REDMOND, WA, April 16, 1997 — Once again making Internet history, Mungo Park ä
, Microsoft’s online adventure magazine , and MSN
™
, the Microsoft Network online service, will present the first-ever undersea Internet text, audio and video chat with Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of famous oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau. This unprecedented event is scheduled to come to the Internet live from Fiji on Earth Day, April 22, at 6:00pm (PST), with live streaming video provided by The Microsoft Network.
Visitors to Mungo Park can explore the fragile coral reefs of Vanua Levu, Fiji on a dive with Jean-Michel Cousteau, a man who has spent his life exploring the world’s oceans aboard the Calypso and Alcyone. “It’s been my mission in life to share my passion for the environment with others,” said Jean-Michel, environmentalist, teacher, and Emmy award-winning television and film producer. “Like the ocean, the Internet has no boundaries. Through Mungo Park , we can spread the message to a global audience that human survival depends on the oceans’ survival. It’s truly a symbiotic relationship . ”
“This is another first for Mungo Park and MSN,” said Richard Bangs, editor-in-chief. “In January, we secured the first surround-video from space aboard the Russian Space Station Mir. Now we’re taking virtual explorers to the bottom of the ocean with Jean-Michel Cousteau to explore one of the world’s most beautiful and fragile environments, coral reefs.”
Armchair divers can participate in this historic event by logging on at . Visitors will have the opportunity to ask Jean-Michel questions on the Internet during the dive and hear and see his responses via the first-ever underwater live audio and video connection on MSN. Those without membership to MSN can view the text chat on the Web in the Mungo Park chat room.
The first-ever undersea video chat with Jean-Michel Cousteau is part of Mungo Park’s April edition devoted to the celebration of oceans. Trish Reynales, Mungo Park associate editor, and photographer Denise Rocco, join Jean-Michel on the quest to discover a new dive site April 15-23. The full expedition will broadcast live on Mungo Park with daily dispatches from Reynales in the field and digital photos of the paradise that is beneath the Fiji Islands.
This special Oceans issue of Mungo Park also presents an essay by famed naturalist author Barry Lopez on diving in the Caribbean, rich multi-media presentations of undersea video and photography, a profile of pioneering oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, and a special article by Jean-Michel Cousteau on the state of coral reefs, and more.
Join Jean-Michel Cousteau on Mungo Park and MSN live from Fiji on Earth Day, April 22 at 6:00pm (PST) and share the wonders of the sea in a never-before attempted underwater text, audio and video chat. Come along for the dive!
Since September 1996, Mungo Park has taken online adventurers on the first-ever descent of the Tekeze River in Ethiopia; in search of the Queen of the Lovedu, a legendary Bantu tribe of women; to the end of the Niger River road in Timbuktu; and into space aboard Atlantis space shuttle mission STS-81.
Mungo Park
(http://mungopark.MSN.com/) is available on the World Wide Web and features an interactive expedition program, live Internet chats, a famous-author series, and regular columns from well-known journalists. Named for the famous eighteenth-century Scottish explorer who discovered the Niger River and mysteriously disappeared while navigating its waters, Mungo Park is about exploring the world – both firsthand and online.
Mungo Park is accessible free of charge on the Internet and MSN, The Microsoft Network (connect time charges may apply). Mungo Park is also a featured part of Microsoft®
Expedia travel services. Users can log on to Mungo Park at (http://mungopark.MSN.com/) .
To access Mungo Park, users need World Wide Web access, with a 14.4-kbs or higher modem recommended. A frames-enabled browser and FutureSplash and Real Audio plug-ins are recommended. Mungo Park is best experienced with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 (or above) but will work with Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher. Both Macintosh and Windows®
platforms are supported.
To participate in Jean-Michel Cousteau’s live undersea video chat, users must be an MSN member with the Microsoft NetShow Player 2.0, the streaming multimedia technology now making waves on the Internet. A 28.8 modem is required to view and hear the Netshow version of the chat on MSN. Netshow broadcasts high-quality audio and video to your PC for an exciting multimedia experience.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed to make personal computing easier and more enjoyable.
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Microsoft, Expedia, MSN, Mungo Park, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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To use Mungo Park, users need World Wide Web access, with a 14.4-kbs or higher modem recommended. Users can access Mungo Park using Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or Netscape Navigator 3.0.
Note to the editor: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please check out Microsoft’s corporate information pages, at http://microsoft.com/presspass/ .
For additional information, contact
Gerri Kelly, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide,
(312) 240-2743, [email protected]. or Caroline Teller, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, (312) 240-2741, [email protected]
