Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.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 Mon, Nov 2 1992 Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 04:47:35 EST Message-ID: Lines: 132 11-02 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Nov. 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NASA'S ACCOUNTING IS UNDER FIRE: NASA's accounting practices and internal financial controls are under fire again, this time in a new congressional report charging that the space agency's year-end 1991 financial report contained $500 million in errors. The General Accounting Office report said Friday most of the financial problems stem from poor oversight of contractors - private firms paid to run most of NASA's projects. (For more, see special NASA package below.) COLUMBIA LANDS: Columbia's six-member crew ended a 10-day scientific mission Sunday with a landing at Cape Canaveral, which was hindered by a malfunctioning gauge that displays the positions of the flight-control surfaces. "We ended up with about 100% mission success, and all of our objectives met,' said flight commander James Wetherbee. Discovery is next up, with a tentative launch Dec. 2. PEN-BASED PORTABLE DUE OUT: Toshiba says it will introduce its first pen-based portable computer in the USA Monday. Toshiba's Dynapad will cost $3,499 and weigh 3.3 pounds. Pen-based computers have software that recognize commands neatly printed on the computer's screen with a pen-like instrument. Toshiba also is cutting prices on some of its portable computers up to 25%. 1.4M DEFENSE JOBS TO BE LOST: The U.S. military:industrial complex may lose as many as 700,000 jobs during the next two years and double that by 1996, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports Monday. According to V. William Souveroff, executive director of the National Center for Career Change, that means a possible total loss of 1.4 million, or one of every four defense jobs. WORDPERFECT UPGRADE DUE OUT: WordPerfect Corp. Friday introduced WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows, an upgrade to WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows that will include a variety of new tools, features and enhancements. The upgrade will incorporate the new WordPerfect QuickFinder, as well as electronic mail capabilities and features to make the product easier to use. It is scheduled to be shipped later this month. VICON INVESTIGATING PIRACY: Vicon Industries Inc. is "investigating fully allegations that an employee made unauthorized copies of software products for use within the company," President Kenneth Darby said Friday. Vicon makes closed-circuit video systems, "We will cooperate with the Software Publishers Association and intend to bring the matter to a quick resolution," Darby said. LIVERMORE INKS RUSSIAN DEALS: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has signed 28 contract agreements with leading research institutes and companies within the former Soviet Union that will provide the U.S. Department of Energy lab with non-weapons, unclassified research reports and hardware. The deals are intended to be a step in a process leading to cooperative work between Livermore and the Russian institutes. LOS ALAMOS TO GET NETWORK: Los Alamos National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy said Friday they have awarded U S West a multi-year contract valued at $76 million to engineer, furnish and manage a communications system for Los Alamos National Laboratory. U S West will provide a communications system that includes fiber transmission equipment, enhanced services, voice and electronic mail. AT&T UNVEILS NEW SWITCH: AT&T Network Systems has unveiled its next-generation switching platform - the AT&T 5ESS-2000 Switch - for network operators and service providers worldwide. The new switching platform is the most significant innovation in telecommunications technology since the 5ESS Switch was introduced 10 years ago, AT&T says. It is compatible with 5ESS Switches now in service. SHAREHOLDER SEEKS COMMITTEE: A shareholder of Wang Laboratories Inc. who holds 1 million shares filed a motion Friday in federal bankruptcy court for a separate committee to represent equity holders' interests. Shareholder Morton Salkind wants a committee of major shareholders to represent all shareholders' interests, his lawyer said. Wang has been reorganizing under Chapter 11 bankruptcy since August. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON NASA: ERRORS GO UNCHECKED: A General Accounting Office report says NASA managers take the word of contractors - without any proof - when the contracted price of programs and equipment changes. Errors in bookkeeping also went unchecked, sometimes leading NASA to exceed congressional spending limits on particular programs or projects. BUDGETS ARE UNRELIABLE: The General Accounting Office says annual financial reports Congress and NASA use to project program costs and set budget priorities are unreliable. "We found that NASA's internal controls and financial management systems do not provide accurate and reliable financial information for effective management of the agency," U.S. Comptroller Charles Bowsher said. NASA SAYS SOLUTIONS ARE ON WAY: Officials at NASA acknowledged many problems outlined in the report. Most shortcomings, particularly in the area of contractor oversight, have been well documented in the past, they said. And NASA's new administrator, Daniel Goldin, has set up teams of NASA officials to review the agency's practices, identify problems and recommend solutions. TOILET PRICE SKYROCKETS: The GAO found that improper accounting and the failure of cost controls intended to trigger reviews of cost overruns and shortfalls led to $500 million in errors in NASA's year-end 1991 fiscal report. In one case, contractors pushed the price for a new space-shuttle toilet system nine times higher than they had originally estimated. (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