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/jan_feb_94/nb022494

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

AST Pentium PC For Home/Small Business Under $3,000 02/24/94
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Targeting home
office and small business customers, AST has announced the AST
Advantage! EXP/60 Pentium-powered personal computer. The new
system, retail priced at $2,999 will be sold through mass market
channels such as Circuit City, Computer City, Fretters,
Price/Costco, Sam's Wholesale Club, and Incredible Universe.

Dennis Cox, director of marketing, consumer products at AST said:
"The retail customer has become very knowledgeable about computer
trends and applications. We will continue to provide the latest
technological advances to the consumer as part of our commitment
to the consumer retail channel which represented 38 percent of
North American sales last quarter."

The EXP/60 offers a 60 megahertz (MHz) Pentium processor and the
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus graphics
subsystem aimed at moving the new video and intense graphics
applications of multimedia through the system faster. The PCI
local bus of the EXP/60 moves 32 bits of data at 33 MHz clock
speed. In addition, the system comes with one megabyte (MB) of
video random access memory (VRAM), expandable to 2MB for 1,280
by 1,024 resolution and 256 colors.

In addition the EXP/60 comes with 8MB of random access memory
(RAM) memory expandable to 128MB; a 256 kilobyte (KB) second-
level cache; either a 420MB or 540MB hard disk drive; one 3.5-
inch floppy disk drive; a high-speed 14.4 bits-per-second (bps)
data modem with fax send/receive; a monitor and card capable of
1,280 by 1,024 by 256 resolution; a 273-pin Zero Insertion Force
(ZIF) socket which allows for easy upgrades of the Pentium
processor; two PCI expansion slots; three Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) slots for cards such as modems or sound; four
drive bays; two serial ports and one parallel port; and the
software upgradable Flash basic input/output system (BIOS).

Software already installed on the system includes: MS-DOS 6,
Microsoft Windows 3.1, America Online, Delrina's Winfax software,
and the Prodigy start up kit.

The system warranty is for one year, offering on-site service as
well as parts and labor. But the company says it will offer
lifetime, toll-free technical support by telephone 24-hours a
day, seven days a week. A bulletin board service, AST On-line!,
and a fax-back service, AST Info-fax, both offer additional
avenues for customers to receive support, the company said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940223/Press Contact: Hollie Chriss Cronin,
AST, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, AST,
800-876-4278)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00002)

New Media Claims Plug-And-Play PCMCIA Cards 02/24/94
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- If you have ever
been frustrated trying to use those simple-looking, credit-card
sized PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association) cards for portable computers, you are not alone.
However, New Media says it has PCMCIA cards that are truly "plug-
and-play" because of the company's client device driver software.

New Media claims its software, which is included with each card
sold, does not require the PCMCIA card to be present when the
computer is turned on in order to be useable. In fact, the user
can insert the card at any point, even when the card is being
accessed (commonly known as "hot swapping").

Also, the company claims its client software is "card aware,"
meaning it is smart enough to know if the card is present or not.
This serves two purposes, one being the client software can
inform any applications software of the existence of the card,
and it also means the client software can handle any power-down
modes related to activity. In addition, if the card is not present,
but is accessed in DOS or Windows, the client software will
inform the user.

New Media also claims its PCMCIA cards will work with a wide
range of system resources, operating systems, and application
environments, meaning the card will use whatever interrupts,
memory addresses, and input/output available. In addition, the
card can be re-configured as needed.

A "full line" of PCMCIA cards are available, in Types I, II, and
III, although the majority of cards are Type I, company officials
added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940223/Press Contact: Saundy Morrison Hill,
New Media, 714-453-0100; Beverly Lages, Lages & Associates,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, New
Media, 800-CARDS-4-U/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00003)

Windows Show UK - Wordperfect Office/Informs Upgrades 02/24/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Wordperfect UK, at the
Windows Show which opened in London on Tuesday of this week,
has announced the release of Office 4.0a for the Windows, DOS
and Apple Mac computing platforms. The company has also
introduced version 1.0a of its Informs electronic forms
application.

According to the company, 4.0a is an interim release that includes
native Windows printing for the Windows client, as well as
increased performance for all supported platforms. In use, it claims
to allow Windows and DOS users to view most message attachments
using Systems Compatibility Corporation's (SCC's) "Outside In"
viewing technology.

"Wordperfect Office was the first and remains the only workgroup
application that lets users communicate from a single application
across multiple networks and platforms in a variety of message
formats," explained Daniel Sumner, product marketing manager
with Wordperfect UK.

Wordperfect Office is an integrated set of workgroup communication
tools that includes electronic mail (e-mail), calendar, scheduler
and task management capabilities, all of which the company claims
are encompassed by the workflow functions of ordered distribution,
rules, and status tracking.

With version 4.0a, Wordperfect claims to have increased the speed
and performance of Office by around 10 percent, with performance
enhancements of between 30 and 50 percent in areas such as
sending, reading, and deleting messages.

Packaging of version 4.0a has been changed. The administration
program of Office 4.0a will be sold with the client pack, with the
server software sold separately. This will allow users to install
and maintain a single post office without having to purchase the
Server Pack.

The slightly bad news is that, because of the enhancements made
to Office, the database format of 4.0a is incompatible with the
original Office 4.0 format. Conversion routines are available and,
to prevent any potential problems, Wordperfect is encouraging all
users of 4.0 to upgrade 4.0a. The upgrades, which are being issued
free of charge, can be obtained from the WP Information Services
Department on 0932-850505.

According to the company, Informs 1.0a is an interim version of
the company's electronic forms application with native ODBC
(open database connectivity) support, workflow routing,
integrated viewer and performance enhancements built in.

Current users of the package (version 1.0) are being encouraged to
upgrade to 1.0a for UKP25 by calling the company's Information
Services Department on 0932-850505.

According to Daniel Sumner, product marketing manager at
Wordperfect UK, the package features performance enhancements
and a new integrated viewer that supports more than 80 file
format, including document, graphics, and multimedia file types.

"Informs 1.0a provides end users with the most comprehensive
support of databases and e-mail systems. Informs 1.0a gives users
a single graphical interface to access disparate data and a simple
approach to forms design and fill in," he explained.

With the enhancements, v1.0a of the package is claimed to support
more databases than any other electronic forms application. The
package comes with no less than seven desktop database engines,
Newsbytes notes.

One interesting feature of Informs 1.0a, is that the package
supports digital signatures and security at the form data level and
the security database level using the RSA public key cryptosystem
from RSA Data Securities in the UK. The cryptographic side of the
package is rounded off with Tamperseal, a tamper detection system
that is available on every record that has been digitally signed.

Improvements to other features such as Calculations, Object
Library, Object Appearance, Speller, Print and Zoom, as well as
performance enhancements to database querying and linking,
plus text handling and form layout, have also been made.

(Steve Gold/19940223/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect
UK, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MSP)(00004)

Newsbytes 1994 Volume IV Delayed To March 02/24/94
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- The
Newsbytes News Network 1994 CD-ROM Volume IV will ship in
the second week of March as producer Wayzata Technologies
is adding last-minute Windows functionality to the multiple
operating systems already on the disc. As soon as supplies are
received, all current orders will be shipped.

Newsbytes Volume IV, published by Wayzata Technologies,
will contain the full contents of Volume III plus another
six months of news stories. Volume IV offers keyword
searching of all stories written by the Newsbytes News
Network from May, 1983 through December, 1993.

Volume IV will also  be the first CD-ROM in the Newsbytes
series to display digitized graphics and photographs to go
along with the text, products of the new Newsbytes Newspix
photo service, available to licensed publishers.

The Newsbytes CD-ROM series are "hybrid" in that they run on
both the Apple Computer Macintosh and PCs, so one disc can be
used on either platform. The newest disc will also run on
Windows-equipped PCs.

Volume IV will be priced at $29.95 (plus $4.50 shipping and
handling) for all first-time buyers of a Newsbytes CD-ROM and
$19.95 (plus $4.50 shipping and handling) to all current Volume
III Newsbytes disc owners. Current owners of a Newsbytes disc
should send a photocopy or the original of the Volume III
CD-ROM jewel case cover art to qualify. The cover art will
be returned.

Newsbytes is the world's largest source of independent computer
and telecom industry reporting, available to magazines,
newspapers, newsletter, on-line services, and other media for
publication. Newsbytes files 30 stories a  day -- 600 a month.

Those interested in ordering the CD-ROM should send a check or
money order, or their Visa or Mastercard number, with expiration
date (no American Express please) to CD-ROM Offer, Newsbytes
News Network, Carriage House, 406 West Olive St., Stillwater,
MN 55082, or fax to 612-430-0441.

Electronic mail orders should be sent to
[e-mail] (Internet), NEWSBYTES1 (Applelink
or Bix), NEWSBYTES (MCI Mail), 72241,337 (Compuserve), or
NEWSBYTES on America Online. Include shipping address.

(Newsbytes Staff/19930223)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00005)

Japan - Sumitomo Links With Home Shopping Network 02/24/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Sumitomo Trading and Florida-
based television-shopping firm, the Home Shopping Network, have
reached an agreement concerning service in Japan, which will
be started in cooperation with TeleCommunications Inc. (TCI).

Sumitomo Trading has already signed an agreement with TCI
concerning the cable TV service, and has been preparing for the
service through Sumitomo's local cable TV network in Suginami,
Tokyo. To start, these three firms -- Sumitomo Trading, TCI and
Home Shopping Network -- will begin a feasibility study on the
service in Japan. The study will research the types of products
and programs to be offered through cable TV, which will begin in
March in Tokyo.

Also, the three firms are planning to set up a joint venture
firm dealing with the tele-shopping service in Tokyo by the end
of the year. Sumitomo is also reportedly sounding out other
telecommunication and distribution firms to participate in the
venture.

Cable TV is a budding industry in Japan. It really just started
a couple of years ago, and currently, there are only about 1.5
million cable TV users in Japan. As a result, other trading
conglomerates, such as Mitsui Bussan and Chu-Itoh, are planning
to start cable TV businesses in Japan in the future, linking with
US cable TV firms.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940223/Press Contact:
Sumitomo Trading, 81-3-3217-5000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00006)

Japan - Canon In PowerPC Deal With IBM 02/24/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Tokyo-based electronics
firm Canon has signed an agreement with IBM concerning the
development of PowerPC-related products.

Canon's agreement was signed with IBM Power Personal Systems
Division. Under the deal, IBM will provide Canon with the
necessary design information, as well as system components
and products of the PowerPC.

The deal calls for Canon to support the PowerPC Reference
Platform, or the PRep, which is the set-design on the development
and production of PowerPC-based products. This means that
Canon will equip the technology on its computers and electronic
business equipment.

In addition, Canon says that it will jointly cooperate with IBM's
Power Personal Systems Division on the development of notebook
PCs, personal digital assistants (PDA), and other consumer
electronics products.

Moreover, Canon plans to join the IBM-Motorola team to further
improve the PReP concept.

The agreement is expected to enhance the application of PowerPC
technology on actual products in cooperation with Canon. The
deal calls for PowerPC to be equipped, not only on PCs, but
on other electronic products. Also, with Canon's advanced color
digital pictorial processing technology, the resulting PowerPC-
based PCs will be very powerful.

A Canon spokesperson told Newsbytes that both firms will
release PowerPC products under an OEM (original equipment
manufacturer) basis in the future. Also, there is a possibility
that both firms will cooperate on the marketing of the products.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940223/Press Contact: Canon,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00007)

Japan Govt Confirms Analog HDTV 02/24/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- A senior official of the
Japanese Posts & Telecommunication Ministry has reversed
earlier remarks claiming the government was considering a
revision of its high definition television (HDTV) policy.

His remarks on the policy change on HDTV early this week
raised major concerns within the industry. The senior official
now says the Ministry will pursue the development of analog
HDTV as originally scheduled.

Akimasa Egawa, the director general of Broadcasting Bureau at
the Posts & Telecommunication Ministry, met the press on
February 23 in order to explain the details of his remarks made
early this week.

The director general said, "There will be no change in the
Ministry's policy on HDTV. I have only suggested that the
analog system should eventually give way to a digital system."
He confirmed that the current schedule of the analog HDTV
broadcasting will go on as planned.

The current analog HDTV system was developed by NHK (Japan
Broadcasting Corporation). The Posts & Telecommunication
Ministry has been supporting the system, and the Japanese
electronics industry has been developing TV sets based on it.
Already over 20,000 analog HDTV sets have been sold.

The Ministry official's remarks earlier this week on shifting to
a digital system created a certain amount of confusion for the
industry and consumers in Japan.

Analysts note that, while HDTV probably will be digitized in the
future, the question is when. According to the original estimates
by the Ministry and the electronics industry, that will probably
not happen for at least 10 years. As a result, they are pursuing
the commercialization of the already-developed analog HDTV
system.

There will reportedly be a smooth transition from the analog
system to the new digital system, because NHK has a digital
adaptor designed for the current crop of analog HDTV sets.

In order to get ready for the digitization, NHK has already begun
tests on a digital broadcasting system under the international
standard digital signal compression technology -- MPEG-2
(Motion Picture Experts Group -2).

The Posts & Telecommunication Ministry also created a large
research committee on digital TV systems in February, 1993,
called the Ultra Definition TV (UDTV), with the participation of
about 130 private firms.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940224/Press Contact: Posts
& Telecommunication Ministry, Press Bureau, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00008)

DEC Intros Graphics Chip For AXP, Pentium, PCI PCs 02/24/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp., has introduced the DECchip 21030 graphics chip,
a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)-based graphical user
interface (GUI) accelerator aimed at bringing workstation-class
graphics performance to Alpha AXP-based and Pentium-based PCs,
and other PCs with PCI buses.

Targeted at virtual reality, animation, three-dimensional (3-D)
computer-aided design (CAD), and other high-end desktop publishing
and drawing applications, the 21030 uses a new, highly pipelined
architecture intended to deliver maximum throughput over a 64-bit
video port at low cost and with minimum use of silicon.

The 21030 achieves resolution of up to 1600-by-1280 pixels with
true color support (16.7 million colors), according to DEC. The
chip also included new patent-pending image processing techniques,
and supports the new OpenGL standard for 3-D graphics.

"Now PC and graphic board manufacturers don't have to choose
between a few advanced features, resolution and number of colors.
They can have it all, at PC prices," said Art Swift, Digital's
semiconductor marketing and group sales manager.

The first in a new family of DEC graphics chips, the 21030 is also
the latest in a series of PCI-based products from Digital, officials
said. DEC is a founding member of the PCI Special Interest Group.
Previously announced PCI-based semiconductors from Digital
include Alpha AXP microprocessors, system logic chip sets, an
Ethernet controller, and a PCI-to-PCI bridge chip.

The new 21030 accelerator chip will be marketed by Digital and
by Brooktree Corporation, San Diego, California, an international
supplier of semiconductor technology for video, multimedia, and
communications.

"Our relationship with Brooktree combines Digital's graphics
experience with Brooktree's core competency in building and selling
products into the PC and workstation markets," noted Ed Caldwell,
VP, semiconductor operations, for DEC.

The 21030 is slated for volume availability in the second quarter,
at prices of $59.80 in quantities of 5000. Samples are available
now.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940224/Reader Contact: Digital Equipment
Corporation, 508-493-5111; Press Contacts: Lisa Lipson, DEC,
508-568-4352; Patricia McGloin, DEC, 508-568-5102)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(BOS)(00009)

Unix Expo Adds Internet Village & Internet Track 02/24/94
FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- This year's
Unix Expo will include the Internet as a special focus, with the
addition of a new Internet Conference Track and the debut of the
show's Internet Village.

Set to happen October 4 through 6 at the Javits Convention Center
in New York City, Unix Expo '94 will give attendees a "progressive
tour" of the Internet through the new conference track, along with
a close-up look at Internet services and "solutions" in the
Internet Village, according to Don Berey, show director.

Also within the Internet Village, the new E-Mail Village Green will
provide attendees with 20 to 30 terminals for hands-on Internet
access.

The newly announced Internet Conference Track will start out with
an overview, and continue with presentations on network security
considerations, business profitability using Internet tools, and
the latest graphical interfaces for making the Internet more
accessible to end users.

Sessions on the track will include "A Brief Introduction to the
Internet," "Getting Connected to the Internet," "Internet Security
Issues," "Cybersurfing -- Navigating the Internet," "Cost
Justifying the Internet for Business," "Business Opportunities
Using the Internet," and "Internet Access Tools."

The Internet Conference Track will be co-chaired by David Flack,
editor-in-chief of Open Computing, and Tim O'Reilly, president of
O'Reilly and Associates, a publisher of books and an on-line
magazine about the Internet.

"By combining the Internet Village and conference track, attendees
will understand the existing Internet resources, and develop the
knowledge to foster new business opportunities," said Berey.

Unix Expo '94 will feature more than 425 speakers, including
exhibitors in the Internet Village and all major players in the
Unix Expo and open systems markets, according to Berey.

The show is produced and managed by The Blenheim Group's Fort Lee,
New Jersey-based, I.T. Events Division, which also produces Networks
Expo shows in Boston, San Francisco and Dallas, and the PC Expo
shows in New York and Chicago.

In addition, the company will launch Interactive Information Expo
in New York in December. The firm's Blenheim NDS subsidiary will
produce the DB/Expo shows in San Francisco and New York, and
HRMS/EXPO in San Jose, California.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940224/Reader Contact: The Blenheim Group,
800-829-3976; Press Contacts: Annie Scully, The Blenheim Group, 800-
829-3976 ext 145; or Mark Haviland, The Blenheim
Group, 800-829-3976 ext 152)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00010)

Microsoft Confirms "Media File Server" Development 02/24/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Microsoft has
confirmed that it has a project code named "Tiger" underway to
develop what could be viewed as a vehicle to travel the complex
telecommunications web known as the "information superhighway."

Microsoft spokesperson Mich Matthews told Newsbytes the
project is "a continuous media file server architecture." She
said "Tiger" is an attempt to develop a Windows NT-based file
server to handle the flow of continuous media information being
predicted for the future.

"The objective is to bring together sophisticated software to
high volume PCs and telecommunications hardware in a scalable
architecture that is cost effective," she said.

If the project reaches the market, it will reportedly be able to
operate at a fraction of the cost of technologies being developed
by other companies. Matthews declined to say when "Tiger"
would come to market.

(Jim Mallory/19940224/Press Contact: Mich Matthews, Microsoft
Public Relations, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00011)

Certifi-Kit Offers Easier Certificates Formatting 02/24/94
WHEELING, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Micro Format Inc.,
the company that makes and sells Banner Band and Super Color
inkjet paper, has announced a kit for producing certificates.

Certifi-Kit comes with 100 sheets of LA-SERtificate certificate
paper for use in inkjet and laser printers plus certificate
template software.

Micro Format President Steve Singer says Certifi-Kit solves the
main problem in printing certificates, the difficulty of formatting.
"You space and tab and space and tab and many times you just give
up in frustration," says Singer. The Certifi-Kit software works with
several popular word processing programs. It is compatible with
DOS and Windows versions of Wordperfect, Microsoft Word, and
Lotus AmiPro and the Mac version of Microsoft Word.

In addition to the certificate forms, Certifi-Kit comes with 10
templates, including: Award of Achievement, Sales Award, Diploma,
Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Participation, Employee
of the Month, First/Second//Third Place Awards, Honorable Mention,
Most Valuable Player, and Certificate of Appreciation. Micro Format
says the templates can be changed and adapted for other uses.

Certifi-Kit has a suggested retail price of $19.95. Micro Format's
Banner Band is a continuous roll of printer paper for printing
banners, while Super Color Ink Jet paper has a special coating that
keeps the colored ink used in inkjet printers from being absorbed
into the paper. Micro Format says that results in a brighter image
and less ink used.

(Jim Mallory/19940224/Press Contact: Barbara Adler, S&S Public
Relations for Micro Format, 708-520-3394; Reader Contact: Micro
Format, 708-520-0197 or 800-333-0549)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00012)

Chipcom, Artel Communications Merge 02/24/94
SOUTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) --
Chipcom Corp., has completed its merger with Hudson,
Massachusetts-based Artel Communications Corp. The merger,
announced in October, is to be accounted for as a pooling of
interests but means the absorption of Artel into Chipcom.

About 45 of Artel's roughly 60 employees have moved to Chipcom,
company spokeswoman Susan Borden told Newsbytes. Some others
left Artel earlier. Artel's top managers have left the company, she
added.

Chipcom exchanged .07203682 shares of its own common stock for
each outstanding share of Artel's common stock, issuing about
754,000 shares in exchange for all common stock of Artel. The
company said it has reserved about 56,500 more shares of its
stock for issuance to holders of Artel options and warrants.

Chipcom, founded in 1983, builds fault-tolerant intelligent
switching systems, and reported revenue of $150 million in the
fiscal year ended December 25, 1993. The company had 567
employees at year-end, Borden said.

Artel builds Ethernet switching products. Borden said Artel's
products are expected to add between $14 million and $16 million
to Chipcom's revenues in 1994.

Separately, Chipcom announced the opening of new sales and
support offices in Beijing and in Milan, Italy. The company said
it has a presence in more than 40 countries, and the Beijing
opening makes it the first US-based networking company to open
an office in the People's Republic of China.

(Grant Buckler/19940224/Press Contact: John Ricciardone,
Chipcom, 508-624-6840; Public Contact: Chipcom, 508-460-8900)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

 ****Bell Atlantic-TCI Cancel Merger 02/24/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Blaming the
government's decision to cut cable television rates, Bell
Atlantic and TCI called off their planned merger. The decision
came as the two companies were finalizing the price in Bell
Atlantic stock that would be paid for TCI, the nation's largest
cable operator.

Some analysts contend though, that it may have been Wall Street,
not Washington, that killed the deal. Since the $26 billion deal
was announced in October, Bell Atlantic common stock has fallen
in price on US markets, from a high of $68 per share to a recent
price of $53. Bell Atlantic stock was the currency in the deal, and
the fall in its price cut the value of TCI considerably.

Bell Atlantic President James Cullen denied this in a press
conference, saying that as recently as February 21, two days
before the deal's collapse, the two sides had an agreement on the
price to be paid in Bell Atlantic stock for TCI. The FCC decision
"went beyond our expectations," Cullen said, including "an
additional reduction of seven percent" in allowed rates for expanded
basic service. More important, the rollbacks were imposed on all
TCI systems, not just the 20-25 percent of TCI systems Bell
Atlantic expected to see rolled back.

The FCC decision so altered Bell Atlantic's 10-year model of cash
flow to be generated from the deal, Cullen said, that Bell Atlantic
had to re-evaluate. Cullen added, in response to a question, that
the two companies would consider cooperating in joint ventures,
but "in some ways that's more complicated than a merger, and
more difficult to do."

The reasoning was also in doubt after the Standard & Poor's
rating service re-affirmed its ratings on cable operators' debt
in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission order,
which is expected to cut the price paid for expanded basic service
about seven percent.

Bell Atlantic Chairman Ray Smith had testified in favor of the
1992 Cable Reregulation Act, which the FCC order is enforcing,
but he reversed his position after the TCI deal was announced.
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt issued a statement also denying that
his agency's action contributed to the deal's collapse, saying it
clarified the industry's future. In addition, the FCC decision
impacts only basic and expanded basic rates, not rates charged
for "premium" channels like HBO, pay-per-view movies, or any of
the new "Information Superhighway" services the two companies
said they were investing to provide.

Some observers contend that, the collapse of the deal means that
Bell Atlantic, once seen as the leader in acquiring cable systems
among the regional Bells, is now something of a laggard. Since the
October TCI announcement Southwestern Bell has announced a
joint-venture with Cox Enterprises in the cable arena, and
BellSouth took an option to buy Prime Management, another major
cable operator.

Bell Atlantic remains in the video business -- it won the right to
offer programming through its phone network from a US District
Court last year. But its Stargazer project will deliver mainly
pre-recorded pay-per-view movies to homes in the Washington
suburbs. Bell Atlantic is also upgrading networks in New Jersey
and Pennsylvania, working with existing cable operators to
deliver programming on them.

The price to be paid for TCI was based on 11.6 times its annual
cash flow -- cash available before taxes and depreciation. TCI
Chairman John Malone apparently wanted to hold to that figure,
which because of the FCC rate cut Smith was unwilling to do.
Malone may also have wanted more Bell Atlantic stock due to its
fall in price, something Smith was apparently unwilling to offer.
Since the deal was announced, TCI shares had also fallen in
price, from over $31 per share to just above $24. In early
trading after the deals' collapse was announced, Bell Atlantic
stock rose in price while TCI fell.

TCI said it would join lawsuits planned by the National Cable
Television Association against the FCC rate cuts, calling them
"unwarranted, excessively severe and harmful." The company also
announced the suspension of $500 million in capital spending.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940224/Press Contact: Bell Atlantic, Eric
Rabe, 703-974-3036


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00014)

 ****House Education Bill Gets Home Schooling Changes 02/24/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Bowing to intense
pressure from home school advocates and the religious right, the
Rules Committee of the US House moved to approve a bill
covering computer purchases after exempting home and private
schooling from its provisions.

Home school advocates and other conservatives had raised a
firestorm of protest over the bill, jamming members' phone lines
over the last week. They charged that the bill was an attempt to
regulate them out of existence. On the House floor, sponsor
William Ford said that Republicans, Democrats, and the Clinton
Administration had all agreed on amendments exempting such
schooling from the bill. "There were amendments adopted which
were ambiguous enough to be misconstrued," he said on C-Span,
adding that the legislation does not address questions of
licensing home schools because that is a state matter.

Title I funds which are the largest component of funding re-
authorized for five years under the bill, known as H.R. 6 or the
Improving America's Schools Act, have in the past been the
primary means through which schools across the country bought
computers. In fact, the aim of the bill is to equalize
educational opportunity. In the House Education and Labor
Committee, the Clinton Administration tried to change formulas
through which the funds are distributed, but that move failed.

The changes in H.R. 6 are a major victory for conservatives, with
people from Pat Robertson to Rush Limbaugh joining the campaign
to have their listeners call Congress in recent days. While the
campaign is not expected to jeopardize passage of the bill, and
improvements in public schooling remain a priority for the
Clinton Administration, some of those who have written to
CompuServe's Education Forum about the dispute admit they
would like to see federal support for public schools ended.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940224)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

Broadband Improves FLX Fiber Network System 02/24/94
NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- BroadBand
Technologies has introduced new software for its Fiber Loop
Access system, an all-fiber upgrade for phone or cable networks.

All the regional Bell companies have in the past done trials of
FLX, but so far only Bell Atlantic has committed to it, for
upgrades of its networks in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The FLX system carries fiber all the way to local phone poles,
with signals transferred to copper for each 6-8 homes. Competing
architectures, offered by AT&T and others, use coaxial cable for
each 500 home service area, and those competing offerings have
been chosen for upgrades by US West, Ameritech and Pacific
Telesis' networks.

The new software supports a new customer interface, so phone
company customers can more easily navigate "Information
Superhighway" services. Program and service providers can also
offer their wares on the new system without changing their
billing or accounting systems, the company said. No phone calls
are required for customers to buy pay-per-view movies, for
instance.

Broadband has argued that its "baseband" technology is a better
option for phone network upgrades, noting that "passband" local
area network "solutions" offered in the 1980s eventually failed
in the market. Critics reply that Broadband's system forces phone
companies to decide what services they will offer, and at what
speed, while passband solutions can follow all possible standards.

But Salim Bhatia, president and CEO, added that his new system
has other advantages. "Viewer statistics gathering made possible
by the FLX system has the potential to generate significant
revenues for carriers, who can sell statistical information while
protecting the privacy rights of their viewers," he said in a
press statement.

He said Broadband's system will be improved further to offer up
to 1,500 channels of on-demand, switched digital video. Bhatia
also said that security is enhanced with the FLX system, since
viewers are sent only the signals they have bought, and there
is no other signal available on their lines to de-scramble and
steal.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940224/Press Contact: Beverlee Hanley,
BroadBand Technologies, 919-405-4816)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

 ****CompuServe Offering Credit Cards 02/24/94
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- CompuServe became
the first on-line service to enter the market for privately-
branded credit cards, offering Visa cards to members of its
CompuServe Information Service.

The cards are being offered in conjunction with its parent
company, H&R Block, and the Columbus Bank & Trust Co. of
Columbus, Georgia. The bank is part of the same holding company
as Total Systems Services Inc., a major processor of credit card
transactions.

Ever since AT&T began its Universal Card program a few years ago,
through a new Columbus, Georgia bank called the Universal Bank,
other industrial companies have been rushing to offer their own
cards. AT&T's card, in fact, has become one of the most popular
in the country. Many of the cards, like those of General Motors
and General Electric, offer discounts on the sponsors' products
to card members.

The CompuServe card will be no exception, offering a $27.50 usage
credit against CompuServe's hourly services to card members.
Also, CompuServe card holders can have their CompuServe User ID
numbers listed on the face of the card, and the face of the cards
will carry CompuServe's logo and brand identifier graphic.

The cards carry no annual fees if they are used at least six times
per year, and the initial variable rates on the card are 12.9 percent
on the gold card, and 14.9 percent on the regular card. Those
interest rates will change with the prime rate, Newsbytes has
learned.

In addition, some merchants from CompuServe's Electronic Mall
shopping service offer discounts on purchases made with the
cards, including 800-Flower & Gift Shoppe, Adventures in Food,
Computer Express, Florida Fruit, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters,
Omaha Steaks, Parsons Technology, Penny*Wise, Shoppers
Advantage, Sunglasses Shavers & More, Gift Sender, and Z-Best
Electronics & Appliances.

CompuServe members can obtain information or applications for
enrollment on-line, typing the words "go card" at any prompt, or
by calling CompuServe at 1-800-487-5391.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940224/Press Contact: David Kishler,
CompuServe, 614-538-4571)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00017)

 ****Stac Awarded $120 Million In Microsoft Suit 02/24/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- A Los
Angeles federal court jury has told Goliath to pay David $120
million. Goliath in this case is software giant Microsoft, while
David's sling was wielded by tiny (by comparison) Stac
Electronics.

At issue was whether Microsoft used patented Stac technology as
the data compression tool in MS-DOS 6. MS-DOS is the operating
system for millions of IBM-compatible personal computers.

This is reportedly the first patent infringement against Microsoft
to ever go to trial. Microsoft was found guilty on two counts.
Following the trial, members of the seven-person jury told reporters
they calculated the damages at about $5.25 per MS-DOS unit sold.
Microsoft said it did not know how jurors arrived at the number of
more than 22 million units sold, but thought the estimate was high.

The jury also awarded Microsoft $13.7 million in compensatory and
punitive damages on its counterclaim that Stac had misappropriated
and used in Stac products Microsoft's trade secret pre-loading
feature.

Whether Stac ever sees the total amount is questionable. Microsoft
says it expects Stac to seek an injunction against further
distribution of DOS 6. The company says it will oppose such an
injunction and will seek an injunction against Stac and its
licensees to prevent them from selling any Stac products that
contain the pre-loading feature. US District Court Judge Edward
Rafeedie will consider those issues and rule on appropriate
injunctive relief.

Microsoft also says it will file immediately after the entry of the
judgment a motion to overturn the patent infringement portion of the
verdict. If that motion is not granted, it will appeal the judgment,
which could cause the issue to grind on for months, if not years.

As reported earlier by Newsbytes, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates
testified that his company had developed its own version of the
data compression technology that allows more files to be stored
on a disk than would be possible without compression. Gates told
the jury that Microsoft developed its Doublespace technology after
negotiations with Stac to use its Stacker code fell through. Gates
said Microsoft was aware of the patent and made what company
officials described as "Herculean efforts" to make sure Doublespace
didn't violate existing patents. The jury apparently agreed, saying
they did not feel the infringement was willful.

At a press conference late Wednesday afternoon Microsoft assured
DOS 6 users that they can continue to use the product. Asked if the
MS-DOS 6 version without data compression would be reduced in
price, Microsoft officials said it would not. "MS-DOS contains many
advanced features." The company declined to say if it would accept
a reported offer by Stac to work together to develop a new data
compression technology for DOS.

Microsoft officials say they will make a version of Microsoft DOS 6
without data compression available by the end of the week, which
will be designated MS-DOS 6.21. Packaging for the new version will
state Doublespace is not included. In the meantime, Microsoft said
it believes the copies of MS-DOS 6 that are already in the retail
channel are not covered by any injunction and are not illegal. "We
believe the product that is already out there is covered by the
damages." they said. However they did acknowledge that the judge
might not share that view. If that happens retailers will probably
be asked to destroy the old version of DOS 6 on-site in order to
avoid the cost of shipping the software back to Microsoft.

Microsoft said it does not have an estimate of the costs of the suit,
but called it "a significant amount." The company said it will take a
$120 million charge, or $0.26 per share, in the third quarter to
cover the damages verdict.

(Jim Mallory/19940224/Press contact: Microsoft Public
Relations, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00018)

Directory Touted As Killer App For Screen Phones 02/24/94
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Backers
of a system that provides nationwide phone directory listings on a
liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen are touting their product as
a "killer application" that will stimulate demand for advanced
telephones with the LCD displays.

Metromail Corp., developed the system, which Philips Home
Services will offer nationwide. Philips makes the Philips Screen
Phone, one of several telephones with an LCD screen and a pull-out
keyboard. Philips' model has a 16-line display. Metromail plans to
begin offering the service in the New York area in March.

Metromail and Philips point to what happened in France, where
the Minitel videotex service caught on partly because it offered
telephone listings. They say the Metromail service will
kick-start the sales of screen phones in the US in the same way.

However, Paul Chapple, a spokesman for Philips, admitted there
is one difference from the French experience. In France, the
state-owned telephone monopoly stopped printing paper telephone
directories when the Minitel service was launched. That is not
likely to happen in the US.

"I guess we'll have to see" whether people will prefer directory
listings on screen to their familiar phone books, Chapple said.
Asked why they might, he pointed out that Metromail's system will
let users dial numbers automatically after looking them up, and
store them in the phone for future use. Also, Metromail's
listings will provide full mailing addresses with zip codes,
Metromail spokesman Gary Shomo told Newsbytes.

Ameritech, one of the regional Bell operating companies, plans to
roll out some 200,000 screen phones -- not all Philips models --
renting them to customers for $10 per month, Chapple said. The
Philips phone sells for $639.

Metromail's directory service will cost 60 cents per transaction,
Shomo said. That charge falls between typical local
directory-assistance charges (40 cents per call in New York, for
instance) and long-distance charges (about 75 cents per call).

Other services using the phones will be available, he added.
Citibank is conducting trials of a home banking service, and
others are working on travel services. Home shopping is also
planned.

(Grant Buckler/19940224/Press Contact: Keith Decie, for Philips,
202-434-4505; John Tomkiw, Metromail, 708-932-3064)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00019)

TNT Allows Windows Front End On 32-Bit DOS Apps 02/24/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Phar Lap
Software Inc., said version 6.1 of its TNT DOS-Extended Software
Development Kit (SDK)  will let software developers give their
32-bit DOS-extended applications the look of Microsoft Windows
programs without rewriting the existing code.

This works by linking the DOS application, running in a DOS
compatibility box under Windows, with Microsoft's Visual BASIC
running directly under Windows, company spokeswoman Maria
Vetrano told Newsbytes. "Anything that Visual BASIC can do, the
application can do," she said. She likened Phar Lap's WinPipe VxD
virtual device driver to a sort of telephone line linking the
application with the Visual BASIC interface.

To use the capability, developers need Visual BASIC, a 32-bit
C-language compiler, and Phar Lap's DOS Extender, Vetrano said.

Version 6.1 also supports Borland International Inc., C++ 4.0, and
Borland Turbo Debugger, the company said, allowing programmers
to use their standard 32-bit Borland compiler and tools to develop
32-bit DOS-extended applications. TNT DOS-Extender also supports
Microsoft Visual C++ 32-bit edition and other 32-bit compilers,
Phar Lap said.

The DOS-Extender SDK includes TNT DOS-Extender, Microsoft's
CodeView 32-bit debugger, Phar Lap's 386|SRCBug source-level
debugger, and all the components of the company's
386|DOS-Extender SDK. The list price is $495. Upgrades from
earlier versions are also available.

Phar Lap expects both commercial developers and organizations
developing applications for their own use will use the software.

(Grant Buckler/19940224/Press Contact: Maria Vetrano, Phar
Lap Software, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00020)

Hand-Held Data-Entry Device Talks To Users 02/24/94
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- In an attempt
to make portable data entry easier, Worthington Data Solutions
has introduced the Tricoder Portable Reader that not only acts as
a hand-held scanner for data entry, but can talk to the user as
well.

The unit can play-back up to 65 prompts which can be pre-recorded
via a microphone supplied with the Tricoder and played back at
specific points during data entry. The company says the Tricoder
has several advantages, including: making data entry easier because
the user does not have to constantly check the display for visual
prompts; the Tricoder can be used in poorly lit areas; recordings
can be made in any language; and users will literacy problems can
also take advantage of the unit.

Worthington said the Tricoder can be used for quality control,
meter reading, records management, inventory management, and
fixed asset control. A wand is available for scanning or users
may opt for a touch-scanner or a five-volt laser scanner. The unit
also offers a real-time clock, a four-line by 20 character display,
a keyboard or serial port, look-up tables, and can perform 50,000
scans with the switch wand while powered by 3 "AA" batteries.
While the 64 to 256 kilobytes (KB) available memory for data
storage seems tiny, the company claims it can be adequate for
many tasks.

In addition, the company says two default inventory programs are
built-in or the unit can be programmed. Uploading the data to a
host computer can be done with a BASIC program or with a
communication program such as Pro-Comm or Q-Modem.

Unit pricing depends on the model and features. The 64KB model is
$799 with wand and voice recording. The 256KB model, also with a
wand and voice recording, is $899.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940224/Press Contact: Liz Wax, S&S Public
Relations for Worthington Data Solutions, tel [phone], fax
708-291-1758; Public Contact, Worthington Data Solutions, 800-
345-4220 or 408-458-9938/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00021)

US Post Office Tests Self-Service Centers 02/24/94
RESTON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- The US Postal Service
has begun field testing self-service mailing centers built by Unisys
Corp. in six locations in Washington's Virginia suburbs.

The computer-assisted machines are designed to provide the full
services of the post office, 24 hours per day, without requiring a
human clerk.

The postage and mailing centers weigh individual pieces of mail
and display the postage required based on the destination ZIP code
and the class of service. The postal robot accepts payment in cash
or credit and debit cards as well. When it takes the payment, the
machine then prints out a stamp that can be used for any mailing,
from a postcard to a bowling ball. Stamps can be for any value from
$0.19 to $99.99, known as a "variable rate stamp."

"It's basically run by a PC inside, with a hard disk, a floppy, just
like what's on your desk," Lorraine Galloway of Unisys told
Newsbytes. "But it has a lot of specialized software. That's what
we do."

The machines are a cube, about four feet high, by four feet wide,
by two feet deep. The money side of the machine takes both bills
and coins, and makes change in coins only, including the Susan B.
Anthony dollar coin. "We don't dispense bills," Galloway said.
Because of the money inside the machine, a lot of security is built
in, Galloway said. "It's like a safe," she said. "Plus there are a lot
of sensors. For example, there is a smoke sensor, and a tilt sensor."

There is also a built in modem, Galloway explained, so if the
machine gets concerned that someone is trying to rip it off, it can
notify the police. For the Postal Service, the machines offer a lot
of advantages. For customers, they offer convenience.

However, customer still have to lick the stamps. "The self-sticking
stamps are too slippery to hold the ink to print the postage,"
Galloway said.

(Kennedy Maize/19940224/Press Contact: Thomas Lindquist,
Lorraine Galloway of Unisys, 703-847-3418)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00022)

EIF Studies Skills In Electronic Workforce 02/24/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- What skills will the
workers of the future need to bring to jobs in the electronics
industry? The Electronic Industries Foundation has completed a
draft set of detailed skill standards for work-ready, entry-level
electronics technicians.

When adopted by EIF's parent Electronic Industries Association,
the set of skills will become the standards for the US industry.

"Many young people enter the work force ill-equipped to perform
the basic jobs this nation needs to have done," said Frank Myers,
chairman and chief executive of Wells-Gardner Electronics of
Chicago and head of the skill standards project's advisory body.
"Our industry had not communicated to high school and vocational
educators what we need. Without direction, school systems had
little basis on which to develop curricula that really prepare
students for the high technology workplace. These standards will
change all that."

The foundation had a $545,000 grant from the US Department of
Education for the project to develop voluntary skill standards,
under the federal "workplace 2000" program. The Education
Department has recommended the project to the White House
as a model for industry-based standards development, EIF said.

The foundation said it brought together more than 200
representatives from EIA-member companies, educational
institutions and organized labor to develop the standards.

Participants served on the advisory board, a technical committee
and six working groups to develop the competency standards for
work-ready technicians in such areas as general electronics,
industrial electronics, avionics, business machine service,
consumer product service, biomedicine, microcomputer systems,
microcomputer systems field service, instrumentation,
telecommunications and automobile service.

The working groups pulled together "clusters" of working
technicians, technical supervisors and line managers who hire,
train and supervise workers in each of the 11 specialties.

"In little more than a decade, the US electronics industry will
need nearly 2.5 million technicians with sufficient skills to enable
their employers to compete in a global marketplace," said Wayne
Freeland, a training manager with Texas Instruments in Dallas.
"I see what we have to work with today, and I know how
desperately these cooperatively developed standards are needed."
Freeland headed up one of the working groups.

Once EIA has officially adopted the standards, EIF will start a
project to "look at the issue of certification," Irwin Kaplan, the
EIF project manager, told Newsbytes. "We want to look at what
kind of process you use to give people a certificate and give the
employer assurance that the worker has the skills," he said.
"Do you accredit schools? How? Do you test individuals? Is
it a paper and pencil test or more directly work-related?" Kaplan
said the project on certification should begin in April and be
complete by September 1995. The organization has an Education
Department grant for the certification project.

The Electronic Industries Foundation is the not-for-profit arm of
the Electronic Industries Association, the industry's Washington
trade association.

(Kennedy Maize/19940224/Press Contact: Irwin Kaplan, Electronic
Industries Foundation, 202-955-5823; Mark Rosenker, Electronic
Industries Association, 202-457-4980)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00023)

 ****White House To Intro Superhighway Surveillance Bill 02/24/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- The FBI and Justice
Department are expected to formally unveil their legislation to
give government investigators power to tap into individuals on
the information superhighway.

The legislation is likely to set off a confrontation in Congress
between law enforcement forces on the one hand and civil liberties
advocates and the telecommunications industry on the other.

The White House was set to brief telephone company executives
today and public interest groups tomorrow. But the draft legislation
has already surfaced in Washington and Newsbytes has obtained a
copy.

The administration draft defines as a "common carrier" any network
or provider that carries voice or data, including telephone, cable,
computer and other firms, and says the FBI can require the common
carrier to deliver contents of message and call setup information
to a remote government site.

The legislation would require a court order before the FBI could
install a wiretap. But the agency would not need to get a court
order to track an individual's activity on the network. That would
only require that the person is "subject to investigation."

"Not happy," was the reaction of Jerry Berman, executive director
of the Electronic Frontier Foundation in Washington. "This is a
potential blueprint for an electronic surveillance society." The EFF
is leading a coalition of civil-liberties groups and industry opposing
the legislation, which is similar to a bill the Bush administration
proposed in 1992 and dropped when opponents bombarded it as
intrusive.

While the new bill is different from the Bush proposal, "You can't
quarrel with the potential breadth of the new bill," Berman told
Newsbytes.

The new bill would give the attorney general broad power to
demand that communications equipment be designed to guarantee
that investigators would have access to it, and would allow the
attorney general to seek fines of $10,000 a day for firms that
don't comply. In some cases, the government could shut the firms
down if they fail to comply.

FBI Director Louis J. Freeh said in a speech last week that the
new technologies and a "lack of support" by some communications
executives mean "the country will be unable to protect itself
against terrorism, violent crime, foreign threats, drug trafficking,
espionage" and other crimes.

The FBI and the Justice Department say the initiative would ensure
access to communications they already have authority to tap,
through the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

The FBI says it is troubled by all the new technology developments
since then, including call forwarding to bounce calls from phone to
phone, confusing tappers. Also, says the FBI, cellular systems can
make it difficult to follow suspected activity by limiting the
number of ports into the systems.

When it is introduced in Congress, Berman said, it will be referred
to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. In the House, it will
come before Rep. Don Edwards' crime and criminal justice
subcommittee. Edwards, a California Democrat who is also a
former FBI agent, is one of the most stalwart defenders of civil
liberties in Congress and a long-time member of the American Civil
Liberties Union. In the Senate, the measure will come before the
technology and the law subcommittee, chaired by Patrick Leahy
(D-Vt.), another civil libertarian. "This won't be the same bill
when, and if, it emerges from Congress," Berman predicted.

(Kennedy Maize/19940224/Contact: Jerry Berman, Electronic
Frontier Foundation, 202-347-5400)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00024)

Client/Server Takes Hold, Says Dataquest 02/24/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Dataquest says
client/server computing has moved from the conceptual stage to
reality in large to medium-size companies. A survey of nearly
1,000 information systems (IS) managers at large- to medium-size
companies found that an average of $7 million had been budgeted
by each firm for client/server computing in 1993.

The majority of the money, nearly 52 percent, went to the
infrastructure required for a client/server architecture, while
29 percent was spent on software, Dataquest said. Brad Day,
principal analyst of Dataquest's Client/Server Computing program
noted: "IS managers are investing large amounts of money into the
client/server architecture and are looking for manufacturers to
provide cost-effective solutions."

Paul Cubbage, director and principal analyst of Dataquest's
Client/Server Software program said companies are looking at
new pricing structures to save money on client/server software.
"As the client/server market matures, it is clear that old
client/server software pricing strategies are out and that site
licensing, enterprise licensing, and per-user licensing are the
preferred models for pricing," Cubbage maintains.

The growing interest in client/server computing is one of the
reasons Dataquest gave last June when it predicted Microsoft's
Windows NT operating system would sell between 800,000 to one
million copies in the first twelve months of its release. The
operating system is being positioned as one that will run on
multiple hardware platforms and will offer support for the
popular large-scale client/server database software products,
such as Oracle, Informix, Sybase, and Ingres.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940224/Press Contact: Paul Wheaton,
Dataquest, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00025)

Microsoft Shipping Windows 3.11 - Few Changes 02/24/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced that it is shipping version 3.11 of its popular
Microsoft Windows software.

The company calls the release "a refresh release that implements
packaging changes designed to reduce software counterfeiting."
It also includes some updated device drivers and a few minor code
changes to address issues such as diskless workstation support.

Most of the updated drivers have already been available through
on-line distribution and from Microsoft Product Support Services.
Microsoft says the release contains no new features and will not
affect current users of windows.

Microsoft spokesperson Victor Raisys told Newsbytes the addition
of a new hologram to the Windows packaging is designed to make
counterfeiting of the product more difficult. "Without the hologram
the box is very easy to duplicate," says Raisys.

While software counterfeiters can still copy the disks, the labels
and the packaging itself, the hologram identifies the box to buyers
as a true Microsoft product. The counterfeiting of holograms is an
expensive process requiring sophisticated technical knowledge and
expensive equipment. The hologram that appears on the Windows
3.11 package is also being used on the Windows for Workgroups 3.11
release box.

Microsoft takes an aggressive stand in pursuing discovery and
prosecution of software counterfeiters, and frequently participates
with local law enforcement agencies in raids. Those activities have
resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars worth of
counterfeit software.

(Jim Mallory/19940224/Press Contact: Bev Auld, Microsoft,
206-882-8080; Reader Contact: Microsoft, 206-882-8080 or
800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00026)

Autodesk Intros Autocad Designer For PCs 02/24/94
SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Autodesk, a
leader in the mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) software
market, has announced the availability of Autocad Designer for
Autocad Release 12.

The product is aimed at drafters, designers, and engineers using
personal computers (PCs) for the conceptualization, design or
drafting of mechanical parts for the automotive, electrical
equipment, machinery, plastics, aerospace, and other industries.

John Lynch, vice president of the product development group for
Autodesk said Autocad Designer allows users, "The ability to
design parts intuitively, make revisions at will, and move easily
between three-dimensional(3-D) models and two-dimensional(2-D)
drawings." For example, users can freely sketch an approximate
shape, then activate the program's interactive constraint manager
to create a precisely dimensioned part.

Autocad Designer incorporates parametric, feature-based design
and drafting, allowing users to build mechanical designs in a
more intuitive, flexible fashion, the company maintains. For
example, a design may be modified in the Designer product by
merely changing the dimension values.

In addition, the company describes feature-based design as the
ability for users to build parts using real-world objects that
understand fit and function. For example, a "hole" feature in
Autocad Designer is defined as a hole rather than the traditional
cylinder and Boolean subtract.

Once a drawing is complete, the program can generate 2-D drawings
from the solid model. The 2-D drawing will follow industry-
standard rules and hidden line removal is automatic. Also,
changes to the 3-D model will be reflected in the 2-D drawing and
vice-versa, a feature Autodesk calls bidirectional associativity.

The product also allows parts to be built as unambiguous solid
models, including complex shapes like compound curve fillets. For
surface modeling, Designer also links directly Autodesk's
Autosurf surface-modeling package.

Described by Autodesk as an Autocad Development System (ADS)
Designer runs completely within Autocad Release 12. Once familiar
with Designer, users will also be able to use Autocad Release 12
as well because the user interfaces and command syntax are
similar in each product, Autodesk asserts. In addition, Designer
stores information in the DWG file format used by Autocad.

Company representatives claim the product is more affordable at
$1,500 than the $15,000 to $20,000 software packages for
workstations that have similar advanced mechanical design and
drafting capabilities. Autocad Designer requires Autocad Release
12 for DOS. It can be run on a 486-based or higher IBM compatible
personal computer (PC) running MS-DOS 3.3 or higher equipped with
eight megabytes (MB) of memory (though 16MB is recommended)
and at least 6MB of hard disk space.

Sausalito, California headquartered Autodesk (NASDAQ: ACAD) had
revenue of $353 million in fiscal 1992. The company has been
rated as the second largest MCAD software company worldwide in
1993 by the market research firm Dataquest. Autodesk has also
broadened into the home software CAD market with its Home Series
products produced out of its Retail Products division in Bothell,
Washington.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940224/Press Contact: Marilyn Guerin,
Autodesk, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact,
Autodesk, 800-964-6432; Public Contact, Latin America, fax 415-
491-8303; Public Contact, Asia/Pacific, fax [phone];
Public Contact, Europe fax [phone]/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO2)(00027)

Microprose Changes Name To Spectrum Holobyte 02/24/94
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Microprose Inc.,
has changed its name to Spectrum Holobyte. The company has also
filed for reincorporation as a Delaware corporation, authorized an
increase in capitol from 24 million shares to 49 million shares,
and announced an employee stock purchase plan of up to 400,000
shares.

Microprose is a developer of entertainment software that includes
Nintendo and Saga games.

Speaking with Newsbytes, Frank Murnane, vice president of finance,
said, "These announcements are from the agenda of a special
stockholders' meeting held on February 22 and they are only a list
of things we wish to accomplish as a matter of clarifying and
streamlining the corporation."

He continued: "Delaware offers advantages to corporations which
we see as helpful to our stockholders and directors and we follow
a number of companies reincorporating there. While the corporate
name has changed, we will continue to market products under the
names of Microprose, Spectrum Holobyte, Bullet-Proof, Domark,
T&E Soft, Avtex, and Kinesoft."

He could not say much about the company stock however, saying:
"We have filed a registration statement with the Security
Exchange Commission for a proposed public offering and until that
process is complete, Spectrum Holobyte is required to maintain
the  disclosure provisions of the process."

Spectrum Holobyte Inc., will now be traded with the NASDAQ
symbol "SBYT." The company headquarters will remain in Alameda,
California.

(Patrick McKenna/1994024/Press Contact: Amie Belongia, Wilson
McHenry, 415-592-7600)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00028)

Windows Show UK - Ergo Launches New Notebooks 02/24/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Ergo Computing has
unveiled its 1994 range of notebooks at the Windows Show,
which takes place this week at Olympia in London.

The flagship of the new range is the PowerBrick 66, which the
company claims matches a desktop in all but size and appearance.
The machine features an Intel 66 megahertz (MHz) 80486DX2
processor with eight kilobytes (KB) of cache and a built-in
numeric coprocessor, providing what the company describes
as super speed for a notebook computer.

For the more budget conscious, Ergo is offering 33MHz and 50MHz
versions of the machine. All versions of the machine come with a
choice of eight megabytes (MB), 16MB, 20MB, or 32MB of memory,
with easy to install 4MB and 16MB slot-in upgrades. The machine
is claimed to be compatible with DOS, Windows, Unix, OS/2 and
Windows/NT.

For extra performance, the machine comes with a  Western Digital
90C24 accelerated local bus graphics controller which Ego claims is
four times faster than most desktop VGA systems. A large 10-inch
backlit TFT (thin film transistor) color LCD (liquid crystal display)
screen completes the ensemble, providing 256 colors at 640 by 480
pixels resolution.

According to Ergo, the ni-cad batteries on the machine last for 3.5
hours when a mono version of the notebook is charged up, and for
more than two hours in the case of the color version. As with most
of the latest notebooks, a battery saving power system -- known as
Autostop -- can be invoked to extend power reserves. Ergo claims
that, in Autostop mode, the notebook runs for around eight hours
in typical usage.

The PowerBrick comes with a trackball built-in in front of the
keyboard, which the company claims is very comfortable to operate.
The unit also offers two type II PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association) slots or, optionally, a single type
III slot. Optional extras include a fax modem, as well as an
expansion chassis equipped with two Industry Standard Architecture
(ISA) expansion slots. Pricing on the new machines ranges from
UKP1,345 to UKP2,895.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940224/Press & Public Contact: Ergo
Computing, 44-602-452565)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00029)

 ****Windows Show UK - Wordperfect's Telemail Voice Mail 02/24/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- Voice recognition is an area
of computer technology that many find in the realms of science
fiction. However, several mainstream PC software houses are
working already on the technology. Wordperfect says that its has
been working on a project known as "Telemail" for some time.

Announced at the Windows Show in London this week, Telemail is the
code name for the Wordperfect Office Telephone Access Server and,
according to the company, it allows Wordperfect Office (a software
suite) users to access their electronic-mail, calendar and electronic
task lists over a phone link, controlling the PC using a touch-tone
phone keypad.

Newsbytes understands that Telemail, as a product, is scheduled to
be released in the US during the second quarter of this year, with
UK shipment expected by the third quarter of the year.

According to Wordperfect, the final aim of Telemail is to get every
Wordperfect Office user to be able to send, respond to, and forward
electronic mail messages; accept, decline and send meeting or
appointment requests; listen to and update their calendars; accept,
decline or send tasks; and listen to and send notes.

"Providing a phone interface for Wordperfect Office is another step
in our goal to help the world communicate," explained Adrian
Rieveld, Wordperfect's president, who added that his company is the
first messaging vendor to provide telephone access to an e-mail and
calendaring system. "We think it will be a big hit," he said.

According to Paul Smart, director of development with Wordperfect
Office, from the start of the project, the Office telephone interface
was designed to be as simple to use as possible. "From the moment
customers dial into the system, they are given voice commands on
how to access their information or send information to other users.
If users do not understand any given command, they can request
further details on any of the telephone interface components," he
explained.

Recognizing the spoken word and converting it into text that can be
interpreted by the PC is not that difficult. The most difficult part
is converting text messages into audio messages that can be heard
over the PC's speakers or on the phone.

To do this, Wordperfect has licensed the OS/2 version of Smooth
Talker, a software package from First Byte, a US software house.
First Byte's package allows users to listen to both audio and
text messages that have been received over the e-mail system.

Telemail also requires a Dialogic board to be installed into the
server PC. This board acts as the telephone interface to the
service, and allows the server to communicate with multiple
phone lines simultaneously.

So what sort of technology does the typical office need to run
Telemail? A surprisingly modest system, according to Wordperfect.
The minimum recommended configuration is an 80386-based PC
with eight megabytes of memory. The relatively high memory
requirement is to the need to run OS/2 version 2.x.

(Steve Gold/19940224/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect UK,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00030)

 ****Windows Show UK - QMS Knowledge System 02/24/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- QMS, the printer
manufacturer, took time out at the Windows Show, which is
held at London's Olympia all this week, to stage the first public
demonstration of its QMS 2001 Knowledge System.

According to the company, the system is a Windows-based,
desktop office system that combines computing, scanning,
copying, faxing, data communications, and printing. QMS officials
described the system as a major change for the company.

The QMS unit is available as either a fully integrated system or
multi-function peripheral device. Both versions were on show at
the Windows event.

The QMS 2001 is a software-based, expandable desktop office
system that claims to provide departmental users, remote
corporate offices, small businesses and teleworkers with a
complete set of electronic office facilities.

Based on Windows 3.1, the Knowledge System uses what QMS
describes as "substantially fewer parts than the individual devices
it incorporates, giving it an exceptionally high level of reliability."
Unlike other multi-facility systems, however, the company claims
that, because the different facilities are not inter-dependent, if
one function fails, the others keep running.

According to Moira Craig, QMS' managing director, the Knowledge
System is the most advanced of its type currently available,
"Enabling information to be generated, stored and communicated
with greater ease and effectiveness. It provides corporate users
with improved efficiency and productivity, and for the one man
business and teleworker, it offers a plug in and play office in a
box."

Pricing and exact specification on the QMS 2001 system have yet
to be determined, Newsbytes understands. The system will be
marketed as a complete business system when it is launched
later this year.

(Steve Gold/19940224/Press & Public Contact: QMS,
44-784-430900)


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

Newsbytes Daily Summary 02/24/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 24 (NB) -- These
are capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> AST Pentium PC For Home/Small Business Under $3,000
02/24/94 Targeting home office and small business customers, AST
has announced the AST Advantage! EXP/60 Pentium-powered personal
computer. The new system, retail priced at $2,999 will be sold
through mass market channels such as Circuit City, Computer
City, Fretters, Price/Costco, Sam's Wholesale Club, and
Incredible Universe.

2 -> New Media Claims Plug-And-Play PCMCIA Cards 02/24/94 If you
have ever been frustrated trying to use those simple-looking,
credit-card sized PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association) cards for portable computers, you are
not alone. However, New Media says it has PCMCIA cards that are
truly "plug- and-play" because of the company's client device
driver software.

3 -> Windows Show UK - Wordperfect Office/Informs Upgrades
02/24/94 Wordperfect UK, at the  Windows Show which opened in
London on Tuesday of this week,  has announced the release of
Office 4.0a for the Windows, DOS  and Apple Mac computing
platforms. The company has also introduced version 1.0a of its
Informs electronic forms  application.

4 -> Newsbytes 1994 Volume IV Delayed To March 02/24/94 The
Newsbytes News Network 1994 CD-ROM Volume IV will ship in the
second week of March as producer Wayzata Technologies is adding
last-minute Windows functionality to the multiple  operating
systems already on the disc. As soon as supplies are  received,
all current orders will be shipped.   Newsbytes Volume IV,
published by Wayzata Technologies,  will contain the full
contents of Volume III plus another  six months of news stories.
Volume IV offers keyword  searching of all stories written by
the Newsbytes News  Network from May, 1983 through December,
1993.

5 -> Japan - Sumitomo Links With Home Shopping Network 02/24/94
Sumitomo Trading and Florida- based television-shopping firm,
the Home Shopping Network, have  reached an agreement concerning
service in Japan, which will be started in cooperation with
TeleCommunications Inc. (TCI).

6 -> Japan - Canon In PowerPC Deal With IBM 02/24/94 Tokyo-based
electronics firm Canon has signed an agreement with IBM
concerning the development of PowerPC-related products.

7 -> Japan Govt Confirms Analog HDTV 02/24/94 A senior official
of the Japanese Posts & Telecommunication Ministry has reversed
earlier remarks claiming the government was considering a
revision of its high definition television (HDTV) policy.

8 -> DEC Intros Graphics Chip For AXP, Pentium, PCI PCs 02/24/94
Digital  Equipment Corp., has introduced the DECchip 21030
graphics chip,  a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)-based
graphical user  interface (GUI) accelerator aimed at bringing
workstation-class  graphics performance to Alpha AXP-based and
Pentium-based PCs,  and other PCs with PCI buses.

9 -> Unix Expo Adds Internet Village & Internet Track 02/24/94
This year's  Unix Expo will include the Internet as a special
focus, with the addition of a new Internet Conference Track and
the debut of the show's Internet Village.

10 -> Microsoft Confirms "Media File Server" Development
02/24/94 Microsoft has confirmed that it has a project code
named "Tiger" underway to develop what could be viewed as a
vehicle to travel the complex telecommunications web known as
the "information superhighway."

11 -> Certifi-Kit Offers Easier Certificates Formatting 02/24/94
Micro Format Inc., the company that makes and sells Banner Band
and Super Color  inkjet paper, has announced a kit for producing
certificates.

12 -> Chipcom, Artel Communications Merge 02/24/94
 Chipcom Corp., has completed its merger with Hudson,
Massachusetts-based Artel Communications Corp. The merger,
announced in October, is to be accounted for as a pooling of
interests but means the absorption of Artel into Chipcom.

13 ->  ****Bell Atlantic-TCI Cancel Merger 02/24/94 Blaming the
government's decision to cut cable television rates, Bell
Atlantic and TCI called off their planned merger. The decision
came as the two companies were finalizing the price in Bell
Atlantic stock that would be paid for TCI, the nation's largest
cable operator.

14 ->  ****House Education Bill Gets Home Schooling Changes
02/24/94 Bowing to intense  pressure from home school advocates
and the religious right, the  Rules Committee of the US House
moved to approve a bill  covering computer purchases after
exempting home and private  schooling from its provisions.

15 -> Broadband Improves FLX Fiber Network System 02/24/94
BroadBand  Technologies has introduced new software for its
Fiber Loop  Access system, an all-fiber upgrade for phone or
cable networks.

16 ->  ****CompuServe Offering Credit Cards 02/24/94 CompuServe
became  the first on-line service to enter the market for
privately- branded credit cards, offering Visa cards to members
of its  CompuServe Information Service.

17 ->  ****Stac Awarded $120 Million In Microsoft Suit 02/24/94
A Los  Angeles federal court jury has told Goliath to pay David
$120  million. Goliath in this case is software giant Microsoft,
while  David's sling was wielded by tiny (by comparison) Stac
Electronics.

18 -> Directory Touted As Killer App For Screen Phones 02/24/94
Backers  of a system that provides nationwide phone directory
listings on a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen are touting
their product as a "killer application" that will stimulate
demand for advanced telephones with the LCD displays.

19 -> TNT Allows Windows Front End On 32-Bit DOS Apps 02/24/94
Phar Lap   Software Inc., said version 6.1 of its TNT
DOS-Extended Software Development Kit (SDK)  will let software
developers give their 32-bit DOS-extended applications the look
of Microsoft Windows programs without rewriting the existing
code.

20 -> Hand-Held Data-Entry Device Talks To Users 02/24/94 In an
attempt to make portable data entry easier, Worthington Data
Solutions has introduced the Tricoder Portable Reader that not
only acts as a hand-held scanner for data entry, but can talk to
the user as well.

21 -> US Post Office Tests Self-Service Centers 02/24/94 The US
Postal Service  has begun field testing self-service mailing
centers built by Unisys  Corp. in six locations in Washington's
Virginia suburbs.

22 -> EIF Studies Skills In Electronic Workforce 02/24/94 What
skills will the  workers of the future need to bring to jobs in
the electronics  industry? The Electronic Industries Foundation
has completed a  draft set of detailed skill standards for
work-ready, entry-level  electronics technicians.

23 ->  ****White House To Intro Superhighway Surveillance Bill
02/24/94 The FBI and Justice  Department are expected to
formally unveil their legislation to  give government
investigators power to tap into individuals on  the information
superhighway.

24 -> Client/Server Takes Hold, Says Dataquest 02/24/94
Dataquest says client/server computing has moved from the
conceptual stage to reality in large to medium-size companies. A
survey of nearly  1,000 information systems (IS) managers at
large- to medium-size companies found that an average of $7
million had been budgeted  by each firm for client/server
computing in 1993.

25 -> Microsoft Shipping Windows 3.11 - Few Changes 02/24/94
Microsoft has announced that it is shipping version 3.11 of its
popular  Microsoft Windows software.

26 -> Autodesk Intros Autocad Designer For PCs 02/24/94
Autodesk, a leader in the mechanical computer-aided design
(MCAD) software market, has announced the availability of
Autocad Designer for Autocad Release 12.

27 -> Microprose Changes Name To Spectrum Holobyte 02/24/94
Microprose Inc.,  has changed its name to Spectrum Holobyte. The
company has also filed for reincorporation as a Delaware
corporation, authorized an  increase in capitol from 24 million
shares to 49 million shares,  and announced an employee stock
purchase plan of up to 400,000  shares.

28 -> Windows Show UK - Ergo Launches New Notebooks 02/24/94
Ergo Computing has  unveiled its 1994 range of notebooks at the
Windows Show,  which takes place this week at Olympia in London.

29 ->  ****Windows Show UK - Wordperfect's Telemail Voice Mail
02/24/94 Voice recognition is an area  of computer technology
that many find in the realms of science  fiction. However,
several mainstream PC software houses are  working already on
the technology. Wordperfect says that its has  been working on a
project known as "Telemail" for some time.

30 ->  ****Windows Show UK - QMS Knowledge System 02/24/94 QMS,
the printer  manufacturer, took time out at the Windows Show,
which is  held at London's Olympia all this week, to stage the
first public  demonstration of its QMS 2001 Knowledge System.

(Ian Stokell/19940224)