infoMarket NewsTicker -- As part of its new infoMarket service, IBM has released an extremely interesting new app known as the NewsTicker. The newsTicker operates in a similar manner to the Quote Ticker Bar client, an Internet stock ticker. news feeds run on a scrolling ticker bar, listing highlights of the available news articles. news feeds currently include Reuters business, entertainment, politics, sports, headline news, international, and summary clippings as well as ESPN SportsTicker NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, and general sports news clips, with more to follow in the near future. Clicking on any highlighted news feed will automatically load the news article on your web browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Mosaic are currently supported). news feeds are also updated periodically by the ticker in order to offer you only the latest information on the 'net. Both the news feeds and complete articles are available for free, as is the client itself; however, IBM will charge for downloading the news articles in the future. At its smallest size, the ticker bar itself is approximately twice the height of a standard Windows 95 task bar. Although it would take up less space and improve the look and feel of the newsTicker tremendously, a smaller ticker bar (or allowing for one) is unlikely to occur for a couple of reasons. First, the ticker contains three regular size icons, which offer users the ability to configure the application, to view all currently available feeds, or to exit the program for the time being. Second, the ticker integrates what is likely to be a much maligned but ultimately necessary feature -- paid advertisements in the form of linkable 140x70 pixel logos. So unfortunately, the ticker must be at least twice the height that it would look best at. An even better solution would be to offer a plug-in newsTicker client which would then work from directly within your web browser, offering you access to both the news feeds and the news articles without ever having to leave your web browser. Finally, it would be nice to see the newsTicker make use of the extra space available on the ticker with updated stock prices (thereby combining both stock and News ticker functions). While there's definitely room for improvement, NewsTicker has already shown itself to be quite impressive and will likely continue the trend as it adds new features and options in the next few months. Pros: News feeds and articles at your fingertips, easy to use, free (for now) Cons: Lacks access to all news articles, the ticker is larger than it needs to be, needs a plug-in New: This is the initial review for infoMarket NewsTicker Version Reviewed: 1.2m Date of Review: 1/16/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud apps conference Main Menu