This annual directory includes names, addresses, and telephone numbers of major firms involved in the optical information field. Four major product groupings are represented: (1) interactive video; (2) WORM and erasable optical disks; (3) CD-ROM technologies; and (4) optical memory cards. An overview of the past year's developments in this field…

Reprints of 20 articles pertaining to the topics of end-users and public access appear in this volume, which is one in a series of volumes of reprints from "ONLINE" and "DATABASE" magazines. Edited for information professionals who use electronically distributed databases, these articles address such topics as: (1) managing a…

Outlines and analyzes new trends and developments at the Association for Information and Image Management's 1990 spring conference. The growth of imaging and the optical storage industry is emphasized, and new developments that are discussed include hardware; optical disk drives; jukeboxes; local area networks (LANs); bar codes; image displays;…

This study is a review of trends in information-handling technology and significant developments which are changing or will change the general environment within which archivists and records managers in international organizations will have to work. Trends in microelectronics, electronic storage, software, data transmission, computer architecture,…

This article uses three case studies to examine the intersecting developments of technology, capitalism, and globalization through the contradictions and paradoxes of copyright governance and piracy. China is used as a case study to investigate the relations among the state, law, and global capitalism. (Contains 7 tables and 9 notes.)

Advances in World Wide Web design software, photo compact disk images, print-screening processes, and four- and six-color printing can make the work of campus publications easier, cheaper, and more attractive, but also have potential pitfalls. A preview of the latest innovations, with advantages and disadvantages noted, is offered here. (MSE)

This special feature focuses on recent developments in optical disk technology. Nine articles discuss current trends, large scale image processing, data structures for optical disks, the use of computer simulators to create optical disks, videodisk use in training, interactive audio video systems, impacts on federal information policy, and…

CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) is the latest advance in compact disc technology, permitting the erasure and reuse of space up to 1,000 times at a slightly higher cost than CD-Recordable (CD-R). This article reviews and rates twelve CD-RW drives and highlights packet-writing software that allows files to be recorded a few at a time by dropping them onto the…

Focuses on the technical difficulties of manufacturing and marketing compact disc recorders such as firmware, disc quality; disc readability, buffers, and host system configuration. Also discusses why the marketplace lacks dependable information: few manufacturers take responsibility for technical problems; varying geographic locations of…

The teaching and learning opportunities created by combining existing television programming with the kinds of interactivity offered by microcomputers have not been fully investigated by videodisc designers or science educators. The Videodisc Project Group, a subsection of Educational Technology Center's New Technologies Group, is: (1) conducting…

This study investigated the use in junior high schools of a prototype interactive videodisc, "Seeing the Unseen." The experimental disc contains four lessons designed to teach scientific inquiry skills. Students determine the order of the lessons and interact with the disc by touching the screen to pause, replay, see a series of…

Consumer demand and advances in technology are generating increases in the availability of brand name compact disc (CD) recorders priced for average consumers. A comparative analysis of CD-recorders is presented based on functions, capabilities, cost, and marketability. Related issues are also discussed, including computer software; technical…

Significant advances in hardware and software have increased the possible applications for educating limited-English-proficient students. Two major studies have focused on technology and its relationship to the education of this population. There is a great diversity of hardware currently in use in schools, either stand-alone computers or computer…

Reports on interviews with five CD-ROM producers and vendors about their future plans. Questions are posed in three areas: platforms and standards, such as compliance with the Z39.50 standard; software installation and setup features; and pricing, including costs of print and CD versions, discounts, and networking fees. (KRN)

Considers the immediate future for CD-ROM drives and how multimedia will affect CD-ROM advances. Highlights include standards for CD-ROM performance; meeting user needs; multimedia applications, including software; and uses for CD-ROM drives, including business applications and the consumer market potential. (LRW)