Newshound.com Offers News Retrieval by Telephone

Posted on November 9, 1998

Knight Ridder New Media, announced an agreement with Mail Call, Inc., a telephone/email management provider, to offer NewsHound subscribers the ability to retrieve news from a touch-tone telephone. NewsHound is a customizable, online news search service that delivers personalized information to users' webpages or email addresses by continuously scanning Knight Ridder newspapers and wire services. Users 'train' their hounds to fetch and deliver articles of interest to their desktops or email boxes.

"Knight Ridder New Media recognizes the important need for mobile professionals to access their personalized news and information when and where it is most convenient for them," said Chris Jennewein, vice president of technology and operations. "Whether our customers are driving in their cars to a meeting or staying in a hotel for a business trip, Mail Call enhances NewsHound.com's ability to keep users informed at all times."

The Mail Call service reads subscribers the headers of email messages and then offers the option to hear, reply, fax, or delete the messages. Mail Call also gives users the opportunity to personalize their accounts with preferences such as a choice of several different reader voices and a list of names of individuals and companies to prioritize. Preferences and address book entries can be changed and updated by visiting Mail Call's website.