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The 2000 COMDEX convention, the Superbowl of technology conferences, attracted 250,000 people to Las Vegas last November. Like those in preceding years, it involved as much hype as substance, but seven technology trends emerged.
Manufacturers are developing specialized devices connected to the Internet for a single use or purpose. These devices will be cheaper and more reliable than a personal computer, manufacturers say. Examples: webcams that have a built-in server for broadcasting onto the web; Internet telephones that send voice over the Internet (known as Voice Over IP, or VOIP); and web tablets, wireless and keyboardless appliances the size of a notebook that can be used to browse the web.
Pagers, personal digital assistants (PDA), and cell phones are being combined into one handheld device. As PDAs such as Palms and Handsprings become more powerful, and the size...