Gates's Comdex opener to plug smart objects

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates kicks off the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas on Sunday, and this year he will promote "smart objects" -- Internet-enabled household appliances -- according to ZD Net News. Microsoft's long term strategy is, of course, to have a PC running as a home server, probably under the stairs, to network everything in the home. If that idea doesn't take over the market, the Xbox -- a PC-based games console with a hard drive and Ethernet -- could do the job from under the TV set instead.