NewtNews - 11.07.94 - 0117
==========================
by Steve Holden (sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us)

This is a summary of the information that I come in contact with that
deals with the Newton and related technologies.

NewtNews is Copyright 1994 Steve Holden. See the Administrivia at
end.

Table of Contents
-----------------
 1. email
 2. comp.sys.newton.misc
 3. Edupage 10/30/94
 4. Network World, October 31, 1994
 5. InfoWorld, October 31, 1994
 6. MacWeek, 10.31.91
 7. Edupage 11/1/94
 8. Computer Link, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/1/94
 9. Edupage 11/3/94
10. Edupage 11/6/94
11. MUST READS!
12. User Groups
13. Product and Service Information
14. Sensa Stylus/Pen Review
15. Comments from the Editor
16. Administrivia

email
-----
* GRAFFITI FOR MAGIC CAP
    Should be out by late November from Palm Computing.  It will be
priced at $79.  Since Magic Cap does not have any writing recognition
currently, this should be a welcome edition. You can call them at
800-881-PALM (7256) for more info.

* PANASONIC BIC NEWTON ON HORIZON
    Peter Davson-Galle (P.DavsonGalle@educ.utas.edu.au) reports on an
article by Erin English writing in the November 1, 1994 edition of
_The Australian_ that Panasonic and Systems Co will have a family of
PDAs using Magic Cap and Newton operating platforms starting  in
1995. The first will based on a design similar to the dropped Apple
"bic".
    According to sources it will have a "4-by-6-inch backlit screen
with 640 by 480 pixel resolution; permanent buttons found at the base
of [current Newtons] will be replaced by software-controlled buttons;
2MB of RAM; socketed ROM; a built-in speaker and microphone; a
built-in 9.6K-bps data/fax modem; a PCMCIA slot which may hold either
one type 3 or two type 2 cards; serial, AC and infra-red ports; and
accessory mounting slots for scanners, external keyboards and
printers" A 4-8 hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack powers the
slate, and it is expected to cost between $1000-1500.

* NEWTON TO GET POP/SMTP CLIENT SOON
    MessagePad Users with POPMail accounts can finally look forward to
a fully functioning POP/SMTP client in time for the Holidays.
    "Codenamed "MoonLight", and in final beta as you read this, sources
claim that Users will be able to "compose messages off-line with a
very cool Editor, log on, send or receive POPmail either as text or
binary Newton documents (Appointments, Dates, Notes, Names & Business
Cards, with or without Graphics), and log off with relative ease."
    And best of all, this pre-Yuletide arrival will be priced right:
Free.  It's free because Developer wanted to "get this technology out
into the hands of the Newton community as soon as possible."
    Features: True POP/SMTP Client for Newton; Sends/receives all
native binary Newton applications (Appointments, Dates, Notes, Names
& Business Cards, etc.) with or without Graphics; and non-Newton
recipient of a mail message (Say, a Eudora User) won't get Newton
graphics, of course, but will receive the message as text. Expected
release was December, 1994.  The public release may be a final beta
candidate.
    This version isn't designed to work over Ethernet, but instead to
call in to one's POP/SMTP server over standard telephone lines like
you do with Eudora via SLIP.

* MOVEMENT BY MOTOROLA ON PAGING PRODUCTS
    Motorola's Paging Products Group have had three major
announcements:
    The creation of the new Advanced Messaging Systems Division . Len
deBarros, vice president and general manager of PPG's Global Paging
Infrastructure Division, was named vice president and general manager
of AMSD.
    The creation of the new Personal Communicator Systems and Software
Division .
    And Expansion of its South Florida operations, with the selection
of a new site at Quantum Park in Boynton Beach. (from Business Wire)

* NEWTON HACKS CLARIFICATIONS
    James T. Gambit (SnowWolf@eworld.com) of Gravity Point reports that
Sydney Low (100026.1301@compuserve.com) at Instant Information in
Melbourne is the one who can add letterhead in the built-in Newton
fax, print, and mail options.
    James is able to put business/company logos into the notes area
of a person name card. This can be beamed to and from Newtons.

comp.sys.newton.misc
--------------------
* HELP APPLE WITH ADVERTISING
    The following is from Paola Hadida (pao@mail.utexas.edu):
    "Do you currently own a Newton 110 or would like to in the future?
I am an advertising student at UT and am working on a campaign for
the Apple Newton 120, not yet on the market.  I would greatly
appreciate any information you may know about the Newton (including
but not limited to: user features, capabilities, likes/dislikes,
etc.) In turn, I will send you any information you may request: I am
finding, and have already found, thousands of articles, memos, etc.
on the Newton.
    "Bottom line: You help me, I'll help you (back)."

Edupage 10/30/94
----------------
* LIMITED PARTNERSHIP FOR IBM AND APPLE
    IBM and Apple are expected to announce a limited alliance in the
next two weeks, focusing on building PCs based on the jointly
developed PowerPC chip. A broader deal may be reached by year's end,
giving IBM rights to the Macintosh system and the ability to make Mac
clones. Such an agreement would carry risks for both companies: Apple
could face the prospect of aggressive price-cutting competition from
the clone market, and IBM could undermine consumer confidence in its
own OS/2 operating system. (Wall Street Journal 10/28/94 A2)

* WHAT'S THE JAPANESE WORD FOR APPLE?
    Apple's projected 16% market share in Japan for this year is double
that of 1992, and the company plans to capitalize on a good thing.
Its strategy hinges on hooking up with a major Japanese computer
maker to license Mac technology, thereby boosting sales in Japan and
exporting clones to other markets. NEC and Fujitsu both have turned
Apple down, but Toshiba now looks promising. (Business Week 10/31/94
p.117)

* NEXTEL AND MOTOROLA INCH TOWARD ALLIANCE OK
    The Justice Department said Thursday it will allow Nextel and
Motorola to form an alliance provided they give up control of certain
radio channels in 15 big cities. The government had feared that
Nextel's acquisition of Motorola's specialized mobile radio service
would have effectively eliminated competition in those cities. "The
agreement with the Justice Department is another important step in
creating a nationwide wireless system that offers voice dispatch,
wireless phone, text messaging and data transmission capabilities,"
says Motorola's president of Land Mobile Products. (Investor's
Business Daily 10/28/94 A5)

* "SCREEN MY CALLS"
    A system called Wildfire offers a smart phone that stores a
person's contact numbers so that it can screen incoming calls,
schedule return calls, and manage messaging functions. "Agents" do
routine tasks like forwarding calls or delivering messages, while
"assistants" are trained to know the user's schedule and direct the
agents to act accordingly -- such as to forward calls to the carphone
when appropriate.  Wildfire treats phone calls as "objects" that can
be stored, forwarded and manipulated like e-mail.  The system costs
$2K per user for hardware and software. (Forbes 11/7/94 p.310)

Network World, October 31, 1994
-------------------------------
* STOCK PORTFOLIO PDA BEING TESTED
    USEMCO Technologies and RAM Mobile Data are working on a handheld
unit that will allow stock brokers to do "mobile trading."  The
end-user could also use the device to make trades.  The Windows based
unit costs $295 and requires a server unit also. (p. 33)

InfoWorld, October 31, 1994
---------------------------
* FRONT PAGE ARTICLES
    Delphi95 - Borland's programming environment is a hit; Notebooks
are next scheduled stop for PCI bus; IBM pushes on with alpha of
PowerPC OS/2 - but still needs GUI; Oracle planning big PowerMac
push; and Windows 95 leads push to optimize software for Pentium.

* NEW SMALLER FLASH RAM
    SunDisk (408.562.0500) has a new "matchbox-size CompactFlash(CT)"
that is 1/4th the size of current PCMCIA Type II cards. Even though
it uses 50-pins there is an adapter to the 60-pin Type II connection.
Pricing will be similar to the current PCMCIA cards, and availability
will be in Q2, 1995. [p. 43]

* LOOK AT SIMON
    There is a big article by Harry McCracken on IBM and BellSouth's
Simon cellular phone and PDA.  All aspects of the device are
discussed. [p. 119]

* MISSING TELESCRIPT
    Stewart Alsop discusses his Sony MagicLink, and the pluses and
minuses of using the device.  His concern is that General Magic's
Telescript hasn't really been used effectively yet.  The big problem
is the expectations that AT&T has built because of Telescript's
potential are not currently being met. This sounds like the
expectation problem that Apple had with handwriting recognition. [p.
138]

MacWeek, 10.31.91
-----------------

* FRONT PAGE ARTICLES
    Respondents Welcome Clones; Macromedia gets hands on Altsys: Deal
is Worth $69M; Acrobat to make leap into OCR technology; Tektronix
extends color palette: Inkject, laser printers span business gamut;
Microsoft maps Project update; and Apple shipments lead U.S. market.

* NEW APPLETALK WIRELESS ON THE WAY
    Dayna Communications (801.269.7200) is planning a January release
of its client AppleTalk wireless adapter called Roamer. The device
will sell for $699 and will require a server called Network Access
Point that sells for $1499.  The Access Point can also handle IPX and
TCP/IP, up to 20 Roamers, and be linked to other Access Points at
150ft intervals. [p. 12 & 14]

* NEW BIG CHEESE AT PIE
    Shane Robinson has been named VP and GM of Apple's PIE division.
NewtNews has received reports that Shane has been categorized as a
"Newton guy." [p. 26]

Edupage 11/1/94
---------------
* TRANSLATING ENGINEERESE
    A list of the "Top 20 Engineers' Terminologies" reveals such gems
as: "A number of different approaches are being tried" (translation
-- We are still pissing in the wind); "Extensive report is being
prepared on a fresh approach to the problem" (translation -- We just
hired three kids fresh out of college); and "Test results were
extremely gratifying" (translation -- We are so surprised that the
stupid thing works). (Wired 11/94 p.43)

* PATENTS FOR TOUCHTONE CALLING PROTOCOLS
    Omaha inventor Ronald Katz has 25 U.S. patents issued over six
years covering a number of hardware and software interfaces that
allow people to use a telephone to talk to a computerized information
service.  The patents are extremely broad:  one analyst says that.
theoretically, the whole world is infringing them, including
government agencies. (New York Times 10/31/94 C2)

Computer Link, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/1/94
-----------------------------------------------
* LOOK AT PDAS
    In an article by Jeff Rose on Comdex, he writes:
    "Remember PDAs?  Those handheld personal digital assistants that
were making a lot of news a year ago turned out to be a
disappointment, then turned out to be more practical than all the
naysayers.
    "Apple's Newton MessagePad and the Casio/Tandy Zoomer are finding
uses for inventory control, communications (with paging and faxing
capabilities finally showing up) and even electronic books.
    "New handwriting-recognition programs even are making them useful
for note-taking, though PDAs may never live up to the hype in that
regard." (p. 3)

* $199 NEWTON MP100 AD
    Creative Computers (aka MacMail) has a $199 MP100 ad on page 2. The
part number is 67066. Call them for mail order at 800.222.2808.

Edupage 11/3/94
---------------
* COMPANIES IN POSITION FOR WIRELESS AUCTION
    More than 70 companies will be bidding in next month's auctions
for radio licenses to offer wireless phone services.  Whether the
companies make money on their ventures remains to be seen, because
the intense competition from having three or more rivals in every
market will drive down the price of wireless service in the next
decade and make it not much more expensive than ordinary telephone
service. (New York Times 11/2/94 C2)

* SOFTWARE BY SATELLITE
    Hughes Network Systems is conducting tests to use its DirecPC
satellite information delivery system to send software, video, games,
and news to personal computers at speeds up to 100 times greater than
currently possible by modem. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 11/2/94
G2)

Edupage 11/6/94
---------------
* APPLE, IBM AND MOTOROLA AGREE ON PC STANDARD
    Although recent rumors of an IBM equity investment in Apple have not
proven true, the two companies (together with chipmaker Motorola)
have agreed on the design of a new personal computer intended to
break the Microsoft-Intel domination of the software and chip markets
by being faster and less expensive than Intel-based machines.  Based
on the PowerPC chip recently developed by the same Apple-IBM-Motorola
alliance, the design has already been adopted by Toshiba and Canon.
The new systems, to be ready in 1996, will support applications
running on a variety of operating, including Mac OS, OS/2, Netware,
AIX, Windows NT, and Solaris. (New York Times 11/4/94 C1)

* APPLE'S POWER PLAY
    Apple Computer's new Power Mac is claimed to be the most powerful
PC on the market, and is geared toward customers such as professional
publishers, who routinely work with massive image files and
computer-intensive design. Regular Mac users will soon be able to
boost their machines to Power Mac level with the Macintosh Processor
Upgrade card, which is expected to sell for $659. (Investor's
Business Daily 11/4/94 A15)

MUST READS!
-----------
* _Intelligent Newton Magazine_, September/October 1994. See NewtNews
- 10.31.94 - 0117 for details on this issue. Contact IN Magazine at
(inmagazine1@eworld.com) or 415.433.2755.

* _PIE Developers_, Volume 2.5, September 1994. See NewtNews -
10.31.94 - 0117 for details on this issue.  Contact Steve Mann at
415.621.4252, 415.621.4922(fax) or email at (cds@netcom.com).

* _Pen Computing_ , November 1994. See NewtNews - 10.31.94 - 0117 for
details on this issue.  Contact Nigel Ballard
(Nigel@dataman.demon.co.uk) if you'd like to get subscription
information.

User Groups
-----------
* STANFORD NEWTON USER GROUP (SNUG)
    Meets at 7 pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the
Printer's Inc Bookstore Cafe, 310 California Ave, Palo Alto. Contact
(FlaSheridn@rahul.net) or 415.462.9203 for more info.

* SAN DIEGO NEWTON USER GROUP (SDNUG)
    Meets at 7 pm every third Thursday.  Location changes. Send email
to Alex Tosheff (alex@c3ot.saic.com) or Steve Holden
(sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us) for location information.

* POOR NEWTON OWNERS
    Philadelphia Organization of Responsible Newton Owners (POOR Newton
Owners, with apologies to B. Franklin). Meets (mostly) on the last
Wednesday of the month at various locations. For information contact:
Lawrence A. Husick, Esq. (Law.Husick@applelink.apple.com) or
610.296.8259.

* OZNUG
    OzNUG (the Australian Newton Users Group) is based in Sydney,
Australia, and has grown rapidly to over 100 members spread across
all Australian states. It meets in Sydney at 6:30 pm on the third
Wednesday of every month, and local chapters are currently being
formed in other cities. All levels of expertise from beginner to
advanced are catered for, and membership is currently free. Active
SIG's include Legal, Medical, Commercial and Programming. For further
information email President Robin Simpson (simmo@geko.com.au) or
Secretary Ian Hemmings (Ian_Hemmings@aapda.com.au) or fax a note to
+61 2 954 0037 (in Australia 02 954 0037).

* MID-ATLANTIC NEWTON DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION (MANDA)
    Meets at 6:30pm until 9:30pm the first Monday of the month at the
Rockville office of Washington Apple Pi, 12022 Parklawn Drive,
Rockville, MD 20852. All Newton owners are welcome, our focus is not
just toward developers. For more information or directions contact:
Bill Kearney (wkearney@access.digex.net) or Andy Halls
(ahalls@access.digex.net)

Product and Service Information
-------------------------------
* SOLAR CHARGING FOR NEWTONS. Mention Newton_News and get 30% off SRP
of a Sun Runner, solar charging unit for all MessagePads. That makes
the price either $139 or $111 for a Sun Runner (two models
available). Add $5 S&H and you'll have an unlimited power source for
your Newton! Call 800.327.6882 or send e-mail to (KISS4@aol.com).

* QuickFigure Pro is Connected: Beam a spreadsheet to a co-worker.
NewtonMail a price list to a customer. Copy your analysis to the
notepad, and integrate it into a letter. Export your sales order to
Excel or Lotus 1-2-3 on your Mac or Windows machine. QuickFigure Pro
has the right connections. From PelicanWare, Inc., $49.95 plus S&H.
e-mail (donv@teleport.com) for more details, or 800.655.6398 for
ordering.

* WriteWare offers multi-function pen/styluses, and retrofits for the
Newton. The Stealth Stylus II is a dual function Pen/Stylus while the
Super Stealth Stylus is a Pen/Stylus/Pencil in either plastic or
metal case. Email (WriteWare@eWorld.com) for a full catalog and
pricing. Orders may be placed at International DataWares, Inc. at
800.222.6032.

* The BARRIER, screen protection system engineered specifically for
the Newton Message Pads. Features: long life, glare reduction,
improved writing surface, no adhesives, easy installation. For more
information: Email: (Mellow.S@eworld.com) Call: 800.882.8382; Fax:
505.662.2752. Package of 4 ($21.95 + $2.50 S&H)

* Special Newton Software Offer. Mention "Newton_News" and we will
give you $5 off any Coherent Visual software product! Available:
Rahmel Utilities for Newton, Common Words, and Spanish FlashCards.
VISA/MC accepted. E-mail: Coherent Visual (cvisual@cerf.net) or
call/fax for FREE catalog 619-944-8973, fax: 619-944-8522.

* Mention "Newton_News" when ordering Clear Lake Research's ChessPad
and receive a 25% discount off the SRP of $69.95. ChessPad is a
combination of a digital chess book and a portable chess set. It
contains 28 annotated games from the greatest players of all time and
100 chess problems. Demos on AOL, eWorld, and CompuServe. Phone:
713.663.7513; email: (DavidL62@AOL.COM).

* BBS in a Box, by the Arizona Mac Users Group, is a Macintosh CD
which also contains Newton files - over 270 files (11 megs
compressed). There is also an ISO version which can be mounted on a
PC. Newton_News readers can get the CD for $45 plus shipping. E-mail
(ashley@amug.org) or call 602.553.0066.

* The WEDGE, a desk stand for your PDA and pen. Features: holds your
PDA at a convenient working  angle, keeps your pen handy, sleek
lines,  made of durable clear Lucite, inexpensive.  For more
information: Email: (Mellow.S@eworld.com) Call: 800.882.8382; Fax:
505.662.2752. [$15.95 + $4 S&H]

* PDA Panache has fine styli available for both the Original MP and
MP110.  Our Telescoping110 pen is available in either 24K gold or
sterling silver for $29.95.  Original MP styli are available in
aluminum for $9.95 or gold (polished or brushed) for $19.95. We can
be reached for Visa/MasterCard orders at: 800.270.7196,
FAX:516-467-6329 or email (PDAPanache@eworld.com)

* Time To Go by Extra Lead: 10 Timepieces and LOUD, continuous
DataBook alarms. Includes: Travel Alarm, Meeting Cost Tracker,
Full-Screen clock, Hourglass, Parking Meter,  Stopwatch and more.
Mention "Newton_News" for $10 discount to $39+S&H. 800.642.4321,
(extralead@aol.com) for orders or further details.

Sensa Stylus/Pen Review
-----------------------
by Bob Torres (btorres@netcom.com)

    If you are plagued by writer's cramp as I often am, you may want
to consider the Sensa pen/stylus.  The Sensa, unlike most pens and
styli, was designed with ergonomics in mind.  At the base of the pen
where one naturally grips is an interesting thickened section which
consists of a rubber-like material that conforms to your grip.  This
material has a memory effect which creates small, noticeable
indentations where your fingers grip.  This provides greater comfort
when writing, since the material is pliable and acts as a sort of
padding between your fingers and the pen. The rest of the pen is made
of a durable metal which gives it a substantial feeling.
    After using the pen/stylus for two weeks, I have found that it
reduced my writer's cramps in even the most wicked of situations:
the college essay exam.  After using a conventional pen during an
essay exam, my hand is often dead tired and cramped, hurting for the
rest of the day.  With the Sensa, my cramping was reduced
significantly and as a result, my writing was more legible.
    For use with the Newton, one can purchase an optional insert which
will make the Sensa into a stylus.  I also found that the Sensa
provided better recognition and less cramping than Apple's aluminum
stylus when using the Newton for long periods of time.
    My chief disappointment with the Sensa was that it is only either
a pen or a stylus, even though it functioned well in both regards.
If it had a dual function like the Stealth Stylus, it would probably
be a stronger product for the Newton market.  Another consideration
is aesthetics:  although in my opinion the pen is attractive and well
designed, some people may not like the bulge on the lower portion of
the pen.  Although the bulge is noticeable, it is not so large as to
be distracting and it is well integrated into the overall design of
the pen.  The potential un-attractiveness of the bulge is
well-compensated by its ability to make writing more comfortable.
    Overall, I would recommend the Sensa to anyone who is prone to
writer's cramp;  it reduced mine significantly.  Additionally, it
functioned well as a stylus and prevented cramping that I sometimes
get when using my Newton.

Comments from the Editor
------------------------

* EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGE
    My new email address is (sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us). Please
use this address in the future for NewtNews related email. Thanks!

* ON TRAVEL
    I am doing some travel for my real job during the next three
weeks.  There should not be much delay on the NewtNews text version
but the html and Newton Book version may lag by a few days. My
connectivity has suffered also, so responses maybe sporadic. Sorry
for the inconvenience.  Thanks for everyone's support of NewtNews,
it is really growing beyond my wildest expectations.

* BUSINESSES
    There has been a change in the advertising policy of NewtNews that
will take place in the first issue in December 1994. If you are
interested in continuing to advertise in NewtNews please send me mail
and I will forward to you the necessary information. Thanks!

Administrivia
-------------
    If you'd like to contribute some information that you have --
anonymously or not -- write to: (sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us) You
can also send any comments, corrections, reviews, or suggestions to
the address above.
    Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if
full credit is given. Others please contact me. I don't guarantee
accuracy of articles. Publication, product, and company names may be
registered trademarks of their companies. TidBITS is copyright
1990-1994 Adam & Tonya Engst (ace@tidbits.com).
    To read the text version, use Easy View or any other setext browser
to read this as an outline. All versions of NewtNews: the text, the
Newton book and HTML version are now being published by Steve Holden
(sholden@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us).
    You can anonymously FTP the latest and past issues of NewtNews in
both text and Macintosh Newton book format from
(ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/btorres/NewtNews) This is the official home
of NewtNews. There is also a very useful document in this directory
called NewtNews_Info. Please read it. It will tell you about the
email listserver and other important information. The FTP site is
administered by Bob Torres (btorres@netcom.com).
    There is also a WWW site for NewtNews.  Use your favorite Mosaic
browser to check out:
(http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/NewtNews/NN_top.html)

Disclaimer:  I am doing this on my own time, and on my own computer
***********  not the government's or my employer's.




