Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Mon, Mar 23 1992 Date: Mon, 23 Mar 92 05:45:26 EST Message-ID: 03-23 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update March 23, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SIGNED: The Department of Energy and a group representing 12 computer firms' chief executive officers have signed a letter of agreement designed to facilitate cooperation between the private sector and national laboratories in computer research and development. President Bush announced the deal Friday. Topics covered include product liability, software development and U.S. economic benefits. (For more, see Special Cooperate package below.) FUNDING SHIFT PROPOSED: In what the U.S. strategic defense leadership is portraying as a major redirection, the Pentagon will shift some $4 billion to speed ground-based anti-missile efforts while slowing development of space-based technologies, reports Monday's Aviation Week & Space Technology. The funding shift would take place over a period of five to six years. INTERCEPTOR FUNDING MAY BE CUT: Henry F. Cooper, the director of the Strategic Defense Initiative, is quoted in Monday's Aviation Week & Space Technology as saying he intends to cut more than $1.7 billion from spending planned for Brilliant Pebbles space-based interceptors and more than $2 billion from related projects. Funding for developing anti-ballistic missile satellites would be delayed by 18 months. APPLE TO UNVEIL PRINTER: Apple Computer is expected to unveil a laser printer and picture scanner Monday. They work with Microsoft's popular Windows software. The move is part of Apple's effort to sell its Macintosh computers and related products in the office computer market dominated by IBM. The new printer and scanner will allow Macintosh and IBM-type computers using Windows to share peripherals. SIERRA COMPLETES ACQUISITION: Dallas-based Sierra Technologies Inc. said Friday it has completed its acquisition of the Sierra Research Division of The LTV Corporation. Terms of the transaction were not announced. Sierra, based in Buffalo, N.Y., develops and manufactures electronic and avionic systems for the defense and commercial aerospace markets. The company has sales of about $100 million. WEATHER MAY DELAY ATLANTIS: Shuttle Atlantis is ready to begin an eight-day mission to study Earth's atmosphere on Monday, but stormy Central Florida weather is likely to scrub the launch attempt. Air Force meteorologists are predicting an overall 70% chance conditions will force NASA to keep the second shuttle mission of 1992 grounded until at least Tuesday. DIGITAL HDTV TO BE TESTED: Washington's WETA-TV will test the first over-the-air transmission of a digital high definition TV signal Monday. It is the first test of a technology that could change the TV industry. The system was built by General Instrument and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The test will show if it can send a almost flawless picture using a language only computers understand. IRS GIVES AT&T CONTRACT: The Internal Revenue Service confirmed its award of a $1.4 billion contract to AT&T to update the IRS's computer systems. When the IRS first decided to give the contract to AT&T in July, rival bidders IBM and Lockheed protested. A General Services Board of Contract Appeals had ruled that the tax agency didn't adequately justify awarding the contract to AT&T. DIASONICS TO UNVEIL NEW PRODUCT: Diasonics Inc. Friday confirmed published reports that it planned to introduce a major new ultrasound product in San Francisco on March 28. The company released no other details. Diasonics Inc. develops, manufactures and markets ultrasound and x-ray based systems for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON COOPERATE: DEAL SHOULD HELP BOTH SIDES: An agreement signed Friday is designed to facilitate cooperation between the U.S. computer industry and national laboratories. It "can both help increase the competitiveness of this critical industry and help our labs achieve their research objectives and their technology transfer mission," Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins said in describing the agreement. APPLE, IBM PART OF DEAL: The companies involved with the project are Apple Computer, AT&T, COMPAQ, Control Data, Cray Computer, Data General, Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sun, Tandem and Unisys. Labs involved in the talks are Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. DEAL COULD HELP OTHER FIRMS: The deal includes a model Cooperative Research and Development Agreement that can be used by all federal laboratories and U.S.-based computer companies to help negotiate a specific agreement for a computer hardware or software R&D project. The program's purpose is to accelerate significantly the commercial availability and use of the next generation of high performance computers and networks. (End of package.) Technology Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. 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