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 Wed, Sep 23 1992 Date: Wed, 23 Sep 92 04:36:28 EDT Message-ID: 09-23 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Sept. 23, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NEW CHIP DUE OUT IN FALL: IBM says a new microprocessor chip it is developing with Apple Computer and Motorola will be available later this fall. The chip is the first from the alliance between the three firms and will be used in the PowerPC family of computers they're jointly developing. James Cannavino, IBM vice president, says IBM plans to have its own computer systems based on the chip sometime next year. IBM TO UPGRADE WORKSTATION: IBM said Tuesday it will ship its most advanced $118,000 workstation next month in an effort to undermine Sun Microsystems Inc.'s dominance of the $15.3 billion global workstation market. The RISC System:6000 PowerServer 980 will be targeted to Sun's technical customers, as well as to the commercial market where IBM says it is selling almost 50% of its workstations. IBM, DIGITAL MAKE DEAL: IBM and Digital Equipment Corp. said they will jointly provide customers with support and recovery services for "unplanned business interruptions" that occur in mixed IBM and Digital computer environments. The agreement will enable customers to recover both the IBM and Digital components of their information systems through a single point of contact, the companies said. DISC HAS MULTIPLE LAYERS: Quantex Corp. of Rockville, Md., has patented a system that allows compact and laser discs to be coated with multiple layers of light-sensitive material. Each layer is sensitive to just one wavelength of light, allowing several lasers - each using a different wavelength - to burn several layers of information onto a single disc. LEAK FOUND IN ROCKET BOOSTER: NASA workers Tuesday discovered a pinhole-sized leak in an O-ring seal of a solid rocket booster intended for Shuttle Discovery's Nov. 15 launch. Technicians Wednesday will replace the seal, similar to the one that caused the 1986 Challenger explosion. Cause: Possibly debris, even a strand of hair. NASA doesn't believe it's a manufacturing defect, said spokeswoman Lisa Malone. SPACE STATION GETS $2.1 BILLION: House-Senate negotiators agreed Tuesday to spend $2.1 billion next year for space station Freedom. The orbiting laboratory is expected to cost $40 billion to build and $100 billion to operate. The funding was in a $86.6 billion compromise measure financing space, veterans and housing programs for fiscal 1993, which begins Oct. 1. The House is expected to vote on the bill Friday. WANG'S CASH FLOW IMPROVES: Wang Laboratories Inc.'s cash flow has improved since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, said Michael Mee, the chief financial officer. Speaking at the first formal meeting between creditors and management Tuesday, Mee said the company had $35 million in "free cash," compared with $9 million on Aug. 18, the date it filed its bankruptcy petition. ROCKWELL TO GIVE SCHOOL GRANT: Rockwell International says it will present California State University-Northridge's School of Engineering and Computer Science a $300,000 grant Wednesday. It will be used to purchase 10 new IBM computer workstations. Rockwell said the grant is part of its effort to encourage education in the engineering and computer science fields and to assist the financially troubled college. RENAULT USES ALIAS SOFTWARE: Alias Research Inc. said Tuesday Renault S.A. chose its Alias Stuido software for Renault's automotive design and styling division. Alias, a maker of computer-aided design software, delivered five of its systems to the French automotive manufacturer in July. Financial terms weren't disclosed. TAIWAN TO GET HELICOPTERS: The White House said Tuesday it plans to sell anti-submarine helicopters to Taiwan. Congress has 30 days to approve or reject the sale of 12 SH-2F "LAMPS" anti-satellite and anti-ship helicopters to Taiwan. The anti-submarine helicopters, formally known as Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System helicopters, are manufactured by the Kaman Aerospace Corp. BOEING GETS ORDER FROM TAIWAN: Taiwan-based EVA Airways has ordered two additional Boeing 747-400s for a total of eight, the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group said Tuesday. The new two-plane order is valued at about $345 million with spare parts and training, Boeing said. In addition to the firm orders, EVA, a new carrier, holds two options. It will use General Electric engines on the planes. FAX PLUS WORKS WITH WORDPERFECT: TRT Communications Inc. Tuesday introduced Fax Plus for WordPerfect, a product that enables users to send fax documents anywhere in the world directly from their personal computer. It lets users prepare a document in WordPerfect 5.1 and send it as a fax without ever leaving the software. The document is sent to TRT's Fax Plus Service and distributed anywhere in the world. 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