Written in C++, Lasso performs better than solutions written in scripting languages like AppleScript and Frontier, and operates at a smaller RAM footprint than other C++ solutions. Lasso can search FileMaker Pro Mac relational databases with tens of thousands of records in less than a second.

Lasso Pro provides remote administration of a web database configuration from anywhere on the Internet, and sophisticated routines for security. Lasso works with WebSTAR, the popular Mac-based web server, and other web servers supporting the WebSTAR CGI (Common Gateway Interface) communications standard. Lasso can operate as a WebSTAR plug-in and run on both 680x0 Macintoshes and native on Power Macintosh computers.

Lasso Lite is available at http://www.blueworld.com/lasso/. Lasso is scheduled to ship at the end of August, Lasso Pro in late September. Pricing has not been set.

Scheduled speakers include Frank Daniels III, formerly of the NEWS & OBSERVER in Raleigh, N.C.; Howard Finberg, of Phoenix Newspapers Inc.; Bob Ingle, of Knight-Ridder New Media; Garrett Queen, of The Cole Group, and top executives from Autologic Information International, Cybergraphic, Managing Editor Software, Sysdeco Media Group and System Integrators.

More information is available at http://colegroup.com/ssf96/; on-line registration is at https://sbjdc.xweb.eds.com/seybold/. To speak with a real live person regarding Newspaper & New Media Seminar, call (800) 990-2653.

CD Author Version 3.5 for Windows NT and Windows 95 features increased throughput in database authoring; support for databases of up to 4 gigabytes; distributed cluster ranking, which organizes search results according to their relevance to the user's request, and open architecture for metering applications which permits alternative pricing and monitoring of CD-ROM titles usage.

DT also has announced a new feature of its software, to automatically write HTML code for web publishing with a single keystroke. The HTML option allows internal software to automatically convert DT's tags, without additional work or a secondary translation routine.

DT may be visited on the web at http://www.dtint.com.

Founding members include Akimbo Systems, Aladdin Systems, Apple Computer Inc., BareBones Software Inc., BlueWorld Communications Inc., ClearWay Technologies, Cornell University, InterCon Systems, Maxum Development, Microsoft Corporation, Netscape Communications Corp., Purity Software, ResNova Software, Stairways Software, the StarNine division of Quarterdeck Corp. and Userland Software.

The MIDAS charter calls for a forum in which Macintosh developers devise and refine standards and techniques for Mac-based Internet software, publish Mac-related standards proposals and documents, and coordinate activities with other standards groups.

Priorities for MIDAS include discussions about web server standards, developing standards for tighter integration between different types of Internet tools and examining proposals for providing system-level integration of basic Internet client services such as HTTP, FTP and Mail.

To join MIDAS, send e-mail to midas@biap.com with a subject of "subscribe." The temporary MIDAS Web site is http://www.biap.com/midas/.

Exoterica was founded 10 years ago as an SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) integration company supplying software products for organizations creating, managing and publishing large quantities of text-intensive electronic content. The company pioneered the application of SGML to hypertext, and developed OmniMark, a programming language for working with SGML.

OmniMark Version 3, scheduled for release in fall 1996, is designed to plug-and-play with standard relational databases such as Oracle, Sybase and Informix; full-text retrieval engines from Verity, Fulcrum, IDI and Open Text, and application development environments such as Netscape, Visual Basic, C++ and PowerBuilder.

Omnimark may be visited on the web at http://www.omnimark.com.

The names and titles are: Tor Alfheim, deputy chairman of the board, as pro tem chief executive officer; Larry Mihalchik, chief financial officer of Sysdeco Group, and Clive Segal, chief operating officer of the worldwide Media Business unit.

Mihalchik most recently served as CFO of M/A COM Inc., a $354 million company that manufactures electronic components for the wireless communications and defense-related markets. He will join Sysdeco on Sept. 1, and will be based in Bedford. Clive Segal, who most recently served as chief operating officer of Sysdeco U.S., joined Sysdeco three years ago as CFO of U.K. operations.

In the first half of 1996, Sysdeco reported revenues from its media business unit of $23.6 million, contributing to 51 percent of total revenues and up from 42 percent for the full year 1995. The company's tools business accounted for 23 percent of revenues, with $10.5 million; the balance was split between its Geographical Information Systems business at 17 percent and $8 million, and the Health Business at 9 percent and $4 million.

Sysdeco Group AS reported net losses of $4.6 million for the first half of 1996, while U.S. operations continued a record of profitability that began in the first quarter of 1995.

The WEB FM 3.0 plug-in replaces the previous CGI version of WEB FM and provides FileMaker Pro customers with a more efficient mechanism for linking databases with Mac OS web server software such as Quarterdeck Corp's WebSTAR 1.3 and WebSTAR/Lite, or ResNova's Boulevard.

A trial version of WEB FM 3.0 and WebPage FM may be downloaded in September from the WEB FM home page at http://macweb.com/webfm/.

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COLE'S NEWSWIRE is compiled by Pete Wetmore and distributed by The Cole Group, publishers of THE COLE PAPERS, COLE'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING SYSTEMS and consultants to newspapers and magazines worldwide. To receive more information about The Cole Group, send e-mail to: info@colegroup.com.

Copyright (c) 1996, The Cole Group. All Rights Reserved. This transmission may not be copied, archived or retransmitted without the express written permission of The Cole Group. If you are not a subscriber to COLE'S NEWSWIRE, you have received this transmission illegally.

The Cole Group, 2590 Greenwich, Suite 9, San Francisco USA 94123-3333. V: (415) 673-2424; F: (415) 673-2449; I: info@colegroup.com.