Summary:

We had learnt some knowledge about HTML during the semester, it defines the display and delivery of text and images on the Internet.

VoiceXML can translate any XML-tagged Web content into a format that speech-recognition software can deliver by phone. VoiceXML enables Internet content to be made available through telephones and other devices using both speech and ordinary touch-tone interfaces.

From  Webopedia:VXML, or VoiceXML, technology allows a user to interact with the Internet through voice-recognition technology by using a voice browser and/or the telephone. Using VXML, the user interacts with voice browser by listening to audio output that is either pre-recorded or computer-synthesized and submitting audio input through the user's natural speaking voice or through a keypad, such as a telephone.

From the article, VoiceXML has rapidly received adoption and support from all corners of the voice technology industry: As of Oct. 2001, dozens of companies and more than 15,000 developers have announced VoiceXML-compatible products and have actively begun developing VoiceXML applications.

It also mentioned in the end of the article that along with IBM, Lucent Technologies and Motorola, AT&T has been a leader in developing markup language to define voice access to Web-based applications. These companies founded the VoiceXML Forum, an industry organization chartered to establish and promote VoiceXML as a standard essential to making Internet content and information accessible via voice and phone.

The future for the VoiceXML standard and voice applications in general appears bright! Soon we'll be able to tell the Internet what we're interested in, and have it talk back to us with the information we need.

Article 17:AT&T joins prepaid net access crowd

Original source         

  Summary:

The article is about AT& T's new  pay-as-you-go Internet service. With AT&T Pre-Paid Internet Service, consumers can purchase Internet access minutes in participating retail stores without paying a monthly recurring charge or even using a credit card. It more like those pre-paid phone card used for long-distance service.
Sprint also has prepaid Internet service. Moreover, they offer pay-as-you-go videoconferencing.

Those two providers promotes themselves as an alternative to free Internet providers. Free Internet services used to be a great idea make a lot of companies include bluelight.com and sina.com to provide the free Internet access with a pre-designed ad banner. Now, most of them are no longer offer that service, even to Netzero.com.

But at least, those services mentioned above are best for people who need dial-up access to the Internet sporadically or when traveling.

Summary:

The articles is about the Microsoft's .Net strategy. "It's about integrating Internet applications and services, integrating the Internet and internal corporate infrastructure" said Paul Maritz, Microsoft group vice president.

Integration is the main idea to Microsoft's .Net strategy.  Just as group vice president of Microsoft's .Net Services Group, Muglia points out that Microsoft's .Net strategy is focused completely on Web services as the new programming model.

The underlying point of .NET is to provide users with access to their information, files, and programs "anywhere, any time, and on any device," as Microsoft's updated corporate mission statement points out.

.Net My Services, Microsoft-hosted services that will offer content, shopping, banking, entertainment and other features through a variety of devices, all linked to the company's Passport authentication service. These services can change the way people live.

I do think that think .Net My Services will impacts businesses and business-related services.

Here are the notes for those sources:

16.Jeff Kunins, VoiceXML: Bringing the Web to the Phone, October 2, 2001,< http://www.interactiveweek.com/article/0,3658,s%253D1878%2526a%253D15662,00.asp> (October 25, 2001), Interactiveweek.com

17.Tom Spring, AT&T joins prepaid net access crowd, October 22, 2001,
<http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/10/22/att.netaccess.idg/index.html>(October 25,2001), cnn.com

18.Wylie Wong, Spearheading the .Net strategy, October 24, 2001,
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1014-201-7643649-0.html>(October 25, 2001), C Net News