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***Epigram Launches InsideLine
(November 16)
Epigram unveils its InsideLine networking technology brand and the iLine10 chipset family. The iLine10 chipsets delivers up to 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) high-speed phoneline networking.
Several recently announced partners, including 3Com, NETGEAR and Texas Instruments, are also using iLine10 for concurrent video, and voice and data for the home or office using ordinary phoneline. The iLine10 chipsets are available starting Q1 1999 and partners expect to begin offering Epigram 10 Mbps technology-based products by the second half of 1999.
InsideLine technology delivers Ethernet networking across existing copper lines in the home or business without rewiring . High-speed networking applications are available to the end user including shared Internet access, peripheral sharing and MPEG video distribution.
The iLine10 chipsets will be interoperable and backward compatible with the 1 Mbps HomePNA 1.0 specification.
***More features for WebTV Networks
(November 17)
Microsoft's WebTV Networks announced a series of features, to be released in time for the holidays. The features, delivered automatically and free of charge to all subscribers, and provide entertainment, e-mail, and search functions, as well as information, tips and holiday specials.
The WebTV Network features bring both Classic and Plus subscribers benefits, including the following:
· Easier-to-find Web sites. It groups Web site subjects intuitively
· Shopping bargains made easy. WebTV Networks is working with online shopping providers to feature their bargains and sales on a regular basis. Initially, WebTV Networks will offer CDs, DVDs and videos from Amazon.com; products from specialty home-furnishings catalogs such as Domestications and The Company Store; and WebTV Networks-related merchandise from the WebTV Networks company store.
· Quick Help that explains WebTV Network features-shows users how each WebTV Network feature works. For example, if users aren't sure what an Interactive Television (ITV) Link is, they can click on More Info to find out. To try a feature right away, users simply read the description and select Try It.
· Kids Home Page that welcomes young viewers-with activities from PBS and MaMaMedia. There's an Explore directory to help children find Web sites and get help with their homework. It's all part of the WebTV Kid Friendly service.WebTV Networks, Inc. operates the WebTV Network service and designs the WebTV- based Internet terminal and receivers available from companies like Sony, Philips and Mitsubishi. Costs start at $99 for the Internet terminals and $199 for the Internet receivers, and $19.95 or $24.95 per month respectively for the WebTV Network service.
WebTV Network service and the WebTV Plus Network service are not available as a local call everywhere. Toll charges may apply. To check if you have local access, please call 800-GO-WebTV.
***NewTek Releases OpenGL for Inspire 3D (November 17)
NewTek announced the availability of Mac OpenGL update for Inspire 3D including graphic artists, multimedia developers and web designers. Inspire 3D users can gain access to OpenGL.
Inspire 3D users can download the Mac OpenGL update from NewTek's web site. Mac OpenGL improves real-time view and accuracy in Inspire 3D. Other enhancements using Mac OpenGL include:
· Full color background images in Layout
· Faster screen redraw
· More accurate lighting model
· More accurate real time texture map viewing
· Optional QuickDraw 3D still available
· Increased support for 3rd party tools requiring Open GL
· IMAC compatible
· Positioned to take advantage of upcoming OpenGL and
QuickDraw 3D hardware solutions for the PowerMac.
The Inspire 3D Mac OpenGL upgrade is available now at no charge from NewTek's web site.
***IBM Device: Clip-On PCs
(November 17)
Investor's Business Daily reports that a "wearable PC" unveiled by IBM at a recent trade fair in Japan hopes to solve the power problem super-compact computer have. The working prototype is light enough to be hooked on a belt and carries the power of IBM's ThinkPad 560X laptop computer. The device boasts 340 megabytes of memory and a 233-megahertz processor.
Company officials add that the wearable PC is powerful enough to run digital video applications. IBM says the computer also is powerful enough to carry wiring diagrams and technical data for engineering applications. One of the first uses could be for workers who must squirm into tight spaces and can't take bulky reference materials with them. IBM said aerospace concern Boeing Co. in Seattle is considering using the portable computers to help technicians read blueprints while building aircraft. The prototype is being refined and isn't ready for mass production. IBM also is mum on the price of the new product.
With batteries, the wearable PC weighs 10.5 ounces and is equipped with a sleek, almost transparent eyepiece and audio earplug. The eyepiece projects the magnified image of a color display screen. It can be clipped around the head or onto a pair of glasses. Users call up data while keeping their hands free. IBM says the device is powerful enough to run the company's audio-based ViaVoice speech software for use in giving commands. If needed, there's also a hand-held mouse that's used to point and click on the icons displayed on the eyepiece. The shrunken central processing unit is about the size of a PalmPilot.
In September, IBM announced the development of the "microdrive," which figures in its wearable PC. The disk drive is about the size of a large coin. IBM also has developed a active-matrix LCD flat-panel screen. The working model of the color display, known under the code name "Roentgen," is said by analysts to deliver the sharpest, most detailed image of any flat-panel LCD on the market. IBM says Roentgen is ready for mass production.
***Business Objects Integrates Microsoft Visual Basic (November 17)
Business Objects announced that it will integrate Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) into BusinessObjects 5.0.
BusinessObjects 5.0 is a decision support system (DSS) to provide analytical reporting by integrating enterprise reporting, query and reporting (Q&R) and online analytical processing (OLAP).
Software customization and extensibility With VBA, a standard feature in BusinessObjects 5.0, customers can customize or extend the core product functionality by integrating Business Objects technology with homegrown or packaged applications.
BusinessObjects 5.0 provides a customization environment. With VBA, customers will be able to customize their DSS applications and integrate them with other Microsoft Office applications-or any other third party VBA host application-while using existing development skills. BusinessObjects 5.0 will include a conversion utility to convert existing ReportScript scripts into VBA.
BusinessObjects 5.0 is expected to enter beta in the fourth quarter of 1998. http://www.businessobjects.com
***Dynamic Digital Depth / IMAGICA USA enter into 2D-to-3D agreement with Showscan (November 17)
Dynamic Digital Depth, formerly Xenotech Inc., and IMAGICA USA, announced an agreement with Showscan Entertainment to initiate conversion of certain films of Showscan's "Thrill Ride" library from a 2D to a 3D stereo format. The converted films are to be shown in simulation theatres worldwide.
Dynamic Digital Depth's patented process involves the digital scanning of 2D film footage frame by frame and then applying proprietary algorithms that enable the distance of objects in scenes to be established relative to the viewer. The result is the ability to manipulate images to create realistic 3D stereo versions of original 2D productions.
***Apollo Agrees to Invest $200 Million in CD Radio (November 16)
CD Radio announced that affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P. will purchase $135 million of newly issued preferred stock in the Company. At CD Radio's option, Apollo will purchase $65 million of newly issued preferred stock prior to September 30, 1999. The junior convertible preferred stock has a 9.2% annual dividend and is convertible into common stock at a price of $30 per common share. The transaction is expected to close by the end of December.
CD Radio is building a digital satellite radio system which is scheduled to launch in early 2000. CD Radio will broadcast 50 channels of commercial-free music and 50 channels of news, sports and entertainment programming for a monthly subscription fee of $9.95.
CD Radio's programming will originate in New York City and be uplinked to the Company's three satellites. These satellites are scheduled for launch in late 1999. Consumers will receive CD Radio's broadcasts through a two-inch satellite dish affixed to their car's rear windshield. This signal will be relayed to a plug-and-play adapter that will fit into a vehicle's existing cassette or CD slot.
Unlike conventional stations, which have an average range of approximately 30 miles before reception fades, CD Radio's signal is designed to cover the continental United States coast to coast.
***First Million-Gate Virtex Fpga Delivered By Umc Group - Xilinx Team (November 30)(Note to WAVE Readers - We left this story out of an earlier issue - it was in the table of contents but not the issue)
The United Silicon Inc. (USIC) wafer foundry in Taiwan, in which UMC Group and Xilinx are equity partners, has successfully completed development of an advanced 0.22 micron process technology. The new one-poly, five-layer metal (1P/5M) dual-voltage process enabled the production of the new Xilinx Virtex series of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), including the industry's first million-gate, 75-million transistor device. Xilinx began sampling the million-gate Virtex FPGA in October and expects to begin production of all nine members of the Virtex product line in early 1999.
The 0.22 micron process is a second-generation 0.25 micron technology from UMC Group. The manufacturing technology allows for significant die size reduction while maintaining the 2.5 volt operation.
***ACIS Works with Zuken-Redac for 3D Electronic Design Development (December 3)
Spatial Technology and Zuken- Redac announced that Zuken-Redac chose ACIS to develop the an integrated 3D mechanical and electronic design solution. This design solution will facilitate the creation of 3D electronic devices, such as molded interconnects and flex-PCBs, by providing an electrical design environment within a 3D mechanical framework. This design solution has both a 3D mechanical system and an electronic layout application.
Zuken-Redac specializes in software solutions for the design of PCB/MCM boards and systems. Their product suite offers a range of advanced tool sets from schematic capture, placement, routing - of which the Route Editor is the primary tool - and analysis through to manufacture and test.
***DisneyQuest Update from a WAVE Report Reader
(December 4)by Justin Miller
As a 22 year-old recent college graduate with a BS in Computer Science I made a brief visit to DisneyQuest while in Orlando for SIGGRAPH. Consistent with the observations in the WAVE Report I found the "points" system complicated and outright confusing which was used to buy passage onto rides, arcade games, and even web access terminals. Even during my short stay I observed an upset parent who was unable to make sense of what she had just purchased, and whether she could come back the next day without spending more. Overall I was not impressed; the setup was confusing, and the attractions expensive.
I returned in early November and found that this had changed. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that nearly all DisneyQuest's problems have essentially been solved. First and foremost, the points system is gone. Along the lines of its sibling theme parks, DisneyQuest now has two very simple options available:
$20 for a one-person all-day pass, or
$70 for a family all-day pass.They also have an added bonus of "buy one, get one free" for residents, which was very nice for me and my local friend; another smart move by Disney. And once you're in, it's heaven on earth. All of the rides and all of the arcade games are free, free, free. No more scrimping points, spending 15 minutes to decide which package you buy, or messing with cards (though dead readers and rechargers still abound). It's no fuss, no muss, all-you-can-eat fun, exactly what you would hope for from Disney. An improvement to the Nth power.
As for the actual attractions, the first thing I noticed was the increased variety and quality of new arcade games. All the latest arcade games were there, many of which I had not seen anywhere else, and all free. People can also now afford to play the classic games, which were virtually ignored before at $0.40+ per play. I would have been satisfied with these games alone, but the unique DisneyQuest rides were the icing on the cake.
All rides were working this time around. CyberSpace Mountain is undoubtedly the best ride, especially if you like its intensity. I could easily bear repeating 5 times. The Virtual Jungle Cruise was excellent as well, and Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride was a blast. Invasion! An Extraterrestrial Alien Encounter seemed a bit tired compared to its counterparts (Quake on a home machine is just as exciting). And it was probably just me, but Ride the Comix made me, a veteran VR gamer, sick to my stomach. I've never gotten motion sickness before on such a game, but Ride the Comix was so restrictive and non-reactive that to this day even reading about VR rides makes me feel ill. Again, probably just me, but do not ride it first thing like I did.
The only downside I saw to DisneyQuest's new pricing is hardly a problem at all were with the web access terminals available at dining tables in the eating areas. Now that everything is free, the terminals are set to work for 1 hour per user. Now I did not come to DisneyQuest to browse the web, and hopefully you won't either, but it was frustrating when one needed a break to not be able to hop on and unwind because someone was going for their full 60 minutes (most people did). But this is a very small point of difference in an otherwise spectacular turnabout by Disney. I am not sure that such a business model will turn the tides of profitability for DisneyQuest Orlando, but it will definitely attract more customers and send them away happy with their experience.
***Flatland Online Releases Flatland Rover
(November 16)
Flatland Online has announced today that it has released 3DML (Three-Dimensional Markup Language) and the Flatland Rover software to the World Wide Web. 3DML is a new markup language developed by Flatland that will allow both professional and amateur web page builders to create three-dimensional content on the Internet. The Flatland Rover is a web browser extension that displays content created with 3DML. Pages created with 3DML (called "spots") are fully navigable, fully customizable virtual environments that incorporate image, text, animation, sound and hyperlinks. According to Flatland, 3DML requires no previous experience with 3D modeling or programming, and is as easy to learn as HTML.
3DML uses a basic building block metaphor that enables users to create 3D spaces by arranging ready made blocks into complete environments. 3DML was created by Flatland's CEO and President, Michael Powers.
Flatland expects to achieve rapid, widespread adoption of 3DML, driving internet publishing in 3D.
Individuals wishing to experiment with 3DML can download the Flatland Rover for free from the company's Web site at http://www.flatland.com. Tutorials and 3DML building guides are also available online.
Rover is a software application extension for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, which is optimized to display 3DML pages on standard PCs. Rover combines a user interface, integration with common web browsers and high-speed display of 3DML content using colors, dynamic lighting and sound.
The Flatland Rover installer is only a 600k download over the Net, which takes less than four minutes on a 28.8 modem and is easy to install on Windows 95/98 and Windows NT4.0.
***Evans & Sutherland Selected for Navy's Major H-60 Trainer Upgrade Program (November 3)
Evans & Sutherland announced that it has been selected by Lockheed Martin Federal Systems (LMFS) to supply the Common Visual Systems (CVS) component of the U.S. Navy's H-60 weapons systems training retrofit program. Anticipated contract value before options is approximately $17 million. The additional value of options, if exercised, is approximately $40 million; the contract also includes long-lead time systems and options, which will be priced at a later time. A contract from LMFS, the program's prime contractor, is expected in the first quarter of 1999 for the delivery of visual systems, displays, databases, and system options through 2007. The CVS initiative is intended to raise the training effectiveness of the Navy's disparate inventory of SH-60B, SH-60F, and HH-60H aircraft trainers and associated weapons training systems to a consistent and significantly higher level of technology, performance, interoperability, and maintainability.
Evans & Sutherland's Harmony image generators will be at the heart of the H-60 visual systems; this is the first U.S.-based military application for Harmony technology, which has already been selected for several advanced helicopter-training programs in the United Kingdom and Germany.The visual systems will also include a database, database generation system, out-the-window displays for a range of field-of-view requirements, monitors for chin windows, and NVG (night vision goggle) and FLIR (forward-looking infrared) sensor functions.
***Broadcom Announces OpenCable Silicon Platform (December 2)
Broadcom announced an OpenCable silicon platform for high-end, interactive cable-TV set-top boxes. This solution merges a high-speed cable modem with graphics, text, and video. This allows cable operators to provide web enhanced video programming, multiple video windows and broadband interactive access for applications such as web surfing, email, online gaming or video conferencing using a low-cost, integrated set-top box.
Broadcom's solution consists of the BCM3120 QAMLink Set-top Box Transceiver,
BCM3300 QAMLink Single-Chip MCNS/DOCSIS Cable Modem, BCM7014 Advanced 2D/3D TV Graphics System, and BCM7010 Set-top Box Decoder.The platform supports interactive set-top boxes with the following advanced features:
· A dual-tuner architecture that supports two 42 megabits-per-second (Mbps) downstream channels, a 2 Mbps out-of-band channel, and a 20 Mbps upstream channel.
· An integrated MCNS/DOCSIS 1.1 cable modem.
· Integrated MPEG II transport and video decoding with AC3 audio decoding.
· The ability to cost-effectively display studio-quality text and graphics, Internet HTML content and 3D effects on a standard television monitor.
· The ability to support both analog and digital video.-The ability to seamlessly integrate Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and videoconferencing.
· A high-performance 250 MHz MIPS RISC Microprocessor
· The ability to operate with industry-standard software platforms - Aperios, Java, OpenTV, PowerTV, and WindowsCE.The BCM93714 is a fully operational set-top box reference design that supports the ability to simultaneously view high-quality Internet content and web sites, interactive electronic program guides and multiple layered graphics and video windows using standard TV monitors. It provides an interface to Ethernet, UARTs, IDE, Universal Serial Bus (USB) and PCI, which will allow networking within the home to printers and other devices. The BCM93714 includes the BCM3120, BCM3300, BCM7014, BCM7010, a MIPS processor, and two tuners. The reference design comes with schematics, a bill of materials, software, source code, and drivers. Broadcom's set-top box silicon platform and reference design are available today.
Each chip is priced separately. The BCM3120 is packaged in a 256-pin ball grid array (BGA) and is priced at $34 in 100K quantities. The BCM3300 is packaged in a 256-pin BGA and is priced at $35 in 100K quantities. The BCM7010 is packaged in a 272-pin plastic BGA and is priced at $24 in 100K quantities. The BCM7014 is packaged in a 304-pin BGA and is priced at $21 in 100K quantities.
***IGST Announces Cyberpro5300 a 7-In-1 DTV Set-Top-Box Multimedia Single-Chip (December 2)
IGS Technologies announced Cyberpro5300 a multimedia processor which integrates seven major functions of interest in digital TV set-top-box designs on a single-chip. This chip is part of the CyberPro5XXX family which has been designed into several major OEM Set Top Boxes and Information Appliances including AOL-TV, Java-TV and Acer-TV. It is pin-for-pin compatible with its 2D counterpart, CyberPro5000.
The seven major functions that CyberPro5300 integrates include
ZeroZ 3D/2D Graphics Accelerator,
FlexiBus CPU-Direct Interface,
fully-programmable NTSC/PAL TV Encoder,
Video Processor (Scaler, De-Interlacer and TBC), Hardware
Alpha Blending,
Audio Processor,SoftModem support along with hardware features such as direct video pass through VideoDirect, two video ports for analog and digital TV or PIP, multiple/independently scalable video windows and Macrovision.
Using above functions, set-top-boxes can be designed for TV, Web Browsing and email along with Programmable Hardware Video and Graphics Alpha Blending, PIP, and seamless switching of multiple video sources.
Using the FlexDK software development kits written in C and available to OEMs, the CyberPro drivers are being shipped as the standard for TV-Centric applications like Set-Top-Boxes for Microsoft Windows CE, Windows 98, Sun pJava, Sony AperiOS, Wind River Tornado/VxWorks, ISI pSOS, QNX, ITRON and Nucleus. Sample driver code for other RTOS that will be available include VRTX, PowerTV, Ariel, BeOS.
The reference platforms using our SDKs will be OpenCable compliant.
The CyberPro5300 will sample next month. Budgetary pricing for CyberPro53XX is $19, CyberPro50XX is $14 in 100,000.
TGS announced that Amapi 3D version 4.1 is now shipping. This release is an upgrade to the popular Amapi NURBS and polygon modeler for PowerMac and Windows-based PCs. The product includes improved modeling tools, ease-of-use interface improvements, and includes TGS' ActiveStyles rendering technology, which supports fast Phong shading, selective photo-realistic ray tracing and artistic rendering capabilities.
Amapi 3D v4.1 also adds support for creating 3D text, OpenGL rendering and acceleration, and includes WireShade, a new design mode that combines wireframe with shaded representation of models, which improves visual depth perception while creating models. Amapi is a popular companion modeler to animation and rendering platforms such as Strata, Electric Image, Form-Z, Softimage, and Kinetix 3DStudio MAX. It is regarded for allowing the 3D artist to quickly create efficient models of high quality, especially in the area of smooth edges, filleting and skinned surfaces. Amapi is also noted as an affordable standalone modeler for home, student and small to mid-scale design shop use.
Key Amapi 3D 4.1 Features Amapi 3D version 4.1 includes:
· the addition of standard Mac and Windows toolbar interfaces that are intuitive for beginning users;
· enhancements to the Natural Design Interface™, which delivers rapid model creation for skilled Amapi users;
· optimized support for OpenGL 3D rendering and acceleration;
· WireShade™ design mode, which enhances wireframe model representation with flat shading to improve the visual perception of complex surfaces during the modeling process;
· ActiveStyles™, TGS' new rendering technology that includes fast Phong rendering, a selective photo-realistic ray trace engine and artistic rendering styles, including cartoon and chalk effects; · 3D text extrusion and editing for TrueType® fonts; - support for texture mapping; - a new scene-graph management interface;
· improved Boolean operations between 3D curves to smooth selected areas;
· performance improvements in Boolean operations, filleting, smoothing and other general modeling functions;
· support for over 21 file formats and the Immersion Microscribe
3D input device; and
· new product documentation with tutorials, demonstrations and a large collection of ready-to-use sample projects, models and textures.
***Diamond Files Countersuits Against RIAA (December 2)
Newsbytes reports that The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is facing nine countersuits filed against it by Diamond Multimedia Systems.
Diamond alleges that RIAA and the major league recording industry are trying to shut down the entire MP3-based digital audio market, whether legitimate or pirated. The RIAA responded with the following:
"The claims made by Diamond can only be described as preposterous and irresponsible, and a transparent ploy to gain publicity for the Rio device in time for holiday sales. There is no factual or legal foundation for their claims whatsoever, and we are confident that the court will find accordingly. The RIAA will respond to each of Diamond's frivolous allegations in court, in due course."Diamond is seeking compensation in the form of three times the amount of damages it thinks the RIAA has caused it, as well as "an order enjoining the RIAA from continuing its unlawful conduct and an order awarding Diamond its cost of the lawsuit."
Diamond also stated that it denies that its Rio PMP300 digital audio file playback device, a peripheral that attaches to computers, in fact violates the letter of the law in the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (AHRA).
***ESS Technology Announces Design Wins for its Internet Set-top Box Solution (December 2)
ESS Technology announced design wins with VNet Information in Hong Kong, Labway Corporation in Taiwan, Szechwan New Century Group in China, and MaxMagic in California.
ESS' Internet Set-top Solution is a cost-effective chipset solution that enables VideoCD (VCD), Super VCD, and DVD manufacturers to include Internet and E-commerce features at minimal incremental cost. The solution combines ESS' digital video, modem, and mixed signal technologies.
The solution is aimed at providing Internet access through Internet set-top boxes for web surfing, e-mail exchange, and e-commerce applications.
VNet has introduced its multifunction Internet set-top box that combines Super VCD and web browser functions. MaxMagic introduced its set-top box in November at COMDEX. Labway Corporation and Szechwan New Century Group will introduce their set-tops in Q1 1999.
***Scientific Atlanta and Intertainer to Provide 'Entertainment-On-Demand' with the Explorer Set-Top (December 1)
Scientific Atlanta and Intertainer announced plans to deliver Intertainer's "entertainment-on-demand" e-commerce targeted advertising services on Scientific Atlanta's Explorer 2000 interactive set-top and digital network. Intertainer's services are designed to operate on the Explorer platform using the PersonalJava software language.
Cable subscribers will be able to use the Explorer 2000 set-top as their gateway for a host of movie, music, interactive television, and shopping services. Intertainer has agreements in place with motion picture, music, and television studios as well as barnesandnoble.com and STV Communications in order to enhance the entertainment-on-demand features.
Explorer 2000 supports requirements to run applications with PC-like capabilities, including built-in RISC microprocessors, an operating system, and scripting languages such as PersonalJava, HTML, and JavaScript. The set-top also complies with OpenCable specifications and has high-throughput two-way communications and sufficient processing power, memory, and graphics to enable a variety of interactive applications for subscribers including Internet access, video-on-demand, home shopping, and IP-based applications.
***Pixel Company Offers Free MySpace
(December 1)
The Pixel Company is now offering free downloads of MySpace on its website. MySpace is a software application that takes advantage of The Pixel Company's patent-pending technology that utilizes the black space around the edge of a computer screen, called the overscan area.
MySpace is a rotating cylinder at the bottom of the computer screen that is always visible to the user. By clicking on and rotating MySpace, it launches Internet offerings, ticker information, and other applications. The software can be customized to reflect a user's interests and offers 0 pre-loaded directories such as finance, news, sports, and entertainment.
The software uses sites such as 4Internet.com, Amazon.com, ebay, GoTo.com, InfoSpace.com Inc., Merriam-Webster, Nasdaq-Amex.com, and Talkway for their content.
The MySpace bar download is 1.4MB and 2.5MB if the user's computer does not have Microsoft DirectX installed.
***CyberCash to Integrate its PayNow Electronic Check Service with Oracle's New Bill Presentment/Payment Solution (December 2)
CyberCash said that the company's payment transaction service for online credit and electronic check payments will be integrated into Oracle's Internet bill presentment and payment solution, Internet Bill & Pay. The solution will offer wholesale banks a way to provide both credit and electronic check services to billers on the Internet.
Oracle's Bill & Pay is designed to allow billers to provide their customers with easy and safe billing/payment information in order to view/pay their bills online. It allows the capture of customer payment information through the Internet Bill & Pay technology giving billers and their commercial banks flexibility to distribute bills through multiple electronic channels while controlling payment processing. Distribution channels supported by the solution for viewing bills are expected to include the biller's own Website, e-mail, homebanking services and portal sites.
CyberCash will make it possible for billers to accept check and credit card payments directly from the Website on the Internet. The service links the customer accounts to what has been presented, sends settlement requests to banks and posts payment to the biller's accounts receivable system. It also offers seamless connectivity to banks and to processors.
***Time Warner and Wink Select Manhattan Test Site (December 1)
Time Warner Cable and Wink Communications have selected New York City as the test site for Wink Enhanced Broadcasting. Time Warner will offer Wink's Enhanced Broadcasting free to customers with the General Instrument CFT-2200 advanced analog set-top terminal as well as future digital set-tops.
Wink's broadcasting will provide programming and advertising, with special program related data to all Time Warner customers. Under the agreement, Time Warner has the right to deploy Wink Enhanced Broadcasting in other markets as well.
During 1999 in phase two of the deployment, viewers will be able to order a brochure, coupon, or product with a remote click while watching regular television commercials. Current providers of Wink E-commercials are AT&T, Levi Strauss & Co., and General Electric.
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