Comdex roundup: from Microsoft's .Net to political commentary

Last week's Comdex Fall 2000 conference served as the stage for a slew of announcements from large and small companies focused on technologies from wireless Internet access to voice-enabled browsers. And naturally, attendees couldn't avoid election talk. Here is a sampling of the highlights:

Microsoft pushes .Net

Microsoft rolled out the first beta version of Visual Studio.Net and its .Net framework. The betas are important milestones for getting developers behind Microsoft's .Net, a broad initiative designed to allow software to run on the Internet and be accessed by any number of devices.

The software giant also submitted its new C# programming language, an object-oriented language designed for building distributed .Net applications, and its Common Language Infrastructure to the European Computers Manufacturers Association, an international standards body. C# (pronounced "C sharp") is a key component of VisualStudio. Net.

McAfee.com backs .Net, too

Microsoft wasn't alone in promoting .Net. McAfee.com unveiled a three-pronged .Net strategy that involves productivity, security and help desk services that customers can sign up for by paying monthly subscription fees. The com- pany's productivity application service will center on a set of office applications modeled after Word, Excel and other Microsoft programs, and cost $50 per user per year. The security service will consist of new and existing McAfee.com technologies for fighting viruses and providing firewall capabilities. The help desk offering provides further antivirus support and helps companies recover from data losses. The security and help desk services cost $70 per year each.

Palm delivers on promise

Palm CEO Carl Yankowski last week introduced a wireless Internet access kit and service for his company's devices, fulfilling a promise he made a year ago to enable all nine million Palms in use to access the 'Net wirelessly. For the Palm M100, III and V models, the company is introducing its Palm Mobile Internet Kit (the Palm VII includes built-in wireless capabilities). The kit, which includes an upgrade to the Palm OS 3.5, will require the use of a cellular phone and will cost $40. The Internet service, called MyPalm.net, will let users wirelessly download programs, update calendars, shop for products and gain access to news and other information. The service will launch Dec. 25.

Election is talk of Vegas

The delayed result in the U.S. presidential election gave the heads of Microsoft, Oracle and Hewlett-Packard material to lighten up their presentations at the conference.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates described the results delay as "not the best use of technology" and said the problems with the punch card ballots in Florida reminded him of the days when punch cards were the entry medium for early computers - a remark that drew groans and chuckles from audience members.

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, describing himself as tending "not to be political," said he'd like to see the current president stay in place. "I hope they can amend the [U.S.] Constitution to let Bill Clinton run again," he said.

HP CEO Carly Fiorina, referring to unexpectedly poor fourth-quarter financial results, quipped: "Don't we get a recount too?"

Talking to the Web

One Voice Technologies demonstrated an on-screen mascot called IVAN (intelligent voice-animated navigator) that responds to an end user's spoken commands to search for information on the Internet based on more than 100,000 concepts. IVAN, which looks like a small globe with a face, arms and legs, retrieves information on Web sites and prioritizes them based on licensing deals that One Voice has signed with various sites. IVAN is part of free client software that One Voice makes available at www.myivan.com

Letting companies YAP over IP

Net2Phone announced the YAP (Your Alternative Phone) Max 16 and YAP Max T-1, voice-over-IP appliances that can be plugged into a legacy PBX to let end users make phone calls and send faxes over the Internet. Calls made between offices with YAP products installed are free. The YAP Max 16 lets up to 16 users make Internet calls or faxes at once. The YAP Max T-1 allows up to 30 simultaneous voice-over-IP calls or faxes.

The YAP Max 16 costs $4,250, and the YAP Max T-1 costs $6000.

Compiled by IDG News Service and Network World staff.