If terminals can be found that also sell products to cover the costs, or otherwise attract sponsorship, then a system will be purchased. But, says BR, providing information is not enough to justify the costs.Bob Dunbar, BR business systems retail product development manager, says: “Information systems are wonderful, but in themselves they do not actually put bums on seats.”BR does, however, provide an excellent computerised system for anyone with a computer who is prepared to pay for it. “Journey Planner” disks, containing a full timetable as used by staff, are available from TRMC (0171-214 9935), at £45.70 for a Windows version, or for £41.70 for DOS. These need to be updated every six months when a new timetable is produced, and updates cost a further £36 for Windows, or £22 for DOS.CompuServe subscribers also now have access to a British Rail timetable – although no thanks to BR It is provided by the German rail company, Deutsche Bahn. BR timetables are also on-line through the Tel-Me service from Phonelink, but only if you first purchase a licence at a cost of £300 and then pay a service charge of 15 pence per inquiry.TRMC is carrying out market research to see if there is enough demand to warrant on-line provision of Journey Planner. If the response is favourable, new software will need to be written, and it will take at least a year before it could be available.. Convergence is one of today’s buzzwords.
Computers are merging with telephones, televisions with computers, televisions with telephones. So why not watches with computers or telephones? Swatch and Timex saw no reason, and have been pushing “wrist technology” – if not wrist elegance – to new extremes. To some, 402 may seem like a meaningless number, but to those with a Swatch the Beep watch pager it means “Do you love me?”. Swatch the Beep has been launched by British Telecom and Swatch, and is the latest thing in designer communications.
Each Swatch has an individual telephone number that is linked to BT’s automated paging service. Callers are asked to key in their telephone number and any message they care to leave – but only as a numerical code.The watch was launched last autumn, but has yet to find its way on to many business or professional wrists, possibly because it is made of brightly coloured plastic.
It is aimed fair and square at teenagers, which explains the range of coded messages it carries. These are translated in a booklet that the owner can hand out to friends or colleagues.For instance, 411 means “you turn me on”, 420 means “am leaving you”, and 709 means “head’s banging”. Despite this, the device could be practical: 102 means “call me” and 216 means “will be late”. It is also possible to combine codes: 606-619-604-302 means “Can’t come to party tomorrow.
