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 Tue, Apr 14 1992 Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 05:42:44 EDT Message-ID: 04-14 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update April 14, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network DEC TO UNVEIL NEW PC LINE: Digital Equipment Corp. is set to unveil a new line of personal computer Tuesday based on Intel's 486 microprocessor chip. The DECpc 400ST line is DEC's first that can be upgraded to the more powerful 586 chip Intel is developing. List prices range from $4,397 to $6,595. GENERAL DYNAMICS LAYS OFF 1,888: The cancellation of the high-tech Seawolf submarine program forced General Dynamics' Electric Boat division to give layoff notices to 1,888 employees Monday. Most were salaried employees. General Dynamics laid off 300 workers in February and said it would lay off another 2,200 workers by June. TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOM PROBED: "Teacher TV," a co-production of The Learning Channel cable TV network and the National Education Association, will air on The Learning Channel every Sunday at 6 p.m. EDT. Sunday's premiere examines the use of technology in the classroom, including interactive videodiscs. COMPUTERS USED FOR X-RAYS: A new x-ray technology used in a University of California at San Francisco study detected early stages of coronary artery disease without the risk or discomfort of angiography. Ultrafast computed tomography, a type of computer-assisted x-ray, allowed cardiologists to provide a correct diagnosis for coronary artery disease for 83% of the patients studied, researchers report. MEAD GIVES CONTRACT TO NCR: NCR Corporation said Monday it has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by Mead Data Central Inc. to supply NCR System 3000 hardware and Cooperation software for MDC's information services projects. MDC plans to move its business applications from mainframes to a client:server environment. NCR will supply installation and training services throughout the project. ASK TO OPEN IRISH SUBSIDIARY: The ASK Companies Monday said it has signed an agreement with the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland to form a new European subsidiary based in Dublin, Ireland. European sales represent more 40% of ASK's total revenue. The new subsidiary will manufacture the ASK computer systems and Ingres products for the European market and coordinate European distribution. BNR TO WORK WITH BRAZILIAN FIRM: BNR, the research and development subsidiary of Northern Telecom, and a leading research and development company in Brazil Monday signed a research agreement that will pave the way for upgrading and expanding the Brazilian network. BNR and Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras will work together to develop intelligent network services and advanced network management. SERVING SOFTWARE SIGNS DEAL: Serving Software Inc. of Minneapolis says it has signed a software license agreement with Hospital Corp. of America and HealthTrust Inc. for the use of Serving Software's Durable Medical Equipment system. The DME system uses handheld computer and bar code technology to log and track medical equipment from the time of original purchase throughout its use in the hospital. NORTHERN TELECOM GAINS CONTRACT: British Telecom has awarded Northern Telecom a $12 million contract to install an Automatic Call Distribution network to support its customer service program. It is the largest ACD network in the world based on ISDN, the international telecommunications standard, and the largest networked system using Northern Telecom equipment, Northern Telecom says. FOX STATIONS TO PURCHASE ATV: Fox Television Stations Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire advanced television (ATV) equipment from Harris Corporation, becoming the first station group in the USA to commit to using America's high-definition television technology. Fox will intall ATV transmitters immediately after the new standard is adopted by the Federal Communications Commission. IDG UNVEILS NEW DATABASE: International Data Group's Emerging Technology Applications Group has announced a series of compact disc:read-only memory databases. They were developed with the aid of Dataware Technologies Inc. The system, called Enterprise Computing Database, includes articles from International Data Group publications as well as market research data from IDG research firms. SOFTWARE EASES TAX CONCERNS: A software package called LICTE, released by E:Soft Company, promises to greatly simplify the tax return preparation process for insurance companies. The software allows the preparer to see the actual return on the screen and to perform "what if" scenarios. 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