS operated, was subsequently searched, Newsbytes understands.

Material on the BBS included scenes of group sex and mutilation,
with the bulk of the data derived from specialist CD-ROM discs
that are available in Europe, notably in the Reeperbahn in Hamburg,
Germany, and Amsterdam's red light district.

According to the prosecution, Jack earned 23.7 pence per minute
for calls to the system, while callers paid from 48 pence per
minute for their modem calls. According to Jack's solicitor, the
only organization to make a profit from the system was BT, which
reportedly pocketed between 36 and 48 pence per minute in profit.

Pending the appeal, magistrates have ordered the destruction of
the CD-ROM discs, as well as the forfeiture of UKP2,500 worth
of Jack's computer hardware.

(Steve Gold/19940421)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

 ****Neo-Nazi Info Finding Its Way Onto Internet 04/21/94
BONN, GERMANY, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- German news sources have
reported that large text files, almost certainly originating from
neo-Nazi computer bulletin board systems (BBSes) in Germany,
are being made available across the Internet.

Much of the literature, Newsbytes understands, centers around the
idea that the Holocaust, the widespread genocide of Jews and
others before and during the Second World War, is a fabrication of
anti-Nazi propaganda. In the past, German authorities have ruled
that such literature, whether printed or electronically stored, is
illegal and possession is a prosecutable offence.

According to a report on the VOX German satellite TV channel,
broadcast across Europe using the Astra satellite, one of the files
accessible on the Internet was a book called the Leuchter Report, an
American author who is alleged to be an "apologist" for the Nazis.

In his book, Leuchter said that the Auschwitz concentration camp,
which is located close to Krakow in Poland, had no gas chambers
and no war crimes actually took place at the camp. Although
Leuchter's book has been derided by many sources, the text file
version of it has apparently been available on several neo-Nazi
BBSes in Germany for some time.

Newsbytes notes that Leuchter is regarded as something of a martyr
by neo-Nazi sympathizers following his arrest last October, his
being charged with inciting race hatred, and denigrating Nazi people
killed and incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps, as well as
death camps such as Auschwitz.

German authorities have released him on bail, allowing him to
return to the US, to prepare for a trial that is expected to take
place at the end of this year.

Newsbytes understands that the files with the neo-Nazi information
have been removed from public access on the Internet. Sources
suggest, however, that this information is still available on
various neo-Nazi BBSes scattered across Germany.

(Steve Gold/19940421)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

Ericsson To Supply Russia With Land Radio System 04/21/94
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Ericsson has contracted
to supply the Kremlin with a enhanced digital access system (EDACS)
private land mobile radio system. The system will be installed for
use in the Moscow area later this year, Newsbytes understands.

According to Ericsson, the EDACS system will be used as a digital
radio communications network for government use in all areas,
particularly when it comes to public safety.

A spokesman for the Kremlin said: "We requested a fully digital
land mobile radio system with the highest level of security,
capability and reliability. Ericsson's EDACS system fulfilled our
requirements."

Ericsson officials, meanwhile, are playing down suggestions that
the EDACS system is a top secret technology developed for the
Russian authorities. They point to the fact that more than 200
EDACS systems are in operation with governments, police forces
and even utility companies all around the world.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940421/Press & Public Contact: Ericsson
Private Systems, 49-2102-40880)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00026)

DC Comics In Deal With America Online 04/21/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Can't get enough
of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? Fear not, fellow citizens,
as help is at hand -- not from the caped wonders themselves, but
from America Online (AOL). DC Comics, the creators of the caped
crusader et al, has contracted to run an area on AOL.

The area, to be known as DC Comics Online, will offer what both
companies claim to be a "wide range of services to fans of all ages,
including detailed information of upcoming comics, previews,
interviews, a graphics library, and behind-the-scenes looks at how
comics are made."

The real clincher, of course, is that AOL subscribers will be able to
interact with the authors and writers of the comics. AOL is planning
to hold a series of special online events, including trivia quizzes,
contests, and celebrity "visits."

DC Comics Online will be available on open access to all 700,000
subscribers to AOL. According to Paul Levitz, executive vice
president and publisher of DC Comics, the AOL linkup is a logical
step for the company.

"We are eager to join AOL in the future of communications with this
new venture. Our readers have always had the profound ability to
imagine the future and all its possibilities, and America Online is a
vital and enjoyable part of this new world," he said.

Levitz added that the recent improvements in graphical software
on AOL will allow the company to offer "the best showcase of our
comics and our characters."

AOL recently updated its software for DOS, Windows and Apple Mac
users. The new graphical software (required for accessing AOL)
offers a smoother interface, extra features and, on the Apple Mac
 version, allows access to AOL at 9,600 bits-per-second (bps) via
Sprintnet. Previously, access was restricted to 2,400 bps using
all access methods to AOL.

Steve Case. AOL's president and CEO, is enthusiastic about the
deal. "DC Comics has been one of the most innovative comics
publishers in its industry, and its world-famous characters appeal
to all ages. We are delighted to work with DC Comics to bring their
super-heroes to cyberspace," he said.

(Steve Gold/19940421/Press & Public Contact: DC Comics,
212-636-5450)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00027)

Italy - Computer Discount Now Biggest PC Vendor 04/21/94
PISA, ITALY, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Computer Discount, the Fornacette-
based PC retail company, has turned in some impressive figures for
1993. Company officials claim that the firm will almost certainly
overtake Omnilogic Telecom and Raphael Informatika, its two main
rivals, in sales this year.

The sales boost also means that the company has moved to the number
seven slot in the production of PCs, which are also sold through other
companies on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis.

According to Computer Discount, turnover from the production of PCs
rose from Lire 48,100 million in 1992 to Lire 65,800 million in
1993. The 1994 figure, meanwhile, is expected to be around the Lire
78,000 million mark.

On the sales side, the company operates through two channels:
wholesale distribution, using the CDC brand name, through a
telesales service and three cash and carry stores; and retail
distribution, using the CDC brand name, through a chain of 56
franchised shops.

Sales on this side of the company's business were Lire 96,000
million, of which Lire 54,000 million derived from retail outlets
and Lire 42,000 million from wholesale outlets. Computer
Discount's 1993 accounts are expected to show that its gross
profit rose by 29.5 percent to Lire 3,821 million from Lire 2,953
million in 1992. Turnover was about Lire 92,400 million and is
expected to reach Lire 130,000 million by the end of 1994.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940421/Press & Public Contact: Computer
Discount, 39-50-41-580)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00028)

Microsoft Europe Cracks Down On Software Pirates 04/21/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Microsoft has revealed it has
seized a total of UKP16.5 million worth of software -- tipping the
sales at an astonishing 14 tons -- in raids across Europe this past
few months.

The raids, which involved 38 software pirates, led to Microsoft
being able to confiscate more than 200,000 disks. Two un-named
individuals have been arrested in connection with the raids and
Newsbytes understands that there are 12 ongoing cases being
investigated by local police across Europe.

"Counterfeiters threaten the success of Microsoft and every other
company in  the software industry," explained Bernard Vergnes,
president of Microsoft Europe. "We are determined to work closely
with the authorities to take strong action against the illegal
copying and distribution of our products," he said.

Microsoft claims that it will be looking for compensation for lost
income in the cases and intends to donate the resultant income to
its new MIcrosoft Scholar Program (MSP), a charity scheme the
company set up to retrain unemployed professional people.

Officials say that Microsoft's first piracy case has been settled in
Germany, with the company scooping more than UKP130,000 from the
case. Microsoft says it intends to add half the proceeds (UKP65,000)
to launch its MSP program.

Why donate the money to the MSP scheme? According to Microsoft, the
company wants to invest the income for the future of the Information
Technology (IT) industry. The MSP scheme, it claims, is dedicated to
training unemployed young professionals in IT.

"A working partnership with the police and European governments
has long been important to us in defending our intellectual property
rights, and we see a new opportunity to expand this partnership by
working to promote retraining and the creation of jobs," explained
Brad Smith, Microsoft's senior attorney in Europe.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940421/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft UK,
44-734-270001)


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

Network Expo - Fry Intros Metering Software 04/21/94
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- Fry
Computer Systems has announced SMART (Software Metering and
Resource Tracking) version 1.0 at Networks Expo in San Francisco.

With the growing concern of software publishers about enforcing
licensing agreements and software piracy, Fry Computer Systems
(FCS) developed SMART to manage and record network use of
software applications.

Russell Fry, president of FCS, told Newsbytes, "SMART fits
perfectly with the suite of network utilities that we offer. With
SMART, an administrator can automate the task of monitoring
application use. This utility will limit the number of users of
an application, set-up a variable waiting line and notify users as
the application becomes available."

He continued: "The administrator has complete control of how
many users access the application, how long waiting users will
have after notification of application availability, and a report
may be generated to prove licensing agreement adherence. SMART
also allows companies to more effectively use applications and
save time when the server takes over these tasks automatically
in the background."

SMART has a VIP feature that allows unrestricted use to certain
pre-defined users, so that the administrator has more options in
determining who to queue. This new utility is fully integrated with
NetWare Early Warning System and provides a virus checking option
to ensure virus-free applications, claims the company.

Smart is priced at $495 for a server license of 100 users, $995
for 250 users and $3,795 for 1,000 users.

(Patrick McKenna/1994/Press Contact: David Seuss, FCS,
617-451-5400)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00030)

Major Australian Department Store Adds Computers 04/21/94
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 APRIL 21 (NB) -- One of Australia's
leading department store chains has joined the growing number
of retail outlets opening computer departments. David Jones is
to stock a range of machines from IBM to Taiwanese clones. The
store is similar to Nordstrom in the US.

"David Jones has an extremely loyal customer base with a high
proportion of account customers," said David Peachy, national
merchandise director. "These customers want to buy personal
computers from David Jones secure in the knowledge that, as
well as being able to purchase quality brands such as Apple,
they will have the benefit of our competitive  pricing and
renowned customer service."

Apple equipment to be stocked includes LC475 and 575, Quadra
610, StyleWriter II, and the Quicktake 100 digital camera. The
Taiwanese clone carried by DJ's is a imported by  Electronic
Solutions and badged as  a Falcon PC.

(Paul Zucker and Computer Daily News/19940421)


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

Newsbytes Daily Summary 04/21/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 21 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> IBM Japan & Compaq Intro Color Notebook PCs 04/21/94 IBM Japan
has released a  color notebook personal computer (PC), as part of its
Thinkpad family, priced at 398,000 yen ($3,980). Meanwhile, Compaq has
also released a color notebook PC priced at 438,000 yen ($4,380).

2 -> Japan - NEC To Set Up Multimedia Operation 04/21/94 NEC says it
will create a  new operation on April 25, called the Multimedia
Business  Development Department.

3 -> Japan Govt OK's Radio With Text LCD 04/21/94 The Japanese
Ministry of  Posts & Telecommunications has announced that it will
further  deregulate the telecommunication industry to allow a radio
with a display to receive text data broadcasting.

4 -> Hong Kong Computer Utility Reshuffles Management 04/21/94 While
virtually all  other organizations the territory are localizing
management in  preparation for reversion of sovereignty to China in
1997, COL  Ltd, Hong Kong's leading computer services company, has
appointed Richard Weatherstone as its new managing director.

5 -> Aldus Ships Freehand 4.0 For Power Macintosh 04/21/94 Aldus
Corp., says it has started shipping Aldus Freehand 4.0 for the Power
Macintosh.

6 -> Microsoft Brings Fortran Math/Stats Libraries To PCs 04/21/94
Microsoft Corp., has announcement it is now shipping the 16-bit
version of the Microsoft IMSL Mathematical and Statistical subroutine
libraries for Microsoft Fortran version 5.1 development system.

7 -> Embedded Systems Conf - PowerPC For Embedded Apps 04/21/94 At the
Embedded Systems Conference in Boston this week, IBM is  previewing a
32-bit PowerPC embedded controller for use in  applications like cable
set-top boxes, digital video cameras,  office peripherals, and
personal communications and networking  devices.

8 -> Patricia Seybold 1994 Technical Forum Starts April 25 04/21/94
Patricia Seybold's 1994 Technology Forum, a three-day conference
slated to begin on April 25, will show how companies like Pacific Gas
&  Electric, Fidelity, Hughes Aircraft Company, and GTE have used
distributed objects to build enterprise client/server applications,
and will also offer tips on how other organizations can do the same.

9 -> Australia - Firm Offers Interactive IT Buying Guide 04/21/94
International Research  Bureau (IRB) is an Australian information
technology (IT) research  company. IRB has now released SoftBench, an
interactive,  computer-based buying guide for IT equipment.

10 ->  ****IBM Reports First-Quarter Profit 04/21/94 IBM was in the
black in the first quarter, reporting net earnings of $392 million,
or 64 cents per common share, on revenues of $13.4 billion. The
results were a turnaround from the first quarter of last year,  when
IBM lost $399 million or 70 cents per share. Revenues were up two
percent year over year.

11 ->  ****Re-integration Coming In IT Industry 04/21/94 The move away
from vertical integration in the computer industry over the past
decade will partly reverse itself in the next few years, Paul Kennedy,
president of research firm International Data Corp. (Canada) Ltd.,
said at his company's annual strategy briefing.

12 -> Intel, Duracell Announce Open "Smart Battery" Specs 04/21/94 The
world's largest chip maker, Intel, and leading battery manufacturer,
Duracell, have announced two "Smart Battery" specifications for  a
rechargeable battery that gives information about its present state to
the system in which it is being used.

13 -> AT&T Videophone Clones Expected 04/21/94 AT&T said it is
licensing its Videophone technology -- the Global  Videophone Standard
(GVS) -- to four Japanese electronics  manufacturers. The licensing
agreements open the door to  Videophone clones, or other phones that
will allow the  transmission of both voice and full-color video over
standard  phone lines.

14 -> Florida Comes To America Online 04/21/94 Florida is coming  to
America Online, through AOL's existing relationship with
Chicago-based Tribune Co. Tribune owns the Orlando Sentinel  newspaper
and Ft. Lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel.

15 ->  ****Texas Instruments Reports Best 1st Qtr Ever 04/21/94 The
folks at Texas Instruments must believe in self-fulfilling prophecies.
After predicting at the beginning of the year that the worldwide
semiconductor market would reach $91 billion, the company has reported
that its first quarter, 1994, profits hit $209 million.

16 -> IDC Canada Sees Lower Long-Distance Rates, Higher Local 04/21/94
Canadians can expect continuing cuts in the cost of long-distance
telephone service, and the emergence of three or four national
carriers over the next five years. In the meantime, though, local
phone rates will sooner or later have to rise.

17 -> 3Com Scales WAN Bandwidth To Remote Sites 04/21/94 Local
customers have  welcomed the latest product releases from 3Com
Corporation.  The company has introduced a trio of hardware and
software  products designed to provide more cost-effective WAN (wide
area network) access for remote sites, increased data  prioritization
and centralized, automated network management.

18 -> CeBIT Success Prompts Display Research Chip Output Boost
04/21/94 Display Research  Laboratory is to boost production of its
VIP PC-to-TV converter  chip following the device's warm reception at
the recent CeBIT  electronics fair in Germany.

19 -> AIIM - Free Software For Receiving Color Faxes 04/21/94 Plustek
is  making their HiFax software for receiving color 300 dots- per-inch
(dpi) faxes available for free on their BBS (bulletin board system).

20 -> Intersolv Acquires Q+E Software 04/21/94 Intersolv, a Rockville,
Md., firm which sells software development tools for client/server
environments, has bought Q+E Software of Raleigh, N.C., a leading
supplier of database access tools in the client/server market. The
deal is worth $36 million in cash and stock.

21 -> Pearson's Software Toolworks Acquisition Gets Closer 04/21/94
The acquisition of  Software Toolworks by Pearson Merger Corp. is
getting closer to completion.

22 ->  ****Bill Gates Shares Vision Of Electronic Comms 04/21/94
Microsoft  Chairman Bill Gates shared his vision of electronic
communication  during his keynote speech to attendees at the
Electronic Messaging  Association meeting this week in Anaheim,
California, and it  includes voice and data transmission built into
the next version  of Windows.

23 ->  ****UK - BBS Pornographer Found Guilty 04/21/94 Colin Jack, a
41 year-old man who ran a computer bulletin board system (BBS)
accessible on British Telecom's premium rate lines, has been found
guilty of transmitting obscene material over the public switched
telephone network (PSTN), Newsbytes has learned.

24 ->  ****Neo-Nazi Info Finding Its Way Onto Internet 04/21/94 German
news sources have  reported that large text files, almost certainly
originating from  neo-Nazi computer bulletin board systems (BBSes) in
Germany,  are being made available across the Internet.

25 -> Ericsson To Supply Russia With Land Radio System 04/21/94
Ericsson has contracted  to supply the Kremlin with a enhanced digital
access system (EDACS) private land mobile radio system. The system
will be installed for  use in the Moscow area later this year,
Newsbytes understands.

26 -> DC Comics In Deal With America Online 04/21/94 Can't get enough
of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? Fear not, fellow citizens,  as
help is at hand -- not from the caped wonders themselves, but  from
America Online (AOL). DC Comics, the creators of the caped  crusader
et al, has contracted to run an area on AOL.

27 -> Italy - Computer Discount Now Biggest PC Vendor 04/21/94
Computer Discount, the Fornacette- based PC retail company, has turned
in some impressive figures for 1993. Company officials claim that the
firm will almost certainly overtake Omnilogic Telecom and Raphael
Informatika, its two main rivals, in sales this year.

28 -> Microsoft Europe Cracks Down On Software Pirates 04/21/94
Microsoft has revealed it has seized a total of UKP16.5 million worth
of software -- tipping the sales at an astonishing 14 tons -- in raids
across Europe this past few months.

29 -> Network Expo - Fry Intros Metering Software 04/21/94 Fry
Computer Systems has announced SMART (Software Metering and  Resource
Tracking) version 1.0 at Networks Expo in San Francisco.

30 -> Major Australian Department Store Adds Computers 04/21/94 One of
Australia's  leading department store chains has joined the growing
number  of retail outlets opening computer departments. David Jones is
to stock a range of machines from IBM to Taiwanese clones. The  store
is similar to Nordstrom in the US.

(Ian Stokell/19940421)