WinInfo Short Takes: Week of December 15

WinNetMag | at | by Mike

I want a SPOT watch
Lured by the promise of Dick Tracy-like wristwatch functionality and two Microsoft meetings about the technology, I've been eagerly seeking a SPOT watch to purchase before the holidays. Alas, they're nowhere to be seen, and I'm curious why the watch makers would miss such a crucial selling period, only to possibly release them less than a month later, probably at CES 2004 (held in Las Vegas in mid-January). Guys, seriously: I'd shell out the dough right now. Why aren't they ready yet?

MSN Messenger logs over 110 million users per month
Microsoft recently announced that its free MSN Messenger Instant Messaging (IM) service logs over 110 million unique users every month, making it the most popular IM solution on the planet. Also, over 10 million unique users are using MSN Messenger 6.1's integrated Web cam feature each month to regularly perform video conferencing with friends and family around the world, with over 2.5 million Web cam sessions occurring each day.