New Technology Press Release

New Technology Solves Old Gift-Giving Problem

Sites use filtering to search Web for "perfect" gifts

PALO ALTO, CA - November 30, 2000 - It happens every holiday season: you need gifts and you've run out of ideas.

Now there are Web sites that can help. Surprise.com (http://www.surprise.com) and AOL's Personalogic (http://www.personalogic.com) are leading decision-making engines that use advanced filtering technology to find the right gift.

Here's how they work: you tell them something about your recipient, and they recommend a few dozen gift ideas for that type of person. (And unlike conventional gift sites that sell whatever's in stock, Surprise.com and Personalogic recommend gift ideas from sites all over the Web.)

Here are a few recommendations from Surprise.com:

If your recipient is "adventurous," Surprise.com recommends: Bungee Jumping, Race Car Driving, Night Vision Goggles, Skydiving Lesson (plus 22 more gift ideas).

Recommendations for someone who "works too much": Grocery Delivery, Time Management Software, Maid Service, Personal Digital Assistant, Dry Cleaning Delivery, etc.

Recommendations for the person who is "divorcing": Tax Advice, Adopt-A-Pet, Fashion Makeover, Cooking Class, or Gym Membership.

Recommendations for someone with an "unusual sense of humor": Tickets to See a Comedy TV Show Taping, Singing Telegram, Fake Lotto Tickets, Fog Machine, or Humor Magazine Subscription.

Recommendations for the "dreamer": Personalized Romance Novel, Space Travel, The Chance to Bump into a Celebrity, Hot Air Balloon Ride, or Audition for Jeopardy.

Recommendations for the person who's "stressed out": Massage at a Day Spa, Noise Canceling Headphones, Indoor Fountain, Dinner Delivery, Punching Bag, or Fizzing Scented Bath Balls.

As you can see, some of the most creative ideas are for services, such as "Dinner Delivery," "Hot Air Balloon Ride," and "Maid Service." Giving gifts for services used to be difficult, but Surprise.com, in partnership with MasterCard, has solved that problem with the Surprise.com Gift Card. It works like a gift certificate but runs on the Visa/Mastercard network, so it's accepted by millions of merchants worldwide.

These decision-making Web sites help solve the age-old problem of finding the right gift...and wouldn't it be nice to never give another gift that ends up at a garage sale?

ABOUT SURPRISE.COM:

Surprise.com is the Web's fastest growing gift site. GO.com, one of the top 10 Web properties, recently selected Surprise.com to be its gift engine. Surprise.com has been recommended by People magazine, Yahoo! Internet Life, The New York Times, InStyle, PC World, Fast Company, Golf Digest, and Family PC.

CONTACT:

Darrell Benatar

Surprise.com

(650) 833-5555

press@surprise.com

http://www.surprise.com