K12> CYBERPUPPY UNLEASHES FIRST INTERNET "KID BROWSER"

[Gleason Sackman <sackman@PLAINS.NODAK.EDU>]

Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:33:47 -0800
From: Neill Kramer <neill@cyberpuppy.com>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CYBERPUPPY UNLEASHES FIRST INTERNET "KID BROWSER"

MENLO PARK, CA.--August 16, 1996--CyberPuppy Software, makers of the
CODIE award-winning product Monstrous Media Kit (formerly Kid's
Studio), is breaking new ground by releasing the first Internet browser
for kids, called PigMail.

While most browsers concentrate on rendering pages of data to the user,
PigMail's focus is on the visualization of other kids. "We knew there
was a problem among young and novice users in terms of being able to
find people on the Internet," says president Neill Kramer. "We=B9ve
solved the problem by designing an interface that can support thousands
of users simultaneously, under low-bandwidth connections," says Kramer.

The revolutionary on-line exploration and communication system is a new
kind of tool, an intriguing combination of a directory service and an
immersive environment. "It's a product that is the result of many years
of research and architectural design," says Christopher Haupt, chief
technology officer.

So what can a PigMailian do?
PigMail places the user in a compelling visual space, based on a
geographical metaphor. All of the other PigMailians are immediately
visible in the form of little dots on the surface of the continents.
>From there the user can zoom in to cities and buildings, eventually
finding like-minded individuals (and over 2,200 links to
geographically-oriented web sites). A handy magnifying lens enables the
user to explore deeper levels of the product as well.

Once a user finds someone, he or she can double-click on the person's
avatar. An ID card appears and the user can learn about the favorite
hobbies of the potential new friend, as well as email the person or
link to his or her home page.

Primary Features:
- Graphical representations of all users of the browser simultaneously.
- Communication in the form of e-mail.
- Content in the form of appropriate, geographically-oriented web
  sites.

Future versions will include parental controls for email and chat.
Avatar customization, personal space construction kits, and other
modular components can be dropped into place as background downloads.

All in all, the PigMailian will have the first kid browser on the
Internet and will return to the product over and over again in order to
make new friends and discover new features of the product.

Currently, PigMail is free and is available for Macintosh computers. A
Windows version should be available by the beginning of next year.
Users can download PigMail by visiting our web site:=20

           http://www.cyberpuppy.com/pminfo.html

Company Information:
CyberPuppy Software Inc. was incorporated in Rochester, New York in
1992. The company's first product, Kid=B9s Studio, was released in
October of 1993 and was the first children=B9s product to have:=20
- a clip-art browser (Treasure Chest)=20
- Photo CD access=20
- an object-oriented page architecture for multiple images, sound,
  and/or text objects=20
- unlimited number of sounds and images allowed per page=20
- full-screen QuickTime movies

In March 1994, Kid=B9s Studio won the distinguished CODIE award for Best
School Productivity/Creativity Program from the Software Publishers
Association.

Press contact:=20
Neill Kramer (415) 326-2449
email: neill@cyberpuppy.com