As promised a month ago, Netscape Communications Corp is launching the preview release of Netcaster, the push technology component of its browser-cum-groupware product Netscape Communicator (CI No 3,141). Information will be pushed down channels, and amongst those available now are ABCNews.com, CNNfn and C/Net. Netscape claims that Netcaster will be perfect for corporate intranets, as information can be pushed down the channels, onto either Netcaster, or the Webtop, a channel anchored to the desktop. The Communicator Beta release including Netcaster will be available later this week, with the final release available by the end of the second quarter. Microsoft Corp’s Explorer 4.0 was launched as a public beta in April, without the promised push technology, but the full public release including the technology is scheduled for late summer, so the race is on to be first to market, and first to market share.