Computers

The computer world equivalent of the Bush/Gore drama is the AOL versus Microsoft race for whole house connectivity . While Microsoft was first out of the box with its Compaq Ipaq/MSN branded Internet appliance, Gateway and AOL have unleashed its candidate, a 10-inch flat screen Web appliance dubbed the Touch Pad. Read more

This week at COMDEX/Fall 2000, Bill Gates unveiled a new direction in PC technology during his keynote address when he demonstrated a working prototype of a Tablet PC: a full-function Microsoft Windows operating system-based PC incorporating the convenient and intuitive aspects of pencil and paper into the PC experience. Read more

Hauppauge Digital is demonstrating a distributed home networking application of its WinTV-PVR at the Fall Comdex2000 in Las Vegas this week. WinTV-PVR allows PC users to watch TV in a window on their PC screens, pause and replay live TV, record TV shows to disk and create Video CD's from television programs. The demonstration shows a "home media server" PC using a WinTV-PVR to watch and record selected television shows, while a client PC connected using an Intel AnyPoint 10 Megabit per second Home Network simultaneously watches shows that have been recorded. Read more

The iRobot-LE is the first multi-purpose robot that can be controlled through a Web browser from anywhere in the world. The robot gives people on demand remote eyes and ears and allows them to "project themselves" into another location. Over the Internet, users can "WebDrive" the iRobot-LE wherever a person can comfortably walk. The upcoming product demo marks the first time that the iRobot-LE and its WebDrive application will be shown to a public audience. Read more

3Com recently released its new Audrey Internet appliance. The touch screen device, designed for the kitchen, bedroom or family room, features a hybrid Palm operating system that synchs with up to two Palm devices (i.e. Handspring, Sony Clie, or Palm) plus a built-in 56K modem and optional high speed Ethernet connectivity. Audrey is also ISP friendly-- meaning you don't have to set up a pre-selected Internet account and add yet another email address to your life. It sells for $499. Read more

Billed as the world's first personal computing tablet, Qbe combines laptop portability with the power of a desktop computer in a form factor even George Jetson would admire. Sized similar to a yellow legal pad (14-inches long by 10-inches wide by 1.5-inches thick), Qbe has a 13.3-inch (diagonal), pen basedtouch screen; it weighs only five pounds, and comes with an Intel Celeron or Pentium II processor (up to 400Mhz). $3000. www.qbenet.com

Most electronic game companies rush out sports titles based on the most popular event of the moment, whether it be football, baseball, or basketball, while few others pride themselves in the small details that go along with a sport. One of these rare hardworking companies who put out lifelike sporting games is EA Sports. EA Sports has the uncanny ability to make even the least appealing game titles interesting. Take for example, EA's Championship Bass. Championship Bass is not a title that generates much excitement for most gamers, but actually it's both challenging and entertaining. Read more

The argument for the superior computing platform rages on. Will MacOS or Microsoft's Windows be the victor? Well, it seems that the MacOS has picked up an extra point or two with Connectix's release of Virtual PC 3. Packed with even more features and compatibilities, it truly helps to bridge the gap between the two platforms. Read more

A) Toaster
B) Microphone
C) Radiator
D) A hybrid Macintosh computer with fuel injected 1.2GB processor speed

Answer: D
That's right. A little known Swedish firm called Xtrem is taking extreme risks publicizing a product it claims will use Apple technology to create a 1200MHz processor product, dubbed the XtremMac, by the end of the year. This almost doubles the processor speed of Apple's recent G4 introduction. Read more

For all you Napster heads burning midnight oil burning CDs for fear of the mighty song swapping site's demise, we've found a great CD labeling product for you. Read more