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 30 1992 Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 05:43:33 EST Message-ID: 03-30 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update March 30, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CYRIX CHIP DUE NEXT MONTH: Cyrix says its new semiconductor chip is smaller, faster and cheaper than Intel's powerful 486 chip. Cyrix is expected to announce Monday that it will begin selling 486SLC chip in April. It has all the advanced technology of Intel's 486 chip but is half its size. It will be priced about the same as Intel's lower-powered 386 chip, Cyrix says. INTEL FILES SUIT AGAINST CYRIX: Intel Corp. has filed a patent infringement suit to stop the sale of the Cyrix semiconductor chip, due out in April. Intel's 486 is the most powerful chip now available for personal computers. Cyrix says it expects a number of computer manufacturers to adopt its new chip in place of Intel's 486 model. GOLDIN PROMISE TO TAKE CHARGE: Daniel Goldin, the aerospace executive President Bush named to head NASA, promised Friday to resist interference from the National Space Council, a conflict that led to the resignation of the current space agency chief. "I will consult with you on a regular basis, and I will be in charge of NASA," he told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. (For more, see special Goldin package below.) ATLANTIS TO STAY UP EXTRA DAY: Shuttle Atlantis will spend an extra day in orbit studying the sun and Earth's atmosphere, NASA officials decided Sunday. Landing is now scheduled for 6:24 a.m. EST Thursday at Kennedy Space Center. The crew has conserved enough supplies, such as electricity and jet propellant, for officials to allow the extension. This will mark the fourth time a mission has been extended. LOCKHEED EXPECTS MORE CUTS: Defense cutbacks have forced Lockheed Missiles and Space to raise its estimate of the number of jobs it will cut this year to 1,400 from 400. The company plans to lay off 400 workers and eliminate 1,000 jobs through attrition. Lockheed Missiles, the largest division of Lockheed Corp., employs 24,360 people. It already has cut 587 jobs this year and 1,623 last year. INFORMATION CENTER TO TOUR: The Kenwood "Tour de Force" will make 75 appearances throughout the country during the year. The mobile information center is a 48-foot display focusing on innovations in consumer electronics and communications. The $750,000 exhibit allows consumers to go through a video theater interactive video display as they learn about some of today's newest products. POLISH SERVICE NAMES SUPPLIERS: Polska Telefonia Komorkowa, a joint venture of Telecommunications Poland S.A., Ameritech and France Telecom, has chosen Alcatel Telespace, EDS Personal Communications Corporation and Nokia to supply components for the first nationwide cellular system in Poland. Initial service is scheduled to start in Warsaw this June. The system will eventually cover seven cities. NEW EXCELERATOR OUT: INTERSOLV says its Excelerator II OS:2 is now available throughout the USA. It is a reimplementation of INTERSOLV's analysis and design tool. The XL-OS:2 is architected around an active LAN-based Repository. It supports a library of traditional and new methodologies that can be used off the shelf or tailored to local requirements. It is priced at $9,500 per user. USA TO BE INVITED TO TEST: Russia is poised to invite the USA to participate in an upcoming flight test of a subscale hypersonic scramjet that holds breakthrough promise for superfast transport vehicles of the future, says a report in Monday's Aviation Week & Space Technology. The Russian offer is expected in face-to-face meetings next week with U.S. officials in Washington. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON GOLDIN: GOLDIN EXPECTS TO BE IN CONTROL: Daniel Goldin, whom President Bush has nominated to head NASA, said Friday that he will stand up to the National Space Council. "No report will leave the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, written by anyone in that administration, unless I have the right to review and approve it," he said. "I detect a backbone in this nominee," Sen. Al Gore, D-Tenn., said. COUNCIL WON'T INTERFERE: While Goldin promised to cooperate with the space council, during a subcommittee Friday, he also quoted from the presidential executive order that created it. "The creation and operation of this council shall not interfere with existing lines of authority and responsibilities of the departments and agencies," the general manager of the TRW space and technology group said. ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED WITH BUSH: Goldin said he had discussed the issue of the National Space Council with both Bush and Vice President Quayle. "I think both of them want me to be in charge," he said. Quayle's communications director, Jeff Nesbit, said, "Yes, it's true the space council sets broad policy, but the vice president has no intention of micromanaging the day-to-day operations of NASA." GOLDIN OUTLINES PLAN: Goldin said he would pursue four core issues. They are: Continued research on human space travel; "looking in," or space-based research on Earth; "looking out" toward the edges of the universe; and a renewed emphasis on aeronautics, advanced airplane studies. (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. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM