🚀 go-pugleaf

14:10:18
14-Sep-1992

<><><><><><><><>  T h e   V O G O N   N e w s   S e r v i c e  <><><><><><><><>

 Edition : 2660               Friday 11-Sep-1992            Circulation :  7772 

        VNS MAIN NEWS .....................................   52 Lines
        VNS COMPUTER NEWS .................................   83   "
        VNS TECHNOLOGY WATCH ..............................   15   "
        VNS VOGONBALLS ....................................  111   "

        Please send subscription and backissue requests to CASEE::VNS


VNS MAIN NEWS:                                     [Tom Povey, VNS UK News Desk]
==============                                     [Reading, England           ]

    Here is the News at 07:00 BST on Friday 11-September-1992
    ---------------------------------------------------------
        
    UK News
    -------

    The Prime Minister has defended the government's economic policy in a
    speech to CBI leaders in Glasgow. He also said that the pound would not
    be devalued.

    The environmental group, Friends of the Earth, have begun a campaign to
    reduce the level of pollution caused by diesel engines in busses. They
    are calling for better maintenance of the engines and tougher emission
    control standards enforced by the MoT test.

    The Parker Pen company has been taken over by Gillette. {does this mean
    we will now have sharper pens? tfp}

    European News
    -------------

    Scientists in Denmark say research has shown that male fertility has
    declined over the last 40 years. They suspect the environment is to
    blame. The implications are unclear since birth rate is also affected by
    other, social and economic, factors.

    The Italian astronaut who flew with the US Space Shuttle last month,
    came down to earth with a bump last night when he retruned home to
    Genoa. His luggage, containing an Italian flag which accompanied him
    into space, was lost at the airport.

    World News
    ----------

    The UN Sec General has recommended an additional 6,000 troops be
    deployed in Bosnia to safeguard relief supplies. The UN Sec Council are
    expected to approve a resolution this weekend to authorise the
    deployment.

    The ANC has said it will take part in talks with the South African
    government after all.

    Pres. Bush has outlined his plans for "economic regeneration" of the USA
    in a campaign speech. The plans include a pledge to reduce taxes.

    {News courtesy of the BBC}


    Local Weather
    -------------

    A damp start, dry periods and showers forcast. High 16C/61F.


VNS COMPUTER NEWS:                            [Tracy Talcott, VNS Computer Desk]
==================                            [Nashua, NH, USA                 ]

    Wednesday's Market                               Digital Fair Market Value
      Quote     Change                              2-Dec-1991   $60.6875
 IBM	86 7/8	+  3/4				   29-May-1992   $42.4375
                                                   85% of lower  $36.250
    Thursday's Market	   Dow Jones    Change      1-Jun-1992   $40.750
 DEC	38 3/4	+1	   3305.16	+33.77

 Sun Microsystems - Workstation chosen by Chicago Board of Trade
	{The Wall Street Journal, 9-Sep-92, p. C6}
   The Chicago Board of Trade said it selected Sun's Sparcstations as an
 official workstation to be used for its powerful Project A technology system
 to expand trading opportunities for its more than 3,600 members.

 Software Toolworks - Agreements with Nintendo and Grolier
	{The Wall Street Journal, 9-Sep-92, p. B3}
   Software Toolworks said it expanded an agreement with Nintendo of America
 using Mario Brothers characters to develop a variety of educational programs
 for children. Previously, the software firm used the Nintendo characters to
 develop a geography product for the Nintendo Entertainment System as well as
 IBM-compatible computers, Macintosh, Amiga, CD-ROM and multimedia computer
 formats. The new pact will include history, mathematics, reading, and early
 learning programs for these systems. Separately, Software Toolworks said it
 broadened an agreement with Grolier Electronic Publishing to extend its
 exclusive distribution rights beyond the U.S. and Britain to market the new
 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia world-wide. The company also plans to expand
 the product offering beyond a simple text and graphics format, to include a
 multimedia format with sound and live action video, a spokesman said.

 International Data Group - To merge PC World with Lotus Magazine in December
	{The Boston Globe, 10-Sep-92, p. 62}
   The enlarged PC World will guarantee advertisers a circulation base of
 901,000. IDG bought Lotus Magazine from Lotus Development last year for an
 undisclosed amount. Lotus started the monthly in 1985 to communicate with its
 software customers and to make money from advertising. Richard Eckel, a Lotus
 spokesman, said the company was pleased by the merger because news about his
 company will reach general computer users.

 Mercury Computer Systems - Wins $2.9 million F-117A subcontract
	{The Boston Globe, 10-Sep-92, p. 62}
   Mercury, of Lowell, Mass.,  won the subcontract from Lockheed Advanced
 Development Co. The order is part of an $18 million Air Force contract for the
 enhancement of the F-117A Stealth fight mission planning system.

 Digital - Dan Dobberpuhl and Alan Nemeth named Corporate Consulting Engineers
	{Livewire, Worldwide News, 10-Sep-92}
   Digital today announced the appointments of Dan Dobberpuhl and Alan Nemeth 
 to Corporate Consulting Engineer.  Dan is an authority on VSLI design. Alan is
 a business and technology leader in UNIX systmems. The company's 16 Corporate
 Consulting Engineers provide the core technical innovation, engineering
 leadership, and professional mentoring that significantly contributes to
 Digital's business. They are appointed by a group of vice presidents chaired
 by Sam Fuller, vice president, Corporate Research.
   Dan Dobberpuhl has been instrumental in Digital's MicroVAX and ALPHA VLSI 
 efforts. His contributions in the semiconductor engineering field have played
 an important role in Digital's system success. Dan currently works in the
 Semiconductor Engineering organization. 
   Bill Bidermann, group manager, Semiconductor Engineering Advanced
 Development, said, "Dan's engineering accomplishments formed the underlying
 basis of MicroVAX system success in the 1980s, and his work in the ALPHA VLSI
 design will be the basis of Digital's success into the 21st century." 
   Prior to joining Digital in 1976, Dan worked as a project engineer in 
 General Electric Corporate Research and Development. He serves on Digital's 
 Semiconductor Operations University Advisory Board and the University of 
 Massachusetts ECE Department Industrial Advisory Board. He holds seven patents
 and is the author of the textbook, "Design and Analysis of VLSI Circuits,"
 published by Addison-Wesley, 1985.  
   Alan Nemeth joined Digital in 1990 and has been the technical leader of UNIX 
 development. Alan works in the Software Products Group. He leads Digital in 
 the implementation of the Open Software Foundation technologies in Digital's 
 UNIX strategy, and coordinates UNIX support for software, networking, and 
 hardware.
   David Stone, vice president, Software Products, said, "Alan has provided the
 kind of technical direction and vision that has brought Digital into a
 position of leadership in implementing the Open Software Foundation technology
 in the UNIX market."  
   Before joining Digital, Alan held positions at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Bolt 
 Beranek and Newman, and most recently was Vice President/Corporate Consultant
 at Prime Computer. 
   Alan was a founder of UNIX International and a past president of the USENIX 
 Association. He was a member of the Industry Advisory Panel for the National 
 Science Foundation Computer and Information Sciences Engineering Directorate,
 the IEEE Computer Society, the Association for Computing Machinery, and
 Uniforum.


VNS TECHNOLOGY WATCH:                           [Mike Taylor, VNS Correspondent]
=====================                           [Littleton, MA, USA            ]

                         Copiers That Refuse To Copy

    Color copiers have become a major headache for the US Secret Service,
    which tracks counterfeiters. It seems the latest machines are so good
    that professional criminals have used them, and office workers are
    getting the bug. Copier makers are helping to thwart this trend. Two 
    years ago, Minolta Corp. upped the chances of detection by stamping
    every color copy with next-to-invisible code identifying the machine
    that made it. Now, Canon Inc. is set to announce a chip that tells
    copiers to ignore currency. The chip contains digitized images of key
    details from a dozen or so notes. When the copier spots an image, the
    machine will not make a duplicate and spits out a blacked-out copy.
    Anticounterfeiting chips to show up next and to become standard
    equipment on Cannon color copies.
    {Business Week, August 31, 1992}


VNS VOGONBALLS:                                 [Dick Binder, VNS Humour Editor]
===============                                 [Nashua, NH, USA               ]

    "[Mr. Clinton's economic package] won't create jobs, it will cause
    jobs to be lost - 1.8 million to be exact. And that's a
    conservative estimate."

				- Government economics consultant
				- from Barry Dysert (Dayton, OH, USA)

    "The season series (between the Twins and Rangers) is tied at 5-5,
    for both teams."

				- John Gordon, Minnesota Twins announcer
				- from Mark Wiersbeck (Minneapolis, MN, USA)

    "WATER COUNTRY *** PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
    Cost:  $13.00 Adults; Kids under 4 feet tall should be purchased at
    the gate."

				- Digital PAC center email
				- from Rob Figler (Merrimack, NH, USA)

    "Bellerive Country Club is not only good enough to stage a US Open,
    it has staged a US Open."

				- The Independent
				- from Patrick Stephens (Galway, Ireland)

    "Even the glare of headlights can't hide the city's darkest secrets."

				- WBZ-TV commentator on a police "sting"
				- from Dave Crimmin, (Littleton, MA, USA)

    "...and the possibility that the [tennis] match will extend into
    tomorrow is a real possibility."

				- Sports news reader, Galway Bay FM
				- from Craig Putman (Galway, Ireland)

"Weight-lifting in Australia has always had it's ups and downs".

				- Olympic gold medalist Dean Lukin
				- from Tony Boyle (Melbourne, Australia)

    "There are a number of people poised with [deleted] to add ...
    ready at hand who will throw them into the ring the instant the
    iron gets hot."

				- John Jenkins, member of the Unicode
				  Technical committee
				- from Avery Bishop (Bellevue, WA, USA)

    "DECWORLD really turned on our customers."

				- Win Hindle in Digital newsletter
				- from Jay Norman (Shrewsbury, MA, USA)

    "So him and his new wife believe they were together in a previous
    life so I said, 'Who do you think you are, Sodom and Gomorrah?'"

				- Guest on Oprah Winfrey Show about
				  bigamous marriages
				- from Roger Gascoigne (Chicago, IL, USA)

    "[Unidentified baseball player] made an immaculate conception catch
    on a pop fly."

				- overheard over a cubicle wall
				from Shirley Zarin (Marlboro, MA, USA)

    ***   And of course we have some Colemanballs from Private Eye, as	 ***
    ***   always courtesy of Nick Hill (Paris, France).			 ***

    "... the return sent to the feet of the extended arm of Stitch..."

				- John Barrett, BBC2

    "It's a race that the Kenyans have dominated - but, looking at the 
    records, it's the first time they've won it."

				- David Coleman, BBC1

    "The tune we've been whistling has struck a chord with other member 
    countries... but the ball the Prime Minister has to pick up and run 
    with will put some flesh on the agenda."

				- Tristan Garel-Jones (re Maastricht Treaty)

    "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that before - it's 
    the second time it's happened today."

				- Brian Johnston, BBC Radio 3

    "It's not only a race against the clock, but a race against time 
    itself."

				- Presenter, BBC Wales

    "For the last two seasons she has been running on painkillers - her 
    foot is quite sore."

				- David Coleman, BBC1

    "There he is, the fastest man in the world this year... other men may 
    have run faster this year but he did it when it mattered."

				- David Coleman, BBC1

    "...and if Berger gets another yellow flag it will be a red one."

				- David Coleman, BBC1

         *** Send VOGONballs to VORTEX::CALIPH::BINDER, not to VNS ***


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<><><><><><><><>   VNS Edition : 2660      Friday 11-Sep-1992   <><><><><><><><>


--
rich@tosh.wcc.govt.nz (Richard Naylor )