Encryption software accepts 448-bit password.

A Windows-based encryption tool, carrick V1.0 runs either as a stand-alone application or from within any Windows application that can access a dynamic-link library. The program uses the Blowfish algorithm of encryption. Unlike the data-encryption standard, the current standard private-key encryption algorithm, which has a 56-bit password, carrick accepts a 448-bit password. With carrick, you can drag and drop one or more files at a time from the Windows File Manager for encryption. The software comes in single- or two-copy bundles for Macintosh, DOS, Unix, and VAX/VMS systems. Single- and two-copy bundles cost $159 and $199, respectively. Azalea Software Inc, Seattle, WA. (206) 932-0234.

UltraSPARC-based workstations reach speeds of 167 MHz.

A 64-bit UltraSPARC processor drives the COMPstation U series of workstations, which offers two models for computation-intensive desktop ap-plications. The U140 comes with a 143-MHz CPU and delivers performance ratings of 215 SPECint92 and 303 SPECfp92. The U170's 167-MHz CPU offers SPECint92 and SPECfp92 ratings of 252 and 351, respectively. Standard configurations include 32 Mbytes of RAM; a 1-Gbyte hard drive; Turbo GX graphics; 20-in. color monitor; three SBus slots; two serial ports; one parallel port; a 10BaseT Ethernet interface; Fast SCSI-2; and CD-quality, 16-bit audio. Prices start at $15,444 and $17,980 for the U140 and U170, respectively. Tatung Science & Technology Inc, Milpitas, CA. (408) 383-0988.

Single-board computer drives PCI and ISA bus expansion cards.

With a choice of Pentium processors running at 75 to 150 MHz, the IND-Pxx industrial single-board computer ac-cepts both PCI and ISA bus expansion cards. The board manages as many as four IDE drives and two floppy-disk drives. It comes with 512 kbytes of L2 cache and accommodates as much as 128 Mbytes of DRAM. It also comes with a PC/104 expansion-bus connector. Prices start at $982. Indocomp Systems Inc, Waterford, MI. (800) 466-9715.

Hub streamlines Fibre Channel networks.

The LightPulse Fibre hub simplifies the management of Fibre-Channel-arbitrated loop networks, achieving full-speed throughput at 1.062 Gbps. The system automatically bypasses un-used or unpowered ports and also repeats and retimes the data signal. Multiple 10-port hubs can be interconnected to support large configurations with as many as 126 network devices. The unit is offered in three media configurations: one with 10 copper twinax ports, one with 10 short-wave multimode fiber-optic ports, and one that combines eight fiber-optic and two copper ports. Respective prices for these configurations are $2995, $7995, and $6795. Emulex Corp, Costa Mesa, CA. (714) 854-7112.

PC flash disk stores up to 16 Mbytes.

A half-size PC card, the PCD-896 solid-state flash disk, emulates a standard disk drive and operates under DOS as an A, B, C, or D drive. Using surface-mount flash chips, the PCD-896 provides from 1 to 16 Mbytes of memory. In addition to the plug-in card, the flash disk comes as a PC-104 module for embedded applications. Prices start at £109 for a 1-Mbyte configuration. Integrated Measurement Systems Ltd, Southampton, UK. +44-703-771-143.

Color laser printer produces 5 pg/minute.

With a resolution of 600*600 dpi, the Phaser 550 desktop color laser printer delivers nearly 5 pg/minute in color and 14 pg/minute in monochrome. It also lets you adjust the standard configuration to achieve 1200-dpi resolution. The cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges yield as many as 8000 pg, and the black cartridge produces 10,000 pg. Optional network cards follow EtherTalk, Novell NetWare, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, Token Talk, and LocalTalk protocols. The Phaser 550, which comes with Adobe PostScript Level 2 software, costs $6995. Tektronix Color Printing and Imaging Division, Wilson, OR. (503) 682-7377.

CPU board fits PCI- and ISA-bus passive backplanes.

Offering full PCI local-bus support, a single-board computer series can be installed in any PC/AT passive backplane for upgrading slower systems to PCI performance without a PCI backplane. The SB486xP series gives you a choice of three standard processor models: 486DX4/100, 486DX2/66, and 486SX/33, as well as a Pentium Overdrive (P24T) processor. Onboard features include upgradable 256-kbyte cache-memory modules, dual serial ports, a parallel port, a CMOS battery, and a watchdog timer. Prices start at $1349. Industrial Computer Source, San Diego, CA. (800) 523-2320.

Programmable keyboard has built-in magnetic-stripe reader.

The G80-3190 family of "qwerty" and point-of-sale keyboards comes with an ISO-3554-compliant magnetic-stripe reader that offers optional track-3 reading capability in addition to standard track-1 and -2 functions. G80-3190 keyboards integrate 48 programmable and relegendable keys with a five-position keylock and optional bar-code decoder. Units are compatible with IBM PC, XT, AT, and PS/2 computers. Prices start at $468. Cherry Electrical Products, Waukegan, IL. (708) 360-3434.

Accelerator runs 3-D graphics under Windows NT.

You can use the AG500 graphics-accelerator board with Softimage 3D for Windows NT on NetPower and with DEC Alpha XL workstations. Equipped with as much as 12.5 Mbytes of onboard RAM, the accelerator accommodates screen resolutions to 1280*1024 pixels, 16-bit double buffering, a 24-bit Z buffer, double-buffered overlay planes, stencils, and Windows IDs. The board's graphics processor handles as many as 300,000 Gouraud shaded triangles/sec and up to 1 million 3-D vectors/sec. Softimage certification is pending for other configurations, including Intel-based platforms. The AG500 costs $3495. AccelGraphics Inc, San Jose, CA. (408) 441-1556.

Platform makes computer monitor touch-sensitive.

Using a universal fastener that affixes any computer monitor weighing as much as 90 lb on top of a capacitive-force-sensing platform, TouchMate converts touches made to the display into X, Y, and Z coordinates. TouchMate provides a resolution of 40 touch points/in. (X and Y axes) with 256 pressure levels (Z axis). The unit plugs into the computer's serial port and registers touch from any input medium, including a finger or pen. TouchWare driver software allows the peripheral to work with Windows, DOS, and OS/2. TouchMate costs $545. MicroTouch Systems Inc, Methuen, MA. (508) 659-9000.

17-in. monitor shows crisp, colorful images.

Suited for graphics-intensive applications, the PT770 17-in. (16-in. viewable) color monitor uses a 0.25-mm aperture grille to produce exceptionally bright, high-contrast images. The monitor, which incorporates a SonicTron screen, displays noninterlaced resolutions with as many as 1600*1280 pixels, with a 77-Hz refresh rate at 1280*1024 pixels. The screen is treated with an antireflection, anti-glare coating to make viewing easier. The PT770 costs $1065. ViewSonic Corp, Walnut, CA. (909) 869-7976.

DLT drives store up to 105 Gbytes.

A line of digital linear tape (DLT) drives, the DLT XT series offers storage capacities of up to 105 Gbytes. The family consists of the stand-alone DLT 2000XT and two MiniLibrary products, the DLT 2500XT and DLT 2700XT, which are equipped with five- and seven-cartridge loaders, respectively. Each unit provides a native storage capacity of 15 Gbytes/cartridge, and a sustained data rate of 1.25 Mbytes/sec. The DLT 2000XT requires 6*9 in. of desktop space and costs $4330. Overland Data Inc, San Diego, CA. (619) 571-5555.

Multiprocessor PCI board fits Power Macintosh.

The Total PowerSMP and Total FreedomSMP provide multiprocessor-based acceleration for Power Macintosh PCI computer systems. In addition to one, two, or four PowerPC 604 processors running at 100, 120, 133, or 150 MHz, the Total PowerSMP is configured with 512 kbytes of secondary cache and as much as 1 Gbyte of expandable memory. You control the board with Total FreedomSMP symmetric multiprocessing software libraries. These libraries work directly with Apple's Operating System Toolbox and allow application software to be launched on the Total PowerSMP board. Prices start at $1600, $2300, and $3800 for single-, dual-, and quad-processor systems, respectively. Total Impact, Camarillo, CA. (805) 987-8704.

Weatherproof notebook meets MIL specifications.

In addition to packing one full-length, full-height AT slot, the IN Lite industrial notebook PC complies with MIL-STD-810E, MIL-STD-1275(A), and MIL-STD-461D requirements for temperature, humidity, shock, vibration, rain, altitude, and electromagnetic compatibility. The ruggedized PC, which is based on a 486DX2/50 or 486DX4/75 processor, comes with as much as 32 Mbytes of DRAM. The unit includes two PCMCIA slots; one parallel port; two RS-232C ports; a SCSI-2 interface; a 500-Mbyte, 3.5-in. floppy-disk drive; and a PS/2 mouse. Prices start at <$8000. Kontron Electronik Corp, Newport Beach, CA. (714) 851-1872.

System prints bar-code labels at 203 dpi.

With the help of a 32-bit reduced-instruction-set computer (RISC) processor and 512 kbytes of DRAM, the GS-11W thermal printing system produces all popular bar-code symbols, as well as PDF417 and Maxi-Code. The GS-11W comes with Windows-based software and a PC interface cable and prints 4-in. labels at a resolution of 203 dpi. A battery pack is optional, and memory can be expanded to 1 Mbyte. The GS-11W costs $995. Winco Identification Corp, Nashua, NH. (603) 598-1553.

PCMCIA 4X CD-ROM drive upgrades notebook.

The quad-speed, portable KXL-D745 CD-ROM drive comes with a PCMCIA Type II interface and built-in sound, letting you upgrade a notebook computer for multimedia. The drive, which comes with a 128-kbyte buffer, transfers data at 600 kbytes/sec and has a 295-msec access time. Operating on six AA batteries, the KXL-D745 supplies as much as two hours of data and four hours of audio. Integral speakers deliver stereo sound via a 16-bit, 44-kHz digital sound controller and a 24-voice, Yamaha OPL3-compatible FM music synthesizer. Units cost $749. Panasonic Communications & Systems Co, Secaucus, NJ. (201) 348-7000.

Tape library stores as much as 490 Gbytes.

Configured with DLT 7000, DLT 4000, and DLT 2000XT tape drives, the DLTstor tape library furnishes native storage capacities ranging from 210 to 490 Gbytes in a tower or rack-mount case. The unit features a swap time of 11 sec and transfer rates ranging from 3.75 to 15 Mbytes/sec. Rack-mount versions are only 7 in. high and let you stack several units together. The DLTstor is equipped with two seven-cartridge magazines and as many as three drives. Prices start at $12,000. Quantum Corp, Milpitas, CA. (408) 894-4000.