-Delphi Internet Services Corp. announces two key executive appoint veteran journalist and "TV Guide" critic Jeff Jarvis named editor-in-chief of editorial services division CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (JULY 13) - July 13, 1994--As part of an overall expansion plan that establishes key editorial leadership aimed at broadening its consumer appeal, Delphi Internet Services Corp., the only major online service to provide full access to the global Internet, is continuing to aggressively expand its operations with two key executive appointments. Veteran journalist and "TV Guide" critic Jeff Jarvis has been appointed editor-in-chief of the service's online editorial content. Jarvis will oversee Delphi's editorial content as well as continue his role as The Couch Critic for "TV Guide" and serve as a contributing editor for the magazine. Additionally, Ezra Gottheil has been promoted to general manager of the editorial services division from his previous position as director, editorial services. The announcement was made Wednesday by Jaan Torv, senior executive vice president, programming and development, Delphi Internet Services. The announcement reinforces Delphi's strategic position within the News Corp. media group and underscores the company's ability to recruit and utilize News Corp.'s resources and editorial expertise. "This announcement reflects the increasing strategic importance that editorial content will play in the future of online services," explained Torv. "Since joining Delphi last January, one of my main objectives has been to help the company maintain its dominant position in the marketplace and stimulate the development of new cutting-edge programming. "The expansion of our editorial services division represents a major step toward offering online users the widest selection of innovative and original editorial programming. Jeff's unique journalism background will add creativity and depth to the service's editorial content and will be a valuable asset in helping the company achieve its long-range goals." "I am delighted that Jeff has the opportunity to become deeply involved in the world of new media, something I know he's eager to do, and at the same time, that he remains a key part of 'TV Guide'," said Anthea Disney, editor-in-chief "TV Guide." "Jeff's voice is one that we've come to value highly; we'll now hear it not only in the Couch Critic column he'll continue to write for us, but also in the consulting he'll do with us on TV Guide Online." As editor-in-chief, Jarvis' overall mandate is to develop compelling editorial content and build Delphi's reputation as the leading provider of unique and appealing forums, conferences and special interest groups. He reports directly to Torv. As general manager of the editorial services division, Gottheil oversees all of the non-branded content on Delphi and will supervise the service's special interest groups, forums, custom forums, news feeds, online multi-user games and shopping services. Gottheil reports directly to Jarvis. Jarvis has been "TV Guide's" critic since 1992, writing two weekly columns. While at the magazine, he also founded and served as executive editor for "Parent's Guide to Children's Entertainment," a "TV Guide" publication which served parents with reviews and features on children's entertainment. He previously served as vice president, development, assistant publisher and Sunday editor for the "New York Daily News." Prior to this, Jarvis was a founder and managing editor for "Entertainment Weekly." "As editor-in-chief of Delphi, my aim is to create original editorial content that will attract and build a growing consumer audience," stated Jarvis. "Online services are no longer a novelty. They are a major mass medium providing vital information and communication in addition to new forms of entertainment, education, advertising and community. The future success of any online service is directly dependent upon its ability to provide users with unique and innovative editorial choices." A News Corp. company, Delphi Internet Services develops and markets interactive entertainment, information and communications services for customers worldwide. With headquarters in Cambridge, the company is one of the nation's fastest-growing online services and the leading provider of comprehensive access to the Internet, the data superhighway. Delphi is the only major online service to provide consumers with an unabridged connection to the Internet and its total diversity of information STAMFORD, CONN. (JULY 13) - July 13, 1994--Cowles Business Media today announced that it will partner with Ziff-Davis' Interchange(TM) Network Co. to launch an interactive news and information network that users can access via personal computers and modems. The Cowles-sponsored service on the Interchange Online Network will launch in 1995 and will focus on news and information about and of interest to business professionals. In addition to Cowles-owned business magazines, directories and newsletters, Cowles will enhance its service by entering joint ventures and licensing agreements with other leading publications to create an online service that is symbiotic with and adds value to its core franchise. "The agreement with Interchange Network Company is exciting because the Ziff-Davis technology represents the next-generation publishing platform, " said Hershel Sarbin, president of Cowles Business Media. "Our relationship with Ziff-Davis will enable us, in turn, to work with other publishers in a way that allows them to keep control of and expand their editorial, creative and publishing franchises while delivering value-added information and solutions to their markets." "We're thrilled that Cowles Business Media has selected Interchange as the platform for their next sponsored online service," Michael E. Kolowich, president of Interchange Network Co. "The combination of Interchange's advanced architecture and Cowles' rich content will provide business professionals with an exceptional, dynamic online resource where it is easier than ever before to find and use the information they need." The Cowles-sponsored service on Interchange will provide content from the myriad of Cowles Business Media properties, including Cowles/SIMBA Media Information Network, Mobile Office, Portable Computing, Inside Media, Folio:, Folio: First Day, Direct, Catalog Age, Cable World, Cable Avails, On Demand, Directory World, Cowles Database Marketing Report and Weissman Travel Reports, as well as the dozen newsletters and related directories. The Cowles service will include full-text and abstract magazine articles and analyst reports, as well as unique content that takes advantage of the online medium -- such as interactive forums where users can speak with editors and other members who share their interests, or "live" online interviews with industry leaders from the show floors of major industry trade shows and conferences sponsored by Cowles Event Management and others. "Online complements print," Sarbin said. "It adds a new dimension of immediacy, interactivity and even intimacy. Imagine being able to talk one-on-one with the editors and writers you have come to respect and admire in print. The print/electronic relationship brings greater vitality and meaning to both. "Our experience with Cowles/SIMBA Media Information Network, Mobile Office and our other services on America Online tells us, however, that to achieve high quality as well as harmony, the two channels must be managed differently," Sarbin continued. "What Cowles has learned through our investment in online services to date persuades us that we can maximize the potential of online for the business users of the service, as well as our partners and licensees." The Cowles-sponsored service on Interchange will be available in 1995. System requirements for Interchange include a 386 or higher IBM PC or compatible, Windows 3.1, VGA or higher display, 4 megabytes RAM, 10 megabytes available hard disk space and a 9600-baud modem. A version for Macintosh computers will be available in 1995. The Interchange Online Network is a next-generation publishing platform that publishers will use to develop powerful online content. Interchange Network Co. is a division of Ziff Communications Co., publisher of the leading magazines about computing, including PC Magazine, PC/Computing, PC Week, Computer Shopper, MacUser, MacWEEK, Windows Sources, Computer Gaming World, the recently announced Computer Life and the joint venture with Disney, Family PC, as well as seven publications in Europe. Headquartered in New York City, Ziff Communications Co. is the leading information provider for computer buyers, users and marketers. Cowles Business Media, based in Stamford, serves a number of information-intensive marketplaces. It is part of Cowles Media Co., a newspaper, magazine and information services company headquartered in Minneapolis. -0- Interchange is a trademark of Ziff Communications Co. All other products and services mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. --30--jm* ss/ny -Digital Introduces DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer New Lightweig Portable Speech Synthesizer Designed For Use At Work, Home, In Transit MAYNARD, MA (July 13) / -- Strengthening its commitment to physically challenged customers, Digital Equipment Corporation today announced DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer, a lightweight, portable speech synthesis product providing expanded PC capabilities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired or have learning disabilities. The DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer -- when used in conjunction with one of many supporting software applications and any one of a broad range of computing platforms -- converts ASCII text to synthesized speech output, allowing users to hear computer monitor screen contents, database contents and other text communicated via high-quality, natural- sounding DECtalk speech. The product provides users access to a wide range of computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, electronic mail and database applications. In other areas, DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer may be used for text-to-speech applications in education, entertainment, personal use and other markets for non-telephone based speech synthesis via external audio output. Portable Unit Features Many options The portable, lightweight unit -- weighing less than one pound and measuring 3.6'1 wide by 7.611 long by 1.25" high -- is designed for use in the workplace, at home or in transit. Accessories such as a carrying case and Braille labeling -- facilitate transportation and ease-of-use, and were designed with the needs of individuals with disabilities in mind. Other DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer features include (depending on software applications): o nine natural-sounding and highly intelligible predefined voices (four male, four female and one child) o 75 to 650 words-per-minute speaking rate range, allowing for uses from slow spelling to fast scanning o user volume control o comprehensive pronunciation rules and controls for pauses, pitch and stress, providing enhanced naturalness and accuracy of spoken text o speech options, providing users the choice of having text spoken by letter, word or phrase and having some, none or all punctuation pronounced o large integrated word dictionary o word-by word indexing that allows for a direct match between screen viewing and spoken text o start-up and installation information in large print and c an audiocassette tape DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer is equipped with a serial port for connecting to PCs, allowing for use across a variety of computer platforms, such as IBM compatibles, laptops, notebooks, palmtops,, workstations and Apple or Macintosh computers. "Based on the popularity of DECtalk speech synthesis products, we responded to a a genuine need for this same technology in a portable application," says Ed Lazar, Manager of Digital's Assistive Technology Group. "In addition to addressing needs across many commercial markets, DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer offers increased independence and flexibility to PC users who are blind, vision impaired or have learning disabilities. We've taken the same unparalleled high-quality level of DECtalk speech and developed a portable, lightweight unit that provides our customers access to any number of office and home applications and uses." Lazar also notes that DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer is a cost- effective solution for companies who wish to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which places greater responsibility on employers to provide workplace accommodations for employees who are physically challenged. Pricing and "Availability DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer is available now in the United States, and may be ordered through DECdirect and Desktop Direct by calling (800) 344-4825 or (800) 722-9332. Pre-purchase technical assistance may be obtained by calling 1-800-722-9332. DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer is also available through a network of Digital's Assistive Technology Value-Added Resellers. The unit retails for $1195. Accessories include a carrying case, headphones, a nine-pin RS232 connector, a two-foot cable and an external power wall cube. A one-year warranty is included. Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha AXP platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace. Note to Editors: Digital, the Digital logo, Alpha AXP, DECdirect, Desktop Direct, DECtalk and DECtalk Express Speech Synthesizer are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. CX 864 14:13 -VCC introduces new way to use standard telephone lines for video c g ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. (JULY 14) - July 14, 1994--Video Conferencing Communications Inc. (VCC) Thursday announced a new product that revolutionizes the way we can establish video conferencing over regular analog (voice) telephone lines. "Just imagine being able to plug in regular telephone lines into your PC and having full motion video conferencing capabilities," said Roberto Medrano, VP of marketing. "The TeleView 1000C is the most impressive video teleconferencing product that I have seen in the past several years. VCC has taken a giant technological step in bringing true video teleconferencing to the masses via regular analog phone lines. This product far surpasses even AT&T's latest product offering in the analog arena," said James Mendoza, General Manager, Pacific Resources and Management, and a videoconferencing expert. "After reviewing all currently available videoconferencing systems in the market, we chose the TeleView 1000C. The TeleView 1000C is the best video conferencing system using standard analog telephone lines. We intend to use this product in thousands of Kiosk installations," said Allen Wildeveld, CEO, Concept Communications Inc. In the past, videoconferencing has been possible only with expensive digital lines like ISDN. Even though digital lines are increasing in numbers, the majority of the world's lines will be analog for a long time. Currently, it is not easy to obtain digital lines everywhere in the world, whereas it is relatively easy to obtain analog lines. The majority of smaller US cities and other countries do not have available digital lines, therefore, for the first time, users can have a conference to anywhere in the world where regular telephone lines exist. An advantage of these systems is that you can have full screen or scalable size images to see your conferencing party. Depending on your needs you can reduce or enlarge your image. The quality of the picture is excellent and as good as seen with digital lines. The TeleView 1000C provides 15-25 frames per second with 3 V.Fast 28.8 Kbps modems. The TeleView 1000C works with at least one V.Fast 28.8 Kbps modem and the software can inverse multiplex up to 3 modems. With one modem the TeleView 1000C provides 7-12 frames per second depending on image size. The price is $3,995 for boards and software. VCC is a manufacturer of low cost PC-based video conferencing systems for analog, digital, and cellular lines. VCC family of products include: TeleView 2000, TeleView 4000, TeleView Professional. -'CYBERFRAUD' ON ON-LINE SERVICES PUTS PENNSYLVANIA INVESTORS AT RIS HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14 / -- Con artists have invaded "cyberspace," bringing the danger of investment fraud and abuse to the fast-growing world of on-line computer services, according to the Pennsylvania Securities Commission. The Commission, in conjunction with the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), has issued a special Investor Bulletin outlining a number of investment fraud "potholes" on the information superhighway and protective steps small investors can take to steer clear. The information is free by calling 1-800-600-0007 or writing the Commission at 1010 N. 7th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102-1410. "This emerging area of investment fraud just proves that those who are intent on fleecing unsuspecting investors will use any means at their disposal to do so," warned Commission Chairman Robert M. Lam. "We want to prevent this by making sure people know how to spot and steer clear of investment fraud and abuse." More than 200,000 Pennsylvanians subscribe to commercial on-line services such as Compuserve, America Online, and Prodigy, while thousands of others have direct access to The Internet, an informal super-network in which there is virtually no screening of messages distributed worldwide. "It is vitally important that the many potential victims here become aware of this new problem, arm themselves with self-defense tactics and know that they can turn to the Commission for help if they need it," Lam said. Lam urged anyone who has been victimized or who thinks they have spotted a scam to contact the Commission at 1-800-600-0007. -Get on the Graphics Superhighway! Deliver images in an instant -- globe -- with 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (JULY 14) - July 14, 1994--Following phenomenal market penetration in the U.K., coupled with the new availability of ISDN/Switched56 in the United States, 4-Sight, L.C. announces the U.S. launch of 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager and 4-Sight Superhighway Broadcast at MacWorld Expo '94, in Boston, August 2nd' through the 5th. 4-Sight ISDN products have transformed prepress communications by allowing affordable global connectivity at up to 3.5 Megabytes (MB) per minute -- without using compression. Press Exclusive A technical suite has been set aside during MacWorld Expo to allow journalists exclusive access to U.K. based developers of 4-Sight Systems. At a limited number of private interviews, David Townend, Founder and Managing Director of 4-Sight (International) Ltd., will provide members of the press, hands on access to the Graphics Superhighway. Appointments may be made by calling Laura Jacobsen at 515-221-2100. "Having installed 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager in all national newspapers, top agencies, leading repro houses and major clients in the U. K. and throughout Europe, the Graphic Superhighway is providing the international competitive edge many companies have been waiting for," according to Lyndon Stickley, Sales and Marketing Director for 4-Sight (Intl.) Ltd. Eliminate Express Mail 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager offers a means of incredibly high speed point to point file transfer. In the pre-press industry, this system will eliminate the courier network that usually operates between a magazine and its output bureau: shortening deadlines and allowing last minute changes via screen sharing. 4-Sight Superhighway Broadcast goes one step further. It is designed to provide network access to multiple ISDN or modem connections directly from workstations using a simple drag and drop interface. ISDN and SW56 are now accessible throughout the U.S. 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager and 4-Sight Superhighway Broadcast support both types of digital networks, allowing seamless connectivity around the world. World Cup Photos Delivered Using 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager British photography agency, Allsport, has been influential in establishing the process of ISDN transfer within the photo syndication and newspaper market worldwide. They are well-known for producing high quality sports photographs. Eighteen months ago, they made the decision to grab the competitive advantage by offering their quality photographs with the quickest possible delivery time. Now, with connections to their London, Tokyo and Los Angeles offices, images can be transmitted worldwide in seconds. Recently, Allsport Los Angeles used 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager to transmit World Cup photos, through a Broadcast Hub, to over 50 newspaper picture desks within minutes of goals being scored. This was accomplished at the cost of a phone call. 4-Sight, L.C. will hold a press review in the Bayside Press Conference Room, Thursday, August 4, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Members of the press will be allowed access to the research and technology that has exploded throughout Europe and is set to become a world communication standard. 4-Sight, L.C. Established in 1992 as a joint venture of CE Software and 4-Sight (Intl.) Ltd., 4-Sight, L.C. (formerly CommFORCE), markets ISDN and Switched 56 file transfer systems and professional network fax solutions for Macintosh and Windows environments. 4-Sight, L.C. will offer product demonstrations at booth No. 1436, Hall A, Bayside Exposition Center. -0- 4-Sight, 4-Sight Fax, 4-Sight Superhighway iSDN Manager and 4-Sight Superhighway Broadcast are trademarks of 4-Sight (International) Ltd. All other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective holders or licensees. --30--cm/ny -ROCKER JOAN JETT TO APPEAR ON CYBER-TALK(TM) BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 1 / -- Rock 'n' roll diva/punk pioneer Joan Jett will be the featured guest Aug. 8 on Warner Bros. Records' interactive talk show, CYBER-TALK. CYBER-TALK takes place on the America Online Network Monday evenings at 9:30 p.m. eastern time (6:30 p.m. pacific time). Online subscribers will be able to chat with Jett in the "digital auditorium" in regards to her latest critically acclaimed release with the Blackhearts, "Pure and Simple." Press kit information can be downloaded prior to and after the show. The first program of its kind, each segment of CYBER-TALK features a different Warner Bros. Records/affiliate label artist. Access to the CYBER-TALK auditorium is through the Warner/Reprise online forum (keyword: Warner). CYBER-TALK is produced in-house by a Warner Bros. Records staff. -NYNEX to offer Yellow Pages on the INTERNET MIDDLETON, MASS. (AUG. 1) - Aug. 1, 1994--NYNEX Information Technologies today announced it will offer the NYNEX NortheastAccess online Yellow Pages directory over the INTERNET. As part of the trial offering, approximately 7,500 universities and public libraries across the United States will be contacted by NYNEX regarding the free service. NYNEX NortheastAccess provides instant, accurate access to over 2.1 million listings compiled from over 300 NYNEX and Southern New England Telephone Yellow Pages and Business-to-Business directories serving New York and New England. NYNEX Information Technologies President Kurt Roessner noted, "More than 1,000 libraries and institutions already have registered for this initial offering, and if the trial is successful, we may open the service up to other industries and governmental groups." Roessner added that NYNEX will evaluate how the service is used by reference librarians and students. To ensure immediate access, NYNEX will issue temporary passwords through the mail. Interested participants should contact NYNEX Information Technologies at 1-800-35-NYNEX for more information. NYNEX will launch another new service later this year, the NYNEX Interactive Yellow Pages, which will be available on PRODIGY. The service will represent the first online Yellow Pages directory with display-based graphic advertising. The ads are easy to update, making the service ideal for advertisers of retail products and services, physicians, computers and electronics, home improvement goods, restaurants and banks. NYNEX Information Technologies, headquartered in Middleton, is a leading provider of online, interactive and CD-ROM directory and database information services. Available in the U.S. on DELPHI and the INTERNET, and via the French Minitel system, NYNEX Information Technologies' electronic products and services are available in over 40 countries worldwide. --30--crh/ny* -Macromedia and Microware to develop interactive software for TV New York--Aug 1--Software companies Macromedia (NASDAQ:MACR) and Microware Systems Corp. will join forces to supply technology to speed the introduction of interactive software for television networks. Developers, which usually require up to a year to adapt computer- based CD-ROM programs for TV, will be able reduce the time-to-market using the 2 companies' products. "This alliance allows multimedia developers to quickly adapt existing and future titles to interactive TV," said John Colligan, president and chief executive of Macromedia. Programmers will be able to choose from among interactive games, adventure stories, educational programs, and science fiction titles currently restricted to use on computers. Most interactive TV now consists of home shopping programs. Nynex Corp. (NYSE:NYN) said the agreement will allow it to add new media offerings to its telephone service offerings. Under the agreement, the two companies will develop software that lets multimedia developers create a title using Macromedia's Director software on a PC or Macintosh, then convert it for playback on any interactive TV network that uses Microware's DAVID (Digital Audio/Video Interactive Decoder) set-top boxes. Developers can begin authoring titles for interactive TV in current versions of Macromedia's Director 4.0 for Windows and Macintosh. The Director player for DAVID software will be available to multimedia developers and publishers in early 1995. Macromedia, develops multimedia software tools, and offers a full range of products for the Windows and Macintosh platforms. Founded in 1977, Microware supplies real-time system software products. End CX 710 08:32 -ADVANCED GRAVIS BUNDLES 'FIREFALL ARCADE(TM)' WITH THE 'MAC GAMEPAD BUNDLE MEANS IMMEDIATE ARCADE ENJOYMENT VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 2 / -- Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. (OTC Bulletin Board: GRVSF; Toronto, Vancouver: AED) today announced that it will bundle the popular "Mac GamePad" with a full version copy of "Firefall Arcade," a high-powered arcade game by Inline Software. The bundle will be available through mass merchandisers, computer specialty stores and consumer electronics retailers later this month for an SRP of $39.95. The "Mac GamePad" features fast response time and a two-handed design to offer video arcade players a high quality Macintosh controller. Compatibility with all keyboard-controlled action games makes it the ideal choice for all arcade-style games. "Firefall Arcade" is an arcade game that features hyper-powered fireworms that surge towards the player's ship. Users test coordination skills through nine fast and furious levels, as the fireworms bounce off walls, switch direction and segment into multiple targets. Users advance to a bonus round and more arcade action after destroying the fireworms on each level. "Firefall Arcade" provides high quality 256-color action and a dynamic soundtrack. "By combining our 'Mac GamePad' with 'Firefall Arcade,' users can immediately experience the thrill of high quality arcade game play on their Macintosh. The 'Mac GamePad' is designed specifically for this type of game, and the developers of 'Firefall Arcade' selected the 'Mac GamePad' as their controller of choice," said Ron Haidenger, product manager for Advanced Gravis. -ADVANCED GRAVIS ANNOUNCES REDUCED PRICING ON THE 'MOUSESTICK II(TM) GAMEPAD(TM)' The Dynamic Duo of Mac Gaming Devices Offers More Affordable Arcade Fun for Everyone! VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 2 / -- Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. (OTC Bulletin Board: GRVSF; Toronto, Vancouver: AED) announced today a price reduction of its popular Gravis "MouseStick II" from a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $99.95 (US) to $69.95, effective immediately. The "MouseStick II" is a fully programmable joystick for Macintosh action games and simulation programs. Each of its five fire buttons can be set to emulate mouse clicks or keystrokes, normally used for executing game commands. The MouseStick's joystick control can be used with mouse or keystroke-controlled games as well as games and simulation programs that provide direct support for the MouseStick or other Mac joysticks. In another announcement, Advanced Gravis reduced the suggested retail price of the "Mac GamePad(TM)," from a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $49.95 (US) to $34.95, effective immediately. The "Mac GamePad" was originally released in April 1993 and quickly became a popular choice among programmers and video arcade game players. Featuring a two-handed design, fast response and tactile feedback, and compatibility with all keyboard-controlled action games, the "Mac GamePad" is an ideal choice for all arcade-style games. In addition to the "Mac GamePad" and the "MouseStick II," Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. also designs, manufacturers and markets high quality computer peripherals, including the Phoenix Flight & Weapons Control System, Gravis Analog Pro Joystick, PC GamePad, and UltraSound and UltraSound MAX wavetable sound boards. -ADVANCED GRAVIS ANNOUNCES MACINTOSH VERSION OF 'PHOENIX(TM) FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM' New, Sleek Two-Handed Joystick Features 24 User-Defined Button Functions VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 2 / -- Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. (OTC Bulletin Board: GRVSF; Toronto, Vancouver: AED) today announced the release of the Macintosh "Phoenix Flight & Weapons Control System," a radically designed flight controller and joystick that offers a wide array of programmable flight and weapon control settings in a unit that is compatible with all Macintosh action games and flight simulation programs. Phoenix's unique asymmetric, angular design and functionality won it the Innovations 94 -- Design and Engineering Award at the 1994 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Phoenix's sleek two-handed design incorporates a total of 24 buttons, each capable of executing multiple independent commands. This flexibility in user-defined buttons provides total game control for the computer pilot and eliminates the need for a keyboard. A Long History of Quality Macintosh Joysticks "The original Gravis MouseStick set the industry standard and has attracted quite a following," said Ron Haidenger, product manager for Advanced Gravis. "The unique two-handed design, compatibility and easily programmable buttons of Phoenix offers an exciting new joystick for any flight or game enthusiast." Compatible and Easily Programmable The Phoenix joystick control works with programs that provide keyboard or mouse control as well as games that provide direct support for joysticks and the Phoenix is fully compatible with all Macintosh models, Mac SE or later. Each of the Phoenix's 24 buttons can be used to execute mouse button or keystroke commands or multiple commands that require a string of keystrokes. Programming even the most complicated set of button commands requires little more than a mouse click and pressing the desired keys on the keyboard. Phoenix is expected to ship during the first quarter of 1995 at a suggested retail price of $149.95. -Macintosh users get new PRODIGY software; Online photos here now, ng N.Y. (AUG. 2) - August 2, 1994--The PRODIGY Service has a new look and functionality featuring crisp, full-color pictures. The software for the Macintosh will be demonstrated at MacWorld this week, and, will also be distributed in 20,000 special MacWorld Show Issues of MacHome Journal. PRODIGY software for Macintosh will allow users to access the online service's vast array of offerings. The new navigational system, allows users to target their interests and information needs efficiently. Prodigy also said it is developing an Internet e-mail gateway for the Mac, with expanded Internet access to follow. Beginning this week, live "Chat" is available to PRODIGY Mac users. As PRODIGY Chat expands, auditoriums and stadiums will be available to host as many as 20,000 members simultaneously. Beginning this fall, PRODIGY's new software for the Mac will bring sound to many PRODIGY service features, including breaking news, sports, bulletin boards and children's content. For example, celebrities posting on PRODIGY's bulletin boards will greet Mac users with an audio message. "Punchline," PRODIGY's joke of the day for children, will feature interactive laugh and boo buttons, and a cappella group Rockapella will sing to kids on "Where In the World is Carmen San Diego?" For Mac-using sports fans, PRODIGY will offer two minute sound bites covering top stories, and photos documenting the best of sports action. PRODIGY's multimedia features do not require a CD-ROM player: the latest sound and photos are transferred directly over the phone line. All multimedia features are updated regularly. The new Mac software can now be downloaded on PRODIGY for $4.95, with sound upgrades available in Fall '94 for no additional charge. Also launching at MacWorld is PRODIGY's latest online publication offering, MacHome Journal. PRODIGY is America's largest and most active online service with more than two million members who tune in to the service up to 21 million times a month. Prodigy Services Co., based in White Plains, is a partnership of IBM and Sears. The PRODIGY Service was launched nationally in September MAYNARD, Mass., Aug. 2 / -- Building on its established industry leadership position, Digital Equipment Corporation (NYSE: DEC) today announced the creation of the Internet Business Group. A key component of the newly formed Advanced Technology Group, the Internet Business Group will bring a focused commitment to the Internet market and build on Digital's successes. The group continues to provide innovative ways of utilizing the Internet technology to meet the needs of customers and partners. Rose Ann Giordano, vice president of the newly created group, commented, "The Internet Business Group has been established as a means of capitalizing on the incredible customer demand and tremendous market pull that exists in the industry today. Backed by two decades of experience in pioneering and using the Internet, long-standing good relationships with major global companies, as well as products and services which are in high demand, we believe Digital is well positioned to sustain its leadership edge in this market." "We have made an impressive entry into this fast-moving and highly competitive market," stated William D. Strecker, Digital's Chief Technical Officer and Vice President, Advanced Technology Group. "To turn these opportunities into revenue, we need a flexible team that can move quickly, partner extensively, and use non-traditional methods to reach and serve customers. With this in mind, the Internet Business Group will be comprised of individuals with skills in marketing, engineering, consulting, sales support, and sales channel development. The group will work closely with existing organizations that already provide Internet solutions, both for customers, as well as for Digital's internal use." Digital's Internet successes include: -- The first computer company in the industry to utilize the World-Wide Web -- ensuring our marketing information was readily available to customers and prospects. -- Creation of the world's best Internet security, offering Screening External Access Link, (S.E.A.L.) -- resulting from our long and effective experience in protecting our internal network from intrusion. -- Formation of the Alpha AXP Internet program -- more than 7,500 accounts and more than 100,000 logins have been recorded. This first-in-the-industry program enables Internet users from around the world to test drive Alpha AXP systems for free. -- Bundling of Mosaic Internet navigation software with all Digital base systems. -- Development of a number of complex Internet projects with large customers, originating with our Digital Consulting business. -- Announcement of the ChannelWorks Internet Brouter, which provides cost-effective, high-speed Internet access, over existing cable lines, for businesses, schools, municipal governments, and healthcare facilities. -- Utilization of the Internet as a channel for direct sales through our Electronic Connection. "The Internet brings together workstations, PCs, Macintosh computers, and file servers independent of operating system or user interface -- playing to Digital's strengths in client/server computing and systems integration," Giordano concluded. Today, Digital is one of the heaviest users of the Internet, taking advantage of its information resources as well as its communications capabilities. The Internet is a network of networks, linking more than 2 million host computers on over 30,000 networks. It has over 30 million users worldwide and is doubling in size each year. Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha AXP platforms, storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global marketplace. BOSTON (AUG. 2) - Aug. 2, 1994--The Multimedia Group of Data Translation Inc. today announced it has begun shipments of Media 100 version 1.3. Media 100 is the first digital video system that enables individuals to easily create broadcast-quality (NTSC or PAL) video programs directly from a Macintosh computer. Version 1.3 is being shown for the first time in public at the Data Translation booth (no. 1322, Bayside) at the MACWORLD Exposition, Aug. 2-5, 1994. Media 100 version 1.3 adds support for the Power Macintosh, improves on industry-leading picture quality with new variable compression settings, and adds QuickTime audio export. The version 1.3 update to the Media 100 FX Option provides users with a fast-dissolve capability, the first of a new generation of high-speed effects called Fast FX. Fast FX is a collection of commonly used, digital video effects that are rendered at high speed using Media 100. Data Translation's Multimedia Group also announced this week that it has begun shipments of a new Component Option, delivering the first true, broadcast-quality signal from a digital video system. "Media 100, version 1.3 is the first real-time, nonlinear, digital video system to run on Power Macintosh" said John Molinari, general manager of the Multimedia Group of Data Translation. "Our commitment to open systems and Macintosh capability ensures customers access to each new Macintosh model, as they are introduced." "Data Translation has continuously demonstrated their resolve to make Media 100 an open system and keep up with the latest developments in technology," said Doug Feinburg, Media 100 customer and principal of Thunder Sky Pictures (Boston). "With version 1.3, I can now run Media 100 on the Quadra 950 I used six months ago, on the Quadra 840av I use now, and on the Power Macintosh I'm thinking of buying." "Version 1.3's improved video quality and faster effects are examples of the kinds of advanced digital video features my customers have been looking for," said Jeff Levene, president of Computer Video & Graphics, a Miami, Fla.-based video and audio systems integrator. -THE FLASHBAKE IS COMING! Faster than a speeding bullet? Almost. The new FlashBake lightwave oven -- which cooks much faster and more efficiently than even a microwave -- will be demonstrated during "REC Day at the Fair" at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12. Demonstrated for the first time in Iowa, the tasty samples from the FlashBake oven will be available after 9 a.m. and until 8 p.m. at the REC booth, located on the Grand Concourse. Iowa's electric cooperatives are interested in the oven because it presents a new and highly efficient electrotechnology. The oven is the first really significant new technology in cooking to come along in more than 20 years. This relaxed event, also a time to taste food barbecued on electric grills, will allow you to ask questions, arrange photos and conduct interviews. Other events planned for "REC Day at the Fair" include a free magic show for families, and electrical safety and cordless, electric lawn mower presentations. White House Releases National Science Policy Report WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 -- In a report on national science policy released by the White House today, President Clinton and Vice President Gore called for investment in science as a national priority, and linked scientific research and education to national goals and the future well-being of the country. "The return from our public investment in fundamental science has been enormous. The principal sponsors and beneficiaries are the American people," said President Clinton. "Our scientific investments are an important national resource which we must sustain and build on for the future." The science policy report, "Science in the National Interest," is the first major post-Cold War review of national science policy by the White House, and the first formal Presidential statement on science policy since 1979. The report represents the Administration's vision and roadmap for putting science to work on behalf of a broadened set of national goals to benefit the American people: health, prosperity, national security, environmental responsibility, and improved quality of life. The report, which was released by the Vice President at a White House ceremony, presents a new view of fundamental science research and technological advances as interdependent elements that underpin the nation's economy. "Today's science and technology enterprise is more like an ecosystem than a production line," said Vice President Gore. "Technology is the engine of economic growth; science fuels technology's engine." The Vice President acknowledged that the new focus on a broadened set of post-Cold War goals will require the most efficient and effective use of scarce resources. "Over the long term, U.S. investment in fundamental research must be commensurate with our national goals," he said. The document proposes a series of actions to meet five broad goals for world leadership in science, mathematics and engineering: -- Maintain leadership across the frontiers of scientific knowledge; -- Enhance connections between fundamental research and national goals; -- Stimulate government, industry, and academic partnerships that promote investment in fundamental science and engineering and effective use of physical, human, and financial resources; -- Produce the finest scientists and engineers for the twenty-first century; -- Raise the scientific and technology literacy of all Americans. The report calls for full and equal participation of all Americans, as both contributors to and benefactors of the nation's scientific investment, and recommends a number of actions to increase diversity in the science and technology workforce. "America derives great strength from its diversity, yet the country has not had a coherent policy for developing all our human resources for science and technology," said Gore. He underscored the importance of role models and mentoring by announcing a new Presidential awards program to recognize such activities at the state and local level. The report also calls on scientists to become directly and actively involved in the "critically important national challenge" to increase literacy and to meet the Administration's "Goals 2000" education agenda. "Our economic strength will depend more than ever on the ability of the American people to deal with new challenges and rapid change," said Vice President Gore. "Our scientific community must contribute more strongly to broad public understanding of scientific issues and information." Highlighting an emphasis on partnerships, the policy calls for the "creative participation of industry and academia" in helping to ensure the prosperity, security and social well-being of the nation. At the same time, the policy acknowledges that the societal applications of fundamental science are not always immediately apparent and require sustained support to yield benefits. "We must not allow a short-term focus to limit the long-term potential benefits," said Vice President Gore. "These policies and actions are significant steps in a proactive, ongoing process," said the President's Science Advisor John Gibbons, who joined the Vice President for the release of the report. "This vision belongs to the many agencies and institutions which will use it as a roadmap to the future. But more importantly, it belongs to the American people, whose support is essential if we are to build a secure foundation for our nation and our children." The 31-page policy document, as issued by President Clinton's National Science and Technology Council, is available for electronic dissemination on FedWorld and through the Internet at whitehouse.gov, sunsite.unc.edu, and other major online sites. Compaq Notebook Computer-Line Flaw Halts Models' Production Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal A defect in Compaq Computer Corp.'s flagship line of notebook computers, which has already suffered delays, caused a weeklong suspension of production of three models. The problem is the latest small chink in the seemingly formidable armor of Compaq, the market leader in portable computers. In addition to the flaw in pen-based Concerto notebook computer, which was introduced just last September. What's more, analysts say Compaq is suffering from excess inventory on some models of small "subnotebook" computers, although the company says the Aero line is selling well. "There is some concern about recent events with Compaq notebooks," said NatWest Securities Corp. analyst Kevin McCarthy. "Elite is expected to be a major unit contributor. People are keeping a pretty close eye on what happens with Elite." The top-of-the-line Elite, which includes five models, was introduced in March, but Compaq did not begin shipping Elite machines until mid-June because of parts shortages and because problems detected in testing to meet Federal Communications Commission standards required a redesign of one part. Compaq said it would repair or replace "LTE Elite" computers already sold with the bad part, which was discovered last month. The part is mounted on the computer's system board that controls the timing of the communications-card slot, said spokeswoman Yvonne Donaldson. As a result of the defect, users can experience slow data transmission or even transmission failure. "We got some bad parts," Ms. Donaldson said. Compaq would not disclose how many machines were involved, except to say it is a "small number" and impact on the company would be "minimal." Production of the three models resumed about 10 days ago after a weeklong shutdown, Compaq said. The problem has raised eyebrows of analysts who had grown accustomed to Compaq's seemingly flawless performance. "I think it's a bigger deal than they'd like people to believe," said Richard Zwetchkenbaum, an analyst at International Data Corp. "You can't just look at this problem in isolation. You have to look at the history of this product. They are at risk because you can't stumble too much and delay things too long." Houston-based Compaq said it will fix or replace machines either through a mail exchange or by dispatching contracted service technicians to customers. Sales of Elite machines remain brisk and the product remains on back order, Ms. Donaldson said. Customers said Compaq appears to be moving quickly. Entex Information Systems, a computer reseller, said the few Elite machines it had in inventory have already been shipped back to Compaq, and replacements are expected as early as this week. "Our expectation is that customer impact is going to be pretty minimal," said Merle McIntosh, director of product management for Entex. If the problem is corrected quickly, Elite is still likely to be a big hit for Compaq, Mr. Zwetchkenbaum said. Corporate customers pushed its predecessor, the LTE Lite, to half of all of Compaq's notebook sales. "Once Elite gets back on track, it is going to be adopted in equal or greater proportions than its predecessor," he said. (END) NEWS 08-05-94 6 10 AM Small Software Companies Link Up With The Big Guns More small companies developing multimedia software are deciding that the best way to grow is to play the dating game. Multimedia -- the buzzword for software applications combining sound, text, and video -- is a hot commodity. But the cost of making and distributing compact disks to store such applications has skyrocketed. Developing CD titles that will stand out in an increasingly crowded field also poses a challenge. To overcome these hurdles, a growing number of small designers are linking up with large companies to take advantage of their marketing muscle, creative capabilities and deep pockets. For large companies, partnerships with a small developer offer a chance to experiment in a new field. "There's no way a small CD company can get to market right now without a big partner," says Julie Schwerin, president of InfoTech, a Woodstock, Vt., firm that tracks the multimedia industry. "Having a big partner also greases the skids for raising more money" to keep the company growing, she added. Creative Multimedia Corp., a small Portland, Ore., multimedia concern, recently announced a line of new CD titles it is developing and will release in the fall with help from Time Warner Inc., Fodor's Travel Publications Inc., the Smithsonian Institution and others. The partnerships will result in such titles as a sports encyclopedia for children, two historical almanacs, and an interactive vacation guide. The new CDs mark a departure from Creative Multimedia's past products, which were reference works laden with text, but little multimedia content. With partnerships in hand, the company says it is now able to focus on a "leisure and lifestyle" niche. The new CDs will have more extensive graphics, sound and video than their predecessors. "Our strategy was to identify the most compelling interest categories measured by consumer spending and then go find the best partner from a brand and content perspective," says Len Jordan, head of marketing for Creative Multimedia. "Our partners are doing it because they don't want to be left behind in new media and they have zero risk doing it with us." Mr. Jordan says his tiny company snared partners by using some of their content to create prototypes suggesting how the CDs might eventually appear. He says Creative Multimedia pays development costs of about $300,000 for each title and prepays its partner a percentage of projected royalties, usually $20,000 to $50,000. In return, the partner provides content and marketing support -- and, of course, a well-known brand name. While Creative Multimedia pursued partnerships to secure high quality content, other multimedia companies mostly want help reaching consumers. "There's going to be a lot more partnering, mainly around establishing distribution," says Nick Arnett, president of Multimedia Computing Corp., a Campbell, Calif., multimedia consulting and research firm. "There will be a clear division between companies that have adequate distribution and those that don't." Nonetheless, finding a partner that provides the right kind of distribution can be a tricky matter. Books That Work Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif., multimedia concern, had to experiment a bit before it found the partner it needed. The two-year-old company, which has titles offering advice on home repair and wiring, deck building, and landscape design, forged a partnership last year with Sunset Publishing Corp., a Menlo Park, Calif., book publisher with a strong distribution network in home-building and garden stores. Silicon Valley Spawns "Fast, Cheap & Easy" Firm Silicon valley, the seedbed for much technological innovation, has sprouted a new kind of corporate law firm. A small group of attorneys has shucked off the costliest features of their former old-line firms: the cadres of junior lawyers, the legal secretaries, the full slate of services, the high hourly fees. Instead, at General Counsel Associates, Mountain View, Calif., the 10 partners do almost all the work themselves. They take on mostly routine corporate assignments. And their rates are half those charged by comparable lawyers across the Bay in San Francisco. The firm's clients are technology companies and venture capital firms, mostly start-ups too small to have in-house lawyers but big enough to require basic legal services. In the past, such companies would be forced to turn to expensive San Francisco law firms. Now they bring their everyday questions to GCA. "We can be available to them the way an in-house lawyer down the hall would be, without their having to add a lawyer and support staff within the company," says GCA partner Elizabeth Roth. GCA has tapped into a market for legal services that appears to have been born solely of small companies' fear of big-firm fees. "If you're afraid to pick up your phone and call your law firm, it's kind of like not having health insurance: You only see your doctor when you're sicker and the problem is more advanced," says GCA partner Deborah Robbins. "Because they're going to get a bill for $300 to $1,000 just for making the phone call, companies feel they can only bring big things to their outside lawyers," Ms. Robbins says. In a sense, GCA attorneys are lawyers for the little things. They advise on such issues as how to finance a new company, what kind of employee benefits to provide, and how to license new products. Because the firm handles a high volume of these matters - -and has installed on its computers such commonly used forms as disclosure statements and distribution contracts -- it can be very efficient. If an unwieldy matter comes in, such as a piece of patent litigation that will require endless months and heavy staffing, it's quickly shown the door. GCA lawyers say they help their clients find lawyers at big firms to handle big deals. The notion of attorneys serving as "outside inside" lawyers, or independent general counsel to companies that lack legal departments, is catching on elsewhere as well. Earlier this year, three-person General Counsel Group P.C., Malvern, Pa., -- no connection to GCA -- began serving "emerging companies on the Route 202 technology corridor" west of Philadelphia. Samuel Frederick, a principal in the firm, says the rates are "easily 33% below" market for big firms. James Spindler, a lawyer in Lincoln, Mass., formed the Association of Independent General Counsel to "provide part-time, on-site legal services to small and midsize companies" in eastern Massachusetts. GCA was founded as a sole practice in 1988 by former big-firm lawyer Fred Schwarzer. More recently, he decided to bring in other veterans of high-priced firms who were willing to slash their hourly rates. These days, although most GCA partners have at least 10 years of experience at top firms, none bills clients at a rate higher than $150 an hour -- about the level major San Francisco firms charge for their starting lawyers. KN-News Q&A: Did Bill Gates and Microsoft make 2,200 people millionair Q. Many companies have made their founders and early employees wealthy. A friend told me Bill Gates and his company, Microsoft, made 2,200 people millionaires. Can you confirm or refute this? A. The 2,200 figure, first publicized in a 1992 New York Times story, came from a study the same year by an analyst at the Wall Street firm Sanford C. Bernstein. It referred to employees of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. who had been granted stock through employee options and said that as many as 2, 200 of the 11,000 people then employed by Microsoft had become millionaires through stock sales. It also said as many as one-third of the estimated 2,200 employee ''millionaires'' were worth more than $3 million. The New York Times story said Gates, Microsoft's chairman, allowed many employees to buy stock for $1 a share when the company still was privately held. The story said the stock was selling at $25.75 when the company went public in March 1986, and a year later, the stock hit $90 a share in NASDAQ trading. These days the stock, which has split many times, is in the high 40s. When asked to verify the 2,200 figure, a Microsoft spokeswoman wouldn't comment, other than to say, ''That number is definitely high.'' In 1992, Microsoft's director of investor relations also told the New York Times that 2,200 was too high a figure and that, based on stock holdings alone, only about 500 employees at the time could have been considered millionaires. However, the investor relations director went on to say that if employees sold stock and invested it wisely, as many as 2,200 could have been worth millions. -ADAM CURY, JIM CLARK TO KEYNOTE JUPITER ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENC 13-14, SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK, Aug. 8 / -- On Ramp chairman (and former MTV VJ) Adam Curry and Jim Clark, president and CEO of Mosaic Communications, will be keynote speakers at New York-based Jupiter Communications Online Developers Conference in San Francisco, Sept. 13-14. Other featured speakers include Scott Kurnit of Prodigy, Michael Kolowich of Ziff-Davis, Russell Williams of Ziff-Davis, Tom Pomerory of ImagiNation Network, Peter Friedman of Apple's eWorld, and John Barber of GEnie. understanding content providers deals, to developing a node on the Internet. Featured panelists include, Ken Lim, of CyberMedia Group, Tom Phillips of Starwave, Keith Ferrell of Omni Magazine, Christine Maxwell, co-author of New York Rider's Official Internet Yellow Pages, Will Kreth of Wired Magazine, Jeff Gentry of the Home Shopping Network, Ray La Chance of Realtech Systems, Joe Dunn of Macromedia, Dave Strehlow of Oracle, and Matt Trifiro of Geoworks. Jupiter Communications is a leading research and consulting firm based in New York City. The conference will be held at San Francisco's Parc Fifty Five Hotel, Sept. 13-14. VANCOUVER, BC (August 8)/IDG --Attachmate Corp., a leading provider of enterprise connectivity software, today announced the shipment of KEA! 340 and KEA! 420 v.4.0 software which allows Windows users to intelligently access text and graphics applications residing on Digital VAX and other UNIX host systems via VT 340 and VT 420 connectivity. This award-winning connectivity software product, formerly known as KEAterm 340 and KEAterm 420, introduces bold new enhancements in the areas of an "application-centric" look and feel, automation capabilities and new Firefox TCP/IP gateway connectivity. Application-Centric Look and Feel KEA! 4.0 debuts a new look and feel consistent with EXTRA! and RALLY, Attachmate's premier "host-aware" client families for IBM mainframe and AS/400 host systems. This new design sports an innovative application-centric approach where users can customize things like colors, menus, dialogue boxes and SmartPads for each host application. This approach marks a dramatic move away from traditional terminal emulation by allowing users to work with host applications as if they were local Windows applications, each with its own unique interface. "KEA! Version 4.0 carries on where KEAterm 3.0 left off. Each version just gets better -- scrolling, programmable button pads, and the ability to have multiple asynchronous connections are new and improved. I can't work without KEA!, and if I switch jobs, I will take KEA! with me," said David Marshall, Senior Systems Analyst, Correctional Services Canada. These new design enhancements build upon the heritage of KEA!, which earlier this year won "Connectivity Product of the Year" from DEC User magazine. New Automation and Productivity Capabilities KEA! 4.0 incorporates features to automate and customize routine tasks. A new toolbar with intuitive icons is consistent with other Attachmate products, EXTRA! and RALLY!, allowing for shortcut operations and easy learning for users needing access to different host systems. A new macro recorder allows users to easily automate routine tasks with a simple record and play capability. These macros can be used with KEA!'s already powerful macro language and editor. "Imagine being able, with the click of a button, to logon to the host, find and copy multiple pages of data, start Microsoft Excel and paste the data into a spreadsheet, print a graph and then e-mail it to other people. This is powerful software," said Eric Alexandre, vice president product management, DEC client products for Attachmate. KEA! 4.0 also includes many other productivity tools like a graphical keyboard mapping utility, customizable menus and dialogue boxes, a programmable button pad and a 'file shuttle', which allows multiple files to be transferred with the click of a button. KEA! users will be more productive and need less training as a result of complicated, repetitive tasks being automated. Firefox NOV*IX Support Direct support for Firefox's NOV*IX TCP/IP gateway leads the way to easier installation and minimal support time for network users. KEA! performance is optimized for use with Firefox NOV*IX -- users gain the ability to display a listing of host servers as well as reduce DOS memory requirements through the elimination of a client redirector. "It's the best character emulation I have seen," said Michael Stops, Regional IT Manager, KPMG Peat Marwick (U.K.). "With Firefox NOV*IX on the file server, KEAterm on the workstation, users can easily access applications on the UNIX host without problems." KEA! also supports the major networking protocols of LAT, TCP/IP and IPX through support of the major vendor's proprietary Telnet or LAT interfaces, Windows Sockets API and Novell's NetWare for LAT. Other supported interfaces include serial, KEAlink MSU, INT/14 and INT 6B. About Attachmate Attachmate Corp. is a leading provider of enterprise connectivity products that enable users of individual and networked desktop computers to access, exchange and manipulate information and applications residing on host computers, including IBM and IBM-compatible mainframes, IBM AS/400 midrange computers, Digital VAX computers and UNIX host systems. The company's leading product lines are the EXTRA!, RALLY!, KEA! and ZIP! family of connectivity software products, which operate in Windows, DOS, Windows NT, OS/2 and Macintosh environments. In addition, the company offers products that automate routine tasks, provide management and network services and integrate LAN-based calendaring and e-mail capabilities with host calendaring and e-mail systems. Headquartered in Bellevue, Attachmate maintains direct sales and support offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim. Attachmate Corp., 3617 131st Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98006. 206/644-4010. NOTES: -- Attachmate and EXTRA! are registered trademarks and RALLY!, KEA!, KEAlink and KEAterm are trademarks of Attachmate Corp. -- Digital and VAX are registered trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp. -- Firefox and NOV*IX are trademarks of Firefox Inc. -- IBM, AS/400 and OS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. -- Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. -- Novell, NetWare and LAN Workstation are registered trademarks of Novell Inc. *AT&T Unit Unveils 33,600 Bits Per Second Modems >T AT&T Unit, Unveils Modem -2-: To Be Available In December >T LARGO, Fla. - - AT&T Corp.'s (T) AT&T Paradyne unveiled a new 33,600 bits-per-second modem. In a press release, the company said the more than 15% increase in modem speeds offered by AT&T Paradyne cuts transmission times and long distance charges. AT&T Paradyne said the new 33,600 bits-per-second speeds will be available on its new Comsphere 3800Plus, and Comsphere 3900 modems. The Compshere 3800Plus V.34 products are expected to be available in October with the 33,600 bits-per-second speeds planned for December. Customers will be able to have the new speed as well as other new features remotely added to the modems via software downloads over the telephone line. The V.34 technology will be available with other AT&T Paradyne modems, including the KeepInTouch PCMCIA modems and DataPort line of modems with details available later this year. AT&T Paradyne said it will unveil later this quarter, improvements to its ETC, or enhanced throughput cellular, cellular data protocol, which will position V.34 wireline speeds with the cellular network. -OS/2 Beta to be widely available on CompuServe; IBM to release "War Business/Computer Editors AUSTIN, TEXAS (Aug. 9) -Aug. 9, 1994--IBM today announced that its second beta release for the next version of OS/2(a), code-named "Warp," will be available next week. The second beta release offers more productivity enhancing features and a BonusPak with applications in a fast, fun, and easy-to-use environment. The first beta cycle tested performance enhancements and IBM's new PlayAtWill capability. Designed for business, mobile and home PC users, Warp Beta 2 combines the maturity of the OS/2 32-bit operating environment with new features for mobility and quick productivity, such as simplified installation, reduced memory requirements, a floating tool bar, animated icons and a more responsive user interface. The Warp Beta 2 comes with an applications "BonusPak." The BonusPak includes a suite of productivity applications, including IBM's Person-to-Person real-time conferencing software, and integrated access to online services. IBM is making Warp Beta 2 widely available to users who want to subscribe by ordering from IBM's 800 number or by downloading the software from CompuServe. "Warp is loaded with value and is a high performer on notebook PCs, which will broaden OS/2's market appeal to mobile corporate users, small businesses and home offices," said Wally Casey, director of marketing, IBM Personal Software Products division. "With Warp, Windows users will be more productive and current OS/2 users will love the speed and usability improvements." Customer-Driven Usability Warp Beta 2 features numerous usability enhancements, including: -- Easy Installation At set-up, users select "easy install" and OS/2 automatically handles the complete installation, identifying the hardware and configuring it to meet specifications. Experienced users can select an advanced install that provides customization ability. -- New Look & Feel In Beta 2, the user interface, or OS/2 Workplace Shell, features new colorful animated 3-D icons. For example, an animated folder icon confirms visually the status of a folder. When a user opens a folder, the icon opens to show it's active. Updated color and scheme palettes allow users to customize their desktops. -- OS/2 LaunchPad Incorporating the principles of a floating tool bar, "LaunchPad" provides users with single-click access to the applications, folders, printers or other objects they use most. -- Improved Usability A new, graphical tutorial designed for new or advanced users makes it easier than ever to learn OS/2's capabilities. A new comet cursor was created for mobile users. It leaves a "comet" trail, making it easy to track cursor movement, particularly on LCD screens. More pointer sets allow for cursor enlargement, choice of styles and color selection. Other significant improvements have been made in screen response time, command and window processing and application load time already featured in Beta 1. -- PlayAtWill A new PCMCIA software utility, called PlayAtWill(a), provides plug-and-play capabilities today. The utility automatically identifies the type of PCMCIA cards installed, including communications, modem, memory, hard disk and I/O cards, and provides a convenient graphical status on the desktop. BonusPak Applications The Person-to-Person capabilities in the BonusPak include whiteboard data sharing, with multi-user annotation so that up to eight people can share images, text, graphics and application window contents in real time, using different protocols. The new OS/2 version will support Windows(b) 3.1, Windows 3.11 and Windows for Workgroups(b) 3.x base function on Intel 386 and later machines. Users interested in participating in the Warp Beta 2 program can either call 800-251-2177 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST) for a CD-ROM or diskette version for $14.95 plus tax. IBM is offering the diskette version for the same price to encourage beta users to verify the new compression scheme. Users can also download the beta code from CompuServe's AKRON, Ohio _ When MTV Television rocketed onto the cable airwaves on Aug. 1, 1981, it set out to be mad, bad and dangerous to know. Video killed the radio star, remember? MTV didn't seek equality to other mediums. It wanted world domination. And in its 13 years, MTV got what it wanted. The division of Viacom International Inc. co-opted the relatively unheard-of medium of music videos and transformed it into an omnipresent art form that has influenced nearly every aspect of modern culture. That track record has Internet surfers and business types alike eagerly watching the alliance between MTV and America Online Inc., the computer service subscription network. The corporate teaming is one of the more formidable in the continuing effort to target the young, generally affluent devotees who use the Internet. So can MTV do for cyberspace what it did for music video? Uh, not likely, say most visitors to the MTV Online computer site, which debuted earlier this month. ''Again MTV has reached its ugly tentacles out to our culture with its base, commercial tripe,'' Bob Kovalchick, an America Online subscriber from Maryland complained on-line. ''Let's make MTV retreat from AOL! We can. So let's pitch in and wipe the corporate propaganda, mind-game, tell-you-what's-cool-to-buy, we're-so-radical, fake crap out of here.'' Others were not as eloquent. Matt Farber, MTV's vice president of programming and new business, said the current incarnation of MTV Online does not represent the network's full-fledged attempt at a computer site. ''It's just a test for the summer,'' Farber said. ''It's a summer promotion. In the long term, it will be bigger and better.'' Farber said MTV is working with Viacom to develop a more elaborate on-line system in the future. However, he said there is no launch date for the new system and he could not comment on whether other Viacom divisions _ including Nickelodeon and VH-1 _ would be involved in the new system. But for a network that built its image on the punk, in-your-face aesthetic, its experimental computer site is remarkably suited for the parents it seems so intent on shocking. It's basically a regular computer chat board with the added bells and whistles of MTV photos and schedules available for downloading. And it has a lot of warning signs. ''By communicating with this site, you hereby authorize MTV: Music Television to use any and all materials, communications or other information that you have provided, transmitted or sent to this site in any manner MTV sees fit,'' reads the opening admonition from one of the MTrviews and post discussion topics all with a hip bent. The MTV site allows visitors to converse via e-mail with an OJ traveling the country with the Lollapalooza tour and with the cadre of MTV personalities holed up at the MTV Beach House, where all the network's broadcasts are based this summer. Like most computer sites, MTV Online also has its share of message boards, where subscribers can post their feelings on any number of topics _ ranging from the goddess-like qualities of MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes to the dearth of Erasure videos on the channel to the Top 5 favorite foods at the beach house. (No. 1 is Fruit Loops.) However, the most popular topic seems to be complaints about the network's programming and the increasing lack of music at Music Television. Farber said the network has taken notice of the computer site complaints and will respond to them as it does to viewer feedback received through the mail or on the phone. And the fact the network is in litigation in New York with former video jock Adam Curry over the rights to the computer site name ''mtv.com'' has hurt the network's rebellious image with its computer-based visitors. For nearly two years, Curry operated a popular computer site called mtv.com on the Internet until MTV sued him for copyright infringement, forcing him to change the site's name while the case was heard. Curry did not respond to requests for an interview. However, in numerous postings at the site _ now named metaverse.com _ Curry has explained his position to visitors. He had registered the name ''mtv.com'' in 1993 and maintained the site as a hobby and as a way to post information about music and MTV on the Internet. Unlike MTV Online, Curry's site included music and band photos available for downloading. ''I was only doing this to promote the channel, not for my own personal gain, '' Curry wrote. ''After all, this site is free access to all.'' MTV attorneys said the channel wanted to avoid any confusion between Curry's site and the MTV site. The current incarnation of MTV Online will end shortly after Labor Day, said Farber. He would not discuss MTV's contracts with Apple Corp., which is the sponsor of the computer site, or its partnership with America Online. America Online officials declined comment on the monetary value of the partnership with MTV. However, officials said the alliance will help both companies. ''The interests and the demographics represented by the MTV audience will extend and enhance the electronic communities of America Online,'' said Steve Case, president and chief executive officer of the Vienna, Va.-based America Online. So far, the alliance seems to be paying off. Spokeswoman Pam McGraw said the site is one of the service's most popular. ''Thanks for going on line,'' Steve Pitzel, of Louisville, Ky., wrote to MTV Online. ''This confirms my choice of America Online as the service to subscribe to.'' X X X -HOUSE, TELEPHONE, COMPUTER -- NEW FAVORS IN CHINA BEIJING (AUG. 11) - HOUSE, TELEPHONE AND COMPUTER HAVE BECOME NEW FAVORS OF ORDINARY CHINESE FAMILIES, "CHINA INFORMATION NEWS" REPORTED. SIX OUT OF TEN URBAN FAMILIES IN CHINA ARE MIDDLE INCOME ONES, WHO HAVE ALREADY OWNED TV SETS, REFRIGERATORS, WASHING MACHINES AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD DURABLES. THEIR NEXT TARGETS WILL BE HOUSES, TELEPHONES AND COMPUTERS, WHICH HAVE HUGE DEMAND BACKED BY STRONG PURCHASING POWER. ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER, IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE SAVINGS OF URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY REACHED 17.192 BILLION YUAN (ABOUT TWO BILLION U.S. DOLLARS). NOW THE FIGURE IS RISING BY 20 PERCENT EVERY MONTH. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE SALES VOLUME OF COMMERCIAL HOUSES HIT 6.8 BILLION YUAN (SOME 800 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS), UP 34 PERCENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. URBAN RESIDENTS HAVE ALSO SET THEIR EYES ON TELEPHONES. IN SHANGHAI, THE DEVICE CAN BE FOUND IN 400,000 HOMES, WHILE ANOTHER 400,000 FAMILIES ARE LINING UP FOR INSTALLATION. IN BEIJING, 16 OUT OF 100 URBAN FAMILIES HAVE TELEPHONES, WITH 68 PERCENT SET ON THEIR OWN EXPENSES. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, 4,433 HOME COMPUTERS WERE SOLD IN 73 DEPARTMENT STORES IN CHINA, NEARLY 10 TIMES OF THAT OF THE 1993 LIKELY PERIOD. IN TIANJIN, PERSONAL COMPUTER 286S HAVE BEEN OUT OF STOCK RECENTLY, SAID THE NEWSPAPER. Samsung Electronics To Market New Ultra-Flat Screen TV SEOUL - - South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. said it will start selling late this month a new television model with an ultra-flat screen, which it claims is superior to any existing flat screen. According to a Samsung spokesman, the new TV model, dubbed as Myongpum in Korean, which means masterpiece, is one degree more advanced than existing ones in terms of picture quality, sound, design, convenience and environmental protection. The ultraflat screen development cost the company and Samsung's five other sister firms a total of 9 billion won over the past three years, he added. The new model has 25-inch and 29-inch braun tubes. Currently, the flat screen TV market is dominated by such Japanese makers as Sony and Panasonic. ANAHEIM, CALIF. (Aug. 11) -Aug. 11, 1994--The City of Santa Ana and Rockwell have joined forces to aggressively battle the gridlock that plagues travelers in the heart of Orange County. Orange County-based Rockwell, under a contract awarded by Santa Ana's Public Works Agency, will design an advanced traveler information system to allow Santa Ana residents and visitors to access information, such as real-time traffic conditions, as well as transit and road closure information. The system is considered to be part of one of the most comprehensive Intelligent Vehicle-Highway System (IVHS) programs being undertaken in the United States today. "Residents will be able to make more informed decisions on the modes, times and routes for their transportation needs," said Jeff Brady, vice president of Rockwell's Transportation Systems, the Anaheim-based organization responsible for the contract. "The bottom line in the nationwide IVHS initiatives is to improve transportation for all travelers, making it safer, more efficient and environmentally sound," he said. Brady explained that key to successfully implementing the advanced traveler information system, is that it be integrated with the advanced traffic management system currently being designed for the City of Santa Ana and Caltrans. Rockwell's flexible design will enable the baseline system to be immediately deployed and will ensure flexibility for future expansion, added Brady. The advanced traffic management system will provide real-time information and freeway monitoring data to the traveler information system through such elements as closed-circuit television systems. It also will provide an operator interface through pre-existing advanced traffic management system workstations, including the voice response system connected to the highway advisory radio. Another near-term use of the traveler information sharing system will be a kiosk in locations such as the new Ronald Reagan U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana. The courthouse recently has been approved for official go-ahead. Other potential kiosk locations include the Regional Transportation Center and Santa Ana City Hall. In this system design phase, Rockwell will employ a structured analysis approach, applying specific process knowledge gained through its expertise in designing other advanced traffic management and advanced traveler information systems. The company has designed similar systems for the Road Commission for Oakland County's FAST-TRAC program in Michigan and for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Rockwell also is under contract to the Federal Highway Administration for its Intelligent Vehicle-Highway System Architecture Development, and Precursor Systems Analysis of Automated Highway Systems projects. Caltrans is a key partner in these projects. In another Orange County project, Rockwell is building a test bed infrastructure along the Riverside (SR-91) Freeway for the University of California, Irvine. "We're modifying the traffic controller stations and loop detectors that monitor traffic along a five-mile stretch to transmit real-time, raw-loop data to UCI's Institute for Transportation Studies in support of their advanced transportation systems research," said Brady. Rockwell addresses a broad range of transportation electronics markets, including: traffic management systems, automatic vehicle location systems, mobile satellite communications systems, automotive electronics, commercial avionics, railroad electronics and in-vehicle navigation/route-guidance systems. The company is applying more than 40 years of experience in sensors, communications, navigation and control, systems integration and vehicle components to meet transportation systems requirements. Rockwell is a diversified, high-technology company holding leadership market positions in automotive components, automation, avionics, aerospace, defense electronics, telecommunications, and graphic systems, with annual worldwide sales of $11 billion. CALABASAS, CALIF. (Aug. 11) -Aug. 11, 1994--In the early waking hours of Jan. 17 of this year, Southern Californians learned an invaluable object lesson about the virtues of telecommuting. The 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck that morning left thousands of victims without means of communication, and access to the workplace was in many cases rendered impractical, if not impossible. Their cherished, multi-billion-dollar freeway system, the best in the world, had failed them. But if there's a silver lining to be found among the ruins of the Northridge quake, it is California's subsequent re-evaluation of its daily commuting habits. As a result, the notion of an alternative office environment appears to be catching on, even in car-loving Los Angeles. It is estimated that there are currently more than 1 million workers in the Southland using computers, faxes, modems and cellular phones to avoid the typical bumper-to-bumper scenario; their new lifestyle removes as many as 45,000 cars from area roadways each day. Perhaps more significant is the overwhelming reception this "Virtual Workplace" concept is getting from both small and major businesses across the country. "It truly doesn't matter whether you represent a force of 2,000 people or a work group of 20 people, you can benefit," noted Tom Villani, AT&T's director of Virtual Office Solutions. He's in the position to know, as the telecommunications giant's expert in the field. "Whether it's an earthquake in Los Angeles, a hurricane in Florida or floods in the Midwest, the fact that people cannot get from point A to point B only stresses the fact that one should be able to work wherever that work needs to be done." In fact, AT&T's Bell Labs coined the phrase Virtual Workplace almost a decade ago to describe a business strategy promoting independent and flexible work environments with the use of portable office technology. Today, those environments may include satellite offices, hotel rooms, and even an automobile. Top corporations are now eager to put the concept to work as well, and the reasons are rather obvious. In the fiscal, belt-tightening '90s, companies are realizing office rent expenses can be better utilized by having employees work at home or from the field. As firms scramble to meet ever-stringent environmental regulations, the idea of telecommuting appears more and more attractive. Productivity has also been known to benefit. As an example, AT&T's Villani points to his company's southwestern division of business network sales, which four years ago embarked on an experiment to test the viability of the Virtual Workplace. In two years, reported Villani, that division's real-estate costs were cut in half, while productivity increased by 45 percent. Inspired by the success of that trial, AT&T has created the country's first practical training curriculum in an effort to convince other businesses to jump on this technological bandwagon. The AT&T Virtual Office Program begins its training by carefully addressing all the concerns and fears business managers might express as they make a transition into the mobile-office arena. Villani pointed out that, like any new, ambitious project, it's very important for Virtual Workplace novices to know exactly what they're embarking upon. "If you don't set a discipline to know where you start and where you finish with a pilot program, as a company, you'll be on a treadmill forever just trying to figure out what 'finish' looks like." He went on to explain that the success of a Virtual Workplace relies heavily upon communication between a company's executive level, managerial level and people at the field level. "Proper planning and understanding helps avoid most problems associated with the Virtual Workplace. You have to know who's right for the environment and how you can work together as a team." But the word "team" can often befuddle an employee who has been handed a leather briefcase containing a laptop and cellular phone, and told he/she no longer needs a desk. After all, along with the desk went the companionship once shared beside the watercooler with fellow workers. Villani admitted that aspect of the Virtual Workplace might create a morale issue; but AT&T believes one solution is to create a so-called "virtual watercooler," whereby employees can huddle once or twice a week at each other's homes or a hotel room to discuss anything from new corporate strategy to the current sports' playoffs. On the executive level, the chief concern might be ensuring your team has the proper equipment to get the work done. Villani said that's a legitimate consideration. "What good are the people in the field if they can't receive or send information from wherever they are?" In that area, AT&T's Virtual Office program arrives equally prepared, offering participants assistance and advice on the type of technology best suited for their individual needs. Setting up a Virtual Workplace, observed Villani, does not require expensive, state- of-the-art gadgetry. "You want to protect yourself against technical obsoleteness. So more than the latest and greatest, you want to look for the most flexible base configuration to avoid having to redeploy a system again six months from now." Six months could very well produce a new wave of mobile office technology inspired by a desire to create an "unconscious portable environment" -- that is, a situation where we have devices that we do not want to know are there, yet provide us with the comfort of knowing they are there to help us get our work done. Villani, for one, eagerly awaits the day when our working society can truly be "nomadic" without having to employ mountains of equipment. "We're at the point now where your entire office fits in a nice, lightweight briefcase. But in the future you can anticipate more of a network reliance so the road professionals of the future can take advantage of those services no matter where they are." BOCA RATON, FLA. (Aug. 11) -Aug. 11, 1994--Boca Research Inc. (NASDAQ:BOCI) announces two wins in major industry trade publications for two of its product families, video graphics adapters and modems. "It's a banner day at Boca Research," said Bruce Roegiers, director of Marketing and Corporate Product Planning. "Two wins from two major trade pubs for two different product families. Obviously, we're elated!" Roegiers goes on to say: "The significance of these two reviews is unequalled. Each of these publications has a circulation in excess of 1 million readers--from business buyers to end users. The value of these awards as they potentially translate into real sales is immeasurable. I am particularly proud of the wins in two separate product families. It underscores the diversification of our Company's product lines and reconfirms our claim that we are more than a modem company." "Editors' Choice" -- PC Magazine (Sept. 13, 1994) "If making the modem look fast was one of Boca Research's intentions, it succeeded. Fortunately, the V.FAST Class External BocaModem is every bit as fast as it looks," stated PC Magazine in its review of 25 modems. In awarding Boca the best overall V.FAST modem Editors' Choice award, the magazine went on to say, "The V.FC BocaModem is a good choice for those who want 28.8Kbps power now and an upgrade to V.34 later." Boca markets its V.FAST Class modem under the Boca Research and The Complete brand names. "Best Buy" -- PC World (Sept. 1, 1994) In its article, "Speed Demons, Top Windows Accelerators," PC World reviews 33 boards with street prices under $600, breaking them into three groups that address the needs of various Windows users, and states, "...the overachieving Boca Voyager runs away with the prize. Its features are competitive with those of its price peers, yet it performs on a par with boards costing $100 to $200 more..." With a headline claiming, "Put Some Fire Under Your Text," the Boca-Voyager won hands-down. "It's the best all-around board in this price range, offering outstanding performance, good software, and the lowest price of any board that has broken into our Top 10." These two awards join Boca's growing trophy gallery which includes many other industry trade press recognitions. Seven other awards were won during the second quarter of 1994 ranging from publications such as BYTE Magazine (28.8Kbps modem "Best Value," PCMCIA Ethernet adapter runner-up for "lowcost category of 10BaseT PCMCIA NICs"), PC Digest (28.8Kbps modem, a four-star recommended product), CRN (Computer Reseller News) Test Center at PC Expo evaluated the Multimedia Modem by Boca and pronounced it "...best choice for a real multimedia Data/Fax/Voice high speed modem for today's business.", and PC/Computing Best 200 PC products (28.8Kbps modem and the 14.4Kbps modems for both Boca and The Complete brand). Corporate Information Founded in 1985, Boca Research is headquartered in south Florida. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and supports products for personal computers and networks. The products include video graphics adapters; data communications (modems and fax modems); input/output (I/O), IDE interface, and multiuser functions; and local area networks (LANs). Made in the USA, the products carry a five-year limited warranty and telephone technical support. Boca has sold more than 3.5 million personal computer enhancement and network products worldwide through a network of contracted distributors, resellers, and retailers. TOKYO - - Sega Enterprises Ltd. will set up a 2.5-billion-yen, high technology theme park near Los Angeles by the end of next year in a joint venture with U.S. entertainment firm MCA Inc., a Sega spokesman said. The spokesman said company officials early this year announced their intention to follow Sega's April launching of its first theme park in Osaka and its July opening of a second park in Yokahama with a third facility in the U.S. But this is the first time details on the size of the investment have emerged, he said. Sega and MCA Inc., a unit of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (MC), could set up a joint venture in the U.S. as early as this year to run the Los Angeles theme park. The theme park will be set up near MCA's Universal Studio and couple Sega's virtual reality amusement game expertise with popular characters from MCA's entertainment library. The Sega spokesman said Sega is planning to aggressively pursue its new theme park business on a global scale. Company officials said the new business development is expected to become a strong new source of revenues and profits over the coming years. (END) NEWS 08-12-94 7:40 AM BELLEVUE, WASH. (Aug. 12) -Aug. 12, 1994--The status of the Clipper Chip and related encryption technologies has been highly debated in the American business media of late, with many differing opinions about the future of government standardization on this technology. A public forum debate, called EnGarde: The Clipper Chip Forum, is scheduled to be held in Atlanta on Tuesday, Sept. 13, during NetWorld+Interop from 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in the Georgia World Congress Center Ballroom. The goal of this endeavor is to provide a forum for discussion of the opinions of government, high technology, corporations and private citizens, allowing for fact-finding and further debate on the right to privacy and the role of the federal government in securing the nation in terms of encryption technology. The debate will be moderated by Sam Whitmore, editorial director of PC Week. The panelists include: ---------------------- Dr. Clinton Brooks, National Security Agency (NSA) Dr. Dorothy E. Denning, computer science professor at Georgetown University John Droge, vice president of Mykotronx (Clipper manufacturer) Jerry Berman, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) James Bidzos, president, RSA Data Security (encryption developers) Barbara Simons, chair, U.S. Public Policy Committee of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) An introduction to the terminology and background will be presented by Sharon Webb of the National Computer Security Association. CLIPPER AS MONIKER ------------------ Since the United States began discussing its plans for securing information and society with a single microcomputer chip, opinions on its validity and viability have been discussed openly. Recently, the Clipper Chip, the key escrow encryption proposed by the Clinton administration for digital telephony, seems to have become a moniker for all key escrow encryption. This generalization has added confusion to an already complex issue. While Clipper is the "approved standard" for digital telephony security, standards for other digital communications have yet to be established. Interpretations of the letter from Vice President Al Gore to Rep. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), dated July 20, 1994, vary from "this is no change in policy," to "the White House is backing down on Clipper." The important and perhaps historic issues surrounding this technology and its effect on private and corporate citizens will, according to the White House, be discussed for a 150-day period. EnGarde was established to allow for public debate and comment on the issue. Results of the debate will be circulated to the White House and other government entities following the event in the form of a White Paper. ENGARDE BACKGROUND ------------------ EnGarde is the result of two individuals' discussions surrounding the Clipper. It is an effort to give average, computer literate Americans an opportunity to hear the many sides of this issue. In pursuit of a structure, Whitmore agreed to moderate the debate because of his personal interest in the subject, and PC Week's corporate readership interest. "Never before have the needs of our government, the business community and the individual intersected so dramatically," said Whitmore, editorial director of PC Week, the Boston-based national newspaper of corporate computing. "Our nation needs effective surveillance capabilities. Businesses need reliable encryption products. Individuals must have privacy. In the end, it may not be possible to satisfy the needs of all three communities," Whitmore said. "But the quest to achieve that is the quintessence of democracy in action -- and it all takes place next month in Atlanta." TOPIC WARM-UP: ZIFFNET EXECUTIVES ONLINE -- PRIVACY AND ESCROW ------------------------ To get the issues up front prior to the debate, an Executives Online Forum will be held on ZiffNet. Featured speakers include James Fallows, Atlantic Monthly; Jim Bidzos, RSA president; Doug Miller, Software Publishers Association, government affairs manager; and hosting the on-line event -- Sam Whitmore, editorial director of PC Week. It will be a week-long event, running Aug. 15-19 on the ZiffNet Executives Online Forum on CompuServe. ZiffNet is a private online service hosted on CompuServe. ZiffNet members can access the Executives Online Forum by typing GO EXEC. CompuServe members can join ZiffNet by typing GO ZIFFNET. New users who wish to access ZiffNet directly may call 1-800-848-8199 for instructions on how to log on and use the service. For more information, contact Lisa Landa, Ziff-Davis Interactive at 617/252-5211. SPONSORS AND EVENT PARTICULARS ------------------------------ PC Week will co-sponsor the event; another co-sponsor is still being sought. An announcement is expected by mid-August. NetWorld+Interop events are comprehensive networking events that offer a combination of conferences, tutorials, workshops, exhibits and technology demonstrations. Recognized as The Summit for Networking Professionals and Computing, these events address the business, technology and product issues of the networking virtual enterprise. It is open to the public. All attendees of NetWorld+Interop are invited to attend EnGarde free of charge; however, seating will be limited. For more information on EnGarde, contact Ann Revell-Pechar at 206/462-4777; for information on NetWorld+Interop, contact ZD Expos at 415/578-6900. -TURTLE BEACH SHIPS GAME COMPATIBLE SOUND CARD YORK, Pa., Aug. 12 /-- Turtle Beach Systems, creator of award-winning sound products, has introduced its first low-cost game compatible sound card. The new Monte Carlo is now shipping and features 16-bit stereo record/playback, wavetable synthesis through software and a selection of CD-ROM interfaces. Monte Carlo offers consumers a versatile low cost audio solution. "We are pleased to be able to offer consumers a sound card which supports all of their game efforts while also introducing them to the cutting-edge technology that has made Turtle Beach famous," said Curtis Crowe, Vice President of Sales. Included with the Monte Carlo is the new V-Synth Wavetable Synthesizer. This technological breakthrough offers 128 General MIDI instruments, 32-voice polyphony and Windows compatibility; all in software. This means that now, users of inexpensive game sound cards can experience the quality difference between wavetable synthesis and antiquated FM synthesis. V-Synth requires a 486 machine. The Monte Carlo software bundle includes Turtle Beach's new Sierra Audio Rack, a multimedia rack controller capable of shrinking and running on top of the current program's menu bar. This gives users CD- ROM playback control in the menu bar of whatever program they are working in. The software bundle also includes: Turtle Beach MicroWave OLE compatible sound recorder; Turtle Beach Mouse-Player; and Turtle Beach Stratos, introductory song writing software. Turtle Beach has also included a CD-ROM with over 50 game demos plus 15 trial games for complete one-time test drives and the "Even More Incredible Machine" game from Sierra On-Line for a $5 unlock fee. Monte Carlo will be available through Turtle Beach national distributors, mass merchandisers and retail channels with an expected street price of $99. Turtle Beach Systems is a market leader in designing high quality multimedia sound products and a division of Integrated Circuit Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ICST) in Valley Forge, Pa. FORT LEE, N.J., Aug. 15 / -- The Internet Village at UNIX EXPO(SM) has sold out its allocated exhibit space. More than 24 companies have contracted to exhibit in this unique, all-new showcase during the three-day show, October 4-6, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. To accommodate this overwhelming demand, UNIX EXPO show management will expand the Internet Village allowing even more companies the opportunity to showcase business productivity solutions for the Internet. Some of the companies that will inhabit the Internet Village will include: Advanced Network & Services, Inc. (ANS), ClariNet Communications, CommTouch Software, Digital Equipment Corp., InterCon Systems, International Internet Association, Netcom, O'Reilly and Associates, Performance Systems International, UUNET Technologies and UUNORTH, Inc. Attendees at UNIX EXPO's Internet Village will not only be able to see scores of new products, they will also be able to participate in the electronic community available in the E-Mail Village Green. Hands-on, online access to the Internet will be possible through 30 terminals for UNIX EXPO attendees to navigate the Internet and communicate on a global scale. Connectivity to the Internet will be provided by ANS, the official Internet service provider for UNIX EXPO. The Internet Village -- an integral part of the complete UNIX EXPO Internet experience -- will be complemented by a keynote panel of Internet experts and business visionaries who will explore "The Internet and Its Role in the Business Community" in the Tuesday keynote address, October 4, at 1 p.m. The comprehensive UNIX EXPO conference program will also feature a full Internet Track, and will offer complimentary Internet introductory sessions, open to all UNIX EXPO attendees. "Nothing has captured the imagination of Corporate America like the Internet. At UNIX EXPO, you will experience and learn exactly what it takes to tap the Internet's enormous potential as a business tool and information resource," said Don Berey, show director of UNIX EXPO. UNIX EXPO(SM) is produced by Blenheim's I.T. Events Division, based in Fort SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Aug. 15) -Aug. 15, 1994--Maxtor Corp. (NASDAQ: MXTR), today introduced its new 7000 Series value line of inch-high, 3.5-inch disk drives for the desktop personal computer (PC) market and announced that the line is shipping in volume to leading computer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The new drives build on the platform of Maxtor's original 7000 Series of 3.5-inch disk drives, of which the company has produced and shipped over 13 million to date. The new value line products retain the 7000 Series name, followed by the abbreviation "AV," designating them as ATA/IDE interface-compatible and as members of the company's "value" line of high megabyte-per-dollar disk drives. Initial offerings include the 540 megabyte (MB) 7540AV, 420MB 7420AV, 270MB 7270AV, and 135MB 7135AV. "With our new line of 7000 Series AV disk drives, Maxtor's strategy is to provide customers with more megabytes-per-dollar than ever before," said Barbara Nelson, Maxtor vice president of marketing. "These drives are offered in the same price ranges as today's competitive products with substantially lower capacities, and we expect that our 7000 Series AV line should soon render many of these lower capacity drives obsolete." With the advent of Pentium-based computer systems, Microsoft's soon-to-be-announced "Chicago" operating system and a host of storage-intensive software applications, the company anticipates that 540MB will become the "sweet spot" of the desktop market. "We believe our 7540AV is one of the best storage values available based on the number of megabytes-per-dollar it offers," added Nelson. "For that reason, we expect it to overtake 340 and 420MB products as the desktop capacity of choice among OEMs, Value Added Resellers (VARs), systems integrators, retailers and end-users." "Maxtor is taking an inter-disciplinary approach to increasing the number of megabytes-per-dollar in the 7000 Series value line drives," said Brian Smith, Maxtor vice president of 7000 Series products. "Implementing this strategy has included reducing the number of components in every disk drive, forming partnerships with suppliers to develop the best qualified parts for the lowest possible prices and designing products for the highest possible manufacturing yields. "These products have already transitioned to volume production and we look forward to the traditionally strong market of the fall season." Maxtor's 7000 Series Value Line drives are currently either shipping in volume to or being evaluated at ten of the 15 largest PC manufacturers in the world. "Customer acceptance of these products has been very encouraging," added Smith. "The direction-setting personal computer manufacturers are confirming Maxtor's belief that 540MBs will be the most important capacity point in the industry over the next twelve months." Pricing and Availability Maxtor's 7000 Series AV drives are shipping in volume to OEM customers. OEM pricing for the drives is $265 for the 7540AV, $225 for the 7420AV, $175 for the 7270AV and $150 for the 7135AV. Maxtor Corp., with headquarters in San Jose, Calif., is a mass storage company that develops, manufactures and markets mass storage products for desktop and mobile computer systems. Products range from low capacity flash cards to 546 megabyte Winchester disk drives in the 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors with support for ATA, SCSI and PCMCIA interfaces. Maxoptix Corp., which is owned jointly with Japan-based Kubota Corp., is a leading supplier of optical storage products. Maxtor had sales of $1.2 billion in the fiscal year ended March, 1994. Maxtor employs approximately 6,200 people worldwide. Its stock trades under the NASDAQ symbol MXTR. -0- -SILICON GRAPHICS WORLD CHECKERS CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING CEREMONIES Play commenced today at the Silicon Graphics World Checkers Championship, where the recognized world champion of checkers, Dr. Marion Tinsley, will play for the world title against Chinook software running on a powerful Challenge(TM) server from Silicon Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: SGI). The 30-game match at the Boston Computer Museum will continue through August 25. SUBJECT: Man v. machine checkers tournament TIME: 11:00 a.m. LOCATION: The Computer Museum in Boston 300 Congress Street -SILICON GRAPHICS WORLD CHECKERS CHAMPIONSHIP PITS MAN AGAINST COMPU WORLD TITLE BOSTON, Aug. 15 / -- Play commenced today at the Silicon Graphics World Checkers Championship, where the recognized world champion of checkers, Dr. Marion Tinsley, will play for the world title against Chinook software running on a powerful Challenge(TM) server from Silicon Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: SGI). The 30 game match at the Boston Computer Museum will continue through Aug. 25. The computer software known as Chinook was developed by Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer of the University of Alberta, Canada. The program, created in 1989, has undergone continuous upgrades and is now ranked as the world's number two checkers player. Dr. Tinsley has lost only nine games in his 36 years as world checkers champion, including twice to an earlier version of the Chinook software. "We hope to make computer history this year and beat a formidable opponent, Dr. Tinsley," said Bob Bishop, president of Silicon Graphics World Trade Corporation, sponsor of this year's event. "Complex mental skill games will continue to test computers for some time to come. Dr. Tinsley today pushes our technology and Dr. Schaeffer's program to the very limits of their combined abilities." In a title match in London in 1992, Chinook lost by only two games with a tournament total of four wins accredited to Dr. Tinsley, two to the computer and 33 drawn games. The software is supported by a high performance Silicon Graphics Challenge XL(TM) server with 16 processors, 1GB of RAM, and five 2GB disk drives. The program has not lost a match in its last 125 games and can now analyze up to 12 million positions per minute. Chinook recognizes every position on the board with less than eight checkers present and can make an instant determination about the eventual conclusion of the game as it considers each move. "Should the Chinook program win this tournament, it would be the fulfillment of a goal long dreamed of in the world of artificial intelligence," said Marvin Minsky, professor of computer science in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "The contest poses some basic questions about human creativity and the unlimited realm of problem solving which computers can be made to address." The Computer Museum in Boston is the only museum in the world devoted solely to people and computers. It features over 125 easy-to-use interactive exhibits, including the award winning Walk-Through Computer(TM), two theaters, a multimedia robot show and the finest collection of vintage computers and robots in the world. The Museum is located at 300 Congress St. in Boston and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Silicon Graphics, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of high performance visual computing systems. The company delivers interactive three-dimensional graphics, digital media and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies to technical, scientific and creative professionals. Its subsidiary, MIPS Technologies, Inc., designs and licenses the industry's leading RISC processor technology for the computer systems and embedded control markets. Silicon Graphics has offices worldwide and headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. -SURF THE INTERNET, USING THE FIRST EVER INTERNET ROAD MAP AND ENTER T WORLD OF VIRUS WRITERS NEW YORK, Aug. 15 /-- "PC/Computing's" September 1994 Issue, on newstands August 23, will feature the following: Cover: "Going I-Way?" A Practical Users' Guide to The Internet (p. 120) PC/Computing's editors help readers with Internet-phobia make sense of "The I-Way" and harness its power to help them run their businesses smarter. The guide is composed of a trio of useful stories: -- "The Net Result," which offers advice on how to access The Internet; -- "Online Fever," which compares commercial on-line services; and -- "Dialing for Data," which highlights some of The Internet's best I-Way pit stops: bulletin boards. First Ever Road Map to The Internet PC/Computing's editors have developed the first ever road map to The Internet and offer it free to readers with newsstand copies of this issue. Now, for the first time, Internet novices -- and computer users considering getting on board -- can get a clear picture of just what's available on The Internet, as well as how to access information of interest. It's an invaluable business tool. Editor in chief Jon Zilber is available for interviews on The Internet story. "Virus, They Wrote" (p. 206) Dark Avenger. Hellraiser. The Unforgiven. No, they're not the heroes of the latest computer action/adventure game. They're computer users' worst nightmare: virogens, writers of viruses that corrupt data and programs on computers. "Virus, They Wrote" takes readers inside their seldom-visited world to hear from them first hand and learn: -- who are these people? -- why do they create viruses and unleash them on unsuspecting computer users? -- how do virogens spread their viruses and why are they seldom caught? "Virus, They Wrote" also includes advice from the virogens themselves on avoiding their handiwork plus tips from leading virus trackers on safeguarding against viruses. Corey Sandler, contributing editor, is available for interviews on "Virus, They Wrote." Usability Testing: Commercial On-line Services PC/Computing's famous usability testing gives computer users the inside scoop on which commercial on-line service -- CompuServe, America On-line or Prodigy -- is easiest to use. -TOP TEN TIPS ON VIRUS-PROOFING YOUR COMPUTER FROM PC/COMPUTING AND VIRUS TRACKERS NEW YORK, Aug. 15 -- The following is excerpted from Corey Sandler's "Virus, They Wrote," which appears in the September issue of PC/Computing: 1. Use antivirus software that combines scanning, checksum and monitoring facilities. 2. Udpate your scanning software regularly to make sure it can find newly unleashed viruses. 3. Don't use pirated software -- you don't know where it's been. 4. Don't move copies of executable files from one computer to another; always install from the distribution disk. 5. Don't boot from a floppy disk of unknown origin; perform a virus scan before using files from such a disk. 6. Treat executable files downloaded from bulletin boards with suspicion; scan the programs before use. 7. If your system is part of a network, use passwords and other security measures to block unauthorized access. 8. Don't use an obvious password for your account, and don't use the same password on multiple systems. 9. Back up your data files regularly, and rotate the backup disks so that you have copies of files on different disks going back several weeks. Keep backups of your applications' disks, too. 10. If your system begins to act strangely, if program files behave in an unexpected way, or if a file's length or "last saved" date changes unexpectedly, assume you have a virus and perform an aggressive scan. Have a plan in place for notifying users of a WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.AND MERCED, CALIF. (Aug. 15) -Aug. 15, 1994--The much-talked-about concept of an Electronic Town Hall became reality today when the City of Merced, a bedroom community of 60,000 located slightly north of Los Angeles, and PRODIGY, the nation's largest and most active online service, announced the debut of the City of Merced Forum. Believed to be the first of its kind, the Forum links Merced residents together with each other and their government. Mayor Pro-Tempore David Dias, who championed the drive to bring Merced online, said that "online services such as PRODIGY are an important part of our nation's developing information superhighway. The City of Merced Forum on PRODIGY will provide us with an efficient and immediate way to communicate with residents, while at the same time allowing residents increased access and participation in their community, and a greater understanding about how their government works." The City of Merced Forum includes: - Merced News -- The place to go to find the minutes from last night's council meeting to the latest community and government news covering such local topics as economic development, water conservation, programs and excursions, and community-based policing. - CityTalk Bulletin Board -- An electronic "back fence" where Merced residents can talk with each other and with government officials in a public forum. - Write to Us -- A direct E-mail link to Town Hall allowing residents to communicate with elected officials and key Merced government employees. To join Prodigy and the City of Merced Forum, call 1-800-PRODIGY, ext. 142. Prodigy Services Company is a partnership of IBM and Sears. JAZZ VIRTUOSO JOSHUA REDMAN TO HOST CYBER-TALK(TM) AUG. 22 BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 15 / -- Tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman will host the fifth week of Warner Bros. Records' weekly interactive talk show, "Cyber-Talk," on Monday, Aug. 22. A double- winner in "Downbeat's" recent critics' poll and the recipient of numerous media accolades including Rolling Stone's "Hot Jazz Artist of 1993" and Jazz Time's "Best New Artist," Redman will be available to chat with fans regarding his third upcoming release for Warner Bros. Records, "Mood Swing." "Cyber-Talk" takes place on America Online Monday evenings at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time (6:30 p.m. Pacific time). The first program of its kind, each segment of "Cyber-Talk" features a different Warner Bros. Records/affiliate label artist who will answer questions from online users in the "digital auditorium" for approximately one hour. Subscribers are able to download press kit information pertaining to each week's guest artist prior to and after the show. Access the "Cyber-Talk" auditorium through the Warner/Reprise online forum (keyword: Warner). "Cyber-Talk" is produced in-house by a Warner Bros. NEW YORK - - Viacom Inc.'s (VIA) Simon & Schuster publishing unit and America Online Inc. (AMER) entered a strategic alliance to create interactive services geared to the higher education market. The news was first reported in The Wall Street Journal this morning. In a press release, the companies said the service is called College Online and will combine the content of Simon & Schuster textbooks with the interactive capabilities of America Online. Using the service, users can engage in discussions and access information on academic disciplines, teaching methods, study skills assistance and a catalog of Simon & Schuster's higher education intellectual properties. Simon & Schuster will promote subscriptions to America Online in its college textbooks, trade advertisements, direct mail campaigns and general sales activities. Faculty members who adopt Simon & Schuster Higher Education textbooks will be eligible for special trial memberships. Students will be eligible for free trial memberships, including network access. DREAMING OF A HOME OF YOUR OWN? CALL THE 'HOME HELP LINE' FOR FREE PRE-APPROVAL IN MINUTES PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 17 /Have you longed for a home of your own but aren't sure if you can afford it? You can find out if home ownership is within your reach by calling Countrywide Funding Corp.'s "Home Help Line" at 800-487-2836 from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m (PT), Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, to get pre-approved for a home loan. In one brief phone call, you can now get pre-approved for a specific loan amount, which gives you negotiating power and the clout of a serious buyer when house hunting and making an offer. Following your phone call, Countrywide will provide you with a letter stating the loan amount you have been pre-approved for. Consumers who call the Home Help Line should be prepared to provide the following information: -- Personal income; -- Total debt obligations, including car and school loans, credit cards, rent or mortgage; -- Cost of desired home (or current mortgage amount if refinancing); -- Savings toward the down payment; and -- Verbal authorization to issue credit report. Home Help Line mortgage experts will analyze your income, expenses and debt to provide an accurate picture of what you can afford. In addition, the latest technology enables Countrywide to receive credit reports within minutes via an on-line computer system which provides speed and accuracy in determining a consumer's financial status. By receiving a personal analysis, you will save time and possible frustration when house hunting because you'll know in advance what home prices are realistic for you. In addition, if there are problems or issues on your credit report, you can resolve them early and avoid any delays during the loan process. Actual loan approval is subject to verification of information and satisfactory property. "The first step to home ownership is determining what you can afford," said Jerry Baker, Countrywide's managing director. "With the Home Help Line, it's as simple as picking up the phone." Consumers can also lock in a rate before they locate a property through Countrywide's free Lock 'N Shop program. This rate protection program guarantees up to 30 days the maximum interest rate the borrower will pay. As long as the buyer signs a sales contract in 30 days, the guaranteed rate can be extended for an additional 45 days for a conventional loan and an additional 60 days for a government loan. Those who are not pre-approved for their desired loan amount are eligible for free credit counseling through Countrywide's House America program. Callers receive budget, credit and home-buyer education counseling to help them resolve existing credit issues and eventually become homeowners. To meet the needs of all customers, Countrywide offers a full range of mortgage products, including fixed rate and adjustable conventional, government and jumbo loans. For low- or moderate-income and first-time home buyers, Countrywide offers low down payment programs with more flexible guidelines to benefit borrowers. Countrywide Funding Corp. originates and services single-family home loans. Celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 1994, the company is headquartered in Pasadena and has more than 300 offices across the nation. SURVEY SHOWS HOME BUYING STILL A MYSTERY LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 / -- The American Dream Coalition initiated an informal survey of 300 Californians in July to discover current attitudes and behaviors of consumers in the market to purchase a home. All respondents had either bought a home this year or were currently in the homebuying process. Results showed that key steps to homebuying remain a mystery to homebuyers as 27.7 percent of respondents said they were most unfamiliar with financing during the homebuying process. Following, 27.3 percent were most unfamiliar with escrow and closing, and 26.7 percent were unfamiliar with the entire homebuying process. Only 16.3 percent said they were familiar with the entire homebuying process. Twenty-nine percent of respondents cited newspapers as the key source for the majority of their homebuying information. Realtors were identified as the main homebuying information source by 21.2 percent of respondents, and 18.8 percent credited friends and family. With regard to difficulty, 20 percent of respondents said securing the downpayment was the most difficult part of homebuying. Financing was cited by 18 percent of respondents as most difficult, 14 percent said searching for the right home was the most difficult, and 4.7 percent said closing was the most difficult. The American Dream Coalition was founded in the summer of 1993 by more than 30 California housing sector companies and trade associations dedicated to both educating consumers about the homebuying process and stimulating home sales during this period of affordable market condition. The ADC Executive Committee is comprised of senior executives from American Savings Bank, the California Association of REALTORS, the California League of Savings Institutions, Chicago Title Insurance Co., Countrywide Funding Corp., Fannie Mae, Great Western Bank, Home Savings of America, INCO Homes, North American Mortgage Co. and Wells Fargo Bank. Other Coalition members include ARCS Mortgage, California Association of Mortgage Brokers, California Building Industry Association, California Chamber of Commerce, California Department of Housing and Community Development, California Federal Bank, California Housing Education Corp., California Housing Finance Agency, California Mortgage Bankers Association, California Real Estate Inspection Association, Coast Federal Bank, Directors Mortgage, Economic Development Corporation of Los Angeles County, First American Title Co., First Federal Bank of California, First Interstate Residential Mortgage, Freddie Mac, G.E. Capital Mortgage, Glendale Federal Bank, Harmon Publishing Inc., North American Title, Orange Coast Title, Pac Bell, San Francisco Federal, Sanwa Bank, Topa Savings Bank, United Guarantee Residential Insurance Co. and Weyerhaeuser Mortgage. Push To Make Windows NT Standard For Big Jobs Widened Microsoft Corp. and AT&T Corp. said they are broadening their joint effort to make Microsoft's Windows NT operating system a standard for large-scale computing jobs. The operating software is the key to Microsoft's strategy for moving beyond the personal-computer business to take over tasks once handled by costly mainframe computers. AT&T's Global Information Solutions unit said it would add several mainframe-class features to Windows NT by the end of 1995, including high-speed transaction processing and so-called high-availability technology for minimizing breakdowns. Since the breakup of its longtime relationship with International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft has been lining up other partners involved in running corporate-computer systems, including Digital Equipment Corp. The AT&T unit, which includes what used to be NCR Corp.'s computer business, is particularly important, because it concentrates on systems that use Intel Corp. microchips, a forte of Windows NT, said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's executive vice president. William O'Shea, senior vice president of the AT&T unit, said about 200 potential customers are developing programs that would allow them to run major operations using Windows NT. Kmart Corp., for example, said it is working with AT&T to use Windows NT in place of a mainframe to help manage a network to allow employees at more than 4,000 locations to send electronic mail and other computerized files. Microsoft's sales job has a long way to go. The company missed its original prediction that it would sell one million units in Windows NT's first year on the market, which ended this summer. Mr. Ballmer wouldn't specify unit shipments, but said the company sold "hundreds of thousands" of copies. Among other things, the product required too much memory for most desktop PCs, and has become more popular in larger server machines. But Mr. Ballmer said revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30 grew 70% for the group of server products that includes Windows NT and the SQL Server database. "I'm increasingly confident that it will grow at least that much again this year," he said. Rick Sherlund, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, estimates sales for the group of products were $250 million in fiscal 1994, or about 5% of Microsoft's total sales. He said 70% growth for the business should be easily attainable in view of rapid growth in the market. Mr. Ballmer also disclosed that Microsoft may change the pricing scheme for Windows NT to get more revenue for server applications, which allow many PC users to use one copy of the software. Windows NT has a street price of about $1,100 for servers and about $300 for workstations, he said. The pricing scheme may be adjusted when Microsoft announces a new version of Windows NT, code-named Daytona, in the next 45 days, Mr. Ballmer said. Mr. Sherlund expects the program to be shipped in October, to be twice as fast as the original version and to require 25% less memory. Separately, Microsoft said it has sold 800,000 units of its Access database program in the past three months, and more than 2 million units since it was first shipped in November 1992. -Cellular Competition to Heat up in Seattle with Entry of Denver-Bas Aug. 19--After 10 years of doing the two-step, Seattle's cellular- telephone companies are getting a new dance partner. OneComm said it is launching cellular-phone service here in late September, entering a market dominated by McCaw's Cellular One and US West under the duopoly established by the Federal Communications Commission. OneComm is coming to Seattle using a portion of the radio spectrum previously used in some cities by taxicabs. But what's starting next month is something even better than cellular, executives of the Denver-based company said. They like to call it "integrated wireless communications." And don't call it a cellular phone, either. It's a "Unicator." Manufactured by Motorola, the leading cellular-telephone maker, the Unicator does several things. Push one button and it's a cellular telephone. Push another and it operates much like a two-way radio. And the gizmo does many other things, such as voice mail, paging and data transmission. The first Unicators will sell for $500 to $700. Other manufacturers will make phones and other add-on devices for OneComm's system. OneComm is the first of what could be up to eight cellular companies operating in Seattle by 2000, said Lisa Bowersock, US West spokeswoman. The FCC is auctioning off radio spectrum for additional wireless services. She predicted that competition will not be decided by price alone but by coverage and services. Customers by now know what cellular is, and "the educated customer is a demanding one," she said. OneComm said its all-digital cellular service will cost about the same as existing cellular service and that the two-way service will be much cheaper. The idea is that a field employee can talk regularly to the office or fellow employees at a cheap rate and pay extra when a cellular call is made. In contrast to existing cellular service, customers will not have to pay added roaming or access fees when they take their OneComm phone into other cities, said Jim Frank, OneComm's vice president and general manager for the Pacific Northwest. He is a former US West executive. The service will be aimed at businesses with three or more employees who need to stay in touch, Frank said. OneComm is about to unleash a newspaper advertising blitz to call attention to its new service. But skeptics wonder if the company will be fully operational in September and if its coverage will be adequate. What's more, OneComm may have a different name in the next several months. OneComm is being acquired by wireless-communications company Nextel of Rutherford, N.J. The combined entity is awaiting a planned investment of $1.3 billion from MCI Communications. The combined company expects to serve 90 percent of the U.S. market by 1996. Service is likely to be marketed under the MCI name. Ken Woo, a spokesman for Cellular One, said he doubts that OneComm can get reliable service up and running soon. He said he doubts whether the company can offer adequate service in places such as Cle Elum. Frank just grins when he hears these doubts. He said OneComm has been quietly building transmission sites for the past 18 months and is now testing the switching equipment. He said people will be surprised. But some analysts share Woo's skepticism. "We feel that these services are entering the U.S. marketplace too late to do much damage to cellular companies, " said analyst James Krekeler of Edward D. Jones & Co. in New York. He said that by 1996, existing cellular companies will have increased their market penetration. END!E&$4?SE-ONECOMM -FRIGHT FANS COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO BE SCARED AT WORLD'S HALLOWEEN PARTY BUENA PARK, Calif., Aug. 23 /-- How far would you travel to be scared this Halloween -- really scared? Apparently, no distance is too great for some die-hard fright fans -- as evidenced by the growing national popularity of Halloween Haunt(TM), the annual adults-only celebration recognized as the world's largest Halloween party, and one of the largest annual events in the amusement park industry. "Knott's Scary Farm," the October alter-ego of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., hosts the Haunt(TM), which has grown from a Southern California-only Halloween promotion introduced in 1972 to a 12-night destination celebration," says Knott's Bob Ochsner. "Close to one-fifth of the hundreds of thousands of tickets sold every year are purchased by guests outside Southern California." So popular has the event become that Ticketmaster now sells Haunt(TM) tickets in Central/Northern California, Arizona and Nevada -- an unusual practice for a single-site event. The Haunt(TM) is also growing in popularity with Midwest and East Coast fright fans -- many who fly across the country just to enjoy the event's elaborately themed walk-through attractions, rethemed rides, live stage shows and grotesquely made-up monsters. Further demonstrating the event's wide appeal, Knott's Camp Snoopy in Minneapolis' Mall of America will be staging its own version of the Haunt(TM) this year. Featured during the nine-night, special-ticket event will be many of the most popular elements of the California version. Knott's Berry Farm becomes Knott's Scary Farm on Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. Tickets go on sale Aug. 29 at Knott's and Ticketmaster locations in California, Nevada and Arizona. "This year's highlights include 10 state-of-the-art walk-through attractions and elaborately rethemed rides," Ochsner says. "Mother Noose's Scary Tales," "Lair of the Vampyre" and "Industrial Evil" are popular. Knott's Timber Mountain Log Ride is rethemed into "Santa Claws Mountain," home of a demented toymaker and his evil elves. The Kingdom of the Dinosaurs attraction becomes "Slasher of The Dark." As in past years, "The Hanging," an elaborate live show parodying the year's most infamous individuals, will be presented several times each evening on the park's Calico Square Stage. Also offered will be a lavish monster stage show, illusionists, magicians and more than 500 costumed monsters lurking in the park's fog-shrouded streets and midways. "But the Haunt(TM) will be without Elvira, its resident fright queen, as the 'Mistress of the Dark' is on pregnancy leave this year," Ochsner says. "Instead, we're offering 'Haunt TV ... TerrorVision,' a monster dance video show." Halloween Haunt(TM) sells out weeks, even months, in advance every year. 1994 ticket prices are $28.50 in advance and $30 day of event (if available). The park has partnered with Coca-Cola for an intensive regional promotion for selected 1994 Haunt(TM) dates. A scare event, Halloween Haunt(TM) is definitely not recommended for children. For ticket and other information, please call the Knott's "Hauntline" at 714-220-5200. FORT LEE, N.J., Aug. 23 / -- Digital Equipment Corporation will sponsor the E-Mail Village Green within the Internet Village at the Eleventh Annual UNIX EXPO, October 4-6, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Under the company's sponsorship, Digital will supply 30 workstations (PCs and X-terminals), providing UNIX EXPO attendees with hands-on, E-mail access to the Internet. "Digital is a pioneer in providing both local and wide area networks," said John O'Keefe, vice president of UNIX Systems Marketing. "We have been delivering systems, software and services to meet the information needs of public agencies, private industry and the academic community for over 20 years. As the first company to provide technical and marketing information to our customers and business partners using the WorldWide Web, we have a strong commitment to the Internet as a key information delivery vehicle. UNIX EXPO's Internet Village and the E-Mail Village Green are strong examples of where global information technology is headed." Digital's new Internet Business Unit will also exhibit in the Internet Village, joining more than 24 other leading providers of Internet access and business services. Exhibitors will include: Advanced Network & Services Inc. (ANS), ClariNet Communications, CommTouch Software, InterCon Systems, the International Internet Association, Netcom, O'Reilly and Associates, Performance Systems International, UUNET and UUNORTH Inc. The Internet Village -- an integral part of the complete UNIX EXPO Internet experience -- will be complemented by a keynote panel of Internet experts and business visionaries who will explore "The Internet and its Role in the Business Community," in the Tuesday keynote address, October 4, at 1:00 p.m. The comprehensive UNIX EXPO conference program will also feature a full Internet Track, and will offer complimentary Internet introductory sessions, open to all UNIX EXPO attendees. UNIX EXPO(SM) is produced by Blenheim's I.T. Events Division, based in Fort Lee, N.J., part of the Blenheim Group PLC, the world's largest producer of trade shows and conferences. Blenheim organizes more than 45 I.T. expositions around the world that annually attract more than 600, 000 corporate volume buyers and resellers. NEW YORK, Aug. 24 / -- The Interactive Services Association (West Coast Chapter) will hold an Interactive Cafe at Jupiter Communications' upcoming ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE in San Francisco on September 13-14. Industry experts appearing at the conference will mingle with Cafe attendees discussing the development, marketing and management of online services and products. "The cafe will be an excellent opportunity to meet the key players in the online world," said Gene DeRose, president of Jupiter Communications. Jupiter also announced that several speakers have been added to the agenda for the first annual ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE. They include Bruce Katz, chief executive of The Well, Scott Converse, cooperative applications and tools manager of Apple Online Services, Thomas J. Morgan, vice president of Broadvision Inc., Kristin Asleson, director of marketing for the ImagiNation Network and William T. Wong, project leader of CommerceNet. The ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE will present a comprehensive blueprint on how to develop and put up a compelling online product. Panels include an executive overview featuring top officials from all the major online services, including Scott Kurnit, executive vice president of Prodigy, Russell Williams, vice president of Delphi, Michael Kolowich, president of Ziff-Davis Interactive, Tom Pomeroy, vice president of the ImagiNation Network, Peter Friedman, general manager of Apple Online Services and John Barber, general manager of Genie. Conference participants can attend the Interactive Cafe for free, ISA members can buy tickets in advance for $15, non-members pay $25. Tickets at the door are $20 for members, $35 for others. Ticket orders should be sent to Noelle LaCentra at VISION Integrated Marketing at 501 Second Street, Suite 707, San Francisco, 94107 (415-974-1700). Jupiter Communications, a media research, publishing and consulting firm, has established a World Wide Web Site (WWW) on the Internet. The site's address is Jup.com. The site will include forums on interactivity and online services in addition to information about Jupiter's upcoming ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE in San Francisco (September 13-14) and its DEFINING THE ELECTRONIC CONSUMER conference, to be held in New York (October 18-20). The company plans to post excerpts from its INTERACTIVE CONTENT, and CONSUMER INFORMATION APPLIANCE newsletters on the Web site, along with an order form for its conferences. "We're eventually going to establish a daily news feed on the Internet," said Jupiter news director Adam Schoenfeld. "We're currently exploring the transactional capabilities of the Internet, but we also plan to have a lot of material available for free." More information on Jupiter's conferences, consulting work and newsletters is available by calling 212-941-9252. The ONLINE DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE is being held at Park Lane's Parc Fifty Five Hotel in San Francisco. US-Surfing the Net: National Intelligence Revolution WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by Open Source Solutions: If you are reading Kevin Kelly's latest book, "OUT OF CONTROL: The Rise of Neo-Biological Civilization", or following the quasi-public rendering asunder of the "Central" Intelligence Agency, or listening to the Vice President talk about "harnessing the distributed intelligence of the Nation," then oss.net is for you. Named to the Gopher Jewels List within one month of its inception, this modest server houses two public collections of files: one from OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS Inc. (OSS Inc.), a non- profit organization leading the movement to establish a national information strategy which reinvents national (classified) and business intelligence; the other from the Information Professionals (InfoPro), a virtual community of information, investigative and intelligence professionals worldwide. Described by ComputerWorld as the best watering hole in cyberspace for open source intelligence information, oss.net is part of the coming revolution in how the U.S. government and the U.S. private sector share the power of information, and how a global "virtual intelligence community" is forming which is in the direct service of citizens and private enterprise. Direction: From your Internet access point, type gopher gopher.oss.net or ftp ftp.oss.net or use wais. This is a free public service. PACIFIC BELL EXPANDS ISDN FOR HOME AND OFFICE WITH ONLINE SERVICE P SUPPORT America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy and The WELL Share Plans SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25 / -- Pacific Bell today announced that it is working with online information service providers to provide their users with Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connectivity for high-speed, cost-efficient access to news, electronic shopping, bulletin boards, airline-reservations, publications, diverse discussion groups and a host of other information-age services. "Growth in the online information services market has been explosive and ISDN enables media-rich communications capability for exciting new services for users," said Kathie Blankenship, executive director of data products for Pacific Bell. "We will make it easier for customers to get access to these services using ISDN. Pacific Bell will include online information service providers in telecommuting programs for Pacific Bell customers, Education First for California schools and other areas so customers will get the benefits of these electronic communities." The number of computer users hooking up to the growing variety of online information services has leaped from 500,000 in 1989 to seven million this year. By 1998, that figure will double. America Online, the fastest growing online service, plans to use ISDN as an emerging network option to its services. CompuServe, the largest online service, will begin testing U.S.-based 1-800 ISDN access into its global network next month. Prodigy, the most active online service, plans to have a trial of ISDN connectivity in California by September 1994 with service available by end of year. The WELL, one of the most influential and eclectic online conferencing systems and a full- service Internet access provider, will have ISDN access available October 1. "America Online was the first online service in the 1980s to embrace icon-based graphical user interfaces, and in the 1990s we want to lead the transition to multimedia user interfaces by seamlessly integrating photos, sounds and video," said Steve Case, president and CEO of America Online. "To do this effectively, we need high-bandwidth networks, so we have been partnering with cable companies to test cable/PC connections, and we've been testing high-speed TCP/IP Internet access." Case added, "ISDN is emerging as an important network option and we're pleased Pacific Bell is including America Online in its ISDN efforts." Greg Moore, CompuServe's director of network marketing, noted, "As the world's largest online information service, we're pleased to take on a leadership role with Pacific Bell in ushering ISDN access to the home. ISDN digital connections will mean faster response, representing a quantum leap in communications performance over the fastest analog modems available today," he added. "This will also enable delivery of significantly high-quality multimedia products and faster software distribution." James H. Beall, Jr., Prodigy's senior vice president, systems and operations, said, "Evolving interactivity to its next generation, with virtually instantaneous multimedia features like photos and sound, requires the kind of high-speed access we'll be able to deliver by the end of the year with the introduction of Pacific Bell's Home ISDN. This will represent an important test-bed for us as we continue to enhance Prodigy's various features, including multimedia." Maurice Weitman, general manager of The WELL, said, "We are committed to continually enhancing the quality, value and variety of access methods to reach The WELL, as well as the range of services we offer. ISDN is an important technological advance, and The WELL is pleased to be the first such service to offer it to our customers." Pacific Bell introduced its Home ISDN on August 2. The cost is $22.95 monthly plus additional costs for installation and associated equipment. Pacific Bell will handle calls within its service areas. Long-distance carriers selected by the customer handle calls that cross those service-area boundaries. Customers wanting to order Pacific Bell ISDN or obtain more information can call 800 4PB-ISDN. Additional information on Pacific Bell's ISDN services and those of other service providers is available on the Internet WorldWide Web at http://www.pacbell.com. For more information on particular online service providers and the availability of ISDN access, customers should contact those companies. Blankenship emphasized that in addition to the four online service providers mentioned in today's announcement there are other providers that also provide or plan to provide ISDN access. America Online, Inc. is the nation's fastest-growing provider of online services. The company offers its more than one million subscribers a wide variety of services, including electronic mail, conferencing, software, computing support, interactive magazines and newspapers, online classes as well as easy and affordable access to the Internet. Founded in 1985, the company has established strategic alliances with dozens of companies, including Time Warner, ABC, NBC, Knight-Ridder, Tribune, Hatchette, IBM and Apple. CompuServe Information Service provides its worldwide membership of over 2.2 million with over 2,000 data bases and services to meet both business and personal interests. CompuServe Incorporated provides wide- and local-area networking services, including frame relay, remote LAN access, electronic mail, business information services and software to major corporations and government agencies worldwide. Prodigy is the most active online service. Its two million-plus members access the service up to 20 million times a month. Prodigy offers a broad range of up-to-the-minute news, weather, sports and business news, reference materials and databases, including an online encyclopedia; educational features and games for children and adults; E-mail and bulletin boards; banking and brokerage services; travel reservations; and shopping. The blend of compelling content and strong community orientation with the use of the latest technology continues to distinguish The WELL as a leader in the online industry. With its ISDN access, The WELL community will have a faster and more reliable method of connecting to exchange information and ideas with one another, and with the larger network of people at other Internet sites around the world. Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis Group, a telecommunications company based in San Francisco.