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 17 1992 Date: Wed, 17 Jun 92 05:19:38 EDT Message-ID: 06-17 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update June 17, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SHIP USES ELECTROMAGNETS: The world's first ship propelled by superconducting electromagnets instead of a propeller made a successful 30-minute test voyage Tuesday, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said. The 280-ton Yamato 1 is propelled by electrified sea water. The water is forced through ducts by a magnetic field created by superconducting electromagnetic coils. (For more, see special Ship package below.) PACT DRAWS FIRE: President Bush and Russian leader Boris Yeltsin are expected to sign a pact Wednesday that allows a U.S.-built satellite to be launched aboard a Soviet Proton rocket, a move some fear could cut U.S. aerospace jobs. "The president needs to be more concerned about the jobs of American space workers and less concerned about the jobs of Russian space workers," said Rep. Jim Bacchus, D-Fla. SHUTTLE TO VISIT RUSSIAN PORT: An agreement between President Bush and Russian leader Boris Yeltsin calls for a U.S. space shuttle to dock at the Russian space station Mir. It also calls for the U.S. to purchase a Russian spacecraft to serve as an emergency "lifeboat" for NASA's planned space station Freedom. They are expected to sign the pact Wednesday. COMPUADD GAINS NAVY CONTRACT: CompuAdd Computer Corp. announced it received a $2.2 million contract to provide 1,275 multimedia personal computers to the U.S. Air Force Academy. The PCs CompuAdd will ship to the Air Force Academy include a proprietary multimedia card, which allows a user to run graphics and audio applications, as well as inputs from as many as 155 cable TV stations. TOUCHSTINE UNVEILS CHECKIT PLUS: TouchStone Software Corp. Tuesday announced the release of CheckIt PLUS, a new version of their PC diagnostic software, CheckIt. Included in CheckIt PLUS are two new disk management utilities that help manage the files on hard and floppy drives. The retail price of CheckIt PLUS, available June 24, will be $149. SIMPLIFIED UNIX SYSTEM SHOWN: UNIX System Laboratories Inc. Tuesday introduced a simplified version of the UNIX operating system that puts all the power of advanced 32-bit business and personal computing under graphical "point and click" control. UNIX System V Release 4.2 is expected to be widely used as a PC LAN server and as a low-end database and application server. UNIX INFO SYSTEM TO BE FORMED: UNIX System Laboratories Inc., Fujitsu Networks Industry and Tangent International Computer Consultants Tuesday said they plan to establish a worldwide information systems network for the UNIX System V market. Users of the network will have a single source for accessing information about UNIX system hardware and software products, service providers and system integrators. SYSTEM USES ISDN TECHNOLOGY: A planned information systems network for the UNIX market for the UNIX System V market will use ISDN technology, which enables electronic software distribution and simultaneous voice, data and image conferencing. A new company, to be called UniLinx, will serve end users, manufacturers, software vendors, system integrators and others. It is slated to be operational early in 1993. EDS GAINS CONTRACT: Electronic Data Systems Corp. said Wednesday that Jackson National Life renewed its computer services contract for 10 years. The agreement is worth about $200 million, EDS said. The contract calls for EDS to manage Jackson National's computer systems and expand the company's computer capabilities to improve service time for customers and decrease operating costs. SKYTEL ADDS TWO OPTIONS: SkyTel Corp. Tuesday introduced two new offerings that are designed to make its nationwide SkyWord wireless messaging service easier to use. SkyWord Access is a software package that enables personal computer owners to access the SkyTel network via an 800 phone line. SkyWord Operator Service will allow non-computer users to send a text message by making a toll-free call to an operator. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON SHIP: TECHNOLOGY ALSO USED IN TRAINS: A ship propelled by superconducting electromagnets made its debut Tuesday. A superconductor is a material that when supercooled transmits electricity with no loss of energy. The same technology is being used to run several experimental mag-lev trains in Japan and Germany. SHIP RAN AT 6 KNOTS DURING TEST: The successful test voyage showed the possibility of building a quiet high-speed ship with superior fuel economy, says Japan's Ship and Ocean Foundation, which sponsored the long-range project. The ship ran as planned at a speed of 6 knots (7 mph) in its first test on Kobe Bay in western Japan, says Noboru Kakimoto, a spokesman for Mitsubishi. SECOND TEST IS SUSPENDED: A second test run was suspended when abnormal signals indicated problems in the two electromagnetic propulsion ducts, Kakimoto says. But engineers found no problems, and the next test of the Yamato 1 will be this week. The ship, 98 feet long and 33 feet wide, was developed by Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Kobe Steel. SHIP THAT GOES 115 MPH POSSIBLE: The price to develop the ship is estimated to be $42 million over seven years, says Haruo Shibasaki of the Ship and Ocean Foundation. He says the ship was built for a top speed of 8 knots (9 mph) but theoretically, it would be possible to build a ship that could sail at 115 mph. (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