One way and another, Saddam Hussein demonstrated that Richard Branson is a mere amateur when it comes to grabbing the undivided attention of the world media – or perhaps the Virgin self-publicist was just a victim of bad timing, but he did make the first crossing of the Pacific by balloon last week, and Northport, New York-based Touchbase Systems Inc is terribly proud that seven of its WorldPort 2400/MNP modems were used by worldwide ground support centres to transmit advisories to the operation’s central UK computer throughout the flight of the Virgin Otsuka Pacific Flyer.
