BackWeb Technologies Inc. this week debuted the Mac beta version of its free, namesake push-technology client. The software lets users choose channels and have publishers' content pushed to them via scrolling messages, graphics, pop-up notes, audio messages and other methods. BackWeb said its client differs from other push technologies in its techniques for conserving bandwidth. Users can choose the type of content received and when and how updates are displayed. Content is mainly served by InfoFlashes - small graphics or animations that float across users' screens and contain a hyperlinked blurb or headline.
Users can prioritize channels and specify the amount of hard disk space allocated for each channel.
BackWeb now offers more than 50 channels, including The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition and McAfee Associates Inc.'s VirusScan, an anti-virus service. Unlike other push-technology products, BackWeb downloads information only when a user's Internet connection is idle, said David Buckland, BackWeb senior Mac product manager. BackWeb is quiet, nonintrusive. He said the company's proprietary Polite Agent technology senses when a user's Internet connection is free and sends information during that time. Fla. He said the software's updates don't interfere with the use of memory-intensive graphics applications.