excerpted from the TELECOM Digest archives at http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/archives/back.issues/1981-86.volumes.1-5/vol2.iss001-088 [...] 17-Mar-82 19:45:11-PST,10084;000000000000 Mail-From: JSOL created at 17-Mar-82 19:44:12 Date: 17 Mar 1982 1944-PST From: Jon Solomon Subject: TELECOM Digest V2 #33 Sender: JSOL at USC-ECLB To: TELECOM: ; Reply-To: TELECOM at USC-ECLB TELECOM AM Digest Thursday, 18 Mar 1982 Volume 2 : Issue 33 Today's Topics: Technology For Tomorrow - New Products Available Today "Unbelievable" Answering Machine Feature Try Sending A Telegram These Days Comparison of Long Distance Alternative Services - ITT, MCI, SPRINT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 17 Mar 1982 0025-PST Sender: GEOFF at SRI-CSL Subject: Real World services for the Technological Elite. From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow Reply-To: Geoff at SRI-CSL "Go out and see what the real world as to offer." -Gerry Todd, SCTV I did, and here are two spiffy services you can get: 1) Electronic Mail for people on the move . . . For the lucky residents of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles area, you can get a device called a MetaGram Receiver (MR-80), which is, for the most part, a `Digital Pager'. An MR-80 (in the process of being trademarked as `THE MESSENGER') allows you to: . Receive & store one or more messages up to a total of 940 characters in length --and selectively read, reread, or delete these messages. . Take your MetaGram receiver anywhere [I have mine clipped onto my belt most of the time] because it is small 6.5" x 1.5" x 2.75", lightweight 10 oz., and battery operated. [operates for 18 hours and then requires 6 hours charge -- unit remains fully operational while its being charged.] . The MetaGram Receiver can alert you by choice of flashing display (great for getting confidential messages passed to you in meetings), beep and/or vibrating action. . You can have messages sent to you at anytime by simply calling (via an 800 IN-WATS #) a dispatcher [for those without a terminal and modem], or by dialing local numbers all over the Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles area and typing in the messages yourself. . You can receive messages in any city in which this service exists. [I receive messages both in LA and SF areas with my unit]. . There is a hardcopy printer option which you can slide your unit into, and get automatic printout when msgs come in. The MR-80 has a 20 char wide LED display which shows msgs line by line. You can freeze a frame in the display [handy for reeling off numbers to the mobile operator when driving and placing a call from your car phone]. The MetaNet system also sends out periodic msgs to all units about every 2 minutes, and if you miss two of these periodic `watchdog' msgs, your unit lets you know you're out of range. An ARPANET to MetaNet Gateway exists (and an improved version is under development), which allows ARPANET users to send msgs to people on the MetaNet without having to run and find a terminal with a modem on it or go thru the human dispatcher. I.e. so you can now do fun things like be driving down the road and have a message appear that says: [YOU HAVE NEW MAIL]. The service itself costs $60/mo, and that includes 4000 characters worth of traffic. Traffic above the 4000 characters is a half-a-cent a character. There currently is no different between self-dispatched msgs and msgs send via the human dispatcher. Further information available from LIGHTNING COMMUNICATIONS, 6173 Purple Sage Court, San Jose, CA 95119 or via the phone: 408/354-1226. [...]