A new link between mainframe Computers that will allow speedy transfer of massive data has been developed by scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. A collection of wires and integrated circuit chips that lets impulses travel over broader, shorter paths than have been available until now, the communication channel is an important breakthrough that is expected to eliminate "bottlenecks" among computers.

Regulations governing the activities of American commercial space-launch service firms have been issued by the Transportation Department. The issuance of licensing regulations follows the recent announcement by President Reagan of a National Space Policy shifting major portions of the responsibility for U.S. space launches from the government to the private sector. Private launch firms will handle launches of commercial satellites and, whenever possible, the government's own payloads. The government is also committed to encouraging development or construction of private launch sites. Several American companies are aggressively marketing a wide range of launch services worldwide at present. They include estab­lished aerospace firms that have been launching Delta, Atlas and Titan rockets under government contract for more than 25 years, as well as new entrepreneurial firms that have developed vehicles for a variety of space-related projects.

Laptop computers are expected to zoom up to a $2.2 billion market by 1992, compared to $917 million in 1987, according to Venture Development Corp., Natick, MA. The market-research firm says this large increase results directly from lower prices, better screens, and target marketing that attracts the right buyers to this particular type of computer. Those buyers are said to be sales and service forces or anyone in the field, such as insurance agents; and manufacturers are homing in on Fortune 1,000 companies with employees in these categories. One laptop that is reportedly not selling well is IBM's PC Convertible. It sold 23,000 units in 1986, far below IBM's own projections. A new laptop from IBM, based on the 286 chip, is expected to debut soon.

A trade bill at last? At press time, ruthless modifications by the House/Senate conference committee have transformed the previously unacceptable trade measure into one that seems to have a good chance of becoming law. The proposed legislation restricts the President's discretion in dealing with nations charged with abusing our trade agreements, but it provides much more latitude than previous versions. Other White House objections remain, however—notably the provision requiring advance notice of plant closings and layoffs, although many firms already provide notice routinely.

An entire frontier of telephone services has been opened to business and home phone users by a federal court ruling. The seven "Baby Bells" may now offer the following options: electronic mail, with documents transferred from computer to computer and bypassing expensive peripherals; voice mail, with the phone company recording messages to be picked up later; pay-to-see cable TV, in which you punch only what you want and pay Bell later; voice message, where you dial one phone number, then hit several keys to hear weather, entertainment, etc. Bell Atlantic is working on a service to enable people with hearing problems to convert voice messages into text on a video screen. The equipment that does that now costs about $3,000. The new call method would cost less than $1.00.

To help technology-based small businesses, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the Association of Small Business Development Centers have formed a partnership to offer companies a technology-evaluation service. The program, which will start on a pilot basis in 11 states, will provide these small firms with the credibility they need to commercialize new products and processes. Under the pilot program, the state small business development centers will forward promising ideas for new technologies to NBS for evaluation as part of its Energy-Related Inventions Program. Conducted since 1975 by NBS and the Energy Department, this program provides individual inventors or small businesses with technical and financial assistance for developing and marketing their energy-related ideas. DoE grants to inventors typically range between $50,000 and $200,000 and average $80,000 per invention. The participating states are Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming.

Recovery of the bleak housing market seems slowed by rising costs—land, building materials, appliances, etc.—running ahead of family income. Lower mortgage rates may help a little, but price tags of new homes went up 10 percent in 1986, twice as fast as household incomes. Markets for homes—and the wiring that goes into them—are changing with demographics as baby boomers and their successors move along.

10 WIRE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

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