Mark Templeton Surfs the Net

FED-UP of fumbling for those fiddly 5p pieces when you go shopping?

Well, you can forget cash, cheque books and even credit cards when you shop on the Internet because now you can have virtual money.

A new scheme launched this week by Barclays Bank allows shoppers to download an 'electronic wallet' and complete a registration process linking the wallet initially to their Barclaycard account.

You can then transfer money from your Barclaycard or any other card account into the electronic wallet, which in turn can be used for on-line shopping.

Once you have your electronic money, simply decide on your purchase and click on the retailer's BarclayCoin cash register to pay for the goods.

"Over 1.5 million consumers have visited BarclaySquare since its launch and the world of electronic commerce has evolved very quickly.

"With these new features we plan to boost BarclaySquare's appeal to the retailers who are seeing the Internet already having a big impact on their business and to those consumers most comfortable with this method of shopping," said Roger Alexander, managing director of Barclays Emerging Markets Group. Retailers currently on BarclaySquare include Airline Network, Argos, Car Shop, HSS Hire Shops, Interflora, Toys R Us, Tropical Places, Victoria Wine, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Web site: http://www.barclaysquare.co.uk

One screen to another

FROM silver screen to computer screen! Now you can catch the latest movie listings for Apollo Cinemas on our own web site.

Their Internet pages - updated every Friday - list films at each of their venues in Blackburn, Burnley and Morecambe for the forthcoming week.

Apollo's pages are linked to our What's On guide around the region, published free on the Internet for anyone advertising in the leisure or entertainment section of our Newsquest Lancashire titles.

Apollo Leisure Cinema division manager John Merryweather said: "Newsquest Lancashire has an established web site and by advertising in their papers we get the best of both worlds. A free Internet listing which we've enhanced with our own home pages."

Visit Apollo Cinemas at:

http://homepages.newsquest.co.uk

News that's Syndicated

FOLLOWERS of Burnley band Syndicate can find out more about them via their own web pages. Read-based record firm Sticky Label have their own site with links to the band. Included are a biography of the group, lyrics and you can download their records through a great audio section. Sticky Label also appeals for new bands to contact them via e-mail.

f=Zurich Bd BTw=7.5Web site: http://www.stocks.demon.co.uk/scf/

Riverside views

WATER great idea! Pictures of the River Ribble from source to sea are being compiled on the net. The pictures are changed every month and are designed for use in primary schools, providing a free educational resource.

DON'T forget folks, e-mail me all your Internet news and views at mtempleton@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.