The House has killed the Super Collider, 282-143, except for shut-down funds that may reach $1.1B total. Other large science projects to be reconsidered may include the Advanced Neutron Source, the B-Factory, and the Tokamak Physics Experiment. The House also killed the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) pork-barrel project, voting 401-30. [Robert L. Park ([email protected]), WHAT'S NEW, 10/22/93.] (International Big Science projects are still conceivable, despite efforts to appear frugal.)

The Fall issue of ESA's quarterly "Preparing for the Future" is about development and deployment of AI in the European Space Agency. Contact their publications dept. in The Netherlands for a free copy. [Harm Munk ([email protected]), 10/25/93.]

The ARPA/NIST TREC-3 text-retrieval workshop will be conducted this 1/94 to 11/94. Apply by 12/1/93. Participants will be scored on document routing and retrieval from a 2-3GB database of 1M documents. No financial support this year. Contact Donna Harman ([email protected]), (301) 975-2128 Fax. [IRLIST Digest, 10/18/93.]

From 1982 to 1992, the US software industry grew by 269 percent -- compared with 30 percent for the rest of the economy. Today, it is larger than all but five manufacturing industries and holds a 75% worldwide market share for prepackaged software sales. More than 55% of Microsoft's revenues came from abroad last year. NAFTA-related legislation in Mexico has increased Microsoft's sales there by 100% in 1992 and 200% in 1993. 85% of Mexico's software continues to be pirated, but NAFTA protections for intellectual property would help open up the entire South American market. [Bill Gates, Washington Post, 10/18/93. Deepak Kumar ([email protected]).]

1MB of hard-drive was $1.50 two years ago. Now it's about $.79 and dropping toward $.50. Average Conner drive capacity has increased 10-fold in five years. [Investor's Business Daily, 10/8/93. EDUPAGE.]

Bell Atlantic customers can now get ISDN digital voice/data service for $20/month more than a regular business line. (800) 570-ISDN. [EDUPAGE, 10/1/93.] (Bay-area business may be able to get it for $150-$250/month from Robert Berger, rberger @internex.net, (415) 473-3060.)

US capital spending has risen 14% over a year ago, and over 2/3 of capital spending is for computers, telecommunications, and information processing. (Software spending raises the total even higher.) Technology is cheaper than labor, and the cost is more predictable. Besides, low interest rates make this an attractive time to finance early retirement packages. [Howard Banks, Forbes, 9/27/93.]

Hospitals have invested only 2% of operating costs in information systems, a "tremendous underfunding." [WSJ, 10/8/93. EDUPAGE.] (Ergo, there is a need for new systems. Jobs!)