-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- PCM Online December 1994 PRESS BOX Contents: [] News Bites: News shorts from across the industry [] $$ What a Deal! $$: Bargains we've stumbled across [] Telecom Press Releases: For SysOps and other online enthusiasts Entire contents copyright 1994 by Falsoft, Inc. PCM -- The Premier Personal Computer Magazine -- is intended for the private use and pleasure of its subscribers, and reproduction by any means is prohibited. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- News Bites ~~~~~~~~~~ >> PROGRAMMERS: TRY THE "WEB" FOR BETTER SOFTWARE DESIGN << WEB, the system of structured documentation developed by Donald E. Knuth of Stanford University as part of the "TeX" project, has been called "one of the best secrets around." To remove the veil of secrecy, Micro Programs, Inc., has prepared the Arachnid Package ($62.75) so that more programmers can explore the concept of literate programming for themselves. The Arachnid Package consists of two books: Weaving a Program, and CWEB System of Structured Documentation, plus a free disk containing CWEB and WEB examples. WEB is a programming methodology that aids in the design of software rather than just the coding of it. It is designed to make the process of documentation less burdensome. WEB elevates the concept of structured programming to another level. It is more efficient than programming development processes that involve the use of a program design language (PDL) during the design phase -- the product of which is often discarded during the actual coding phase. Where the original WEB system produced Pascal code, the CWEB in this offering produces C source code. Micro Programs, (800) TEX4ALL. -=*=- >> FLIGHT PLAN SOFTWARE FOR PILOTS << MentorPlus Software unveiled FliteStar for Windows, its new flight- planning software at Oshkosh '94. FliteStar "is the first and only flight planner for Windows using Jeppesen NavData." FliteStar for Windows allows pilots to open chart windows, profile views, flight logs and FAA flight plans at the same time. Changing a route in one window immediately updates all other windows. MentorPlus Software, (503) 678- 1431. -=*=- >> INTERNET AUTHOR SHOWS HOW "EVERYONE CAN LEARN TO USE UNIX" << According to Harley Hahn, author of Unix Unbound, a book just published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, everyone can and should learn to use Unix. Unix Unbound promises to take readers where no other Unix book goes: from the fundamentals to a fuller, more enjoyable understanding of one of the most powerful and widespread operating systems in the world. Written in Hahn's clear, concise style, Unix Unbound has the same irreverent tone that has made his Internet Complete Reference and Internet Yellow Pages best-sellers. Unix Unbound covers these topics: getting started with Unix; using the C-Shell and Korn shell; sending and receiving mail; talking with other people online; using the Unix toolbox (filter and redirection); job control; and more. Unix Unbound, 792 pages, $27.95. Osborne/McGraw-Hill, (510) 549-6600 or (800) 227-0900. -=*=- >> SCIENTISTS' CATALOG OF SOFTWARE: PRINTED AND ONLINE << SciTech reports that, since September 1, 1994, thousands of users have browsed its online catalog of scientific software. The Internet edition of Software for Science is a graphical Mosaic catalog that includes all of the products listed in the paper catalog ($2.95). Users who have access to the WorldWideWeb can access the catalog at no charge. SciTech's URL is: http://www.scitechint.com/scitech/ What can you find in the catalog? Programs like Mathematica, Statgraphics Plus, Maple V -- anything to do with data acquisition, analysis, statistics, symbolic computations, equation graphing, modeling, IMSL numerical libraries, FORTRAN tools, etc. In all, the catalog includes descriptions for more than 1750 products (DOS, Windows, Macintosh and UNIX). Call SciTech at (312) 472-0444 or (800) 622-3345, or write info@scitechint.com for a free 116-page color-printed copy, if you like. -=*=- >> CLARION CHANGES NAME TO TOPSPEED << TopSpeed is the new corporate name for Clarion Software Corp., the makers of the Clarion Database Developer. According to Bruce Barrington, TopSpeed's founder and president, "The name TopSpeed more accurately reflects the core nature of the advanced technology programming products TopSpeed develops and markets." It also reflects the merger Clarion Software undertook with the Jensen Partners International, who brought the TopSpeed compiler technology to the table. The Clarion name will be preserved on TopSpeed's newest program, Clarion for Windows. "This name change is not marketing hype; the high-speed optimizing compiler technology gained in the merger was essential to astonishing performance achieved in the soon-to-be-released Clarion for Windows," said Barrington. TopSpeed, (800) 354-5444. -=*=- >> INSTANT WINDOWS INTEGRATION FOR DOS AND MIDRANGE/MAINFRAME APPS << On October 18, 1994, WINGate Technologies announced WinTunnel, a product that allows the users of DOS and host legacy applications to automatically merge their data with Windows documents of choice -- with only the touch of a hot key. "WinTunnel comes to the rescue of virtually all vendors and users of legacy applications," said Ravi Romano, president of WINGate Technologies. "While working in any text screen under Windows, users simply press a hot key and produce fully formatted and merged documents in industry-standard Windows applications like Word for Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, Ami Pro, Excel, Lotus, etc. WinTunnel effectively eliminates the need to rekey data. And it's automatic. No programming is required." For example, a user might make a selection from a Clipper database of new customers for the previous month. Then, with the touch of a hot key, generate merged thank-you letters automatically for all related records in a Windows word processor. WinTunnel, which retails for $49.95, supports all industry-standard word processors and spreadsheets. The WinTunnel Extension Kit, which allows users to build WinTunnel connections to virtually any Windows application, retails for $129.95. The Extension Kit is free with WinTunnel until December 31, 1994. WINGate, (800) 946-7435. -=*=- >> NEW VIDEO IMAGER HAS A BIG EYE FOR SMALL SUBJECTS << In one position, Fuji's new FV-7 lets you video photographs, jewelry, collectibles and other small items. Retractable arms hold the camera in position while two daylight-balanced lights illuminate the subject. In its other position, the FV-7 grabs images from slides or photo negatives (a switch on the camera lets you pick). The FV-7 acts as a simple video camera as well: just open the lights, remove the slide tray, and aim. The FV-7 is being marketed by Digital Vision as a complement to its line of ComputerEyes frame grabbers. The suggested retail price is $999.95, but Digital Vision is offering it for $799.95 for now. Sample images captured with the ComputerEyes and the FV-7 are available for download from DV's tech support BBS: (617) 329-8387 (up to 14.4 Kbps, 8-N-1). Digital Vision, (617) 329-5400. -=*=- >> U.S. PATENT AWARDED TO "FUZZY-THINKING" SPREADSHEET << FuziWare, Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn., has been notified by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Trademark Office that its application for a patent for FuziCalc has been allowed. FuziCalc is a "stand-alone Windows-based fuzzy number processing tool delivered in the spreadsheet format. It is distinguishable from conventional spreadsheets on a core level. Whereas in a conventional spreadsheet each cell can contain a numerical value, text, or a formula, in FuziCalc each cell can be transformed into a fuzzy number or a number which takes on multiple values with relative degrees of belief distributed across a range of values. In so doing, the invention enables users to perform arithmetic operations extended to fuzzy numbers -- a formula which has a fuzzy input will yield a fuzzy result. This result may be defuzzified or input into another formula, much as in a conventional spreadsheet." Uh-hum. FuziWare, (615) 588- 4144. -=*=- >> 10,000 COMPUTER PRODUCTS FOR INTERNET SHOPPERS << Open for business: Software Online's "The Internet Software Store": "your high-speed, low-cost software source," which has more than 10,000 products available, for Windows, DOS, OS/2, Unix, Macintosh and more. It's open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, has next-day shipping on all in-stock items, sends order confirmations back through e-mail, and offers "FREE information on thousands of software products." To find out more about that FREE info, send e-mail to sales@softonline.com and put SEND INFO in the body of your message. Or call the Brampton, Ontario- based Software Online at (905) 450-3450. -=*=- >> SEC FILINGS INFO FOR WALL STREET JUNKIES << Disclosure, a provider of global company information, has announced it will shortly release "EdgarPlus on CD," a CD-ROM version of its "EdgarPlus" database of Securities and Exchange Commission filings. That's good news for financial researchers. (The database is already available on Lexis/Nexis.) EdgarPlus is a value-added, full-text database of public company reports filed electronically using EDGAR, the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system. A steadily increasing percentage of companies now submit their SEC filings via EDGAR rather than paper. Disclosure, (301) 951-1300. -=*=- >> SORT OUT LOAN ALTERNATIVES GRAPHICALLY << The Windows-based PC-Loan ($59.95) calculates the normal attributes of financing alternatives -- the number of payments, the amount of a monthly payment, interest rate, total payments, etc. -- based on information the user enters. But unlike other loan-analysis programs, PC-Loan displays payment patterns graphically. The program also contains a Loan Wizard with a unique comparison feature that analyzes and shows graphically which loan alternative is superior and by how much. For example, it can quickly show the difference between an adjustable-rate mortgage and a fixed-rate mortgage, or a low-interest rate versus a cash-back deal on a car loan. From 20/20 Software, (503) 520-0504. -=*=- >> LEARNING CHANNEL'S "HOME PRO" ON CD-ROM << Gerry Connell, of the Learning Channel's "The Home Pro," hosts 50 full-motion video clips that provide answers to home design and remodeling question. And that's just a small part of Broderbund's new CD-ROM version of its 3D Home Architect ($70), a home-design program for do-it-yourselfers. Broderbund, (800) 521-6263. -=*=- >> COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF STARGATE? << If you're a fan of the recent science-fiction flick Stargate, starring Kurt Russell and James Spader, Compton's NewMedia has just the thing for you: Secrets of Stargate ($39.95), a CD-ROM program that allows users to navigate through a collage of film and video images as well as interviews of both stars and filmmakers. With each click of the mouse, users will see photos of the creature designs, production stills, costume renderings and computerized storyboards. Exploring further, users get an inside look at the special effects and an up-close look at the development of the sets. Compton's NewMedia, (619) 929-2500. -=*=- >> COMPUSERVE MOVES TO FURTHER INTERNET COMMERCIALIZATION << CompuServe has announced it has joined CommerceNet, a consortium of organizations and companies conducting the first large-scale market trial of commerce over the Internet. "Joining the CommerceNet represents a significant move for CompuServe," said Tim Oren, CompuServe's vice- president of future technologies, "and it demonstrates our commitment to commercialization of the Internet. CompuServe is currently developing a wide array of services for the Internet, and our membership in CommerceNet will help us in that ongoing effort. Moreover, the association with the CommerceNet will give us the opportunity to collaborate with other industry leaders to develop technologies and open standards for electronic commerce on the Internet." -=*=- >> COREL'S GIVING AWAY MONEY AGAIN! << For the last few years Corel has sponsored prize-studded contests for users of CorelDRAW, its premier suite of graphics-design programs for Windows. This year Corel's World Design Contest is giving away $2 million dollars in cash and prizes. There are mini-contests each month, from September 1994 to March 1995, in a number of categories. The best of show winner takes home $100,000. Only registered CorelDRAW users may enter, but they can enter as often as they like until March 31, 1995 -- though each entry must be original. Each entry must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form. For info, call Corel at (613) 728-0826, Ext. 1609. -=*=- >> "VIRTUAL SERVICE DEPOTS" -- THERE'S PROBABLY ONE NEAR YOU << Mail Boxes Etc., the world's largest franchisor of neighborhood retail services, is making its national network available as "virtual service depots" to the customers and field officers of major computer and home office equipment manufacturers. For less than the cost of establishing their own field offices or service depots for repairing equipment, a growing number of leading corporations are turning to Mail Boxes Etc.'s neighborhood retail centers to "pack and ship" products needing repair or replacement. The program has already attracted such high-tech corporations as Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Panasonic and Ricoh, among others. To use the pack-and-ship service, a customer obtains an RMA number from the manufacturer and brings the item to a designated Mail Boxes Etc. center. Then manufacturer then faxes a work order to the center, which verifies the RMA and custom-packs and ships the equipment. Mail Boxes Etc.'s typical arrangement with the manufacturer or service-repair facility provides this service at no cost to the customer. -=*=- >> NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST OPTICAL DISK CAPACITY 10 TO 20 TIMES << In a breakthrough likely to significantly impact the development of multimedia and mass-storage systems, Maxell Corporation of America has announced an exclusive new magneto-optical (MO) technology that will increase optical disk capacity by 10 to 20 times over current optical media. Maxell has succeeded in developing the world's first "quadri-value" magneto-optical media, making possible the realization of ultra high- density 3.5-inch MO disks with capacities of 1.3 to 2.6 gigabytes, 10 to 20 times greater than current disks. Using this new technology, such disks will hold data equivalent to 900 to 1800 1.44MB floppy disks on a single 3.5-inch optical disk. Current MO technology employs two magnetic states corresponding to the '0' or '1' digital signals ("upward" or "downward" magnetic directions). In a quadri-value system, however, two recording layers made of super-thin, semi-permeable film are used, instead of the single layer found in conventional media. This makes it possible to employ four magnetic directions (upward/upward, downward/downward, downward/upward, and upward/downward), instead of the standard two, yielding four digital signals. As a result, disk density and storage capacity can be dramatically increased. At present, a 640MB, 3.5-inch disk system employing a 680 nm laser is currently under development at several companies," stated David Berry, New Product Development Manager for Maxell. "Using quadri-value technology, however, far greater capacities for MO systems should be realized in the near future." He added that based on the principles that are key to quadri-value, it may also be possible to design MO disks with as many as six or eight magnetic values, yielding even more massive increases in disk density and storage limits. -=*=- >> TOUR THE WILD SIDE OF THE 'NET WITH STEVE RIMMER << Where can you discuss pagan theology, plot strategies for doing away with Barney the dinosaur, locate cheap flights to Bolivia, or find out about new CDs before they hit the streets? The Internet, of course! And you'll find an offbeat host in Steve Rimmer in his new book, Planet Internet ($24.95), published by McGraw-Hill (800-822-8158). In his own inimitable and humorous style, Rimmer tells how to plumb the deepest recesses of cyberspace, showing readers how to locate newsgroups, mailing lists and Net sites for such topics as: online dating, the paranormal, Cybersleaze, filthy limericks, exotic pets, the Grateful Dead, Cult TV, Church of the SubGenius, Red Dwarf and Spam. -=*=- >> 100,000 PAGES ON A "CREDIT CARD" << MRT Micro, of Norway, has launched a powerful new electronic publishing media for laptop computers called InfoDisk -- a credit card- sized PCMCIA Read Only Memory (ROM) card, featuring MRT's MS160 coprocessor for fast data browsing. The card was developed for publishing houses and electronic publishers requiring a non-erasable, read-only data storage medium for their reference works, catalogs and other records. It can be populated with between 4MB and 100MB of Read- Only Memory, storing up to 100,000 pages of text on a single unit. -=*=- >> MUSTANG ANNOUNCES NETWORKING VERSION OF QMODEMPRO FOR WINDOWS << Mustang Software, Inc., is introducing the first network version of its popular QmodemPro for Windows communications software, allowing up to five users to simultaneously access the program's data-transmitting capabilities. At $399, this network version is priced to allow network administrators to minimize setup costs for a five-user license. This price is $100 less than five single-user copies of QmodemPro for Windows, and the network package includes five user manuals. The software takes up 7MB on the file server, but only about 100K is required on each workstation. This network version supports Novell's Network Asynchronous Communications Service (NACS), which allows users on workstations not equipped with modems to access network modems. Mustang Software, (805) 873-2500. -=*=- >> KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPOT COLOR AND COLORED SPOTS? << Whether you do or don't, if you're one of the growing number of DTP users who must get some color experience real soon now, take a look at Peachpit Press's latest title: Understanding Desktop Color, Second Ed., by Michael Kieran. Although adding color to publications is now relatively easy, using color effectively still requires specialized skills. That's where Understanding Desktop Color comes in. It's a definitive, comprehensive book on desktop color that's for Macintosh as well as Windows users, for graphics professionals as well as desktop- publishing novices. Peachpit Press. -=*=- >> PERSONALIZED SCREEN SAVERS << Personalized screen saver? No problem: you take a photo of yourself (or your cat, kid, etc.), scan it, save it, and use it in a Windows shareware utility like METZ Corporate Screen Saver. What's that? You don't have a scanner? Then you can try the "Personalize It!" service offered by a company called Personal Screen Images. How it works: send them photographs and payment, and they send you a personalized screen saver (and return your photos). The software allows for up to nine rotating photos. Personal Screen Images, (800) PC VIEWS. -=*=- >> PHONEMAN "ELIMINATES" THE DESKTOP TELEPHONE << Phoenix Automated Dialing Systems, Inc., has announced the release of Phoneman Professional business System Managaer ($695), a series of computer telephone integration products for IBM-compatible desktop computers. It's a complete hardware/software solution that successfully integrates the telephone and the desktop computer. In fact, Phoneman's proprietary hardware eliminates the desktop telephone and uses Windows- based software to manage telephone activity through the desktop computer. The hardware includes an add-in card, an incoming Caller ID monitor box (which fits into a 5-1/4-inch half-height drive bay (or optional stand-alone cabinet) and a hands-free headset. The software includes a call activity log, call accounting, and a personal information manager that can pull up data on the caller if the database finds a match with the Caller ID number. -=*=- >> CD SOFTWARE SALES UP 421% FROM LAST YEAR << On November 1, 1994, the Software Publishers Association (SPA) released figures from its CD Software Sales Report, which tracks sales of software sold on CD-ROM discs. For the second quarter of 1994, total sales of reporting companies were $139.6 million, a 421 percent increase from $26.8 million in the second quarter of 1993. Unit sales were 3.97 million, a 257 percent increase from 1.11 million in the prior year's quarter. -=*=- >> PC TOOLS USERS RECEIVE AN ENCORE << For PC Tools fans who can't get enough, it's here -- More PC Tools ($50 to $60 U.S.), a program that complements and upgrades some of the programs in the larger PC Tools suites, but does not require them to run. "PC Tools users asked for more, and that's just what we've given them," said Gary Thomassen, PC Tools product manager. "At the same time, because it will sell for about half the price of the full PC Tools product, More PC Tools will appeal to new, more cost-conscious buyers who want the added system reliability, performance and trouble-shooting tools." More PC Tools, from Central Point, is designed to improve system reliability in both DOS and Windows environments. In addition, by including Intel's new Plug-and-Play database, More PC Tools provides an improved system-configuration program that enables users to tackle tough diagnostic and troubleshooting tasks. Other new and improved features include: CrashGuard Pro (with CPR for Windows), which helps prevent crashes or, if one happens, recovers data; DriveSpeed, which improves IDE hard disk transfer speed 50 percent or more; DriveCheck, which checks the hard disk for problems like lost clusters and high degrees of file fragmentation; BackTrack, which keeps a history of changes made to initialization files; and System Information Pro, which troubleshoots and reports on system configuration. It's interesting to note that Central Point, like Peter Norton Computing (of The Norton Utilities), has become just another division of the growing software giant called Symantec. -=*=- >> TIME-WARNER CABLE TO BRING VOICE ACCESS TO INFO SUPERHIGHWAY << Time-Warner Cable, the nation's second largest cable television operator, has chosen BBN HARK Systems Corporation to develop the system design for integrating speech recognition into Time-Warner Cable's Full Service Network (FSN). FSN is a prototype for future interactive cable television services, providing such services as home shopping, interactive games and video-on-demand. For example, a viewer will simply say, "Go to the Movie Channel," and the set-top converter box will tune to that channel. Following a field trial involving 4000 customers in Orlando, Time- Warner plans to eventually offer the service nationally to its customer base of 7.3 million. BBN HARK Systems will provide its HARK speech- recognition software and development services to speech-enable the FSN user interface to allow subscribers to interact with their cable television system by voice. -=*=- >> DATA-TRANSFER SOLUTION FOR CELLULAR CUSTOMERS << Traveling Software has announced an alliance with U S WEST Cellular to provide cellular customers with a tested solution for fast, reliable wireless data exchange. U S WEST is interested in the SpeedSync technology found in Traveling Software's LapLink for Windows, a program that offers file-transfer and remote-control capabilities over a variety of connections. SpeedSync speeds file transfers by up to 800 percent, which translates into lower connect costs for cellular customers. SpeedSync works by recognizing when changes have occurred in a file, and then transfers only those changes. "A cellular customer can expect to save as much as 88 cents of every air-time dollar using SpeedSync," said Mark Eppley, chairman and CEO of Traveling Software. For more info, call (206) 483-8088. -=*=- >> NEW ONLINE TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR RECREATION SERVICE << America Online and Turner Publishing, Inc., a division of Turner Home Entertainment, announced they will launch a major new outdoor sports and adventure travel service on America Online. Scheduled to debut on November 21, 1994, the new service, Outdoor Adventure Online (OAO), is planned to be the most comprehensive outdoor recreation database offered to the general public. Users can access profiles of national and state parks; read detailed descriptions of rivers, hiking trails, dive sites and ski resorts; and learn about outdoor events worldwide. Those planning vacations can select from hundreds of recommended itineraries or search a database listing thousands of guide services worldwide. -=*=- >> STEPHEN HAWKING'S SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE << When Stephen Hawking's book A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes sold more than 8 million copies, the publishing world took notice. Who would have guessed that so many people would purchase a theoretical book about the nature of the universe? Stephen Hawking, an engaging writer and thinker with a disarming sense of humor, was the perfect guide for a fascinating journey through space and time. Now a new mind-expanding experience is in store for Hawking's readers and fans, and anyone else intrigued by the secrets of space and time. A Brief History of Time on CD-ROM ($59.95) brings the complete text of the bestseller to life with interactive animation, dramatic images and film. The CD-ROM also offers a simulation in which users can explore black holes, roam the subatomic landscape of "Quarkland," and listen to theories on space and time from ancient philosophers to modern astrophysicists. -=*=- >> NEW BOOK PREPARES USERS FOR FUTURE OF NETWORKING << A new book, Networks 2000: Internet, Information Superhighway, Multimedia Networks and Beyond ($24.95), has been released by the publishers of LAN Magazine to help network users prepare for the complexities of networking in the future. Networks 2000 examines how existing network technology can interoperate with the expected faster networks, and includes case studies of companies that have successfully upgraded their systems and meshed cutting-edge network technology with conventional LANs. Miller Freeman Books, (800) 848-5594 or (408) 848-5926. -=*=- >> WANT WINDOWS TO MONITOR HEAVY MACHINERY? << If economical production data collection and machine monitoring for manufacturing is your aim, you've got it in the Machine Data Transducer (MDT -- $195) from Production Process. The MDT is a data collection connection that interfaces a PC to a manufacturing machine using existing electrical signals. It records production and reject totals, cycle time, production rate, setup time, run time, down time and process time. An RS-232 Interface Module at the PC provides communication with up to 250 MDT located 4000 feet distant. Companion DDE Server software gathers data for analysis and display by any DDE-compliant Windows spreadsheet, database, Man-Machine Interface or SCADA Software. Standard PC networks also provide the gateway to enterprise-wide MRP/MRPII/MES/JIT systems. If any of the preceding made sense to you and you'd like more information, call Production Process at (603) 434-2300. (Hey, we just spread the news.) -=*=- >> IF YOU WANNA BE NOVELL-CERTIFIED . . . << . . . check out a new book from Windcrest/McGraw-Hill, the Novell CNA/CNE Study Guide ($38.95). It provides test-takers with "all the information they need to pass the two primary certification exams available through Novell: Certified NetWare Engineer (CNE) and Certified NetWare Administrator (CNA)." Through the use of hands-on learning techniques and a goal-oriented approach to studying, certification experts John Paul Mueller, CNE, and Robert A. Williams, CNE, CNI, put readers through their paces. They include Novell questions and answers; emphasize the importance of learning to look at things from the Novell perspective; explain why a given answer is the correct one; and offer a challenging trivia game to test the reader's knowledge. A disk is, of course, included. Windcrest, (800) 233-1128. -=*=- >> "FRIENDLY VIRUS RECOVERS STOLEN COMPUTERS" << Flash: "CompuTrace Theft-Retrieval System (TM) Uses Friendly Virus to Recover Stolen Computers. (Computer secretly calls toll-free number for location monitoring.)" Using a virtually indestructible virus-like technology, the CompuTrace Theft Retrieval System (TRS) hides a transparent sentinel program deep in a computer's hard drive. At regular intervals, the sentinel uses the computer's modem to report to the dedicated CompuTrace TRS toll-free tracking line. "Anti-virus programs ignore our sentinel. It remains untouched even when you reformat your disk," avows Christian Cotichini, president of Vancouver-based Absolute Software, creators and providers of the CompuTrace TRS. "The call is transparent and doesn't interfere with any work you're doing. If you're using your modem or phone line, the sentinel simply waits to make its call until the first opportunity arises." To subscribe to the CompuTrace TRS, PC owners using DOS/Windows simply call toll-free (800) 220-0733. Within minutes, the service registers the computer and downloads the sentinel to the hard disk or Flash ROM via modem. For those whose computer was bought with the sentinel already loaded, the service simply activates the number. If the computer should be stolen, the victim is instructed first to call the police, and second to call the CompuTrace theft hotline. The police report-number and serial number are placed on red alert and reported to the Stolen Computer Registry in New York for circulation to police forces and computer vendors across North America. Once the sentinel reaches the CompuTrace tracking line, the service pinpoints its whereabouts and notifies local authorities. The cost for the CompuTrace TRS is $49.95 per year. "Many insurers are offering reduced premiums to our subscribers," Cotichini said. "In addition, if your computer is stolen and not recovered within four months, we'll pay your insurance deductible up to $200." For more info, call Absolute Software at (604) 730-9851. -=*=- >> TEXT-TO-SPEECH NEWS FROM AT&T AND ENTROPIC << Entropic Research Laboratory, Inc., has been named the first company to obtain worldwide rights to market and sublicense text-to-speech software from AT&T Bell Laboratories. The agreement also calls for both companies to work together to enhance the capabilities of text-to-speech technology. The market is estimated to be $370 million a year and growing at a 34 percent rate. The technology is based on three decades of research by AT&T, and is considered to be one of the most intelligible text-to-speech systems available. It converts English text into natural-sounding speech with an intelligibility rate of nearly 97 percent, according to an industry study. Entropic intends to develop and market a family of products under the TrueTalk (TM) label, and to sublicense the technology to selected manufacturers. "This agreement allows Entropic to enter the rapidly growing speech synthesis market with one of the world's leading text-to-speech technologies," said William Livingston, senior vice president of Entropic. TrueTalk will currently run on Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard and Silicon Graphics UNIX workstations, and may also be ported to other platforms. -=*=- >> CLASSIFIED ADS COME TO THE INTERNET << The tried-and-true classified ad has advanced to a new order of effectiveness, say spokespersons for Comstar Industries, providers of a new electronic advertising service now on the Internet. Comstar Classifieds allow users to advertise homes, apartments, businesses for sale, capital availabilities, cars, boats, equipment, art, antiques, guns, collectibles and miscellaneous merchandise just like newspapers and magazines do, but in a more dynamic way. Buyers, in search of specific items, can define their requirements. Selection criteria, specific to their needs, are all part of the service. Comstar is also opening the service to more than just the usual ads. For instance, job-seekers may post their resumes for the benefit of any employment agencies that call in. Lawyers, accountants, architects, etc., can promote their specialties. Brokers with a truckload of corn, or whatever, to sell, may advertise their wares. And buyers will be allowed to post their requirements too. Access is free to Internet users through December 1994. Here's how to log on to Comstar Classifieds: 1) Set terminal to vt100, n, 8, 1 2) Type: telnet csii.com 3) At login prompt, type: star 4) Follow onscreen directions For more information, call Comstar at (908) 685-1900. -=*=- >> DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA INTRODUCES QUAD-SPEED MULTIMEDIA KIT << Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc., makers of the popular Diamond Viper and Stealth video cards, announces its new Diamond Multimedia Kit 4000, which has a suggested retail price of $499. This kit includes a quad- speed CD-ROM drive, a 16-bit stereo sound card (Sound Blaster compatible), speakers, and 11 CD-ROM titles. The drive has an access time of under 200 milliseconds and a transfer rate of 600K/second. The 48KHz sound card is Wavetable-upgradable. The CD-ROM titles include Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 1995 Edition plus 10 Interplay titles (Bard's Tale, Battle Chess, Star Trek 25th Anniversary and Out of This World). Diamond Multimedia Systems, (408) 736-2000. -=*=- >> DISCTEC INTRODUCES FIRST QUAD-SPEED PARALLEL PORT CD-ROM DRIVE << At the recent Las Vegas COMDEX, DISTEC Corporation announced the availability of the RoadRunner Express CD-4X ($499, suggested retail), the first external quad speed CD-ROM system with "Plug and Play" capabilities. The drive operates on the parallel port of any IBM- compatible desk-top or portable system, and supports the new Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) and Extended Capabilities Port (ECP). The quad-speed mechanism means it can support data transfer rates up to 600K/second. "Using an adaptive speed control technique, the RoadRunner Express products automatically optimize to the host computer," said Bill Hawkins, Director of Engineering. "Additionally, if EPP or ECP capabilities are detected, the product will determine if the host has an EPP/ECP BIOS; if an appropriate BIOS is not found, we load our own to allow users to take advantage of the high-speed standards." Says Tom Hunt, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, "The small size and light weight of the CD-4X makes it ideal for use on multiple systems within an office, or as a portable computer accessory." It measures 6.5 by 2.4 by 10.25 inches and weighs 3.5 pounds. The user may daisy-chain up to eight compatible devices plus a printer. The CD-4X comes complete with all hardware and software and is easy to install. The drive is compatible with all these: MPC1, MPC2, Photo CD, audio CD and High Sierra. -=*=- >> . . . BUT CAN YOU BLUFF COMMANDER RIKER? << Jonathan Frakes (of Star Trek: Next Generation fame), Morgan Fairchild and Joe Piscopo provide the opposition, as well as the entertainment, in New World Computing's interactive poker title, Multimedia Celebrity Poker. This Windows CD-ROM program "allows players to test their card-playing skills in a setting that offers nearly all the action found in a Las Vegas pit (cigars not included)." Available November 21 for a suggested retail price of $49.95, the game features irreverent lines and ad-libs as the stars attempt to keep players off balance. Multimedia Celebrity Poker uses proprietary full-motion video technology custom-developed by New World specifically for this title. The technique allows players to interact constantly with the celebrities, as well as the celebrities with each other. The video was filmed in a Hollywood studio during a five-day period, and more than 24 hours of footage was shot. Players join the celebrities as the "fourth" in a game of poker. The game proceeds as it would in a real hand of poker, with the dealer naming the game and the ante. There are eight variations of poker to choose, including five- and seven-card stud, five-card draw and five- card lo-ball draw. New World Computing, (818) 889-5600. -=*=- >> NEW BOOK TO PREVIEW MICROSOFT WINDOWS 95 << In late November, Random House plans to release Windows 95 Revealed ($19), a book that previews Windows 95, the long-awaited successor to the Windows 3.1 operating environment. Written by veteran computer book author Jack Nimersheim, Windows 95 Revealed will prepare Windows 3.1 users for the changes to come. Because just about everything is going to change, from the interface design to the way DOS is handled. Nimersheim discusses the 32-bit environment, plug and play, the new folders, the Explorer (a redesigned File Manager), installing popular software and more. Random House, (800) 733-3000. -=------------- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -------------=- $$ What a Deal! $$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $$ CANON MAKES AGGRESSIVE PRICE MOVE IN INKJET PRINTER MARKET $$ In a strategic move aimed at helping Canon increase its 25-percent share of the inkjet printing market, Canon Computer System announced in November a major reduction on its acclaimed BJ-200e and recently introduced BJC-4000 Bubble Jet printers. The new MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) for the monochrome BJ-200e will drop to $269 (originally $299) with an expected estimated street price of only $229. The recently introduced high-speed color Bubble Jet printer, the BJC- 4000, will also feature a new low MSRP of $469 (originally $549) with an estimated street price of $399. -=*=- $$ $499 MULTIMEDIA HARDWARE/SOFTWARE SOLUTION $$ Three companies, two U.S.-based and one Canadian, have teamed up to offer their three products as one powerful yet value-priced multimedia authoring kit -- for only $499. If purchased separately, the three would cost more than $950. AITech brings its WaveWatcher II to the mix -- an add-in TV tuner board with full-motion video capture. A user can freeze, store and manipulate images from a laser disc player, VCR, camcorder or broadcast TV. The board features real-time capture of up to 30 frames a second and supports NTSC or PAL composite video via two inputs. The video can be displayed in a movable, scalable and sizable window. Ulead's MediaStudio is a collection of multimedia audio/video editing and production tools that go to work on captured video. Q-Media's Q-Media for Windows, a powerful multimedia authoring tool, serves as the trio's integrator. After having captured video with WaveWatcher II, editing it and adding special effects with MediaStudio, users can turn the video into full-blown multimedia presentations with Q-Media for Windows. For information, call Q-Media at (800) 444-9356. -=*=- $$ HOLIDAY SHOPPING? TRY AN OFFICE-SUPPLY COMPANY $$ Need to buy a present fast? Interested in something like a gourmet assortment of fine cheeses? Fruitcakes, "Tennessee Tipsy Cakes," macadamia nut cakes, sinful chocolates? Try an office supply store in your area. Or try a mail-order vendor such as the Wholesale Supply Company (800-962-9162), which can ship same-day UPS on credit approval. For faster delivery, add $3 to your order for two-day FedEx service. Wholesale Supply Company's bargains range from the inexpensive ("Grandma's Fruit Cake," $9.98 per 2-pound bar) to the grandiose (the "Grande Assortment," a $40.93 wicker basket bulging with such goods as cheeses, Swiss bittersweet chocolate, canned ham, summer sausage, Spanish olives, shortbread and more). -=*=- $$ AMERICA ONLINE INTRODUCTORY OFFER INCLUDES 10 FREE HOURS $$ You probably already know about this, though. America Online, one of the "Big 5" online services, has poured a ton of money into advertising and even sending out Windows interface sign-on disks. (Here at Falsoft, we must have received at least five or six of these disks.) If by some miracle America Online's marketing blitz passed you by, and you would like to test-drive America Online for 10 free hours, call the company at (800) 827-6364 and request your free disk. -=------------- -=*=- -=*=- -=*=- -------------=- Telecom Press Releases ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: we are publishing these press releases nearly verbatim as a service to SysOps and other online enthusiasts. We are not responsible for inaccuracies or excessive braggadocio. ** -=*=- From Solectek Corporation: AIRLAN/ACCESS AND AIRLAN/BRIDGE PLUS NOW SHIPPING: Completes Solectek's AIRLAN CAN (Campus Area Network) Offering Products Permit High Speed, Untethered, Seamless, Wireless, Mobile Networking SAN DIEGO, October 18, 1994 -- Solectek Corp., the innovator of wireless Campus Area Networking, today announced that AIRLAN/Access and AIRLAN/Bridge Plus are now shipping. AIRLAN/Access and AIRLAN/Bridge Plus are both integral to Solectek's AIRLAN CAN (Campus Area Networking), and complete the AIRLAN suite of wireless products that enable PC/laptop users to roam and communicate at full network speeds -- tested to be as much as 200% faster than competitive products -- throughout the entire campus, regardless of size. "With these new AIRLAN CAN product offerings, Solectek can satisfy the mobile user's need to communicate wirelessly at full network speeds over five doors, five floors, or five miles," said Jim DeBello, president and CEO of Solectek Corp. "AIRLAN/CAN offers untethered communications with no recurring costs." AIRLAN/Access is a wireless access point to a wired LAN that creates a 50,000-square foot roaming area, or "cell," for wireless workstations in a typical office environment. Multiple AIRLAN/Access units, strategically located, enable mobile users to roam seamlessly from access cell to access cell. AIRLAN's advanced software provides roaming capabilities by automatically switching addresses from one access point to another as signals weaken. 10Base10 and coaxial connectors provide instant access anywhere on an existing backbone, enabling any AIRLAN-equipped PC or notebook within 800 feet to be instantly linked to the network using Solectek's built-in configuration software. AIRLAN/Bridge Plus is a powerful wireless bridge for linking wired or wireless users at full network speeds in separate buildings up to three miles apart, or greater distances when using special Solectek antenna systems. AIRLAN/Bridge includes a new Base Station Protocol allowing multiple buildings to be linked through a single unit. AIRLAN/Bridge Plus also offers enhanced throughput -- 20% faster than the original AIRLAN/Bridge product -- and advanced filtering, with reliable link protocol for guaranteed packet delivery. The device outperforms and costs less than a T1 bridge and performs up to 40 times faster than leased lines. AIRLAN products use Spread Spectrum radio technology, operating within 902-928 megahertz. AIRLAN products offer a data rate of two megabits per second, and are compatible with Ethernet standards and all major LAN operating systems. The entire AIRLAN product family, including AIRLAN/Access and AIRLAN/Bridge Plus, is designed to be compatible with the upcoming wireless networking standard, and is compatible with all wireless products from Digital (formerly DEC) and AT&T GIS. AIRLAN/Access is available for $2499. AIRLAN/Bridge is available for $5499. Other cost-effective, wireless LAN products from Solectek include mobile adapters, AIRLAN/Parallel and AIRLAN/PCMCIA for $699 each, and AIRLAN/Internal for desktop machines for $799. For more information, contact Solectek's Technical Sales Group at (619) 450-1220. -=*=- From Mustang Software, Inc.: MUSTANG SOFTWARE REPORTS RECORD WILDCAT! SALES . . . . . . Reflecting Booming Demand for Bulletin Board Systems in Business MSI Makes INC. Magazine's List of Top 500 Fastest-Growing Private Firms LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Nov. 14, 1994, COMDEX -- Mustang Software, Inc., has announced record-breaking sales of its Wildcat! 4 BBS software since its introduction this past July. The four-month launch is the most successful in the company's eight-year history and, according to company officials, the fastest launch ever in BBS history. Mustang Software attributes it brisk sales to both the product itself and the marketing strategy behind it, and the booming demand for BBSs in business applications. Apropos of Mustang's revolutionary role in the BBS industry, Wildcat! 4 began shipping on the Fourth of July, representing the first major upgrade to the product since Version 3 was released three years prior. While total unit sales are climbing, Mustang Software's revenues are also setting some new records due in part to the popularity of the company's new high-end product, The Wildcat! BBS Suite. Mustang's total 1994 annual revenues are on track to reach an all-time high of $5 million, and the company has already been selected for this year's list of INC. Magazine's Top 500 fastest-growing private companies. -=*[ Product Enhancements, Marketing Game Plan Drive Sales ]*=- In terms of product technology, Mustang tailored the newest version of Wildcat! to address two key trends in the BBS world. "We were finding that the SysOps were becoming increasingly sophisticated and demanding more features that would allow them to individually tailor the way their BBS works," said Jim Harrer, president/CEO of Mustang Software, Inc. "At the same time, the growth of online services has led to an explosion in new BBS callers, which had to be addressed from a volume and ease-of-use standpoint." In terms of marketing, Wildcat! sales have been spurred on by substantial orders from Mustang's nationwide distributor network. Mustang pioneered the concept of selling BBS software through distributors, making Wildcat! the first BBS program to become widely available on the shelves of first-tier retail outlets such as CompUSA and Software, Etc. The breakthrough for Mustang occurred in late 1991 when Ingram Micro, the world's largest wholesale distributor of microcomputer products, added Wildcat! to its communications software catalog. The success of Wildcat! 4 is also largely attributable to another marketing first for Mustang -- the company's decision to focus on business and government applications. From the invention of BBSs in 1978 until 1990, BBS programs were almost exclusively the playthings of hobbyists. In 1990, only 10 percent of Wildcat! sales went into the business environment. Even when BBSs began to move into corporate applications, buyers were mainly high- technology firms that assumed advanced computer literacy on the part of callers. Today, however, business and government account for almost 70 percent of all Wildcat! orders. Between hobbyists and organizations, Mustang Software claims more than 30,000 SysOps. Boardwatch Magazine estimates there are 95,000 active BBSs worldwide, giving Wildcat! a leading market share of 32 percent. Mustang's leadership in identifying new markets for BBSs led Government Computer News to describe Harrer in a Sept. 5, 1994, profile as "Mr. BBS." -=*[ Business Applications Playing Big Role in Growing BBS Use ]*=- The acceptance of BBSs in business has, in fact, been one of the leading reasons for the rapid growth in BBS calling. "If you have a business and your computer system does not allow you to communicate with the outside world, it is a real handicap," Harrer said. "People in business are realizing that if they are not 'online' today, they will have to be online tomorrow, and a BBS provides one of the best ways to achieve that communications link." BBSs provide a relatively inexpensive way -- both in cost and training -- for employees to communicate with outside customers and with each other. This usually takes the form of 24-hour-a-day customer support hotlines, where a customer can call with a service question and then call back to find an answer waiting; and as central information systems for corporate field offices. While large organizations are fast adopting BBSs, sales to small and medium businesses as well as entrepreneurs continue to make up a large portion of Wildcat! orders. Mustang's customers, for instance, include an accountant in Bel Aire, Maryland, who answers his clients' tax- related questions via a BBS, and a realtor in Charlotte, North Carolina, who sells his properties using Wildcat! Wildcat Software, (805) 873-2500. -=*=- From Mustang Software: MUSTANG SOFTWARE INTRODUCES WILDCAT! 4.01 BBS SOFTWARE LAS VEGAS, Nev., Nov. 14, 1994, COMDEX -- Mustang Software, Inc., is introducing Wildcat! 4.01, the first updating of the world's most widely used bulletin board system (BBS) software since Version 4 was announced in July with more than 250 enhancements. The new Version 4.01 is also available as part of The Wildcat! BBS Suite, the telecommunications industry's first integrated offering of BBS products to be bundled and sold in a single package. A BBS provides a means for callers to leave, receive and view messages and files. A SysOp needs only a telephone line, a personal computer, a modem and BBS software to set up an electronic board. Wildcat! 4 is a top-to-bottom rewrite of the software, which first became available in 1987, addressing two key trends in the BBS world. "First, there is high demand among SysOps for more features that allow them to individually tailor the way their BBS works," said Jim Harrer, president/CEO of Mustang Software, Inc. "Second, the growth of online services has led to an explosion in new BBS callers, which must be accommodated from a volume and ease-of-use standpoint." -=*[ Powerful New Features Benefit Both BBS SysOp and Caller ]*=- The ".GIF Thumbnailer" is a new feature unique to Wildcat! 4 among all BBS software programs, allowing the caller to preview miniature versions of multiple picture files on a single screen. The caller can then make a fully informed decision before going to the time and expense of downloading a specific picture file. Wildcat! 4 provides a spelling checker as part of its online editor, allowing the caller to spell-check text before saving a message. The BBS's online editor is the most powerful in the field, offering standard word-processing features such as search-and-replace, and block cut and paste. The online scrollback and capture feature allows SysOps to scan back through a caller's entire activity while he or she is online, without interrupting the caller. With this tracking ability, the SysOp can immediately review the caller's activity for security and other purposes. Version 4 also incorporates an improved "Chat" capability, which facilitates live, online conversations via the BBS. More organizing power has been given to the SysOps, which helps them to better set up and manage the parties to specific conversations and speed up exchanges. To add to the SysOp's enjoyment, Wildcat! 4 offers up to 1000 "action words," which allows the SysOp to establish a conversational signature by automatically substituting slang or short sentences whenever the SysOp types in a particular word. -=*[ New Programming Language Offered With Wildcat! ]*=- Mustang Software offers a new programming language known as wcCODE with Version 4. Sold separately from the BBS software, wcCODE includes an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with compiler, editor and help screens. wcCODE is an easy-to-use, QuickBASIC-like language that allows the SysOp to write unique BBS applications, without requiring extensive programming experience or detailed knowledge of key BBS elements, such as modems. For the first time with Version 4, Wildcat! SysOps can alter the BBS's traditional four-menu structure ("Main," "Message," "File" and "SysOp") to produce their own unique menu choices based on individual BBS requirements. The SysOp can create hundreds of menus and place any Wildcat! feature or wcCDODE application on any menu, in any order. As the popularity of BBSs has spread worldwide, Wildcat! 4 also offers multiple language support. This feature allows SysOps to create a variety of language files (French, Spanish, German, etc.) to let callers take their pick when they log in. Other enhancements with Wildcat! 4 include an improved internal organizing system that increases database search-and-retrieval speeds by more than 10 times compared to previous versions of the software. Version 4 also gives SysOps plenty of room to grow their BBSs by providing up to 32,760 separate conferences and file areas, up from the 1000 available earlier with Wildcat! Wildcat! 4 keeps up with modem technology by supporting the new high- speed v.FC, v.32 and v.34 modems. Mustang's new BBS software also features expanded message sizes, driven primarily by the popularity of the Internet. Wildcat! 4 permits individual message sizes of up to 64K for more than 800 lines of text -- nearly six times larger than permissible on earlier versions of the BBS software. Wildcat!'s graphical user interface has been reworked to make it easier for the SysOp to implement the Remote Imaging Protocol (RIP) graphical interface. RIP, from TeleGraphix, Inc., of Huntington Beach, California, is the defacto graphics standard for BBSs. -=*[ Wildcat! 4 Is Available in Five Separate Versions ]*=- The PC/DOS-based Wildcat! 4 software is offered in five separate versions, starting with the $129 single-line package intended for single-phone line operation. For implementing a BBS in corporate environments, Mustang Software offers versions to simultaneously support up to 10 phone lines and 250 phone lines. Pricing for the MultiLine 10 and MultiLine 250 are $249 and $499, respectively. The MultiLine Platinum, priced at $799, also allows the SysOp to establish up to 250 phone lines. This version, however, permits up to eight phone lines to be attached to each PC supporting the BBS, resulting in substantial savings in the hardware and space. Finally, Mustang Software offers The Wildcat! BBS Suite for $999, the most complete BBS solution in the industry. The BBS Suite incorporates the MultiLine Platinum version of Wildcat! and all of Mustang's BBS add- on products, including the wcCODE programming language, a utilities package known as wcPRO and an Internet/MHS gateway program called wcGATE. wcCODE is regularly priced as a stand-alone product at $149. The wcPRO utilities, which includes a program for automatic faxing of documents, sells for $99. wcGATE, priced at $194, links Wildcat! 4 to the Internet and Novell, Inc.'s NetWare Message Handling Service (MHS) electronic-mail system. wcGATE permits Internet and MHS messages to be incorporated into the Wildcat! 4 system for all users to access. The new Version 4.01 update to Wildcat! 4 is available immediately and may be ordered directly from Mustang Software by calling (805) 873- 2500. Wildcat! 4 is also available nationwide on the retail level through such outlets as CompUSA and Software, Etc., and through major distributors including Ingram Micro of Santa Ana, California, and Tech Data of Clearwater, Florida. -=*[ Mustang Software, Inc. ]*=- Mustang Software, Inc., is a single-source supplier of bulletin board systems and related communications software. Unveiled in March 1987, Mustang's Wildcat! BBS now has an active installed base of more than 30,000 SysOps, making it the most popular BBS software program in the world. Mustang estimates that more than one million callers log on to a Wildcat! system each month. Mustang also offers the widely used QmodemPro Communications software program, with more than 80,000 registered users. With QmodemPro, acquired in November 1991, Mustang is the only supplier of both a BBS program and the communications software by which a caller may access a BBS. Formed in September 1986, Mustang Software is headquartered at 6200 Lake Ming Road, Bakersfield, CA 93306. The company can be reached by telephone at (805) 873-2500; the toll-free telephone number is (800) 999-9619; fax (805) 873-2599; and BBS (805) 873-2400. -=*=- From Pacific CommWare: PACIFIC COMMWARE SHIPS TURBOCOMMANDER, NEW WINDOWS COMM. MANAGER V.34-COMPATIBLE WINDOWS APPLICATION/UTILITY ACHIEVES NEW LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE AND USABILITY FOR HIGH-SPEED MODEMS ASHLAND, Oregon, October 31, 1994 -- Pacific CommWare today announced shipment of TurboCommander, the company's new manager for high-speed Windows telecommunications (MSRP: $49.95). Incorporating a full version of the TurboCom/2 drivers, TurboCommander provides reliable communications on four ports at V.34-level performance, with speeds up to 115.2 Kbps (in the presence of a 16550 UART). TurboCommander's Access manager for COM ports makes it possible to move easily among Windows applications that use a single modem. A fax application, for example, can be given primary ownership of the modem so that it can monitor for incoming faxes. Then, when another application needs the modem to download a file from a BBS, for example, the user simply launches this new "guest" program. TurboCommander transfers modem access gracefully to the guest. When the guest application finishes, TurboCommander automatically returns control of the modem to the owner application. Smooth and transparent, this process puts an end to recurrent contention errors and other hazards of modem sharing. TurboCommander also enables users to monitor their communications activity, with detailed, dynamic performance information that is presented on a port-by-port basis. With a point-and-click interface, it is easy to configure COM ports and the communications drivers and to optimize them for special purposes, such as carrying out high-speed communications in the background on a heavily loaded system. TurboCommander makes troubleshooting far more efficient by providing exact, real-time performance feedback, giving meaningful reports on unanticipated events and errors, and suggesting appropriate solutions for operating problems. "In our earlier products we focused on bringing Windows communications up to V.34-level performance and opening up the range of available ports," explained John Loram, CEO of Pacific CommWare. "In TurboCommander, we've broadened our scope. Now we're extending users' control so that they can take full advantage of the flexibility and sophistication of their communications resources within the Windows environment." For users with advanced troubleshooting needs, Pacific CommWare offers a companion product, TurboCommander Pro. Designed for system integrators, network administrators and application developers, this product encompasses all the features of TurboCommander, while adding support for nine high-speed ports. Further, TurboCommander Pro incorporates a set of four innovative diagnostic tools, known collectively as CommDDT (for Communications Development Debugging Tools). These tools make it possible to penetrate the interaction between the application and the Windows communications Application Program Interface (API) and to view the internal state of the comm drivers. "We've taken the lid off the black box for Windows communication," commented Loram. "Information is the key to understanding, and with TurboCommander and TurboCommander Pro, users can finally see exactly what's happening with their serial communications, then customize this performance to fit their needs." Shipping in the third quarter of 1994, TurboCommander will be available at a suggested retail price of $49.95. TurboCommander Pro will be available for $99.95. Currently registered users of TurboCom/2 can purchase TurboCommander for $29.95 and TurboCommander Pro for $69.95. Pacific CommWare provides software and hardware for high-performance communications under Windows. Pacific CommWare products are marketed directly, sold through national dealers, such as Egghead and Software Spectrum, and bundled by vendors like IBM, Charles Schwab and Toshiba. Pacific CommWare is located at 180 Beacon Hill Lane, Ashland, OR 97520. the order line is (800) 856-3818 and the company can be reached at (503) 482-2744 (voice) and (503) 482-2627 (fax). -=*=- From Delrina Corporation: DELRINA FORMFLOW SUPPORTS MOBILE PROFESSIONALS "Industry-Leading Enterprise Forms Solution Now Supports Wireless Workflow and Electronic Commerce Applications" LAS VEGAS, November 14, 1994, COMDEX -- Delrina Corporation today announced that its award-winning FormFlow -- forms application creation and routing software for enterprises -- is now enabled for wireless communications by Motorola's AirMobile suite of software development tools and mobile communications servers. With AirMobile, Delrina FormFlow users can now route forms and data on all major wireless packet data networks, such as RAM and ARDIS, worldwide. "The AirMobile products from Motorola expand our potential markets by instantly providing a wireless solution for our customers," said Albert Behr, Director of Marketing, Forms and Network Fax Products at Delrina. "The wireless packet data networks can now act as extensions to FormFlow LAN or WAN solutions, allowing mobile professionals to participate in the workflow and routing of electronic forms and transactions." For example, a customer's head office can facilitate sales by automatically updating its field sales team with new product pricing and changes in credit policy, and have this automatically reflected in the sales order FormFlow application residing on each salesperson's laptop. Similarly, an insurance claims adjuster can proceed with a FormFlow accident claim application and receive head office approval before leaving the scene of the accident. "Delrina FormFlow is a product ideally suited to mobile users," said Jerry Upton, Motorola's Director of Mobile Software Products. "Gaining the support of a key industry player like Delrina expedites our ability to leverage existing and future wireless communications standards into a common industry architecture." Delrina FormFlow enables individuals with little or no programming experience to quickly create sophisticated forms applications with conditional logic and deploy them across their organization using their LAN-based e-mail systems. By enabling FormFlow for wireless transmissions, Delrina further strengthens its market leadership in the routing and processing of electronic forms. Delrina's inter-company approach, involving field staff, mobile professionals, and trading partners, includes point-to-point fax (WinFax), point-to-point data (Forms Data Interchange) and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). Earlier this year, Delrina announced a strategic relationship with MobileComm, a BellSouth Company, to integrate paging into future versions of its fax and forms products. "Wireless technology is an area that we intend to further embellish in the future," added Behr. "It should not fundamentally matter whether professionals are hooked up to copper wire or not. They all use data and we intend to support them, wherever they happen to be." Delrina, (800) 268-6082. -=*=- From Practical Peripherals: PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS INTRODUCES TEN V.34 MODEMS . . . . . . With DTE Speeds up to 230.4Kbps THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (October 31, 1994) -- Practical Peripherals announces 10 new high-performance modems all supporting the newly ratified ITU-T V.34 specification for 28,000 bps data operation. The 10 modems span the company's three product families -- ProClass, Practical and MacClass -- and provide optimal price/performance solutions for virtually everyone requiring high-speed communications. The new ProClass V.34 products, ideal for business or high-technology users, offer advanced features like 230,400 bps DTE (computer to modem) speeds and up to 8:1 compression, providing performance increases up to 49 percent in laboratory testing. "The capability to increase performance by nearly half means datacom phone calls potentially take only half as long, depending on the type of file. It's easy to see how this can translate into significant dollar savings, especially for anyone who sends or receives large volumes of data," says Jack Murphy, president. Among Practical's ProClass V.34 offerings are the ProClass 288HC internal modem, the ProClass 288MT external modem featuring an ergonomic design for either vertical or horizontal use, and the ProClass 288LCD desktop model with three-line LCD displaying over 100 real-time status messages. Two credit card-sized ProClass PCMCIA 288 modems provide the ultimate in high-speed portability featuring an enhanced 16550 UART with 64-character buffer for maximum throughput, automatic idle mode for notebook battery power savings, and flash memory for quick and easy feature updates. A choice of either a PCMCIA RJ-11 cable or pop-out RJ- 11 connector are available. Other ProClass features include Hayes AutoSync, synchronous and leased line operation, distinctive ring detection, telephone calling card (bong) detection and six help screens in ROM. All ProClass modems come with Quick Link II Win/DOS data/fax and WinFax Lite software. In the Practical family -- targeted at small office and home users -- the Practical 288MT II external and 288HC II internal modems feature DTE speeds up to 115,200 bps and are offered at suggested retail prices starting as low as $259. Practical modems come with Quick Link II Win/DOS data and fax software. Designed especially for Macintosh users, the MacClass 288MT II and MacClass 288LCD offer similar feature sets to ProClass and Practical modems but include MacComCenter data and fax software and a Mac cable. The new V.34 modems are fully compatible with other manufacturers' V.34 modems as well as V.FAST Class (V.FC) modems at speeds from 28,800 bps down to 300 bps. They also offer 14,400 bps send/receive fax capabilities. Made in the USA, these V.34 modems come with a lifetime warranty, (except the PCMCIA products' five-year warranty), seven-day-a-week technical support and money-saving online communications offers from CompuServe, America Online and GEnie. The following are ship dates and suggested retail prices for the new modems: ProClass 288MT Now shipping $379 ProClass 288HC November 1994 $359 ProClass 288LCD January 1995 $459 ProClass 288T2 November 1994 $449 ProClass 288T2-EZ November 1994 $459 Practical 288MT II Now shipping $279 Practical 288HC II November 1994 $259 MacClass 288MT II December 1994 $279 MacClass 288LCD January 1995 $459 In addition, a V.34 rack model is soon to be announced for use with eight and 16-modem chassis. This ProClass 288RC rack modem offers hot swap, busy-out and loopback switches plus other superior features of its ProClass brothers. Well-regarded by both industry experts and users, Practical modems' recent honors include "Editor's Choice" from PC Magazine, "Reader's Choice" from BYTE, "Editor's Choice" from PC/Computing, "Top Modem Choice" from Government Computer News, and "Editor's Pick" from Computer Shopper. Practical Peripherals also offers printer fax cartridges, printer buffers and other peripherals. Practical Peripherals, (805) 497-4774. -=*=- From Racotek, Inc.: RACOTEK TO PROVIDE DATA SERVICES OVER RAM MOBILE DATA NETWORK MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 14, 1994 -- Racotek, Inc. (Nasdaq: RACO), a wireless mobile data communication services company, today announced that it has signed a reseller agreement for the RAM Mobile Data network. The agreement means that organizations with application software programs written to the RacoNet mobile network operating environment will have access to the RAM Mobile Data network without any change to their applications. The RAM Mobile Data network will be available to Racotek customers beginning the first quarter of 1995. "Racotek's strategy is to provide mobile data customers with simultaneous access to multiple wireless networks," said Richard Cortese, Racotek president and CEO. "Adding RAM Mobile Data to our coverage is an important step in our strategy because it delivers a class of service that companies need to reach their mobile workers." "Vertical market applications available over RacoNet are geared toward companies that are early adopters of mobile data. These companies will have access to RAM's nationwide networks, featuring transparent roaming and broad coverage with in-building penetration," Cortese said. Racotek has more than 50 application software providers integrating their vertical market applications to the RacoNet mobile network operating environment. RacoNet provides advanced object-oriented tools to make mobile application development faster and easier for the wireless industry. RacoNet, once integrated into a customer's application, isolates the application from the unusual characteristics of wireless data transmission. RacoNet's advanced features include message optimization, store and forward and peer-to-peer and client/server support, assuring prompt message delivery. Racotek is a mobile data customer's single source for end-to-end network support. Racotek's network management, diagnostic tools and expert support staff quickly isolate faults within a wireless network, allowing immediate corrective action. The result is a mobile data network with LAN-like reliability. Headquartered in Woodbridge, New Jersey, RAM Mobile Data USA Limited Partnership operates multiuser wireless data communication networks providing coverage in more than 7700 cities and towns in the nation's top 238 MSAs (metropolitan statistical areas), as well as major airports and transportation corridors, including more than 92 percent of the U.S. urban business population. RAM Mobile Data is a business venture between RAM Broadcasting Corporation and BellSouth, the largest regional telecommunications company, which has investments in MOBITEX systems around the world. Minneapolis-based Racotek has developed wireless networking software that is the interface between a customer's chosen application and the components of a mobile communication system including support for multiple wireless infrastructures. -=------------=- T-H-E E-N-D F-O-R N-O-W -=------------=-