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Microcap & Penny Stocks : ASK: "THE LAST DON" OF MOMENTUM TRADES -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MoneyMade who wrote (2539)	1/8/1999 8:18:00 AM
From: sandstuff	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15987

The Next Big Thing... First the PC, then the Internet, and now... Networking... Microsoft Jumps into Computer Networking Fray with 'Universal Plug & Play' AOL Investment Snapshot (tm): MSFT By MARTHA MENDOZA .c The Associated Press LAS VEGAS (Jan. 8) - Microsoft Corp. is jumping into a computer networking competition that could eventually link your PC to your dog. The Redmond, Wash.-software giant Thursday said it plans to extend its Windows software so that household appliances, computer devices and other high tech gadgets can all work together. ''As appliances become more intelligent and the distinction between appliances and computing devices blurs, a key part of their value to consumers will come from their ability to communicate with other intelligent devices,'' Microsoft senior vice president Craig Mundie told some of the 100,000 attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show on Thursday. Microsoft is introducing its so-called ''Universal Plug and Play'' in a field already occupied by rival Sun Microsystems Inc., which has been publicly testing a networking software called Jini since July. Analysts say it's going to be a tough and important battle. ''Transparent networking as the potential to change computing dramatically,'' said Gartner Group analyst David Smith. ''There's a lot more here than meets the eye.'' Network computing can be used to link a toaster, a dog collar, a camera -- anything that can hold a computer chip -- into a synchronized computer system that can keep schedules, lists and controls of virtually everything in a person's life. For example, if Fido is missing, a dog owner could track him down in a car listening to directions through what used to be the car stereo. Recipes could be downloaded at a supermarket into a palm-sized computer, and then used at home not only for cooking meals, but also for keeping track of what a family has been eating and its nutritional value. A teacher could check a parent's computerized calendar and set up a meeting, describing in advance what needs to be discussed and reviewing what may be going on at home that could affect a child's performance in school. ''The idea is spontaneous networking between potentially millions and millions of networked devices,'' said Mike Clary, director of the Jini project. Sun's Jini is written in the Palo Alto, Calif., company's Java language that is universally accepted by all different programs, which makes it easier to get devices to work together. Mundie said Thursday that Microsoft's system is equally compatible, using protocols already in place through the Internet. The two companies are also battling for partners. Sun's include Canon Inc., Seagate Technology Inc. and Toshiba Corp., while Microsoft's supporters include Eastman Kodak Co., Hewlett-Packard Co. and National Semiconductor Corp. Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies in Campbell, Calif., said consumers can expect the competition to increase as the two companies continually update their versions to top each other.