Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Mon, Jul 6 1992 Date: Mon, 6 Jul 92 05:14:18 EDT Message-ID: 07-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update July 6, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network IBM, NOMURA TO JOIN FORCES: Nomura Securities Co. and IBM Japan Ltd. will set up a joint venture in Tokyo this month to offer system-integration services based on Unix computer software, says a Japanese newspaper. The Nihon Keizai says New Intelligent Workstation Systems will be owned 39% each by Nomura and IBM. Independent software firms will own the other 22%. TITAN ROCKET ON LAUNCH PAD: A Titan rocket that will hurl a robot probe to Mars is now poised at its Cape Canaveral launch pad and preparations for a September launch are continuing without a hitch. The rocket built by Martin Marietta will launch NASA's Mars Observer spacecraft on a mission to study the surface, atmosphere, interior and magnetic field of the Red Planet. SYSTEMHOUSE GETS CONTRACT: SHL Systemhouse Inc. said its SMG SmartSystems Micro Group Inc. unit received a four-year, $12 million contract. It will supply and service two computer-assisted electronic training systems at two military schools for the Canadian Defense Department. SUMITOMO JOINS COMPUTER MARKET: Sumitomo Corp., one of Japan's largest diversified trading companies, says it has set up a subsidiary in Tokyo to sell computer-related equipment from the USA and Europe. Sumisho Datacom, is owned 90% by Sumitomo Corp. and 10% by Sumisho Computer Service, a Sumitomo affiliate. SPECTRA-PHYSICS IS BEING SUED: Photographic Sciences Corp. has filed a patent infringement suit against Spectra-Physics Scanning Systems Inc, Spectra-Physics says. The suit alleges that Spectra-Physics' hand-held laser barcode reader products infringe upon a Photographic Sciences Corp. patent. Spectra-Physics sells barcode readers for use in retail stores as well as other industries. MITSUBISHI TO IMPORT CONDUCTORS: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. says it will start importing semiconductors from its U.S. joint venture with General Electric Co. and Westinghouse Electric Corp. Mitsubishi says it will increase monthly output of insulated-gate bipolar transistors to some 100,000 units from the current 50,000. SATELLITE LAUNCHED IN CALIF.: A satellite that will study galactic cosmic rays was put into orbit Friday by a NASA rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California military base. Built as a joint endeavor with Germany, the $26 million satellite carries four instruments that will study the composition of energetic particles that bombard Earth as they wing their way through interstellar space. SYNTELLECT CLOSES DEAL: Syntellect Inc. says it has completed the acquisition of the assets of Dytel Corp. a Schaumburg, Ill.-based manufacturer of voice processing systems. The purchase price of approximately $3.7 million consists primarily of cash and assumption of trade payables. Syntellect says the acquisition will help it enhance its INFOBOT family of interactive voice response systems. LEOSAT OUT OF CONTENTION: Leosat Corp.'s application to build a low-earth orbiting satellite system operating in the 137 million to 138 million hertz and 148 to 149.9 MHz bands has been rejected. The Federal Communications Commission says Leosat filed after the deadline. Orbital Communications, StarSys and Volunteers in Technical Assistance remain the running for the "Little Leo" allocation. NEC CUTS PRICES: NEC Technologies Inc. says it has reduced the price of its family of PowerMate desktop, UltraLite notebook and ProSpeed laptop systems. The price of the PowerMate SX:20vi has been cut from $1,499 to $1,099. Notebooks now start at $2,199 and laptops are priced as low as $4,799. The firm also said it will provide free one-year, on-site service for all desktop computers. GENERAL DYNAMICS GETS CONTRACT: The American Mobile Satellite Corp. says it has awarded a contract to General Dynamics to launch the first of three AMSC mobile satellites. Westinghouse has been chosen to provide the ground segment and mobile telephones. The launch is scheduled for late in 1994. NEW PRINTER DEVELOPED: A desktop printer technology that integrates laser and fiber optics technologies to produce high-resolution output has been developed by Photon Imaging Corp. Laserfan makes it possible to provide true high-resolution printing at mass-market prices, PHOTON says. Laserfan, expected to be on the market sometime next year, will cost between $1,000 and $3,000, the firm says. 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