World's first QUAKEALARM goes off for the American consumer.

LOCKHART, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1996--QUAKEALARM (TM), the world's first "intelligent" earthquake alarm system for the home, is being released to the consumer market, according to U.S. Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:USXX), the rapidly emerging Texas-based innovative electronics products company.

Unlike other alarms, such as smoke, burglar and carbon monoxide, which give a warning after the occurrence, U.S. Tech's proprietary QUAKEALARM (TM) alerts the user before an earthquake strikes the home. The breakthrough technology does this by sensing the "P" wave, the primary wave, which precedes the "S," or shock waves, which cause the damage.

The interval between these waves offers a brief but crucial time frame that provides the unique opportunity for families to be warned of the impending danger.

Highly audible alarm sounds and brightly flashing lights are triggered if the temblor is above a set magnitude, for example, at 5.3 on the Richter Scale. An earthquake of that magnitude or higher is potentially damaging and life threatening.

The QUAKEALARM (TM) hardware consists of a control unit which contains sophisticated electronics, a programmed microprocessor and a "state of the art" accelerometer that senses the "P" waves and then activates the system. The unit will automatically turn on the 85 DB alarm speaker and flashing lights just before the quake.

Added options, which proved to be "winners" during market testing, include an automatic gas "shut off" valve and an automatic water "shut off" valve. These valves are electronically programmed to close down prior to any harmful shock waves being felt. Intense strobe lights for advance warning are available for the hearing impaired.

The QUAKEALARM (TM) also has a "vacation" feature which allows water to be shut down simply at the press of a button while the owners are on holiday. The basic system may be installed by a "do-it-yourself" handyman. It may be wall- or floor-mounted and is powered by a 110 V AC-12 V DC or 220 V AC-12 V DC converter. Back-up battery support is an integral part of each unit.

U.S. Technologies President William Meehan said: "Imagine you're sitting in your office next Tuesday at 4:23 p.m., about 19 miles from home, when you feel the rumble of a major earthquake. Your office building has been thoroughly retro-fitted. There is no serious damage. You and your colleagues aren't hurt. But you're thinking about your spouse and children at home.

"Then, with a flood of relief," Meehan emphasized, "it occurs to you that your loved ones knew about the quake before you did, thanks to the QUAKEALARM (TM) that was recently installed. On hearing the alarm, your spouse responded instantly, gathered the children and rushed to safety at their pre-designated spot just as the temblor started to rock and rattle the home."

Meehan said, "You're obviously anxious to learn that they are absolutely safe, but you are assured that they had as much fast warning as possible, and that your water and gas lines were closed to save your home from fire or flooding in the quake's aftermath. The QUAKEALARM (TM) will give you this necessary assurance."

Based on a selling price of approximately $400 for the basic unit, Meehan concluded, "This is sure to be successful in the worldwide market, especially in any earthquake-prone region. It's expected to be a natural add-on safety product for any families who suspect that a large earthquake, or even `the Big One,' will hit their homes someday.

"Outside of the United States and Canada, we have strong interest from other high-risk quake zones such as Japan, China, the Philippines, Mexico, Greece, Chile, Italy and Russia. Russia has already ordered 1,000 units."

Unfortunately, it's a grim fact that earthquakes are a daily occurrence around the world. About 10,000 people are killed by quakes each year.

Temblors cause billions of dollars in annual damages. Subsequent flooding caused by broken water pipes, fires from burst gas lines and electrical shorting cause major damage. Insurance companies are forced to award massive payouts which have, in many cases, devastating effects on future homeowner policies.

"Therefore," Meehan asserted, "our QUAKEALARM (TM) will have a special business niche with safety-conscious homeowners who want to say, `I've done all I reasonably can to alert my family to any future quake.' In addition, the system is ideally suited not only for homes, but apartments, offices, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, schools and sports arenas, to name just a few possibilities."

The business potential is glaringly obvious with approximately 365 million people now living in medium to high earthquake-occurrence zones throughout the world. An estimated 97 million of those consist of families whose combined income could support the purchase of at least a basic QUAKEALARM (TM) system.

That adjusted figure represents some 28 million households of which about 3.7 million are located on the West Coast of North America, from California to Alaska.

U.S. Technologies is currently manufacturing QUAKEALARM (TM) units at its modern Texas facility in Lockhart, just south of Austin. The major product launch for QUAKEALARM (TM) is set for the end of this month in the United States.

Company engineers have been working on design, development, proving and testing for the past 15 months to ensure a top-quality, high-performance and essential product which is simple to operate, affordable and reliable for earthquake-wary families. This will be achieved because U.S. Technologies designs, engineers and manufactures its own printed circuit boards while, at the same time, assembles and tests the alarms in-house.

U.S. Technologies is a publicly traded NASDAQ-listed company (Symbol:USXX). It is involved in contract manufacturing for the electronics industry and in the design, development and manufacture of its own proprietary electronic and electro-mechanical products.

Further information, pictures and news interviews about U.S. Technologies and QUAKEALARM (TM) may be obtained from:

William Meehan Peter Simmons

President V.P. Sales & Marketing

512/376-1049 800/275-4894

512/376-1042 (fax) 604/688-4994 (fax)

E-Mail: [e-mail] 

INTERNET: http://www.usxx.com

CONTACT: U.S. Technologies Inc., Lockhart

William Meehan, 512/376-1049

512/376-1042 (fax)

or

Peter Simmons, 800/275-4894

604/688-4994 (fax)

or

E-mail: [e-mail]

Internet: http://www.usxx.com