nis" message to
listserv@cerf.net. [Susan Calcari (calcaris@cerf.net), NEW-LIST,
10/25. Ray Allis (ray@espresso.boeing.com).]
Supernet International has become HPCwire, a free online
service for the high-performance computing community. Services
include forums, daily news, feature articles, newsletters, product
announcements, a buyer's guide, bidirectional job bank, research
register, calendar of events, information files, and a library
service. All information is archived. Telnet to hpcwire.ans.net
(147.225.1.51) with login "hpcwire" (or use rlogin hpcwire.ans.net
-l hpcwire). By modem, call (408) 428-2565 with N-8-1 and VT100
emulation. The service is run by Tabor Griffin Communications
(San Diego), (619) 625-0070; Thomas B. Tabor, president. Sponsors
include ANS, Alliant, Avalon, DEC, Fujitsu, Genias, IBM, iOmega,
IMSL, Intel, nCUBE, MasPar, Maximum Strategy, MMB, ParaSoft,
The Portland Group, Scientific Computing Associates, The Smaby
Group, and Storage Technology Corp. [Mathew Burns (admin
@hpcwire.ans.net), 10/12. Steve Goldstein.] (Gee, no government
grant!)
The San Jose Mercury News will launch an electronic news
service next year, in partnership with America Online Inc.
Printed news items might carry access codes for expanded
electronic articles. AOL has 182K subscribers; SJM has 268K
(333K on Sundays). [SJM, 10/13. agentsee.]
A consortium called First Cities could bring multimedia
services to 10K U.S. homes by 1995, using existing phone wiring,
cable, or new fiber-optic lines. The consortium includes Apple,
Tandem, U.S. West, BellCore, Bieber Taki Associates (a venture-
capital firm), Corning, Eastman Kodak, Kaleida Labs, North
American Philips, Southwestern Bell, and Sutter Bay Associates.
[WSJ, 10/7. Tim Finin.] MCC is the consortium leader. GTE and
several cable companies are working on similar ventures. Many
of the First Cities partners also have projects competing for
the same research funds. [SJM, 10/7.]
FirstSearch Catalog from the Online Computer Library Center
(OCLC; Dublin, OH) provides keyword access via modem to lists of
books, magazines, newspapers, maps, audiovisual materials, etc.,
in more than 15,000 libraries in 46 countries. That's WorldCat,
just one of 25 databases. OCLC also provides interlibrary loan
service throughout the world. (800) 848-5878 or (614) 761-5054.
[NewsWire, 10/6. agentsee.]
Another catalog system with 7.5M records is WLN, now available
free over the Internet. Just telnet to wln.com (192.156.252.2)
for a simplified interface called WLN Easy Access. Dial-up
access is also available. Records come from the Library of
Congress, GPO, NLM, National Library of Canada, and WLN member
libraries (with over 16 million holdings). IAC's magazine,
business, and academic journal indexes are also free on WLN
through 10/31; together they cover almost 5,000 publications.
Contact info@wln.com or Rush Brandis (brandis@rs6a.wln.com) at
(800) DIALWLN, (206) 923-4000. [IRLIST, 10/20.]
The Information Age: information is wealth even when it isn't
multimedia or sexy. A single database, properly exploited, may
support more people than a hundred databases "made available."
Consider FedNet from Business Information Network Inc. (Ft.
Washington, MD), a new source of information on 70,000 U.S.
residential and commercial properties in foreclosure. FedNet also
features information files, a forum, and a calendar of auctions
and special sales events. (800) 366-9246. [Business Wire, 10/7.
agentsee.]
Prodigy will soon offer email connectivity to the internet,
as well as its own Fax and surface-mail delivery options -- but
no FTP or telnet. Members will pay to send and also to receive
internet mail, with price based on message length. Prodigy hopes
that its simple mail interface will encourage families to
communicate over the internet with their college students and
soldiers. [James Galambos. Ross Alan Stapleton
(stapleton@misvax.mis.arizona.edu), com-priv, 10/19.]
PowerVision is a new service in San Diego offering online
shopping, games, public forums for chatting, electronic mail,
and airline reservations. Unique services include personal ads,
digitized photos of customers, and listings of homes for sale.
Unlike Prodigy and CompuServe, PowerVision will be sold by "sales
associates" in a multilevel marketing (MLM) plan. (Think Amway.
Associates can make more money by recruiting new associates than
by selling services.) Fees are high at $79 to start,
$18.95/month, and $.09/minute after two hours. Analysts are
skeptical, but president Jeff Cohen believes that word of mouth
is the best promotion. [Michelle Vranizan, The Orange County
Register, 10/11. KRBN, agentsee.]
Sierra On-Line Inc. (Oakhurst, CA) is officially opening its
games-only PC communication service. $12.95/month buys 30 hours
of play with other users; three "theme parks" are another $4 each.
(The "home" or welcome screen is a picture of Sierra's
"ImagiNation.") "If it doesn't work, it's probably because it's
a product ahead of its time." Ybarra Productions Inc. (Redwood
City) gets a royalty if you join an expedition into its Shadow of
Yservius adventure game. (800) 743-7721. [Mike Langberg, SJM,
10/19.] Other game developers are needed.
