From ZDNet.
--
January 12, 2001
No Chad?...
IE's Future...
Bluetooth's Promise...
Charles Cooper,Senior Executive
News Editor
WHAT ABOUT DIMPLED BYTES?
You could see this coming. The recent Florida
vote-counting debacle has opened the door for
technology companies to propose a better way to
tally ballots. Mainframe computer maker Unisys is
joining with Microsoft and Dell to build a chad-free
system. The coalition has Dell providing
touch-screen monitors and keyboards, and
Microsoft creating the software. Unisys will
integrate all the technologies. The game has other
players, however. Cicso and Compaq have already
pumped $10 million into VoteHere.net, a maker of
secure online voting systems..
THE FUTURE OF IE DEBATED
Good old Internet Explorer is feeling the push from
new kids on Microsoft's block. MSN Explorer --
launched last October as the MSN service front end
-- has top billing for the consumer platform. And a
Netdocs rendition is on the books for the business,
knowledge-worker crowd. The plan for now looks
like Microsoft will package the latest permutation of
Explorer, IE 6.0, with its new Whistler (code-name)
operating system. The browser may not be
available in a shrink-wrap, CD or downloadable
form. In fact, the first widespread beta testing of IE
6.0 will occur along with the second Whistler beta
testing. Hmm ... bundling your OS and browser.
What would the Department of Justice think. Click
for more.
BLUETOOTH BRINGS SMILES
Bluetooth showed up at the Consumer Electonics
Show this week and restored some confidence in
its wireless technology for linking gadgets. The
good feeling came in part from Cambridge Silicon
Radio's use of Bluetooth radio chips that could be
added onto mobile phones and handheld devices.
And at a cost of just $5. Bluetooth chips and
technology are embedded in products ranging from
laptop computers to refrigerators. They enable you,
for instance, to connect your laptop to the Internet
via your mobile phone. Widespread acceptance of
the technology has been slowed by interoperability
problems and chip costs. Nonetheless, one analyst
predicts Bluetooth sales will reach $4.4 billion by
2005. . |
