Consumers hit spot for Gates

 

Gallery

By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 18 Nov 2002 at 09:48

Chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates stated his intention to take Microsoft into every corner of modern life with the announcement of Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT) in his keynote speech at Comdex Fall, Las Vegas.

In front of an excitable crowd of admirers, Gates said Microsoft intended to push computing down to every level as he unveiled a range of gadgets powered by his company's SPOT technology.

Networked fridge magnets and key fobs that deliver personalised information and 'smart' alarm clocks led an array of gadgetry that the bespectacled MS leader intends to push into everyday life to 'make life better and easier'.

Consumers were very much at the heart of Gates' address as he once again, predictably, eulogised over the benefits of both the tablet PC and 'Smart screens', which allow users to operate PCs 'from their couch' to allow home users to move away from the desktop.

Tablets are available now, while the detachable screens are expected to arrive early next year and Microsoft believes these devices will bring computing and entertainment together in the home.

But Gates had a warning for the industry as it tries to deliver services over the Web, with personal privacy and security creating a Catch 22 situation for developers.

After a year in which security issues again came to the fore for all the wrong reasons, Gates reconfirmed his company's commitment to 'trustworthy' computing, saying security and privacy issues needed to be laid to rest before the promised land of web services could be delivered.

'There are many things to be done,' said the star attraction of the traditionally amateur dramatic opening keynote performance. 'Security is at the top of our research and development budget. The industry needs to work here on making tools that find vulnerabilities.

'But it's not just about software,' he said. 'There are major policy issues and many governments are looking at them in different levels. Who will be using these networks ... criminals and terrorists?'