Stories by Tom Spring

Lernout & Hauspie Upgrades Voice Xpress

The rising behemoth in speech technology, Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products Inc., is upgrading its Voice Xpress software suite with a host of Web-centric features, broader support for office applications, and a claim of "dramatic" improvements in speech recognition accuracy.

Expect Instant Messages Everywhere

You think instant messaging is popular now? Just wait: The technology may appear in everything from cell phones and word processors to washing machines.

Lycos Says 'Hola' to Terra Networks

Lycos Inc. is being gobbled up by Spanish Internet firm Terra Networks SA. The merged company plans to expand its U.S., European, and Latin American markets and become the planet's first truly global Internet powerhouse.

Napster Updates its Beta

Napster Inc. has quietly released an updated Napster 2.0 Beta 6 upgrade of its controversial digital music swapping software. It adds a host of community features and support for copyright-friendly Windows Media Audio files, not just the popular MP3 format.

IBM Unveils Net-Ready Desktops

IBM Corp. today is launching two pared-down desktops, the first of its NetVista brand. Both are aimed at small businesses and consumers, and are part of IBM's overall initiative to make PCs easier to use and more Internet-friendly.

Sprint Launches Wireless Broadband

Sprint Corp. has launched a high-speed wireless Internet service that pits the U.S. long-distance phone company directly against cable modems and DSL (digital subscriber line) services.

AltaVista Returns to Its Roots

AltaVista Co., the Internet's granddaddy of search services, is getting back to basics with a new search engine meant to appeal to veteran Net searchers.

Why Pay for Voice Mail?

Tired of getting nickel-and-dimed by your phone company's monthly surcharges? EVoice Inc. could save you hundreds of dollars a year with free voice mail for your existing telephone line.

Move MP3s to Home Stereo

Voyetra Turtle Beach Inc. wants to bring the digital music revolution into the living room this fall with a device that links your PC to your home stereo. The company unveiled its AudioTron home stereo at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) here this week.

Still Waiting for Easy PCs

Using a Windows computer can be a tricky and treacherous affair. In fact, half of the U.S. population doesn't own a PC because they are still too complex, Microsoft Corp. says.

Gates: Windows Is Glue

Bill Gates has upgraded his vision of a PC in every home to the Windows operating system running on anything with a computer chip.

No More Solitary Surfing

Tired of surfing the Web alone? With the browser add-on, CrowdBurst, your solitary surfing days are over.

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