Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.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 Fri, Nov 6 1992 Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 05:29:35 EST Message-ID: 11-06 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Nov. 6-8, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NEW WAY TO MAKE CHIPS DEVELOPED: Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Japan's third largest electrical machinery maker, says it has developed a method of fabricating memory chips using strontium and titanium oxide instead of silicon, Bloomberg Business News reports. The firm says chips made of the material can hold 50 times the number of capacitors that silicon chips can hold. Capacitors control the reading and writing of data. EX-WORKER SUES CHIP COMPANY: National Semiconductor is being sued by former employee Lynda Thomas for $30.5 million. Thomas is suing the Salt Lake City Company because, she says, she suffered permanent injuries after being exposed to toxic chemicals at the company's West Jordan microchip plant in 1988. The company has no response to the suit, which claims Thomas suffers lung disease and memory lapses. DEC PLANS TO RESTRUCTURE: Digital Equipment Corp. President Robert Palmer plans to restructure DEC into separate business units by the end of the year. Although Palmer told shareholders at DEC's annual meeting that the changes will help restore the computer maker to profitability, he wouldn't predict when DEC's losses would end. DEC stock jumped 2 1:8 to $36 3:8 Thursday. BUILDING SYSTEM TO BE TESTED: Top Japanese contractor Shimizu Corp. says it will test for the first time a new automatic building system next week that automates construction of floors in tall buildings. The system uses robots and computer-controlled material transporters to perform welding and finishing work on each floor of a multi-story building. SUN, CAMBRIDGE TO JOIN FORCES: Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. and Cambridge Technology Partners said Thursday they have entered a joint marketing agreement. They will offer customized client-server solutions to manufacturing clients and assist them in their move from primarily proprietary environments to ones based on open systems. AIRADIO GETS LICENSE: AiRadio Corp., a joint venture of CUE Network Corp. and In-flight Phone International, said Thursday it has received an experimental license to construct and operate an advanced digital airborne audio network. AiRadio will provide Canadian air travelers with nine channels that offer live news, sports and entertainment audio programming. VTECH UNVEILS NEW PHONE: VTech Communications has unveiled a new digital cordless phone called the Tropez 900DL. Designed for home or office use, the 900DL incorporates the benefits of 900 megahertz digital technology, superior clarity, extended range and total security, VTech says. The phone retails for $239 and will be available in April. CORDLESS PHONE HAS LONG RANGE: VTech Communications' Tropez 900DL cordless phone has a communications range up to five times or greater than that of regular cordless phone performance, the company says. A special warning tone and light on the handset indicate when the phone is close to being out of range, preventing users from unexpectedly losing the connection once they go beyond range limits. RAM SERVICE GETS SUPPORT: RAM Mobile Data has received far-reaching support for its two-way wireless data communications service, the company said Thursday. RAM Mobile Data is a joint business venture between RAM Broadcasting and BellSouth. Companies aligning themselves with RAM Mobile include AT&T Paradyne, NCR, Diablo Research and Hughes Network systems. BAD NEWS FOR HEWLETT-PACKARD: Hewlett-Packard Co. may report operating earnings for its fiscal fourth-quarter that are worse than the company's disappointing third-quarter results, analysts said Thursday. "The company might report as little as 75 cents a share for the fourth quarter," Timothy McCollum, an analyst at Dean Witter Reynolds Inc., told Bloomberg Business News. PORTAPOINT IS INTRODUCED: PortaPoint, a cursor control device about the size of a microcassette, was introduced Thursday by Interlink Electronics for portable computing applications. It can be carried in a pocket or a notebook carrying case, the firm said. It retails for $79 and comes with a RS-232 serial port interface, PS:2 mouse port adapter, DOS mouse driver disk and quick release attachment. LOCKHEED TO LAY OFF 500: Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Co. in Marietta, Ga. said Thursday it was laying off 500 workers, mainly in white collar jobs, because of federal defense cuts and delays in several jet projects. Lockheed Aeronautical is a subsidiary of Calabasas, Calif.-based Lockheed Corp. After the layoffs, to be completed by mid-January, the plant's employment will drop to about 11,000. 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