Philips Electronics NV has a screen telephone that sounds very like a French Minitel terminal, and is working with Nymex Corp in New York to adapt it to the Bell Communications Research specifications for interactive screen-based telephones and tailor it to the requirements of the US market: the New York and New England phone company wants to offer such a device for services such as home banking and home shopping; users will be able to see text on a screen while simultaneously getting audio prompts from their bank, a catalogue shopping service or other information services such as electronic directories; Nynex plans to test the system in White Plains, New York, in New York City and in Boston; the system is expected to take one year to develop, with evaluation studies to be completed by first quarter of 1994.
