Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech,americast.usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Thu, Sep 10 1992 Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 05:44:18 EDT Message-ID: 09-10 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Sept. 10, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SPACE STATION FUNDING IS OK'D: The Senate approved $2.1 billion for the space station Wednesday to keep funding on track for a 1995 construction start. The Senate and House now must reach agreement: The House approved $1.7 billion. NASA says it needs at least $1.9 billion. QUATTRO PRO FOR WINDOWS READY: There's a price war raging in personal computer software. One of the main combatants, Borland International, Thursday will announce mass production of Quattro Pro for Windows. It should be in stores by the end of the month. For $495, buyers will get a version of Quattro Pro for IBM PCs with Windows, as well as Quattro Pro for PCs without Windows. (For more, see special Software package before.) PC WORLD, LOTUS MAGAZINE MERGE: International Data Group Wednesday said it will merge PC World with Lotus Magazine in December to form the second-largest personal computer monthly. The enlarged PC World will guarantee advertisers a circulation base of 901,000. International Data Group bought Lotus Magazine from Lotus Development Corp. last year for an undisclosed amount. INTUIT IS OFFERING CREDIT CARD: A software company is getting into the credit-card business. Intuit of Menlo Park, Calif., will market a credit card along with Quicken 6.0, the latest version of Intuit's personal finance software for IBM personal computers. The company is joining forces with Visa and Primerica Bank to offer a card with a 14.75% interest rate and no annual fee. BAR CODES MAY DISAPPEAR: Bar codes, one of the most visible signs of the computer age, may disappear from view. A Japanese company, Hitachi Maxwell, says it has developed bar codes that are invisible - or just slightly visible, if users prefer. "We can make bar codes so they don't intrude on the packaging of products like cosmetics, where they can detract from the design," says Hitachi Maxwell's Hideyuki Noda. BARS WOULD BE HARD TO DUPLICATE: Invisible bar codes developed by Hitachi Maxwell would be difficult to counterfeit. They are printed with a special ink containing a hard-to-duplicate phosphor made of rare earth compounds. When the phosphor is exposed to infrared light, it releases light at a different frequency and the pattern can be read by special readers. HUGHES TO LAY OFF 4,000 WORKERS: Hughes Aircraft will cut 4,000 workers and relocate 2,000 others in a shift of its missile operations from California to Arizona, the firm said Wednesday. The layoffs come on the heels of Hughes' purchase of General Dynamics missile-production lines last month for $450 million and a 9,000-worker Hughes layoff in June. PHONE LISTINGS CAN BE ACCESSED: Consumers in the Minneapolis:St. Paul area soon will be able to access more than 1 million phone listings by personal computer. The U S West Electronic Directory, a joint venture of the regional Bell U S West and France Telecom, will let customers search for products or services. SERVICE COSTS 15 CENTS A MINUTE: Consumers can gain access to the U S West Electronic Directory through the phone network using a personal computer or a special terminal. Renting the terminal will cost about $12 a month; buying one costs $299. Consulting the directory will cost 15 cents a minute. Calling directory assistance for such information usually costs 50 to 75 cents a call. APPLE CUTS 345 JOBS: Apple Computer Inc. said it is laying off 345 employees, or about 2% of its worldwide workforce, as a part of the realignment of manufacturing and distribution operations. Apple will move its final assembly operations from Fremont, Calif., to Sacramento, Calif., and consolidate all printed circuit board manufacturing at its Fountain Colo.; Cork, Ireland; and Singapore plants. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON SOFTWARE: BORLAND IS BEHIND SCHEDULE: Borland International has missed several shipment dates this year for its most awaited product, a version of its spreadsheet software, Quattro Pro, that runs with Microsoft's best-selling Windows personal computer software. Mass production of the product has now begun. Borland says that for $495 it will offer two versions of Quattro Pro. PRICE-CUTTING WAR HEATS UP: Borland's Windows spreadsheet introduction already has started another software price-cutting battle. Tuesday, Lotus slashed prices 17% on its flagging Windows product, 1-2-3 for Windows. Profits for PC software firms have been going south. One reason: firms have been packaging several software products and selling the package for one low price. BORLAND MAY MAKE DEAL: Goldman Sachs analysts Rick Sherlund suspects Borland might soon cut a deal with a PC maker who agrees to install several Borland software products in PCs shipped from the factory. At the end of 60 days, the Borland programs disappear from the disk drive except for one that the customer chooses. (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