Comdex still a success

Kirk Baird

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003 | 8:17 a.m.

Open source and Linux.

Web services and the technologies behind them, such as ebXML, .NET and J2EE.

The Digital Enterprise: "Learn about strategies and technologies for leveraging corporate knowledge and storing it safely."

These are just three of the seemingly incomprehensible themes at Comdex 2003.

The computer four-day show kicked off Monday at Las Vegas Convention Center with about 50,000 expected, about 200,000 less than the show's heyday three years ago.

This new, more computer literate approach is the annual convention's method of establishing a smaller niche -- or reaching a smaller audience.

It's also a way of further distancing itself from the gadget friendly and high-tech lifestyle theme of the Consumer Electronic Show, held annually in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

While the majority of the products on display at Comdex appeal to the business and information technology community, there are some gadgets for the mainstream.

Watch this

Certainly no technology convention would be the same without Microsoft.

Perhaps the most noteworthy items from Redmond, Wash., software and electronics behemoth is a line of "Smart Watches."

The watches, which employ Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT), were actually announced at CES in January and should be ready by the first of next year.

Connecting to MSN Direct through an FM subcarrier network, available in more than 100 of the nation's largest cities (including Las Vegas) the watches are able to access weather reports, financial information, event listings and sports updates.

You can also receive instant messaging through MSN. As a company spokesman suggested, it is possible to make a grocery list, send it to yourself via MSN messenger and access the list while at the grocery store.

The watches, which are manufactured by Fossil and Suunto, range in price from $120 to $199, depending on the model. There's even a cool Dick Tracy version.

Personal touch

Some homeowners spend hours of their weekends overhauling their home.

Likewise, some car owners devote as much time if not more customizing their vehicle. So why not spend time personalizing your PC?

A growing trend among computer owners -- especially among gamers -- is to liven up their dull PC with do-it-yourself kits. One company, Logisys Computer, offers everything from transparent computer cases with neon lights inside to a front flash LED display that gives the temperature inside the computer. They also feature colorful fans with blinking lights to keep the computer's innards cool.

While Logisys offers these components separately, they can also be purchased in a bundle. See logisyscomputer.com.

i-pen sesame

Digital writing devices are not new. Nor is the technology behind them. Still, the i-pen Mouse takes the technology in such a new direction it seems fresh.

Looking similar to a bloated pen, the i-pen Mouse, just as its name implies, doubles as a pen and a mouse. Depending on what software application in use, it's possible to jot notes on a mousepad (or any surface but glass or glossy paper) and have it go directly into the PC.

You can then e-mail the notes to someone as is, bad penmanship and all, or transfer the notes into a more legible text format. There is a 95-percent accuracy rate in the translation of the handwriting to text.

With the i-pen you can make notes on a website, record the image and e-mail it. For example, if you wanted to get a friend's opinion on something you found on eBay, go to the site, circle the product with the i-pen and write a note, click a button on the pen and then send the captured image via e-mail.

Also available is the i-pen R F, which is a wireless version of the i-pen Mouse. And in the works is the i-pen Memory, which allows users to write or draw, record the text or image and then transfer it to a computer.

For more information, fingersystem.com.

Lock of the town

While Microsoft is working to make more intelligent gadgets, Videx has found its niche: the lock. Combining high-tech and standard locks, the company has created the CyberLock.

The CyberLock is installed into any standard door or padlock. The locks also function independently of computers, require no wiring and are nearly impossible to pick.

In fact, the high-tech lock will only open with a CyberKey, which is programmed for when and where to work. For example, a boss could determine that no one is allowed in the break room past 4 p.m. and program employees' keys not to open the break room door from 4 p.m. until 8 a.m.

The keys, which run on batteries, also remember when and where they're used, so a person's history of coming and going is only a download away.

While the CyberLock is mainly used by businesses and a few homeowners, the technology is being developed for use with cars. The possibilities are endless, if not slightly frightening.

For more information, videx.com.