Software Unbundlers Sell Illegally Obtained Programs On the Cheap  
Oct. 3--The box of software on sale at a recent computer swap meet looked 
ordinary enough. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, Mavis Beacon Teaches 
Typing, Chessmaster 2100 and 11 other programs loaded onto three CD-ROM disks. 
But the $39 price was a steal. And stolen is exactly what the disks were,
according to one company whose software was included in the box. 
The package contained software meant to be sold with a new personal computer,
a common computer-industry practice called bundling. 
Software developers sell games, encyclopedias and other programs on CD- ROM to
computer makers at deep discounts so the titles will be included with new
machines when they are sold. Computer makers hope the extra goodies will 
entice shoppers to buy their machines. Software companies hope consumers will 
get hooked on the programs and come back to the store for more - paying full 
price when they do. 
But software companies claim crooks are separating the CD-ROM programs and
selling them to shady distributors. The distributors then sell the goods to
mom-and-pop retailers who in turn market them at swap meets at rock-bottom 
prices. 
"At swap meets it's rampant," said Phil Adam, a vice president at Interplay,
the Irvine game-software company. 
Retailers who sell unbundled goods maintain they're not doing anything wrong. 
"Whoever is leaking these (to us), it's their responsibility," said Willy Hsu,
with Axis Systems in Orange, Calif., the company selling the $39 package.
"From our perspective, if we don't sell this, someone else will." 
But software-industry officials say unbundling violates copyright law and 
distribution agreements between publishers and computer makers. 
Companies such as Microsoft have filed numerous suits - and won. The Software
Publishers Association has logged 30 to 40 complaints about the practice since
spring, said Sandra Sellers, an attorney for the Washington, 
D.C., trade group. 
"It's so significant. It's really hurt small publishers, people who only sell
a few games," Sellers said. "Also, a number of retailers say it's putting them
out of business. If they're selling at retail (prices) at a swap meet, and
someone else is selling the same thing for half the price, they're not getting
any business." 
However, catching unbundlers is tough, because the practice is still new, 
and industry officials aren't sure where goods are slipping out of the 
distribution chain, Sellers said. 
Some experts blame duplicators, companies hired to copy software and send it
to computer makers for bundling. Unethical duplicators make more than enough
copies, then sell the overstock to distributors, software publishers said. 
Others believe that programs that are shipped to Asia to be sold with 
foreign-made computers are routed back to the United States and sold. 
Still others say companies that go under or discontinue an outdated computer
model or multimedia upgrade kit unload leftover bundled software on 
distributors. 
The Software Publishers Association is looking into the situation. "Our goal
is not only education but to find appropriate situations and bring some
lawsuits," Sellers said. "It's necessary to send a message that this is
serious." 
The association has set up a toll-free number, (800) 388-7478, to report 
unbundling and other software piracy. Software publishers are taking other 
steps including: 
- Numbering disks to make them easier to trace. - Adding clauses to
distribution contracts that prohibit unbundling and spell out consequences if
it happens. 
- Working with the association to disseminate information on the problem to
all software makers. 
Finally, software companies are going after people who unbundle. The Software
Toolworks, publisher of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and other popular consumer
titles, has settled several dozen claims, said Jim Kennedy, the company's
general counsel. 
"As part of the settlement, we require them to tell us who they got a product
from," Kennedy said. "We try to trace our way through the distribution chain." 
The Software Toolworks also sends investigators to swap meets to distribute
fliers explaining why shoppers and vendors should avoid buying and selling
unbundled goods. Sometimes they take names and numbers of people they see
selling them, Kennedy said. 
"The difficulty is you can't go to every swap meet and you can't I.D. every
person who winds up with an unbundled copy," he said. ''But you make the most
of the opportunities you find and hope the word gets out that you take this
seriously." 
Microsoft is another company that takes unbundling seriously. This year the
company expanded its legal department and hired a former police officer to
surf bulletin boards looking for software pirates. 
In February, Microsoft received what company officials call a landmark 
decision when a New York judge ruled that a local reseller was guilty of 
selling unbundled Microsoft programs. In the ruling, the judge determined that
the reseller was bound by the same licensing agreement as the distributor who
sold the reseller the software. 
Since then, Microsoft has conducted software raids in a number of cities, 
including Los Angeles and San Diego, said Alison Gilligan, a senior anti- 
piracy specialist. 
"We're slowly making progress, but there's a long way to go," she said. 
Apparently the word is getting out. Even though retailer Axis Systems sells
some unbundled software, it steers clear of Microsoft software of questionable
origin. 
"Everyone knows you never sell those separately. You just don't do it," said
Hsu, the Axis Systems sales manager.  


*********************************
-TV WILL BE REDEFINED AS PEOPLE STOP WATCHING AND START USING THEIR 
SETS
 CHICAGO, Oct. 4  -- Television will be redefined "as people 
demand to be stimulated instead of vegetative -- when they stop watching and
start USING their television," said Richard C. Notebaert, Ameritech chairman
and CEO, in a speech today to the Broadcasting & Cable Interface VIII
Conference in New York. 
During his speech, Notebaert pointed to a recent study showing that only 13
percent of Americans said they would watch more television if they had some
extra time -- the exact same percentage that mentioned they would sleep more. 
The challenge facing the broadcasting and communications industries is to make
television a tool to enhance the quality of life. 
"Do you watch your car?  No!  You use your car.  The same is true of your
telephone, your computer, your washing machine and just about every other
device you can mention," Notebaert said.  "They are tools you use to enhance
the quality of your life, and tomorrow's audience is going to expect the same
kind of utility from their televisions." 
Notebaert said television will be redefined in terms of audience, content,
providers, technology and value.  "In addition to entertainment, 
a whole host of useful transactional opportunities will redefine content, and
these too will compete for the viewers' time.  We think tomorrow's 'killer
applications' will be related to virtual reality, which is, in essence, real
time animation," he said. 
Notebaert said as the information age unfolds, "We're going to close the 
societal gap of information retrieval because we're going to bring it to 
everyone." 
Ameritech, one of the world's largest communications companies, helps more
than 13 million customers keep in touch.  The company provides a wide range of
local phone, data and video services in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and
Wisconsin.  Ameritech is creating dozens of new information, entertainment and
interactive services for homes, businesses and governments around the world. 
One of the world's leading wireless companies, Ameritech serves more than 1
million cellular and half a million paging customers, and holds cellular
interests in Norway and Poland.  Ameritech also owns interests in Telecom New
Zealand and Matav, the communications company of Hungary, and in business
directories in Germany and other countries.  Nearly one million investors hold
Ameritech shares. 


*****************************
Motorola Unit/PowerStack -2-: Based On PowerPC Chips >MOT
  NEW YORK  Motorola Inc.'s (MOT) Motorola Computer Group unveiled its
 PowerStack family of RISC personal computers. 
  In a press release, Motorola said the PowerStack is based on the PowerPC
 603 microprocessor, and the servers and multiuser computer systems are based
 on the PowerPC 603 and PowerPC 604 microprocessors. 
  Motorola said the PowerStack products include the model DT603-66, a RISC
 PC. The company said the PowerStack server products include the Series E
 Model E603-66P, a PowerPC 603 microprocessor-based, entry-level workgroup
 server that can be used to connect up to 32 users; and the E604-100P, a
 configuration based on a PowerPC 604 microprocessor capable of supporting up
 to 128 users. 
  The company said PowerStack products are available immediately with
 International Business Machines Corp.'s (IBM) AIX operating system through a
 strategic technology partnership with IBM. 
  Motorola said its Computer Group intends to offer client/server
 configurations that target departmental and enterprisewide computing
 requirements over the next year. 
  The company said the PowerStack RISC PC is available in either a desktop,
 low-profile enclosure or in a mini-tower model. 
  Motorola said the RISC PC model will be priced at $3,295, while the price
 of the mini-tower version of the RISC PC, or MT603-66, will start at $3,445.
 The company said the model E603-66P will be priced starting at $5,995, and
 the model E604-100P will be priced starting at $7,995. 
  Motorola's Computer Group also unveiled the PowerStack Series MP family of
 high-end, high-performance symmetric multiprocessing servers based on
 PowerPC microprocessors and the AIX operating system. 
  Motorola said the Series MP is a deskside system configuration with a full
 range of scalable and upgradable performance options. Initial models include
 the MP601-75-2 and MP601-75-4 which represent dual- and quad-processor
 versions of the PowerStack Series MP, respectively. 
  Motorola said the Series MP models use PowerScale SMP technology through
 its technology and commercial agreement with Groupe Bull. 
  Motorola said the PowerStack Series MP will be priced starting at less than
 $50,000 and will be available in November. 
  In a separate press release, Apertus Technologies Inc. (APTS) said Motorola
 will integrate its Express advanced SNA communications software in the
 PowerStack product line. 
  Apertus said the Express software provides enterprise-wide connectivity
 between multivendor UNIX systems and IBM mainframes and AS/400s. Express
 provides UNIX users wth extensive terminal emulation capabilities, file
 transfer, Motif GUI and many standard application programming interfaces,
 Apertus said. 


******************************************
Motorola Computer Group Details Strategy For  New PowerStack Comput
Based On PowerPC Microprocessors; Company Outlines Future RISC PC and
Client/Server Systems Based on PowerPC Microprocessors and Multiple Operating
Systems
NEW YORK Oct. 4 1994--In conjunction with today's
unveiling of entry-level products in the company's PowerStack family of
computer systems based on the PowerPC microprocessor architecture, the
Motorola Computer Group (MCG) also announced plans to expand its products into
major market arenas -- from entry level desktop single-user RISC PCs, to
departmental servers, to high-end Symmetrical Multi Processor (SMP) servers to
trusted-core fault-tolerant systems. Depending upon model, MCG will provide
these systems in rack-mount or cabinet configurations or both. 
To support these new products, MCG will offer a choice of leading mainstream
operating systems including IBM's AIX and Windows NT from Microsoft Corp. 
MCG also detailed its intent to support additional operating systems ported to
the PowerPC microprocessor and underscored its commitment to provide existing
customers with a clear migration path from the company's 68000- and
88000-based products to PowerPC systems.  MCG will continue to support its
customers who wish to remain with their current systems. 
"A year ago, we told the industry that we would offer PowerPC products as soon
as PowerPC microprocessors with suitable performance became available.  We
also stated that we would support our new PowerPC products with an
application-compatible operating environment so our UNIX System V customers
could migrate their software to new PowerPC platforms," said Karl Stoltze,
vice president of marketing for MCG, "Not only have we fulfilled that promise,
" he added, "but we are delivering a new message to our customers: the
Motorola Computer Group is committed to becoming the premier source of a full
line of computer systems and single board computers based on the PowerPC
microprocessor." 
According to Stoltze, today's announcement of desktop single-user RISC PCs and
Series E workgroup servers in the PowerStack family represents MCG's first
step in a planned system roadmap into 1996. MCG's development path is based on
the Motorola Semiconductor Product Sector's (SPS) PowerPC microprocessor
delivery schedule, which currently extends through the PowerPC 620
microprocessor. 
The Motorola executive revealed that a mid-range, departmental server line,
available in single- and multi-processor versions, as well as a high-end,
high-availability enterprise server would be available by year end.  These
servers will target database and On Line Transaction Processing (OLTP)
computing applications.  By mid 1995, MCG plans to introduce fault-tolerant
models also targeting database and OLTP computing applications. 
The Motorola Computer Group has developed single-user RISC personal computers
based on its recently introduced low-cost Ultra, PCI-based PowerPC
motherboard.  Intended as a client platform in client/server environments, and
as a standalone personal computer to compete with Intel Pentium based
computers, MCG's entry into this arena marks the first time the company will
address high-volume markets with a system-level product.  Target delivery of
Ultra-based personal computers is planned for later this year. 
Along with its product roadmap strategy, MCG indicated that it plans to 
support a choice of mainstream operating systems and will enter into strategic
alliances with key operating system providers to port their software
applications to the PowerPC architecture. Indeed, through a strategic
technology partnership with IBM, all models in the PowerStack family will
initially support IBM's AIX Release 4.1 and the Windows NT operating system
from Microsoft Corporation.  AIX represents an optimum environment for use in
client/server and traditional multi-user systems. 
Support of Windows NT will enable MCG to support the rapidly growing market
for next-generation operating systems requiring RISC-based processor
performance. 
"The new PowerPC microprocessor-based products are an exciting addition to our
preeminent line of single-board computers and system platforms," Stoltze
added.  "By providing a solid technology roadmap for current and future
customers, we expect this architecture to lead MCG into a new level of growth
for Motorola," he concluded. 
The Motorola Computer Group (MCG) is a multinational hardware and software
platform supplier to companies that provide computer solutions -- original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs), master-value-added resellers (MVARs), VARS,
systems integrators and select end users.  MCG products include a full range
of industry-leading VMEbus boards; UNIX-based multi-user systems and
client/server platforms; and real-time system platforms.  Hardware is
supported by standards-based operating system software and systems enablers --
all tools necessary to develop end-user solutions.  MCG products are
characterized by world-class Six Sigma quality imperatives; superior hardware
and price performance ratios; and faithfulness to the tenets of open computing
-- modularity, scalability, portability and interoperability. 
MCG's corporate headquarters along with regional headquarters for Latin 
America and Australia are located in Tempe, Ariz.  MCG's European headquarters
are located in Brussels, Belgium.  Headquarters for MCG's Asia Pacific region
are located in Hong Kong. 
Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is one of the world's leading providers of wireless
communications, semiconductors and advanced electronic systems and services. 
Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging
and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and
space electronics and computers.  Communication devices, computers and
millions of consumer products are powered by Motorola semiconductors. 


***************************************
MICROSOFT UNVEILS DISCOUNTED OFFER FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER CERTIFICATI
 Latest Fast Track Offer Entices Candidates With More Than $1,500 
           Savings, Free Product, Flexible Structure 
     REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 4  -- Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq:
MSFT) announced today it has reinstituted its popular Fast Track certification
promotion, offering discounts, free software and an expanded range of exams
for the Microsoft(R) Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) credential.  The MCSE
credential qualifies an individual to implement and support enterprise
solutions based on recently announced Microsoft BackOffice technology.  The
latest Fast Track kit has been updated to incorporate Microsoft BackOffice and
to reflect Microsoft's continued emphasis on product-specific knowledge,
skills and performance- based testing. 
"We recognize that the training and quality demanded by our certification
process presents challenges of time and money to a Microsoft Certified Systems
Engineer candidate," said Nancy Lewis, director of education and certification
at Microsoft.  "The Fast Track offer provides a substantial financial benefit,
and by including Windows NT Server operating system version 3.5, we give the
candidate access to the specific hands-on product experience necessary for
performance-based exams.  Microsoft Certified Professionals, especially the
Systems Engineers, are a key resource for our corporate customers and Solution 
Provider partners in developing, implementing and supporting solutions based
on the Microsoft BackOffice suite of products." 
Fast Track enrollment will be open Oct. 4, 1994 through April 15, 1995. 
Candidates have until April 15, 1996 to complete the certification 
requirements. 
To enroll in the Fast Track offer, candidates purchase the MCSE exam package
from Drake Training and Technologies at special pricing.  The cost of the Fast
Track offer is $500, which covers the cost of six exams (normally $600) and
the kit.  In recognition of their networking expertise, Certified Novell(R)
Engineers (CNE), Enterprise Certified Novell Engineers (ECNE) and Certified
Banyan(R) Engineers (CBE) are offered an additional incentive:  They will
receive credit for the Networking With Microsoft Windows 3.1 Exam, lowering
their cost for the exam package to $400 -- five exams for the price of four. 
Enrollees receive the Fast Track kit containing the following: -- One free
copy of Windows NT Server 3.5 -- Microsoft Tech-Net Technical Information CD
-- Microsoft training voucher good for one free self-study course or 
    $500 toward one instructor-led course. The Fast Track kit provides the
necessary tools at the beginning of the certification process, which allows
students to gain in-depth knowledge of the technology more quickly.  "My
company is asked almost daily about Windows NT," said Mark Munger, a CNE and
ECNE at Logic Network Solutions in San Diego.  "I am frequently asked whether
I am a Microsoft Certified Professional.  Fast Track gives me the components I
need to learn Microsoft products and become certified as a Systems Engineer." 
Participating trainers are also pleased with the new offer.  "Fast Track 
promotes quality, particularly through instructor-led training," noted Barbara
"Sonny" Hedrick, training manager at Semiotix, a Microsoft Authorized
Technical Education Center in Denver, Colo.  "Students really benefit from our
instructors' real-world, day-to-day experience with Microsoft BackOffice
applications." 
Technical certification is part of Microsoft's strategy to form a community of
individuals who can build, implement and support business solutions with
Microsoft products.  The Microsoft Certified Professional Program helps
individuals worldwide assess and promote their technical skills and provides a
benchmark for organizations to use when hiring technical staff, determining
training needs or outsourcing technical services.  Extensive testing is
required to earn the status of Microsoft Certified Professional in one of the
three Microsoft certification categories:  Microsoft Certified Product
Specialist, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Microsoft Certified
Trainer. 
Since March 1994, more than 500 computer professionals have obtained Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineer status.  In addition, over 5,600 people enrolled in
the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Fast Track promotion that ran January
through June 1994.  Of this total, 30 percent are CNEs or ECNEs pursuing dual
certification. 
The Microsoft Official Curriculum, which supports preparation for Certified
Professional exams, is available from Microsoft Authorized Technical Education
Centers.  Microsoft also publishes self-study materials for use in exam
preparation.  End-user training is provided through Microsoft Authorized
Training Centers. 
Announced at Windows(TM) World in Dallas last month, Microsoft BackOffice is
an integrated information system comprising Windows NT 3.5, 
the network foundation for running a new generation of business applications;
Microsoft SQL Server(TM) version 4.21, a powerful relational database
management system for client-server computing; Microsoft SNA Server version
2.1, which provides connectivity for IBM(R) enterprise networks; Microsoft
Systems Management Server version 1.0, a comprehensive solution for managing
networked PCs; and Microsoft Mail Server version 3.2, a complete electronic
messaging solution. 
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for personal
computers.  The company offers a wide range of products and services for
business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier
and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal
computing every day. 


*****************************
VIDEODISCOVERY TO RELEASE SCIENCE SLEUTHS                          
 New CD-ROM Title for Kids Delivers Science Education and Fun  
SEATTLE, Oct. 4 - Responding to consumers' needs for quality science education
products, Videodiscovery, Inc., a leading multimedia education publisher,
announces the release of Science Sleuths, the first interdisciplinary science
education CD-ROM for kids ages 11 to 14. 
Science Sleuths challenges kids with real-life science mysteries. Using a
unique set of stimulated, interactive experiments and tests, along with a
library of multimedia resources, kids solve the mysteries by applying research
skills and scientific principles used by actual scientists and detectives. 
The mystery plots presented to kids give this home educational title a fun,
game-like quality.  Perplexities solved by users of Science Sleuths include
the origin of a mysterious blob on Chester Bay Beach (is it a nuclear
jellyfish?), the culprit behind the exploding lawn mowers of Printer's Green
(are the gophers up to something?), and the cause of the illness that ruined
the Biogene Picnic (is Biogene conducting secret experiments?).  Armed with 
multimedia resources and interactive tools such as a Bunsen burner, microscope,
and Geiger counter, kids practice the research skills used by actual
scientists and engineers. 
The initial story line and challenge is set with live video clips and 
interviews of witnesses and experts in the field.  Users then begin their
research and experimentation from the Sleuth Lab where they have access to
interactive documentation, graphs, charts, maps, and over 15 sophisticated
science tools to make measurements.  For hints along the way kids can consult
the animated junior sleuth character.  Often in the form of riddles, the hints
present a fun challenge all their own. 
Kids record their findings and hypotheses in an interactive "notebook" that
provides them with a final report or "case" they can then take to the Master
Sleuth for review.  Through a question and answer process where kids are
encouraged to articulate scientific theories, the Master Sleuth determines if
they have solved the mystery and tests their knowledge of key scientific
concepts. 
The program also allows kids to print out their final report and share their
shrewd detective work and scientific learning with friends and family. 
Science Sleuths encourages children to seek out information and solve problems
while introducing them to science concepts and critical thinking skills along
the way.  Science Sleuth's use of sound educational concepts and methods along
with high production value make this title a must for parents who are
interested in opening their child's mind to the world of science.  "With
Science Sleuths we view our competition not as TV or computer games but as a
good book.  At Videodiscovery we publish science education products, not
edutainment, but that doesn't mean that education can't also be fun and
inspirational, " says Patrick J. Call, Ph.D., general manager of the Digital
Products Division. 
Science Sleuths will be out in early 1995 and will be available for Windows,
with a Macintosh version following later in the year.  The company will market
its consumer line of multimedia titles through a broad range of consumer
retail channels. 
Videodiscovery, Inc. is a Seattle-based publisher of multimedia titles for
schools and consumers.  The company specializes in interactive laserdiscs,
CD-ROM, and other computer software.  Known for its award-winning science
laserdisc titles in school, the company is expanding into the consumer market
using its established reputation and expertise in the sciences to focus on
quality home educational experiences. 


******************************************
LOST WORLD OF ANCIENT MICROBES FOUND                               
 NEW YORK (OCT. 4)  - SCIENTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE FOUND A LOST
WORLD OF ANCIENT MICROBES AFTER DRILLING DEEP BENEATH THE LAND AND SEA. 
THE SCIENTISTS NOW HAVE INDEPENDENTLY COME UP WITH TANTALIZING CLUES THAT
SWARMS OF MICROBIAL LIFE THRIVE DEEP WITHIN THE PLANET, THE EVIDENCE IN ONE
CASE COMING FROM A DEPTH OF NEARLY TWO MILES, ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
TODAY. 
THE FINDINGS ARE SEEN AS LENDING SUPPORT TO THE THEORY THAT THE EARTH HAS A
HIDDEN BIOSPHERE OF ANCIENT LIFE EXTENDING DOWN MANY MILES, WHOSE TOTAL MASS
MAY RIVAL OR EXCEED THAT OF ALL SURFACE LIFE. 
THE THEORY, WHICH ONCE DISPARAGED, IS NOW GAINING CREDIBILITY. "IT'S A VERY
HOT TOPIC," DR. HENRY L. EHRLICH, A BIOLOGIST AT THE RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC
INSTITUTE IN TROY, NEW YORK, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING. THE FACT THAT ORGANISMS CAN
BE FOUND AT THIS EXTREME DEPTH IS A SURPRISE. FROM THE STUDY OF SOILS, IT HAD
GENERALLY BEEN ASSUMED THAT BELOW VERY SHALLOW DEPTHS, MICROBES WERE'T LIKELY
TO BE FOUND. 
LIKE A LOST WORLD, THESE COMMUNITIES OF MICROBES HAVE CUT OFF FROM THE ALL
OTHER LIFE ON THE PLANET FROM MILLIONS OF YEARS, IN SOME CASES SINCE THE AGE
OF DINOSAURS OR EARLIER. 
THE MICROBES BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE ARE SOMETIMES UNIQUE, INCLUDING THE FIRST
BACILLUS EVER DISCOVERED THAT CAN LIVE AND GROW ONLY WHERE THERE IS NO OXYGEN. 
THE PAPER SAID THAT ITS PROPOSED NAME IS BASILLUS INFERNUS, BACILLUS FROM HELL.
IT WAS REPORTED THAT ONE OF THE DRILLING PROGRAMS, RUN BY THE U.S. FEDERAL
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, HAS ISOLATED MORE THAN 5,000 MICROBES FROM THE DEEP
EARTH AND IS MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO SCIENTISTS IN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY. 
THRIVING UNDER HIGH HEATS AND PRESSURES, THE MICROBES ARE SEEN AS HARBORING A
TREASURE TROVE OF RARE GENES AND BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES THAT MAY YIELD
INNOVATIVE MEDICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL TOOLS, THE TIMES SAID, ADDING THAT SOME OF
THE MICROBES ARE ALREADY BEING SCANNED FROM ANTIBIOTICS AND AGENTS THAT MIGHT
HELP FIGHT DISEASES LIKE CANCER AND AIDS. 


************************************
Sun Micro Unit Puts Catalog On Internet >SUNW
  NEW YORK  Sun Microsystems Inc.'s (SUNW) SunExpress marketing unit will
 put its catalog, providing information on more than 2,500 products, on the
 Internet. 
  In a press release, the company said the Internet service offers complete
 product information as well as technical reference guides. The company said
 the communications capability of the Internet also allows it to announce
 special promotional and marketing information to customers. 
  SunExpress also began marketing Sunsoft Inc.'s Solaris 2.4 for x86. Sunsoft
 is a unit of Sun Microsystems. 
  The company said the Solaris 2.4 is an integrated computing environment
 that delivers computing to all types of platforms, including x86, Pentium
 and SPARC-based systems. 


************************************
SUN MICROSYSTEMS ENTERS VIDEO SERVER MARKET                        
Mountain View, Calif.-FWN/UPI--SUN MICROSYSTEMS Inc. announced today
it will enter the booming market for video servers, using software from
Starlight Networks. 
The machines will be designed to provide corporations with the ability to
transfer video such as conferences and training films over their own networks. 
Sun, of Mountain View, Calif., will face strong competition in the server
market, which generated just $16 million last year but is expected to hit $1
billion annually by 1998. 
The new machines will combine StarWorks video networking from Starlight, also
of Mountain View, with Sun's Sparc servers. Previously, the StarWorks software
could run only on small networks, but Sun said the new machines will be able
to be deliver video at the same time to hundreds of users. 
Sun said the Sun/Starlight video server system will be available in November
in smaller versions. The price for a configuration designed for up to 10 users
will be $8,750; the 20-user machine will sell for $14, 995; and the 40-user 
version will be $24,955. 
Sun's rivals in the workstation market, including Hewlett-Packard Co. and
Silicon Graphics Inc., have begun testing video servers designed to deliver
movies-on-demand for cable television customers and software giant Microsoft 
Corp. has announced plans to move into the video server market next year. 
Additionally, database specialist Oracle Corp. recently announced it will
begin shipping a media server product by mid-1995. Hewlett-Packard's machine
is expected to be ready by the end of the year. 
Sun Micro is stressing that the new servers will fill an unmet need among
corporate clients. 
"Many computer companies tout their plans for the video server market, but
most of these address video-on-demand services in the home," said J. Phillip
Samper, president of Sun Micro. "In reality, these services are too expensive
and experimental for the home market today." 
"However, the business market is ready now and so are we," he said. "Our work
with Starlight is the first step in providing the video services needed for
the enterprise." 


******************************************
Texas Instruments Reaffirms  Commitment To Software
  DALLAS -- Texas Instruments Inc., known for defense electronics and
 semiconductors, wants to make a name for itself in computer software.
  TI has long had a software unit, but while its revenues have grown
 substantially, its profits have been few and far between. Determined to
 change that, the software unit has brought in a new executive to run the
 division and refine its focus.
  Some analysts are applauding the move, saying the software unit, which has
 annual revenue of about $250 million, offers the most growth potential of
 all lines in TI's "digital products" sector. Last year, the sector, which
 also includes laptop computers, printers, calculators and educational toys,
 accounted for 17% of TI's $8.5 billion in revenue -- but less than 5% of the
 company's profit.
  TI won't break out profit figures for its software business, which makes
 software "tools" that automate the writing of corporate computer programs.
 Computer programmers use software tools to help them write new software
 applications such as data-entry or inventory management programs. The
 company does say, however, that the unit broke even last quarter, after
 losing money the previous quarter, and should be making money by year end.
  In a sign of its commitment to its software unit, early this year TI tapped
 50-year-old William F. Hayes, then head of the company's defense business,
 to run the division. The move essentially left the existing software chief,
 John W. White, without responsibilities, and he retired at age 55.
  Mr. Hayes quickly tightened the unit's focus on its flagship product,
 called the Information Engineering Facility, in part by arranging the
 sell-off of some peripheral software projects, resulting in a $49 million
 first-quarter charge. Revenues from the Facility have grown substantially
 every year of its seven-year history. Profit, though, is another story.
  "The whole segment is not as profitable as we want," concedes Mr. Hayes,
 meaning that the software business doesn't meet the corporate standard of an
 8% return on assets after taxes. "The software business can" exceed that
 standard, he says. "That's why you aspire to be in a software business."
  "It's right to place bets on software," says William Gorman, analyst at PNC
 Bank in Philadelphia. "There's a lot of competition in software, but it's
 better than being exposed to hardware."
  Not everyone agrees. Some analysts see TI's software unit as a drain on the
 main business of computer chips and weapons. Some even recommend spinning
 off or selling the entire digital products sector. "I think they should
 write off the whole thing," says William Milton, analyst at Brown Brothers
 Harriman in New York. "None of it's worth it."
  To be sure, TI's previous ventures away from computer chips and defense
 electronics haven't always gone well. The company failed spectacularly in
 home computers in 1983, then bailed out of minicomputers and industrial
 automation in 1992.
  But the company insists it's beneficial to maintain businesses outside the
 defense and computer chip units. Such operations can sometimes double as a
 testing lab for other parts of the company and help generate added demand
 for TI's main products, TI officials say.
  "There is a synergy between software and semiconductors," says Ron
 Brittian, senior vice president of TI's software unit. "Making the
 development of software easier and less costly will have a positive effect
 on the semiconductor business" by boosting demand for computers.
  In the company's digital products sector, there is little dispute that the
 most promise lies in software.


***********************************
On-Line Internet Yellow Pages
Mecklermedia's Electronic    Yellow Pages Are Unveiled
  Mecklermedia Corp. today is expected to unveil a much-anticipated on-line
 service aimed at creating an electronic yellow pages for the Internet and
 helping companies develop a "storefront" on the global computer network.
  Backed by Dun & Bradstreet Corp., General Motors Corp.'s Electronic Data
 Systems, and WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather Direct, the Westport, Conn.-based
 company's MecklerWeb Corp. unit plans to charge companies $25,000 to $50,000
 to list them in its on-line directories under various headings and help them
 develop electronic brochures.
  Andersen Consulting is the first paying member of the service, spending
 $25,000 to experiment with the system and offer information on worker
 training and adult education to Internet users. "We have to learn how to
 communicate effectively on this new medium," said Andersen partner Terry
 Gallagher.
  But some experts question why a company would pay MecklerWeb's $25,000
 annual membership fee, or an additional $25,000 for the firm's help in
 designing its on-line brochure. Corporate customers will be using an
 Internet information-retrieval system known as the World Wide Web, but only
 an estimated one million users frequent that system.
  "I don't see any reason for a company to go to MecklerWeb when there are so
 many alternatives that cost so much less," said Jayne Levin, editor of the
 Internet Letter, a newsletter for business users.
  Many companies, including H&R Block Co.'s CompuServe Inc., already offer
 services to help businesses develop an electronic storefront. Internet users
 also have compiled for free several lists of on-line commercial resources
 accessible to other users.
  Defending the pricing, Christopher Locke, president of MecklerWeb, said the
 service will appeal to an exclusive club of companies large enough to afford
 it. "Fortune 1000 companies will be in company that they're not embarrassed
 to be keeping," he said.
  MecklerWeb's chief technical officer, Jason Bluming, said companies would
 pay far more just to publish an ad in a major magazine. This service, he
 said, gives access to Internet users who typically are wealthy and well
 educated.
  He added that MecklerWeb plans to include on-line "chat" capabilities so
 that companies can talk to and learn from customers. "Rather than being
 afraid of being `flamed,'" or publicly lambasted on the network, he counsels
 companies, "slip on your asbestos boxers and listen to what people say."


**************************************
AT&T, BroadBand To Develop Interactive Video Network Sys>T
  MORRISTOWN, N.J.  AT&T Network Systems and BroadBand Technologies Inc.
 (BBTK) reached an agreement to develop and market a new system that allows
 telephone and cable companies to connect homes and offices with interactive
 multimedia services. 
  In a press release, the companies said AT&T's SLC-2000 Access System's new
 Switched Digital Video, or SDV, feature integrates BroadBand's Fiber Loop
 Access switching and transport technology with the SLC-2000 system. 
  The companies said the combination will create a cost-effective technology
 platform for new digital services. 
  BroadBand will be the sole provider of the SDV capability for SLC-2000, the
 companies said. 
  The SLC-2000 SDV feature will meet existing and emerging industry standards
 including SONET, TR303, MPEG2 and ATM, or asynchronus transfer mode, the
 companies said. 
  AT&T Network Systems is a unit of AT&T Corp. (T). 


******************************************
Pacific Bell Moves Beyond Telecommuting to  Implement Virtual Offic
Employs Pioneer Concept
LOS ANGELES  -Oct. 5, 1994--Like other large and small
companies in California, Pacific Bell is taking advantage of plunging prices
for computing and mobile telecommunications technology to bring down the walls
of some of its traditional offices and put employees closer to customers. 
We're launching the 'workplace of the future' -- the virtual office -- 
statewide wherever it's an appropriate fit and managers want to participate,
said Emily Bassman, Pacific Bell's director of virtual office development. 
"We've already laid some groundwork with sales teams in Los Angeles and the
Bay Area, and now we're ready to introduce it at our San Ramon Complex." 
According to Bassman, the virtual office is a dramatic step forward in the
evolution of telecommuting because it not only can be anywhere -- the den, the
kitchen table, the car, a customer's conference room, or anywhere else
people's jobs take them -- it can also mean "hoteling" and office sharing. 
"That means having two or more people assigned to an office normally used by
one person,"  she said.  "That arrangement works because the people are there
on different days.  In the case of hoteling, people reserve ahead of time so
only one person is using one space at a time. 
"Basically, the virtual office means that, wherever it is, the office is 
always there when you need it,"  Bassman said. 
"Leading sales and service companies, including our competitors, are convinced
of the cost-effectiveness of mobile telecommunications,"  she said.  The
technology now comes so cheaply that, when it's appropriate, companies can't
afford not to have employees wired and working remotely. 
For example, Bassman noted that since their commercial introduction, modems,
fax machines, laptop computers and pager prices have steadily dropped in
price.  "Cellular phone prices alone have dropped from $2,500 to $100,"  she
said. 
Besides its relatively low cost to set up, the virtual office provides 
enormous benefits for business.  For example, it can: allow managers to spend
more time with customers; improve employee satisfaction and productivity;
alleviate traffic congestion; improve air quality; and greatly reduce costs,
especially in the area of real estate. 
"During this period of rapid industry change in which companies are looking
for any way, including downsizing, to cut costs, here's basically a
non-labor-affecting way to help do that,"  she said. "That's one aspect we'll
be studying in the future as we implement the virtual office." 
Bassman also noted benefits to participants. 
"We expect the virtual office will be an attractive option for a large number
of our managers, including hundreds at San Ramon," she said. "That's because
some of the people benefits include: reducing or eliminating commuting so
there is more time after hours for family and friends; working with fewer
interruptions; and being able to work in closer proximity to customers." 
Bassman offered one note of caution.  "To be successful, people must recognize
not all jobs, or individuals, are well-suited for the virtual office
environment.  Supervisors and their people must carefully choose which jobs
lend themselves to such alternative options.  At Pacific Bell, 
we see a need to have some jobs performed out of traditional offices and
others out of virtual offices." 
Although the virtual office concept is fairly new to Pacific Bell, the company
has a long track record with alternative office applications. It began an
employee telecommuting program during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Today,
1,700 managers telecommute at least part time from home or satellite offices. 
Businesses wanting more information about telecommuting and the virtual office
may call: 1-800-919-TIME. 
Pacific Bell is a subsidiary of the Pacific Telesis Group, a diversified 
telecommunications corporation headquartered in San Francisco. 


*******************************************
AT&T Unit Cuts Prices On AT&T Mail Software >T
  PARSIPPANY, N.J.  AT&T Easylink Services cut prices for AT&T Mail
 Access Plus software to $79 for the DOS version, $119 for Microsoft Corp.'s
 (MSFT) Windows version and $139 for Apple Computer Corp.'s (AAPL) Macintosh
 version. 
  AT&T Easylink is a unit of AT&T Corp. (T). 
  In a press release, AT&T Easylink said previous prices were $150 for the
 DOS version, $210 for the Windows version and $210 for the Macintosh
 version. 
  Separately, AT&T Corp. unveiled its FlexWord automatic speech recognition
 and Faxaform facsimile features, which are both primarily for its 800
 service customers. 
  Both features are available through the company's InfoWorx network-based,
 interactive voice-response service. 
  FlexWord uses automatic speech recognition to identify words and phrases
 spoken by the caller and enables users to speak rather than use touch-tone
 responses. The product is priced at $200 per month for 4 ports and $2,400 to
 store 50 vocabulary words in the system. 
  Faxaform enables users to store blank electronic forms that can be filled
 out through the telephone and sent via facsimile. 
  List price for Faxaform was not available. 


**************************************
Companies Learning to Sell on the Internet                         
BRADENTON, Fla.--Oct. 6--Some companies may view the Internet as the 
marketing resource of tomorrow, but smart businesses are finding out how to 
boost sales and productivity today by tapping into the worldwide computer 
network. 
Hundreds of businesses have already launched online marketing programs and are
reaping the benefits, according to computer experts at the "Doing Business on
the Internet" instructional seminar in Orlando sponsored by Seminar Network
and Cybergate. The company provides connection to the Internet. 
The Florida business community is lagging behind the rest of the country in
using the Internet, said computer consultant Jay Kurtz. 
That may be because many firms don't realize how huge and diverse the market
of Internet users really is, said Internet business consultant Vince Galormine.
"More people have access to and use the Internet than have library cards,"
Galormine said. 
Advertising is legal on the network, and more than 600 companies already have
online advertisements and computerized shop-at-home services, he said. 
Warren A. Giffrow, one of more than 35 business people who attended the 
conference, plans to market his long-distance telephone company, Americom of 
Lighthouse Point, on the Internet. 
"The Internet has potential (as a marketing resource). It's an area that's
really worth testing," he said. 
Americom specializes in low-cost, long-distance service for large foreign 
companies. Most of its current advertising is placed in newspapers overseas, 
but Giffrow said many European and Latin American companies have Internet 
accounts. 
Giffrow also is planning to develop online brochures to be distributed on the
World Wide Web, an Internet service that allows full color graphics, 
photographs, sound and video to be transmitted across the network. An online 
brochure enables potential customers around the globe to obtain information 
about Americom and place orders with the company online. 
Many American businesses have brochures and catalogs on the World Wide Web
already, Galormine said, 
More than 70 online shopping malls lease "space" to companies --cyber- 
shoppers can browse, view images of products for sale and make purchases, all 
from their home computers. 
Other companies send solicitations directly to likely prospects by electronic
mail, Galormine said. Firms can even target potential customers and develop
electronic mailing lists by skimming lists of users who belong to specific
interest groups on the Internet -- a boat-equipment company might find members
of a sailing discussion group as good prospects, for example. 
The Internet can also be a boon for smaller companies that wish to expand 
operations overseas -- by communicating on the Internet, firms can locate 
potential partners and sales representatives in other countries without the 
expense of traveling or making international phone calls, Kurtz said. 
"This is giving small companies the capability to network throughout the world
for virtually no money," he said.  


**************************************
Apple's Stock Jumps 12%      On Motorola Acquisition Rumors
  Apple Computer Inc.'s stock surged 12% on speculation that it may be an
 acquisition target, possibly of Motorola Inc., which Tuesday unveiled plans
 to enter the personal-computer business within a year.
  Spokesmen at Apple in Cupertino, Calif., and Motorola in Schaumburg, Ill.,
 declined to comment on the rumors but said they had received many inquiries.
 The rumors began to spread yesterday after a block of 700,000 shares of
 Motorola stock changed hands. Subsequently, trading in both companies'
 stocks was heavy until markets closed.
  Any suitor would pay a stiff price to acquire Apple, probably well in
 excess of its current market value of $4.5 billion. The company, known for
 its quirky, free-spirited culture, created many features that are PC
 fixtures today. But analysts say it failed to capitalize on those
 inventions, ceding the market to rivals such as Intel Corp. and Microsoft
 Corp.
  Analysts also mentioned International Business Machines Corp. and AT&T
 Corp. as potential suitors for Apple. Apple worked with IBM and Motorola to
 develop the PowerPC microprocessor, which is off to a slow start but
 represents the only viable challenge to the dominance that Intel and
 Microsoft enjoy in the fast-growing PC business.
  IBM and AT&T both declined to comment on the rumor.
  Apple's stock ended at $37.875, up $4.125, in over-the-counter trading on a
 volume of 6.33 million shares, about triple its daily average volume.
 Motorola closed at $50, down $1, in similarly heavy trading of 4.82 million
 shares.
  Analysts were divided over the likelihood of such a matchup. Kimball Brown,
 an analyst with Dataquest Inc. said Motorola is hellbent to make PowerPC a
 success and that it may be frustrated by Apple's missteps in building market
 share, for example, by broadly licensing its Macintosh operating system.
  "I think Motorola is looking at grabbing the entire Macintosh PowerPC pie,
 and it wants to grow Apple's market share from 9% to 25% in the next few
 years," Mr. Brown said.
  John Rossi of Robertson Stephens said the Motorola-Apple rumor is perennial
 but is now compelling. "Before I've usually scoffed . . . but now I think
 it's interesting and it's a possibility, though it's tough to say it will
 happen."
  But Bruce Lupatkin of Hambrecht & Quist is skeptical. "It doesn't really
 make a lot of sense from either company's perspective. So I come down to
 saying it's just that, a rumor." Investors who heard Tuesday's announcement
 by Motorola "put two and two together and got 16, instead of four," he said.
  As for IBM's interest, analysts speculated that while the computer giant
 has accumulated $8.6 billion in cash and equivalents, Apple wouldn't provide
 the needed strategic boost for Big Blue. Apple's PC products are already
 running on the PowerPC chip, so it wouldn't seed that market further. And
 IBM has invested billions in development of its own OS/2 operating system,
 making it unlikely that it would want to take on Apple's operating system
 now.
  "It would create mass confusion in the operating system strategy and might
 give Apple users one more reason to go to Microsoft's Windows," said Curt
 Rohrman of CS First Boston.


***********************************
Sony Unit Hires Hollywood    Director For New Media
  NEW YORK -- In a move designed to bolster its investment in multimedia,
 Sony New Technologies Inc., a unit of Sony Corp., has hired veteran
 Hollywood director Chuck Braverman to create large-screen movies and
 interactive films.
  Interactive films, a new concept, will enable audiences to dictate the
 story line of movies by manipulating joysticks attached to the armrests of
 their chairs. Sony, which operates about 175 theaters nationwide, is
 expected to begin building new theaters with interactive features early next
 year.
  Mr. Braverman, 50 years old, has produced and directed television shows and
 films for more than two decades. His movie credits include "Hit and Run," a
 low-budget thriller, and "American Time Capsule," one of the country's
 largest-selling educational films. In his new role, Mr. Braverman will serve
 as a senior vice president of production and development for new media,
 reporting directly to Mitchell Cannold, president of Sony New Technologies.
  "Audiences can see things they've never seen before with large-screen
 formats," said Mr. Braverman. "At a time when city theaters are being
 subdivided into small screens, this will excite viewers about film again."
 It is unclear whether the movies Sony makes for the large format can be
 easily adapted for television.
  Mr. Braverman's hiring comes at a time when Sony is aggressively promoting
 its investment in multimedia. It recently opened a gallery in Manhattan
 where browsers can interact with Sony products. By year end, Sony Theaters,
 a unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment, will open a motion-picture complex
 near Lincoln Center in Manhattan that will feature 12 screens, including one
 Imax screen expected to be 80 feet high and 100 feet wide.
  Mr. Braverman was most recently an executive producer at Quincy Jones-David
 Salzman Entertainment, a Los Angeles company 50%-owned by Time Warner Inc.,
 where he worked on a variety of interactive CD-ROM projects. CD-ROMs are
 compact disks that typically feature audio, video and graphic elements.


*************************************
-Selling a ride on the info highway; teen's firm gives access to Int
MIAMI _ Two years ago, Yanek Martinson complained that school was a boring
''waste of time,'' and dropped out of 11th grade at Boyd Anderson High School
in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. 
Now, at age 19, the Cooper City, Fla., resident owns Satelnet Internet Access,
a $135,000-a-year computer services company, and does consulting for the
Broward County School Board and private companies. 
Martinson, who has his general equivalency diploma, has no plans for college. 
''I don't know if there's anything about computers they could teach me, '' he
said. Given that he's been using computers for more than half his life,
Martinson said he has learned more through hands-on experience than any
university could teach him. 
He taught himself to navigate the Internet, a worldwide computer network. He
started his Internet access company by himself and still runs it
single-handedly. 
''Besides, only employers care if you have a degree,'' he said. ''Customers
don't.'' 
His customers, more than 700 of them, seem to agree. Every day, five to 10
people open new accounts with the year-old company. Each pays him $15 to $17 a
month for unlimited access to the Internet. Most other access companies, such
as CompuServe and America Online, charge extra for long-distance services and
special bulletin boards. 
Ginger Warbis of Deerfield Beach, Fla., opened her account six months ago.
''The price was right,'' she said. The 29-year-old mother of two has found
information on everything from how to make beeswax candles to books and poetry
for her children. ''I can get a full college education for $17 a month,'' she
said. 
Though Satelnet mostly serves Broward County, Martinson hopes to activate
phone lines to Dade and Palm Beach counties soon. 
The burgeoning business began as Martinson's hobby. He started tinkering with
computers in his native Estonia at an age when most kids are learning to ride
a bicycle. 
''I've been programming since I was 10,'' he said. ''I can't remember when I
wasn't interested in computers.'' 
Martinson discovered the Internet after moving with his family to New York in
1989. Although the Net was not accessible to the public until recently,
Martinson got access through university professors he knew. 
In less than a nanosecond, he was a confirmed Net nut. 
When the family moved to Cooper City three years ago, he found no local access
services. Rather than suffer withdrawal, he got all the necessary equipment _
a satellite dish, a modem and an extra phone line _ to get an Internet link at
his parents' home. He let his friends use it, too. 
''This was not a way to make money, but it started to go,'' Martinson said. He
advertised little. Word of mouth spread like a computer virus. Soon, he had
$25,000 in high-speed computer equipment and 13 phone lines. 
That's when the telephone company told him he'd have to move his business if
he wanted to keep expanding. He had used all the available phone lines
connected to his parents' house. 
One of Martinson's clients, Rick Cordary, co-owner and president of Trophies
by Edco in Fort Lauderdale, offered to help. He had been getting computer
advice from Martinson for a few months, but often found Martinson's phone line
busy. 
So Cordary let Martinson use his store to hook up more phone lines. The 
computer equipment took up just a few cubic feet, and solved Cordary's 
communications problems. 
As the regional director of development and corporate affairs for the Pan
American Development Foundation, Leonard Tave said he finds the Internet
indispensable. A Satelnet customer of several months, he uses the Net to find
grants and ideas for other fund-raising techniques. 
''The cell phone thing is great and so is the library thing, but they don't
access the whole world,'' said Tave, 39, of Miramar. Cordary, who uses the Net
to communicate with customers nationwide, said companies will soon routinely
take orders and conduct business on the Internet. ''This medium is similar to
what the fax machine was eight to 10 years ago or what the phone was 40 to 50
years ago. It's going to be a necessity in the future.'' 
(To contact Martinson, send an e-mail message to martinson(at)satelnet.org or
leave a message on his voice mail, (305) 434-8738.) 

****************************
Computer industry notes                                            
SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Science fairs conjure up images of high school nerds with
cages of rats or little cardboard dioramas. 
Not so at a Computer Science Fair held Tuesday at IBM's Almaden Research 
Center in San Jose. The nerds were considerably older, and the only rat was a
program designed to find articles from a huge collection of technical papers. 
Many of the projects undertaken by the 130 researchers in Almaden's computer
science department relate to mining the prodigious amounts of data in
corporate data bases and electronic libraries. Director Ashok K. Chandra said
many of the experiments are aimed at someday answering two basic questions:
How do you search for images, objects and data together? And how do you
connect the world's data bases together? 
Those answers may be sometime off. But one project that's close to becoming a
real product should be a hot number in the multimedia business. A group
directed by Steve S. Boyer is developing a system that would provide a
detailed, searchable index of all current U.S. patents and then display an
image of the patents of interest. This might have come in handy before the
Patent Office issued a controversial multimedia patent to Compton's New Media
earlier this year. 
X X X 
A half-century ago, computing pioneer Alan Turing proposed that machines might
be turned to the problem of figuring out the best way to play a chess match.
Last weekend, a computer program with the help of sponsor Intel's Pentium chip
finally got the better of its human opponents in a full tournament, the
Harvard Cup Human vs. Computer Intel Chess Challenge. 
At Boston's Computer Museum, a program called WChess, running on a 90MHz 
Pentium-based computer, went undefeated in a series of fast-paced games 
against six U.S. grandmasters. While it's not the first time a computer has
beaten a grandmaster, it was the first case of a computer emerging atop a
tournament field. WChess, one of eight programs faced by each grandmaster,
played to four wins and two draws. 
WChess, the brainchild of programmer David Kittinger of Mobile, Ala., may just
have gotten lucky, he said. But he also credited faster processors with
enabling the computers to be more lithe at examining strategies, more quickly
rejecting moves that wouldn't bear fruit and spending more time studying those
with promise. 
While the humans still outscored the computers 29 1/2 to 18 1/2 (a win is
worth a point, a draw is worth 1/2), the computers' performance improved by
nearly 13 percent. 
X X X 
That's where Apple Computer thinks San Jose is, I guess. Last week, the 
company announced a new color printer aimed at consumers, and in the news
release said it would be ''available worldwide immediately.'' But calls to
several Apple dealers in the area yielded no results. Some said they had just
received the literature and didn't expect to receive any printers for several
weeks. Others didn't even know about the new printer. Calls to Apple's
toll-free customer referral line yielded the numbers of two local distributors
who sell in volume to corporations or retailers, not to individuals. An Apple
spokeswoman acknowledged it would take awhile for the products to filter into
stores. 

************************************
Reviews of shareware programs                                      
Tucked away in a special subdirectory on my hard disk are amusing little 
programs that remind me how far I've evolved as a computer nut. I could 
conduct my affairs just fine without these little valentines to myself, but
then I wouldn't smile as much. 
These programs for IBM-compatibles have been listed on the Exit Windows page
of Windows magazine and include such cerebral must-haves as a tiny talking
Elvis and a mood ring for Windows. All require Windows and a sense of humor. 
TINY ELVIS (TEL101.ZIP) _ Based on the Saturday Night Live character, this
little Elvis icon will come to life at intervals to comment on the size of
your other icons. Yeah. 
USDEBT (USDEBT53.ZIP) _ As each second ticks away, you will find out exactly
how deeply in debt you _ and your fellow Americans _ are. Easy to turn off. 
WINDOWS MOOD RING (MOODRG.ZIP) _ Press down on the right mouse button and your
mood will be displayed on your monitor. Is your mouse really a window to your
soul? 
WINDOWS SCREEN SAVERS _ My favorites among the weird, wacky and wonderful is
one called Smear (SMEAR.ZIP), which does a funhouse mirror act on your desktop,
and Cows (COWS.ZIP), which features mooing bovines, chickens and other
barnyard creatures. I also tried a couple of fractal screen savers (TUBES.ZIP
and MANDEL.ZIP), which seem like throwbacks to psychedelic times 
DESKTOP CIGARETTE (CIGRTT.ZIP) _ Light as many cigarettes as you desire and
watch them burn on your desktop. 
APRIL FOOL'S DAY PRANK (DESK1.ZIP) _ Suddenly you have more copies of your
mysteriously uncooperative desktop than you bargained for. Not recommended for
nervous people. 
PRANK (PRANK.ZIP) _ Suddenly your screen shows a DOS prompt. Then, just before
you call tech services, a workman drags your Windows desktop back. Recommended
for semi-nervous people. 
KILL BARNEY (KILLBARN.ZIP) _ A game in which the lovable dinosaur gets his in
a big way. 
ANTS EVERYWHERE (ANTS.ZIP) _ Turn your desktop into an ant farm. 
CRABS ON YOUR DESKTOP (CRABS.ZIP) _ Turn your desktop into a crab farm. 
AGE GAUGE (AGE.ZIP) _ Find out how old you are _ to the minute. 
ICOFRITE: JUMP ICONS (ICOFRITE.ZIP) _ You think you're nervous? Try to pin
down your hyperactive icons. 
TAIPEI (TAIPIE35.ZIP) _ An Oriental game in which you try to remove tiles in
pairs from your desktop. Great diversion for long meetings. 
DESKTOP DOGGIE (DOGS.ZIP) _ Every desktop needs a pet dog, and this one is
yours. 
DOGS WALK! (DOGSWALK.ZIP) _ Every desktop dog needs a companion. Guess what
this one does. 
ATTENTION DOOM FANS: A company called Limelight Media has a CD-ROM full of
editors, maps and Doom recordings for registered users of DOOM, along with the
shareware version of DOOM. Some can be tried with the shareware version, too.
MACINTOSH SHAREWARE 
These programs run fine with System 7.1 and should work on most Macs. 
MOUSE ODOMETER (Mac) _ Keep track of how many miles your mouse travels. 
NO BALLOON MENUS (Mac) _ Get rid of them to make room for other useless 
utilities. 
MADNESS (Mac) _ This one grossed out the whole family with such modules as
Barf Blast, Mac Brick and .44 Magnum. Just by pressing a few keys you too can
have the grossest desktop on your block. 


*****************************
INFORMATION HYPEWAY TO IMPLODE ONTO INTERNET                       
 NEW YORK, Oct. 6  -- Videos on demand, interactive games, 
picture phones, home shopping -- and let's not forget voting.  A communicopia
of information for the consumer; an inexhaustible commercial frontier for
vendors -- the Information Superhighway beckons. But when will we be able to
take our TV, telephone, or desktop out for a spin? 
The answer, according to Neal Goldsmith, President of Tribeca Research, a New
York technology change management consulting firm, "depends on your
expectations, but for most of us, the short answer is, don't hold your breath
-- hold onto your wallet." 
"Just one year after the Information Superhighway was touted as 'here' -- the
best place to invest billions since Star Wars -- service roads leading to the
still unbuilt network are littered with blown deals, high costs, technical
uncertainty and an increasingly unsupportive regulatory environment," said
Goldsmith.  "For most of the next ten years, CD-ROM and on-line services are
as close as we'll get to a superhighway," he said. 
What of "killer" application, video-on-demand?  "Given the small dollar 
premiums consumers have been willing to pay and the expense of the required
infrastructure, it is more likely that video-on-demand will act as a loss
leader, bringing consumers on-line as fodder for a vast array of
special-interest shopping channels," said the consultant. 
So what will our future look like?  "No one can say for sure, but I'll predict
the implosion of the Information Hypeway onto the infrastructure of the
Internet," said Goldsmith.  "With secure credit card transactions, 
point-and-click interface, and intelligent agents already here, the Internet
will become the locale of the 'virtual corporation' long before there is a
highway into our living rooms. Beyond corporate R&D, companies investing over
the next five years won't find a Superhighway, or its promised market.  Over a
five- to ten-year period, a stripped-down version of the promised tollway
should emerge," he said. 
Goldsmith's remarks were printed in the October BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY, a small,
influential monthly report on technology strategy for corporate CIOs. 
In the same issue, Deloitte & Touche's reengineering methodology is reviewed,
SNET's reengineering technology guru is interviewed, American Express Bank's
strategic alignment project is profiled, and a case study of Sears Canada's
performance measurement system is presented. 


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INTERNET 'GOPHER SERVICE' LAUNCHED BY LEGI-SLATE NOW AVAILABLE     
 WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 -- Legi-Slate, Inc., a subsidiary of The
Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO), has just released its new Gopher Service,
aimed at expanding Legi-Slate's accessibility to new and broader markets. 
Made available on Oct. 1, this new product is the first combined federal
legislative and regulatory service available over the Internet using the
popular Gopher protocol, a tool for navigating information on the Internet. 
The Gopher protocol was developed by the Computer and Information Services
department at the University of Minnesota. 
"This new service dramatically expands our distribution into specialized 
markets, such as higher education, public libraries and smaller nonprofit
groups," said Legi-Slate President Mark Capaldini. "We have developed an
attractively priced, easily used and powerful service available worldwide via
Internet Gopher clients.  The response to our free prototype, available on the
Internet since April, has been very positive." 
America Online (Nasdaq-NNM: AMER) selected Legi-Slate's Gopher Service as an
"editors' choice" for information on government and politics.  LC MARVEL, the
Library of Congress' Gopher, recognizes Legi-Slate's new service as a way to
obtain federal government information over the Inernet. 
Subscribers to Legi-Slate's traditional database services are typically 
professionals with government agencies, corporations and large associations,
knowledgeable about the legislative and regulatory processes, needing access
to extensive and complex information. 
The Legi-Slate Gopher Service is designed for less experienced users who may
not have extensive knowledge of the legislative and regulatory arenas and
require less detailed information.  "For these users, we've taken out the more
complex ways of searching for information," Ed Stawick, Director of Product
Development explains.  "The user just needs to press a number or click a mouse
to make a choice and move through the process." 
Updated daily, this unique service offers the full text and indexing of all
documents published in the Federal Register and as many as 17 different
documents for each bill and resolution introduced in Congress. Legi-Slate's
exclusive indexing enables users to quickly and easily identify information,
including federal grants and funding opportunities. 
"Our original goal was to provide inexpensive access to academic institutions
so that Legi-Slate information could be used by students, as well as faculty
and staff," said Ann Harris, Manager of Market Development and one of the
Legi-Slate Gopher creators.  "The response to our prototype has indicated that
a much broader cross-section of individuals and organizations have a need for
this type of information." 
Unlike Legi-Slate's traditional services which provide one access number and
password for only one user at a given time, the Gopher Service allows
virtually unlimited simultaneous access to multiple users. 
Annual site licenses for the Legi-Slate Gopher Service are available to 
academic institutions, public libraries, government agencies, nonprofit 
organizations, law firms and corporations.  Pricing for academic institutions
is based upon enrollment.  Other pricing schemes are based upon the network
size or number of workstations.  Fixed annual license fees start under $1,000.
Access to a portion of the information in the Legi-Slate Gopher is provided to
the public free of charge. 
Write-ups on the Gopher prototype appeared in the Aug. 1, 1994, issue of PC
Week and the May 1994 issue of Choice magazine.  "The uniqueness and value of
Legi-Slate gopher is in the extensive scope of information, the 
comprehensiveness of the information package, the ease of use and currency,"
wrote Choice.  "Legi-Slate gopher even cracks the code of the often
impenetrable Federal Register." 


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