On September 18, 1996, Apple announced growing industry support for itsproposed open industry standard, HotSauce Meta Content Format (MCF),which allows developers to build data access tools that work with anykind of Internet or intranet-based data. Key industry endorsers includeNetscape Communications Corporation, XSoft, a division of Xerox Corp.,Excite, BigBook, and EveryWare Development Corporation. Apple previouslyannounced that CNET: The Computer Network and Yahoo! have implementationplans for HotSauce MCF.In addition, Apple announced that over 75,000 copies of its HotSaucefly-through plug-in for Macintosh and Windows 95/NT platforms have beendownloaded from its website. Over 100 websites have been mapped usingHotSauce MCF to date, including such diverse Internet locations as PCWeek Australia, Metrowerks, a leading development tools provider,MacUser magazine, the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, in addition toYahoo!, CNET, and others. Finally, several software developers havealready developed HotSauce MCF tools and applications.HOTSAUCE FLY-THROUGH PLUG INThe HotSauce fly-through plug-in, a dramatic demonstration of thepossibilities of the new standard, is a 3D information navigation systemthat enables new ways of viewing and exploring Internet information. The3D interface makes the structure of web content immediately apparent tousers, giving them an overview of a website or database. The HotSaucefly-through plug-in is distributed solely through the Apple website<http://hotsauce.apple.com> for a no-fee license for personal use.Implemented according to the Netscape plug-in standard, it works withpopular web browsers, including Netscape Navigator for Windows and theMac OS, Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows and the Mac OS, and thebrowsing component of Apple's Cyberdog 1.1 suite on the Mac OS.HOTSAUCE CONNECTS ANY KIND OF VIEW WITH ANY KIND OF DATAHotSauce Meta Content Format is used to represent a wide range ofinformation  about content. It can describe information about contentincluded in web pages, gopher and ftp files, email, and structureddatabases, allowing webmasters to make their content available through avariety of views to content consumers. HotSauce MCF is both platform andapplication independent.In addition to Internet and intranet data, HotSauce MCF can describedata on one's own computer and local area network, thereby enablingseamless integration of desktop and network content, not only in HTMLbrowsers, but in a wide variety of access tools created by softwaredevelopers operating in an open market. Mac OS users can download aresearch prototype application that demonstrates HotSaucedesktop/Internet integration from the aforementioned Apple website.FOR MORE INFORMATIONAdditional information on HotSauce is available on the Apple HotSaucewebsite <http://hotsauce.apple.com>.For the complete text of the September 18, 1996, Apple press release,refer to the Internet<http://product.info.apple.com/pr/library/1996/september.html>.