Front and center
by Garth Lewis

In this story:
€ Getting there € Improvements
€ New centers

Imagine you can find everything about a topic in one spot: the latest information, outstanding Web sites, a chance to meet people with shared interests.... It’s not wishful thinking. That’s what WebTV Centers are for.

This month, we’re introducing four new centers: Travel, Romance, Autos and Games. Two others, WebTV Today and Sports, have also received important improvements.

Here’s a tour of what’s new:

GETTING THERE

Start at Web Home. From the bottom of the page, go to any of the seven centers or select More Topics to get to five more. Choose More Topics, click Go and a popup window will open (as shown.)

Improvements

WebTV Today: Want highlights of what’s on the service? You’ll find feature articles on a wide range of topics and Web events, including insights on what other subscribers are up to. This redesigned center now features a Club WebTV and Tips sections. Tabs give you quicker access to What’s New, as well as headlines from each center.

Sports Center: Note the tabs across the top that link to new content and that offer one-click access to even more sports, including wrestling and motor sports. The My Teams feature customizes scores for all the major leagues. In addition to scores and news, you'll know when your favorite teams, hometown or otherwise, are making headlines. Improved engineering puts the “Update Scores” button even closer to real-time. New Centers

Travel Center: Look no further when planning a getaway. Quickly access information, compare the cheapest prices, even share tips with your WebTV peers. Two tabs - Places to Go and Book a Flight – are your gateways to the incredible travel resources on the Web. Local Links guides you to resources in your own backyard, such as bus and train schedules, taxis and campgrounds.

Romance Center: Try and try again is the beauty of SocialNet, a Web-based companion finder. Using your ZIP code and general preferences, SocialNet generates profiles of registered users in your area, with details of what they're into, be it casual dating or long-term relationships. If at first you don't succeed, the center’s articles on relationships are there to help.

Auto Center: Think deals on wheels. Find a new or used car and the latest car reviews with help from the pros at Carpoint. The My Car feature lets you track your own vehicle. Key in what you drive and get info on maintenance schedules, recall history, repair costs, and - get this - an oil-change reminder.

Games: Look for daily trivia questions, local lottery results and links to popular game sites on the Web. Like contests? Submit your lucky numbers to be eligible for online giveaways at Luckysurf.