TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T;’s Earnings Rise: American Telephone & Telegraph Co.’s profit jumped 11% in the third quarter as sales improved for phone equipment and its credit card operation continued to boom. The performance met corporate goals and came despite trouble at its computer subsidiary, NCR Corp. In addition, AT&T;’s long-distance business did not grow as fast as that of its rivals. AT&T; earned $1.07 billion, or 79 cents a share, compared to $963 million, or 72 cents a share, in the third quarter of 1992. Revenue rose 3% to $16.66 billion, from $16.18 billion. AT&T;’s financial services business, chiefly the AT&T; Universal credit card operation, showed a 31% revenue improvement to $634 million.