– Kids go head-to-head in Headbone Derby

Kids around the world await the announcement of the winners of the Headbone Derby and are invited to challenge each other in another competition kicking off this month.

Developed by software producer Headbone Interactive and Excite, maker of the Excite Internet search tool, the Headbone Derby (http://derby. excite.com) is an on-line competition that encourages children to explore the Internet. Characters Iz and Auggie host the Derby, which is presented as a comic strip. The competition is targeted primarily at classrooms for grades four to eight, and kids can enter as individuals or as teams.

Winners of the Headbone Derby, which launched mid-January, will be named on March 15. One lucky kid will win a laptop computer, a complete Headbone software library of eight CD-ROMs, and a football jersey signed by Jerry Rice. The team chosen as the grand-prize winner will receive a Cisco Micro Webserver and a complete Headbone software library for their school, a laptop computer for the teacher, and the Iz and Auggie’s Escape from Dimension Q CD-ROM and a cap for each team member. CD-ROMs and caps will also be awarded to first- and second-place finalists.

The next Headbone Derby starts on March 15. Participants must conduct science-related research on the Web and attempt to navigate a journey to Mars. The competition will run until May 29, with similar prizes to be offered.

-Muppets take the stage on-line

Kermit, Miss Piggy and the entire Muppets cast will debut on The Microsoft Network (MSN) this summer. As part of a three-year agreement between MSN and Jim Henson Interactive, the Muppets and some newly created characters will star in original interactive programs developed exclusively for the on-line service. The deal calls for two programs to be produced jointly in the first year of the agreement, three in the second and four in the third. As well, Jim Henson Interactive and MSN will design home pages for Jim Henson Productions, Jim Henson Pictures and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

-NetDidac introduces kids to the Internet

NetDidac for Netscape Navigator 3.0 teaches kids and adults how to surf the Web, send e-mail and chat in newsgroups using Netscape Navigator 3.0. The CD-ROM, geared at kids over age eight and adults, provides a simulated version of Navigator 3.0 that allows users to explore the browser without being hooked up to the Internet. SIT Solutions Internet Technilogic and MID Multimedia produced NetDidac in partnership with Netscape Communications Corporation. The title is available in Canada and throughout Europe, and includes English and French versions for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and Macintosh, all on one CD-ROM.