Make Way For The New Crop Of Cyberzines

Bits & Bytes

MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW CROP OF CYBERZINES

IS THE WORLD READY FOR multimedia magazines delivered on CD-ROM? Two companies are rushing to find out. In mid-April, New York-based 2Way Media Inc. will launch an electronic publication called, well, Launch. For $35.99, subscribers will get six bimonthly issues full of video interviews with musicians, music-video segments, trailers for feature movies, and batches of interactive game-based ads.

Meanwhile, Medio Multimedia Inc. in Redmond, Wash., plans to combine a CD-ROM publication with live connections to the Internet. The CD-ROM will zap images and videos to a computer screen while related data stream in from the Internet. The idea is to help customers, starting in the Seattle area, form electronic communities. Price: $9.95 for the first two months, $19.95 a month thereafter.EDITED BY PAUL M. ENG