• by July 12, 2000

Digimarc Corporation announced today that the August issue of Popular Mechanics is the first magazine to use Digimarc MediaBridge to link editorial content to relevant information on the Internet.

According to company officials, editorial and advertising pages in Popular Mechanics featuring a Digimarc 'D' symbol in the lower outside page corner are Internet-enabled and contain an inconspicuous code which when held up to an image-capture device such as a Web camera, launch a browser and instantly connect readers to a dedicated URL.

Digimarc MediaBridge first became available to consumers in the July issue of Wired Magazine. Publishing groups scheduled to launch magazines containing Digimarc MediaBridge this year include Time Inc., Ziff Davis, Hearst Corp., Smithsonian, and Primedia Special Interest Group.

Digimarc 'D' symbols in the August issue of Popular Mechanics' Table of Contents page denote the digitally coded editorial pages. Readers are instantly transported from the printed page directly to specific URLs with more information that is relevant to each story. For example, an article about NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, when held up to a Web camera, launches a page with previous and current stories about NASCAR races, motorsports and general automotive topics.

"Digimarc MediaBridge allows our readers to gather information or even buy products immediately," said Jay McGill, publisher of Popular Mechanics Magazine. "It is the kind of revolutionary technology that Popular Mechanics is all about."

Digimarc's system embeds a "digital watermark" in magazine page images during pre-press using standard image-editing software. Without the use of search engines, directories, or portals, consumers can simply hold the magazine page in front of a Web camera and instantly access opportunities to purchase online, participate in promotions, or view multimedia presentations.

"Digimarc MediaBridge provides magazine publishers and advertisers with an interactive way to reach their respective audiences through the Internet," said Digimarc CEO Bruce Davis. "Editors and writers can provide background information, links to previous stories, even notes from interviews related to the story. Likewise, advertisers can offer further product information or the option to buy the product directly over the Internet. This system provides a new and better way to access information and initiate commerce on the Web."