Tabletop computers have not exactly taken the world by storm, as some
predicted they would. While a few have appeared in shops, bars, and
hotels, it’s not hard to understand why devices that until recently cost
more than $8,000 have failed to gain wider adoption.
Besides keeping us organized, software personal assistants could help
fix some of the world’s most vexing problems, according to Microsoft
cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who spoke yesterday about
developments in computing at an event held at the company’s headquarters
in Redmond, Washington.
Researchers at Microsoft have released software
aimed at making it easier for homes to be monitored, automated, and
controlled using computers and the Internet. It also paves the way for
developers to create apps that can be “installed” into homes with
numerous different devices to make use of them in new ways.
