THE ENABLED COMPUTER: ABLEDATA CD-ROM UPDATE DUE WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- The Trace Research and Development Center is about to release the sixth edition of the Co- Net Hyper-ABLEDATA and DOS-ABLEDATA, an enabling technology database of tens of thousands of products. Newsbytes uses this database often as do many other specialists who work with disabled computer users, but the latest release had been delayed so the Trace Center was able to greatly upgrade the disc's offerings. The same CD-ROM (Compact Disc - Read Only Memory) will contain Macintosh and MS-DOS versions of the access files with the DOS version specifically designed to be text-to-speech friendly for visually impaired users of the reference information. ABLEDATA is an indexed database containing about 20,000 product listings (some of which are marked as discontinued) of specialty products which range from special software and hardware intended to accommodate various disabilities, to desks designed for wheelchair users. The next release, which the center says will be available in August, will include an expanded text library containing documents covering special funding, the full text of the new Rehabilitation Act, and many ADA legislation and technical assistance manuals. A new co-operative service directory will include information about state and nation-wide disability-related services providers. A specific price for the new version of ABLEDATA has not been announced, but the previous versions were sold as a two-issue subscription at a very low price and those subscribers who have already paid for and received issue number five will get the expanded Co-Net 6 as part of their subscription. Co-Net is available from The Trace Research and Development Center, S-151 Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, 608-262-6966. (John McCormick/19930719/Press Contact: Peter Borden, Trace Center, 608-262-6966) "HILLARY SHOULD LET AL GORE COME OUT TO PLAY" WASHINGTON, D.C, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- Robert D. Steele, an ex-government intelligence officer and organizer of the second annual "National Security & National Competitiveness: Open Source Solutions" symposium, has asserted that the Clinton Administration is ignoring Vice President Al Gore's potential contributions in the field of Information Technology (IT). According to Steele, the US is living in an age of information and informational warfare. "Al Gore is our secret weapon and he is not being used," he told Newsbytes. As a result, Steele said, he is concerned that Hillary Clinton may be involved in preventing Gore from "coming out to play." Steele added that the administration seems to want nothing to overshadow Hillary Clinton's health care work, but that, in terms of long range benefit, the effective gathering and use of information may be even more important to the national interest. Gore is tentatively scheduled to speak at the lunch on the first day of the three day Symposium, which opens on November 2 at the Omni Shorham Hotel in Washington, DC. Other speakers lined up for the event include Alvin Toffler; author of "The Third Wave" and "Future Shock"; Phil Leder, deputy director for management, Office of Management and Budget (OMB); Air Force retired Lt. General Norman Wood, former director of Intelligence Community Staff; Ross Stapleton, analyst, Central Intelligence Agency; and Mitch Kapor, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Steele told Newsbytes that he has been working with congressional staff on the drafting of a bill that will greatly increase funding to seed the transition to an open, more flexible method of intelligence gathering and sharing. (Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930719/Press Contact: Robert Steele, Open Sources Solutions, 703-536-1775 (voice); 703- 536-1776 (fax); E-mail on the Internet - steller@well.sf.ca.us) DALSA INTROS 120MB/SEC DIGITAL SCANNER CAMERA WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA, JUL 19 (NB) -- Dalsa, a Canadian firm that specializes in the development and manufacture of solid state image sensors and cameras, has announced a fast digital TDI line scan camera that has an effective data rate of 120 megabits (MB) per second. The company claims that the camera employs time delay and integration technology which scans an image over multiple scan states, allowing it to capture high contrast images. That's of particular importance, Dalsa reckons, for use in applications with low ambient light, or in applications where images are moving at an extremely high speed. Applications include high speed manufacturing and quality inspection, high speed document scanning and optical character reading (OCR), wafer and PC board inspection, and defect detection applications. The new camera comes in two versions, one that can scan only in the forward direction, and one with bi-directional capabilities. Both versions support resolutions of 2,048 pixel elements. One model provides buffered raw analog video on eight parallel channels directly from the image sensor, while a second model provides eight- bit digital video. The company claims that the low light capability of the camera is particularly important in applications that cannot tolerate high light levels, such as light sensitive film and the inspection of food. (Jim Mallory/19930719/Press contact: Rob Ambrose, Dalsa - 519-886- 6000; Reader contact: DALSA Inc, 519-886-6000, fax 519-886-8023) ACC INTROS ETHERNET RISC MODULE FOR ENTERPRISE HUB CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- Fault-tolerant computing is becoming increasingly important for users of Ethernet networks. Now Advanced Computer Communications has announced the availability of a new Four-Port Ethernet RISC (reduced instruction- set computing) Module for its ACCes/4500 Enterprise Hub. According to the company, the module is designed to allow organizations to connect dozens of local Ethernet connections into a single enterprise hub. The new module provides users with increased local routing flexibility by supporting up to 40 Ethernet networks in a single 11-slot chassis. Additionally, the module is supported by a 320 Mbps high-speed backplane and a 10 Mbps backplane for fault-tolerant, high-speed connectivity. Announcing the module, Kurt Bauer, ACC's director of marketing, said: "With the new Four-Port Ethernet RISC Module, we have crafted a high-performance, fault-tolerant bridge/router solution to allow organizations to cost-effectively connect their local Ethernet networks to corporate information highways." The new module allows for the support of all major internetworking protocols, including TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange), DECnet, AppleTalk, XNS, RIP, and OSPF. The module supports SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)-based network management. "This module was created for large- to mid-sized organizations with mission-critical corporate networks composed of multiple local and remote networks," he said. According to ACC, the ACCes/4500 Enterprise Hub is an integrated physical platform that houses up to 10 internetworking modules in combinations of Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interchange) and a variety of wide-area interfaces. The Four-Port Ethernet RISC Module is listed at $8,550. (Ian Stokell/19930719/Press Contact: Mindy Rauch, 408-864-0630, ACC) DIGIBOARD INTROS SERIAL PORT PRODUCTS FOR SPARC MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- Digiboard has introduced its first serial port products for the Sun SPARC computing environment. The company has announced the SBus C/X and SBus EPC/x, two high performance cluster controller systems that allow users to add from 16 to 896 users to multi-user and networked systems via asynchronous serial ports. The company claims that the new controller systems offer higher speeds, greater CPU efficiency, more channels, longer distance capabilities and better diagnostic functions than existing serial products. The company also claims that the two new systems are ideal for applications requiring multiple high speed modems or digital communication devices. Aggregate throughput for the EPC/X system supports 115 kilobits-per-second (Kbps) on 96 ports. Both systems can act as remote multiplexors allowing cluster groups to be configured remotely across telephone lines using standard analog modems, or via DSU/CSU equipment on a 56 Kbps leased line. Joe Toste, Digiboard product manager, said that Digiboard developed the two units in recognition of Sun's growing share of the commercial workstation and server marketplace and its participation incorporate downsizing. "Many commercial transaction processing applications, such as customer service, bank trading, and inventory control, require large numbers of users on a single system," he said. Digiboard's SBus system consists of a host adapter card that is installed in the Sun host computer, attached to one or more Digiboard C/CON-16 or EPCCON-16 concentrator boxes. Each box provides connections for up to 16 users via standard RS-232, DB25 or RJ45 connectors. The adapter card can support up to 14 EPC/CON-16s or eight C/CON-16s for a maximum of 224 ports per slot. Up to four SBus adapters can be installed in the host, allowing for a maximum of 896 users. Using synchronous cabling, the C/CON-16 concentrators can be located as far as 4,000 feet from the host computer. With the Digiboard Fiber Link option, standard fiber optic cabling can be used to locate the first concentrator as far as 1.2 miles from the host. Using synchronous modems, workgroups can be tied to the server from anywhere in the world. According to Digiboard, the SBus C/X is capable of sustaining data transmission rates of up to 38.4 kilobytes with as many as 64 concurrent users. Each serial channel has surge protection and each concentrator box has pass-through fault tolerance to protect other concentrators should one fail. The SBus EPC/x is an enhanced performance cluster system that utilizes RISC (reduced instruction set computing) technology to achieve its speed and power. It can handle transmission rates of up to 115.2 Kbps for systems with up to 96 concurrent users, and Digiboard guarantees 38.4 Kbps with 896 users. Both systems are scheduled to ship in August, and will be on display at the Interop Fall trade show August 25 through 27, 1993. The SBus c/x has a suggested retail price of $2,395, while the EPC/X sells for $2,895. Prices include the adapter card and one concentrator box. (Jim Mallory/19930719/Press contact: Kristin Kimmel, Digiboard, 612-943-9020, ext 344) COMDEX/CANADA: BIG CROWDS, BUT FEW NEW PRODUCTS TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- The first Comdex/Canada show took its place on the Canadian computer trade show calendar with authority. Organizers say the show attracted more than 35,000 visitors. That figure exceeds the 20,000 advance projection given out by the show's backer -- The Interface Group of Needham, Massachusetts. It also about equals the established Canadian Computer Show, which has taken place in Toronto every fall for 23 years. There were more than 300 exhibitors at the show -- also comparable to the Canadian Computer Show -- but a fairly small number of new products were announced. Newsbytes has already covered several announcements from the show over the past few days. The following is a brief summary of others. Hummingbird Communications, a Markham, Ontario-based supplier of PC X Windows software, said it recently began shipping eXceed/Xpress, software that provides remote access to Unix/X applications from a personal computer running Microsoft Windows. Meant for laptop and notebook computer users, the software costs US$249 for a single user and required the company's Xpress/Host software on Unix at a cost of US$125. Hummingbird is also shipping eXceed/Motif-W, a tool kit for the Open Software Foundation's Motif user interface that complements the X Development Kit sold with the firm's eXceed/W 3.3 X Windows access software. The price is US$195. New releases of eXceed/W, which provides access to X applications from Windows, and eXceed/DOS, which does the same for DOS PCs, are now available, both at US$545 per single copy. Hummingbird also said it is readying eXceed/NT, a version of the software for Microsoft's new Windows NT operating system, and will ship it when NT becomes available. Hummingbird has distribution in 40 countries around the world, as well as offices in Canada, the United States, and Switzerland, said company spokeswoman Lorraine Neal. WordPerfect Corporation has released the Canadian-English version of WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS, and said a Canadian-French version will be available later this summer. The suggested retail price is C$595 for a full package, with upgrade available to current WordPerfect customers for C$155. Owners of rival word processors can switch for C$179. HMS Software, the St. Laurent, Quebec-based Canadian distributor for Welcom Software Technology of Houston, introduced Welcom's new Texim Project for Windows NT project management software to the Canadian market. The software will run on Intel, DEC Alpha, and MIPS hardware under NT, officials said. It will be available when Windows NT ships. (Grant Buckler/19930719/Press Contact: Kim Pappas, The Interface Group, 617-449-6600, fax 617-449-6617; Lorraine Neal, Hummingbird Communications, 416-470-1203, fax 416-470-1207; Jeff Larsen, WordPerfect, 801-228-5034, fax 801-228-5077; Denise Desmeules, HMS Software, 514-333-0718, fax 514-333-7093) CANADIAN PRODUCT LAUNCH UPDATE TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- This regular feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the Canadian market on announcement by international companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week: AST's energy-saving PC, Toshiba's multimedia computer, an AutoCAD update for the Macintosh, and a new Canadian distributor for Compaq. Toshiba of Canada Information Systems Group launched the T6600C portable multimedia computer (Newsbytes, July 9) in Canada. The Canadian suggested retail price is C$11,399 and shipment is due to begin before the end of July. The company also said it will sell two new CD-ROM drives, the internal XM-3401B-S and the external TXM-3401E, in Canada. Both are due to be available in July. AST Canada Inc. introduced to Canada its Bravo LP energy-saving personal computer. With three models using Intel 486 processors that run at 25, 33, and 66 megahertz (MHz), the machine conforms to Energy Star guidelines recently launched in the United States. Prices start at C$1,799. Autodesk Canada said that AutoCAD Release 12 for the Apple Macintosh (Newsbytes, May 18) is now available here. The suggested retail price is C$4,688, and registered users of Release 11 can upgrade for C$625. Compaq Canada has added Computer Brokers of Canada to its list of Canadian distributors. CBC will handle Compaq servers, as well as desktop, portable, and notebook personal computers. (Grant Buckler/19930719/Press Contact: Anthony DeCristofaro, AST Canada, 416-507-3278; Al Steel, Autodesk Canada, 416-946-0928; Joh Robinson, Compaq Canada, 416-229-8808; Joel Hinderle, Computer Brokers of Canada, 416-660-1616 ext. 2092; Sam Orthlieb, Toshiba Canada, 416-470-3478 ext. 252) ****NOVEL RELEASED AS "SHAREWARE" ON THE INTERNET NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 19 (NB) -- INTER.PACT Press has announced that it has released "Terminal Compromise" by Winn Schwartau as a shareWare "novel-on-the-net" (a term that the company has trademarked). Terminal Connections was previously published as a 562 page hardcover book (ISBN 0-962-87000-5) and, according to the publishers "has sold extremely well world-wide." The novel is billed as a techno-thriller, claiming to deal with information uses, piracy and attempts to exploit weakness in the US techno-economic infrastructure. According to INTER.PACT, the book is not being issued into the public domain and, in issuing it as shareware, neither the author nor the publisher is waiving any rights or copyrights. INTER.PACT claims that the work is "being distributed electronically so hundreds of thousands more people can enjoy it and understand just where we are heading with our omnipresent interconnectedness and the potential dangers we face." The manuscript may be obtained through use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) over the Internet. FTP is a term used to describe the automated download of a file from a computer system over the Internet, using standard protocols. To download the file automatically over the net, Internet-connected users should log on to netsys.com (in the /pub/novel directory); or wuarchive.wustl.edu(/doc/misc); or soda.berkeley.edu (/pub/novel). The announcement refers to the net version of Terminal Connection as the "world's first novel-on-the-net". It also mentions that the work is still available in traditional form in bookstores. (Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930719/Press Contact: Winn Schwartau, 813-393-6600 (voice); 813-393-6361 (fax); Email over the Internet: wschwartau@mcimail.com) ARTISOFT SHIPS NEW T-RUNNER CONCENTRATORS TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 21 (NB) -- Artisoft Inc., has begun shipping its two new external, 10Base-T concentrators. The eight-port T-Runner 800/TC concentrator is priced at $449, and the twelve-port T-Runner 1200/TC concentrator is priced at $749. According to the company, both are compatible with a number of networking environments, including Artisoft's own LANtastic peer-to-peer network operating system (NOS) and Novell's market-leading NetWare NOS. The company also claims that the non-managed concentrators are in 100 percent compliance with the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards and contain a BNC (Bayonet-Neill-Concelman) connector that allows concentrators to be linked to one another via thin coax cable. The BNC connector also allows for the mixing of cable types. As an example, the company says that the T-Runner concentrators enable users on a 10Base-T segment to connect and communicate with users on a coax segment. Both concentrators also include an auto partitioning feature that automatically disables ports that do not have link integrity. (Ian Stokell/19930721/Press Contact: Joe Stunkard, 602-670-7145, Artisoft Inc.) BRAZIL'S GIANT COMPUTER TRADE SHOW OPENS SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 21 (NB) -- Highlighting the importance of the South American market for both US computer and software suppliers, as well as their foreign competitors, more than 1,000 computer companies, 700 of them from South America, are participating in this year's Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Fenasoft computer fair. Douglas Kilarski, managing editor of Reseller World, has called South America a vital and vigorous, but largely untapped, computer market. Brazil's computer market was not always this open to foreign competition. In fact, the government once blocked nearly all access to the domestic market to encourage the development of a local computer industry, but this changed several years ago and a number of foreign companies are now engaged in joint ventures and separate business activities in Brazil. IBM is reportedly concentrating much more on sales to individuals and small businesses this year, rather than continuing its traditional near-exclusive pursuit of big business. At least as large as the US-based Comdex, the Seventh Fenasoft trade show is expected by sponsors to host about 900,000 visitors over its four-day life. (John McCormick/19930721) FOCUS ON INDIA AT SINGAPORE INFORMATICS '93 NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JUL 21 (NB) -- India will be the "feature country" at the Singapore Informatics `93 exhibition to be in Singapore, scheduled for October 14-17, 1993. "About 15 to 20 Indian companies have shown an interest in participating in the show," said Yonick Pinto, manager of overseas trade fairs and exhibitions for Indtravels - the company promoting the fair in India. Among the firms said to have shown an interest are Tata Unisys Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services, Larsen & Toubro, Pyramid Business Solutions, Softpack Computers, Silverline Industries, and Birla Consultancy Services. "IT 2000-Excellence in business quality in life" is the theme for the show being organized by the Singapore Federation of the Computer Industry and co-sponsored by the National Computer Board, Singapore Computer Society, Singapore Telecom and the Microcomputer Trade Association of Singapore. The feature area for Singapore Informatics this year will be to exhibit a model home or office as it would appear in the year 2000. This will include multimedia, imaging, windows, videoconferencing, virtual reality, open systems, networking, data communications, and mobile computing. The show, which was organized for the first time in 1986, is said to attract 1,000 exhibitors and over a 100,000 visitors. Last year, visitors from 41 countries were recorded. Also, 27 countries - including India, US, France, Germany, Canada, Hong Kong, UK, Austria, and Taiwan - took part in the event. (C.T. Mahabharat/19930721) LITTELFUSE FACTORY EARNS ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 21 (NB) -- The Centralia, Illinois factory operated by Des Plaines, Ill-based Littelfuse has just become the first US electronic circuit protection device manufacturer to receive two ISO quality management certifications. ISO 9000 certification, which refers to quality control in manufacturing, is being required by more companies which are buying these critical computer system protection components. This is the second US certification the company has earned in the last nine months. The first was awarded to its Arcola, Ill. Power Fuse manufacturing plant in 1992. In addition to its domestic certifications, Littelfuse was also granted ISO Certifications for its plants in England and Switzerland in 1988 and 1990. The Centralia facility is the world's primary producer of latest technology sub-miniature surface mount fuses utilized on advanced circuit boards for a broad spectrum of electronic devices, says the company. Surface mount components can be packed much more closely together than traditional circuit board elements because, instead of having leads which are pushed through circuit boards and soldered to traces on the back of the board, surface mount technology allows components to be mounted on both sides of a board and do not require holes drilled through the board. The components made by Littelfuse are circuit protectors of various sorts which provide other sensitive components with some protection from power surges. (John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: Art Skwerski, 708-391-0307, Littelfuse)