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 Wed, Jun 3 1992 Date: Wed, 3 Jun 92 05:20:41 EDT Message-ID: 06-03 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update June 3, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SAUDI DEAL GOES TO CONGRESS: The White House Tuesday notified Congress it plans to sell Saudi Arabia $1.88 billion in weapons and military support. The plan includes helicopter missiles and maintenance of F-15 fighter jets, the Pentagon said. Congress has 30 days to vote against or allow completion of the sale. DBA MAKING EYE TESTER: Engineers at DBA Systems Inc. are working with researchers at three universities to turn the company's enemy aircraft tracking system into a medical device that detects eye problems in babies. DBA is best known for its high-technology electronics charting and tracking systems used by the military. One of its products allows maps to be retrieved from a computer at the touch of a button. (For more, see special Tracker package below.) MICRON, NEC TO MAKE DEAL: Micron Technology of the USA and NEC, Japan's biggest semiconductor producer, Tuesday said they have reached a preliminary agreement. The deal would allow each company to resell the other's memory chip products under its own brand name worldwide. The firms said they believed the deal would "contribute to solving U.S.-Japan semiconductor trade issues." WIDEBAND SERVICE TO BE TESTED: New York Telephone and Northern Telecom announced Tuesday the firms will begin testing a switched wideband service that will make it more affordable to conduct videoconferences, transmit images and send data at high speeds, the firms say. The City University of New York will test distance learning, which enables students at one campus to take part in a class given at another campus. VITACOM SIGNS DEAL: Vitacom Corp. said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Telecommunicaciones de Mexico for the interconnection of Mexican satellite networks with the USA through Vitacom's Teleport facilities. The agreement enables Vitacom to offer private line digital interconnection services between the USA and Mexico for applications such as telephone, data, fax, and video conferencing. AUTO TECHNOLOGY MEETING HELD: New technologies that could have application in the automobile industry will be presented by engineers and scientists from non-automotive labs and research centers June 9 and 10 at the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Mich. About 300 representatives from federally-supported facilities and leading industrial R&D organizations take part in the exhibits and lectures. DIAGNOSTIC:RETRIEVAL GETS ORDER: Diagnostic:Retrieval Systems Inc. said Tuesday it has received a $57.3 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command. It will develop and produce up to 148 Advanced Video Processor Integrated Display Stations. The stations will enhance the ability of combat-system operators to interpret acoustic and tactical information. The system initially is for use on board U.S. navy surface ships. CALANDAR FOR WINDOWS DUE OUT: Microsystems Software Tuesday introduced CaLANdar for Windows. CaLANdar is designed to help coordinate group appointments and tasks for users on local area networks. It can handle from 10 to 128,000 users. It will be available later this month. Prices start at $595 for 10 users. ETEQ, CHIPS RESOLVE SUIT: ETEQ Microsystems Inc. and Chips and Technologies Inc. have resolved the patent infringement actions that Chips filed against ETEQ in U.S. District Court in San Jose and with the International Trade Commission, Chips said Tuesday. ETEQ has agreed to cease manufacturing and selling memory controller chip sets that include the page interleave feature covered by Chips' patents. NEW ANTI-VIRUS SYSTEM UNVEILED: Fifth Generation Systems Tuesday unveiled new versions of its personal computer and network anti-virus software, Untouchable and Untouchable Network, versions 1.1. It includes a feature that allows the product to combat stealth viruses on-line. Untouchable 1.1 is available now at a suggested retail price of $99. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON TRACKER: DBA ALREADY GETTING ORDERS: As defense budgets dwindle, DBA Systems Inc. is looking at ways to apply its technology to the commercial world. That includes a device that detects eye problems in babies. DBA hasn't had to spend a lot to develop the new products. In the case of the eye tracker, DBA won about $100,000 in federal grants. It has sold two systems for $20,000 each and has an order for six more. CHECKING EYES IS DIFFICULT: Studies show that even trained clinicians can have a difficult time checking for some eye problems in infants. As DBA President John Slack put it, "An infant is a non-cooperative target, just like enemy aircraft is a non-cooperative target." With DBA's eye tracker, the toddler wouldn't have to cooperate. The problem is the military-grade tracker costs about $20,000 and is bulky. PRODUCT WILL RUN ON PC: DBA has been adapting the tracker to run on a personal computer. A prototype was completed just a few months ago. DBA expects a mass-produced system to cost $16,000 to $18,000, PC included, although a doctor's office could use its own PC with a circuit card and software from DBA. The changes made for new version could also end of improving the military products. (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