What to look for at Comdex

Friday, Nov. 10, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

Wireless devices being introduced at Comdex:

Cell phones: They're still getting smaller, with more bells and whistles. Some have built-in MP3 players and the capability to watch streaming video. Others are introducing prototype phones that can read fingerprints for security purposes.

Personal digital assistants: Palm Inc. and competitor Handspring Inc.'s latest PDAs emphasize wireless connections and add-on wireless gadgets. Palm, for instance, is expected to unveil a new digital camera attachment for its Palm Pilots that allows users to take pictures and transmit them with an infrared beam to a desktop computer.

Internet appliances: This is the year they're expected to become legit. Dozens of companies are showing them off, ranging from a notebook-sized Web pad produced by Microsoft to 3Com's Audrey, a self-contained computer designed specifically for the kitchen countertop.

Other gadgets: Imagination is the limit. One manufacturer is pushing a "compod" -- a pager-sized device shaped somewhat like a small human heart that promises to allow users to connect to their custom-picked Internet sites using any computer or telephone. Compaq Computer is expected to show off a pager-sized MP3 music player, and Dell Computer Corp. will take the wraps off a much-anticipated tabletop Internet radio for the home.