Research Systems Incorporated announced the release of ENVI (Environment for Visualizing Images) 3.0. Among the new features of this release are GIS tools and new routines for orthorectification of air photos and satellite images. Other features include support for the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), support for U.S. and world location maps and true type scalable fonts. Personal computer pricing starts at $3350 US and workstation pricing starts at $5750 US.

Contact: Research Systems, Inc., 2995 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301,Phone: 303-786-9900, Fax: 303-786-9900, E-mail: info@rsinc.com, URL: http://www.rsinc.com/.

StarTech has introduced a DBase-compatible C/C++ library for reading, writing and updating Xbase format database files and indeces. Xbase for Linux is available for review or download for free from their website.

Contact: StarTech, 1615 Timber Ridge Lane, Roanoke, TX 76262,Phone: 817-431-8546, E-mail: startech@gbob.com, URL: http://www.gbob.com/.

Empress announced the release of Empress Hypermedia V2.10. The new release features new tools for creating database-driven web pages. Enhancements to this Internet applications toolkit include the ability to establish a continuous session to the Empress RDBMS, simple syntax for switching database tools, the ability to utilize multiple languages in addition to English, an easier method for establishing joins between two data tables, the option to use in-line CGIs and the ability to insert data into a database from a file on the client.

Contact: Empress Software, 6401 Golden Triangle Drive, Greenbelt, MD 20770, Phone: 301-220-1919, E-mail: sales@empress.com, URL: http://www.empress.com/.

SCREADER is a freely available screen reader using a software text-to-speech tool. No extra hardware is required, but you do need a sound card and a text to speech (TTS) synthesizer. It is a modification of the Screen package and most of the features of Screen are still available. Future versions of SCREADER will not be implemented in Screen. At that time it will read from each virtual screen. This version only works on the virtual console where SCREADER is executed.

Contact: Jos Lemmens, URL: http://leb.net/blinux/betas.html#scr.

The release of ascp0.8.2 (AfterStep Control Panel) has been announced. New features include finished background utility, file browsing, JPEG support, root modes for backgrounds and added context sensitive help. ascp0.8.2 is intended to provide an intuitive graphical front-end for configuring AfterStep and is freely available.

Contact: Elumaze Nwanua, URL: http://hubble.colorado.edu/~nwanua/htmldir/ascp.html.

CurveSoft announced the release of FontScope. Features of FontScope include Multiple Master font support, well-defined API, two sample C++ applications to illustrate the use of the API and the ability to be statically linked into an application or installed as a dynamically linked shared library. A free demo version can be downloaded at ftp://ftp/blueneptune.com/pub/users/ram/demos/demo-x86.tar.gz.

Contact: CurveSoft, Inc., 2053 Grant Road, Suite 555, Los Altos, CA 94024,E-mail: info@curvesoft.com, URL: http://www.curvesoft.com/.

Solid Information Technology Ltd. announced the 100% Pure Java JDBC driver for the SOLID Server database management system. The new native driver offers Java applications access to Solid's database engine. SOLID Server is a standards-compliant and compact database engine requiring minimal administrator attention. Its database components are embedded in packaged software, application development tools, web sites, hand-held devices, point of sale systems, industrial products and more.

Contact: Solid Information Technology Ltd., Huovitie 3, FIN-00400 Helsinki, Finland, Phone: +358-9-477 4730, Fax: +358-9-477 473 90, E-mail: info@solidtech.com, URL: http://www.solidtech.com/.

QMASTER Software Solutions Incorporated announced the release of its batch management system which can manage occasional batch processing on a single server up to high-end scheduling. Some features include interval submission of jobs, automatic re-submissions, global variables for interprocess communication, job grouping and more.

Contact: QMASTER Software Solutions Inc., 1730-840, 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G2, Canada, Phone: 403-264-8322, Fax: 403-265-5307, E-mail: info@qmaster.com, URL: http://www.qmaster.com/.

QMASTER Software Solutions Incorporated announced the release of its output management system which manages output from file to device to messaging. The software allows central management of departmental printing. Some features of the new software include partial printing, routing to multiple printers, reprinting of “lost” printouts, transparent pre-processing and load-balancing over printers.

Contact: QMASTER Software Solutions Inc., 1730-840 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G2, Canada, Phone: 403-264-8322, Fax: 403-265-5307, E-mail: info@qmaster.com, URL: http://www.qmaster.com/.

SpellCaster Telecommunications Inc. announced Babylon. Babylon is a Multilink PPP solution that provides support for both modems and ISDN adapters in a single package. Some features include multi-link and authentication on a workstation or server, and telecommunication applications at 64Kbps, ISDN and higher bandwidths. Babylon is device independent and supports both in-bound and out-bound connections. Babylon is available from SpellCaster Telecommunications at a list price of $199US for the 256Kbps version. CD-ROM copies of Babylon also include the Red Hat Linux 4.2 operating system.

Contact: SpellCaster Telecommunications Inc., 73 Laird Drive, Suite 206, Toronto, Ontario M4G 3T4, Canada, Phone: 800-238-0547, Fax: 416-425-0854, E-mail: info@spellcast.com, URL: http://www.spellcast.com/.

Corel Computer Corporation announced its new Video Network Computer. It contains a Linux-based operating system and a Java-based multimedia communications suite. Key benefits of this new technology include a lower cost, persistent caching and synchronization, minimal network traffic, energy efficiency and ergonomic design. Pricing for corporate solutions is available upon request.

Contact: Corel Computer Corporation, 150 Isabella Street, Suite 1000, Ottawa,Ontario K1S 1V7, Canada, Phone: 613-788-6000, Fax: 613-230-8300,E-mail: sales@corelcomputer.com, URL: http://www.corelcomputer.com/.

W3Control announced the W3Control Filter. W3Control is a web request filtration package designed to meet the demands of commercial accounts. The product is a server-based filtration solution which blocks access to Internet sites drawn from a list of 350,000 sites deemed to be either unproductive from a business perspective or a potential source of legal liability. The software also keeps an active log of all Internet requests down to the group or individual user level.

Contact: W3Control Inc., 260 Chapman Road, Suite 208, Newark, DE 19702,Phone: 302-451-1698, Fax: 302-454-1718, E-mail: sales@w3control.com,URL: http://www.w3control.com/.

Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc, announed the publication of “Samba: Intagrating Unix and Windows” by John D. Blair. The book is a combination of technical tutorial, reference guide and how-to manual. It contains a CD-ROM of 1.9.17 and 1.9.18alpha versions of the Samba server, a library of tools and scripts and the Samba mailing list archives. The price of the book is $29.95US.

Contact: SSC, Inc., P.O. Box 55549, Seattle, WA 98155-0549, Phone: 206-782-7733, Fax: 206-782-7191, E-mail: sales@ssc.com, URL: http://www.ssc.com/.