July 12, 1994 Walter Isaacson Version 2.0 _________________________ Time Inc./TWC Cable Front End ("Caf?") Desc r i p t i o n of a pla n for int e r f a c e s an d con t e n t th a t cabl e sys t e m s can use to con n e c t pers o n a l co m p u t e r use r s to the Inte r n e t an d onli n e ser v i c e s thr o u g h a cabl e m o d e m _________________________ 1 In th e ne x t fe w ye a r s , hig h - sp e e d int e r n e t co n n e c t i o n via ca b l e m a y bec o m e co m m e r c i a l l y ava il a b l e . It will tr a n s f o r m th e onli n e ex p e r i e n c e an d co u l d m a k e dial- up ser v i c e s suc h as Co m p u S e r v e an d AOL, wh i c h pr e t e n d to be co n t e n t ser v i c e s bu t ar e m a i n l y co n n e c t i v i t y ser v i c e s , vul n e r a b l e . Th e Ca bl e Fro n t End (co d e n a m e : Caf ? ) will be a pa c k a g e of int e r f a c e s , na v i g a t i o n a l to o ls an d co n t e n t th a t we ca n pa c k a g e for ca b l e syst e m s to ser v e as th e fro n t en d for pe r s o n a l co m p u t e r use r s wh o wis h to co n n e c t to th e Int e r n e t th a t wa y . It will be bas e d on ser v e r s co n n e c t e d to eac h ca b l e sys t e m ' s he a d en d an d to th e Int e r n e t ' s Wo r l d - Wid e We b . It will use a ve r si o n of Mos a i c as its basi c na v i g a t i o n a l to o l. The ser v i c e will th u s be clos e l y co n n e c t e d to an d in t e g r a t e d wit h Ti m e Inc.'s Int e r n e t / o n l i n e ser v i c e s an d site s, Pat h f i n d e r , wh i c h will also be bas e d on we b site s usin g Mos a i c . Th e go a l is to pe r m i t Ti m e Inc. an d its ca b l e sys t e m pa r t n e r s to off e r a va r i e t y of co m p u t e r ser v i c e s wh il e co n t r o l l i n g th e op e n i n g scr e e n s an d pac k a g i n g op t i o n s . Ti m e Inc.'s re v e n u e s will co m e fro m lice n s i n g fe e s pai d by ca b l e op e r a t o r s an d fro m selli n g ad v e r t i s i n g an d tr a n s a c t i o n ser v i c e s th a t ca n be acc e s s e d fro m th e initi a l scr e e n s . Ti m e Inc. will ev e n t u a l l y also sell acce s s to its o w n pr e m i u m pa c k a g e bas e d on th e co n t e n t of its Int e r n e t / o n l i n e ser v i c e . Th e ca b l e op e r a t o r s ' re v e n u e s will co m e fro m use r fe e s, selli n g acc e s s an d su b s c r i p t i o n s to co m m e r c i a l onli n e ser v i c e s , an d ad v e r t i s i n g loca l ava i l s . "Free" Content, Services and Tools Mail. The abili t y to sen d an d rec e i v e e- m a il an d ele c t r o n i c pu b l i c a t i o n s bo t h wit h i n th e loca l sys t e m an d th e Int e r n e t . Incl u d e s vi d e o , au d i o , pic t u r e s an d te x t 2 Today's Bulletin Co m b i n a t i o n of a dail y ne w s l e t t e r , bri e f i n g pa p e r , an d to u t sh e e t of wh a t ' s ne w an d ho t on th e ser v i c e , wit h ad v e r t i s i n g . Ca n be tail o r e d to th e use r ' s in t e r e s t s . Incl u d e s acc e s s to: Na ti o n a l ne w s su m m a r y . Spo r t s sco r e s an d pe r s o n a l list of te a m s to follo w Sto c k pric e sea r c h an d pe r s o n a l po r t f o l i o Loca l an d na t i o n a l we a t h e r Ca p s u l e m o v i e an d TV re vi e w s Refere nce Library. An onli n e dic ti o n a r y , enc y c l o p e d i a , th e s a u r u s , Bar t l e t t ' s , atl a s , ph o n e bo o k s , e- m a i l dir e c t o r y , al m a n a c , W h o ' s Wh o , CIA fac t bo o k , Fed e r a l Reg is t e r , loca l Yello w Pag e s . Classified Ads. Use r s co u l d re a d classif i e d ads for fre e . Bu t pe o p l e wo u l d be ch a r g e d for pla ci n g ads. Cou l d incl u d e pic t u r e s , voic e an d vi d e o clip s as well as te x t . Shopping Mall. Incl u d e s ads, tr a n s a c t i o n a l ser v i c e s , an d cat a l o g u e s . Local Listings . Info ab o u t m o v i e s , co n c e r t s , pla y s , spo r t s , co m m u n i t y eve n t s , tele v i s i o n , nig h t c l u b s , pe r f o r m a n c e s , alo n g wit h Tick e t m a s t e r - styl e ser v i c e s an d ads. Community Messages. Sch o o l s , or g a n i z a t i o n s , nei g h b o r h o o d gr o u p s , Cit y Hall an d ot h e r gr o u p s wo u l d be allo w e d to pos t pu b li c ser v i c e m e s s a g e s for fre e . The Intern e t . Tools an d int e r f a c e s to allo w use of th e Int e r n e t , incl u d i n g Mos a i c , go p h e r , ft p , ne w s r e a d e r s , tel n e t , etc. Premium Content and Services 3 Commercial online services. Incl u d e s A m e r i c a Onli n e , Pro d i g y , Co m p u S e r v e , Del p h i , GEni e , Co u n s e l Con n e c t , We a l t h B u i l d e r , an d Ti m e Inc.'s for t h c o m i n g "Pa t h f i n d e r . " Magazines, newsle t t e r s, papers. A ne w s s t a n d wo u l d dis p l a y th e na m e , co v e r an d ind e x pa g e of an y pa r t i c i p a t i n g pu b li c a t i o n , an d use r s co u l d eit h e r bu y a co p y or su b s c r i b e for a ye a r . Local News. The loca l ne w s p a p e r or ot h e r gr o u p co u l d be lice n s e d to su p p l y loca l ne w s . Discussion Boards . Disc u s s i o n gr o u p s in tw o ca t e g o r i e s : 1) loca l on e s th a t ar e just for pe o p l e on th a t ca b l e sys t e m ; 2) glo b a l on e s th a t co n n e c t to th e Int e r n e t ' s ne w s g r o u p s . Game Arcade . The lat e s t co m p u t e r ga m e s on a pu r c h a s e or pa y- pe r- use basis. Softwa r e library. Sha r e w a r e an d ot h e r co m p u t e r sof t w a r e for pu r c h a s e or use. Naviga tional Screens Th e op e n i n g scr e e n will be a gr a p h i c a l dis p l a y alo n g th e m o d e l of a to w n sq u a r e . Un d e r l i n e d bel o w are th e ite m s on this scr e e n an d , be n e a t h eac h , th e ite m s on th e ne x t - lev e l scr e e n s . Mos t of th e un d e r l y i n g scr e e n s in eac h of th e s e are a s wo u l d be do n e in Mos a i c wit h hy p e r t e x t lin ks , ra t h e r th a n as gr a p h i c a l use r in t e r f a c e s . This wo u l d allo w m o r e fle x i b i l i t y , ex p a n d a b i l i t y an d desc r i p t i v e n e s s . Your mail box . Your daily bulletin . The te x t of th e dail y ho t she e t alo n g wit h ico n s to ge t to: > Na ti o n a l ne w s 4 > You r m o n e y > > Fin a n c i a l ne w s > > Sto c k pric e sea r c h > > You r po r t f o l i o > Spo r t s > > Spo r t ne w s > > Spo r t s sco r e s > > You r pe r s o n a l i z e d sco r e b o a r d > We a t h e r > > Loca l > > Sea r c h a cit y > > Na ti o n a l m a p s an d sat e l li t e ph o t o s . > Re vi e w s & Loca l Listi n g s > > Mo v i e s > > TV > > Rest a u r a n t s > > Nig h t l i f e Refere nce Library Shopping > Classi fi e d s > > List of to p i c s > Th e Mall > > Cat e g o r i e s of sto r e s , ad v e r t i s e r s an d cat a l o g u e s Community Messages Premiu m Services Onra m p > Onli n e Ser v i c e s ga t e w a y > > AOL, Co m p u S e r v e , Pro d i g y , Ti m e Inc. Callio p e , etc. > Th e Ne w s s t a n d > > List of m a g a z i n e s , ne w s l e t t e r s an d loca l pa p e r ( s ) > > > Ind e x of cur r e n t issu e > > > Solici t a t i o n to bu y issu e or su b s c r i b e > Ga m e arc a d e > Dis u s si o n bo a r d s an d for u m s 5 > > Loca l > > Lists of Top ic s > > Int e r n e t > > > Ho t to p i c s > > > All ne w s g r o u p s > Sof t w a r e libr a r y 6 Editorial Content Suppliers Dail y ho t s h e e t : Ti m e Inc. Na ti o n a l ne w s su m m a r y : Ti m e Inc. an d / o r wir e ser v i c e Loca l ne w s su m m a r y : Up to eac h sys t e m Spo r t s sco r e s : Spo r t s Tick e r We a t h e r : TK Sto c k qu o t e s : PC Qu o t e Re vi e w s : Ti m e Inc. Loca l listi n g s : Up to eac h sys t e m Ref e r e n c e m a t e r i a l to be lice n s e d : Dic ti o n a r y : Enc y c l o p e d i a : Yello w pa g e s : Wh o ' s Wh o : Th e s a u r u s : Bar t l e t t ' s : Atla s : Pho n e bo o k s : Ot h e r s : 7