Stories by Ben Worthen

Web services: Still not ready for prime time

Ah, the promise of Web services, the Internet-resident applications that have the major technology vendors united for the first time ever and consequently the entire sector abuzz with unbridled enthusiasm. According to its own rapidly spreading mythology, Web services -- where application can talk to application without messy human intervention -- is going to solve every lingering technical challenge. In the future, all your applications -- from the largest CRM system to the smallest utility -- will interact seamlessly, thanks to Web services.

Home Checkout - with No Lines

Location, location, location is the mantra behind one company's effort to place its wares on America's kitchen counters. HomeAccess International, a maker of Web devices, has designed a telephone-complete with screen, bar-code scanner and keyboard-that provides its users with a direct connection to local merchants. Albertson's Inc., the country's second-largest supermarket chain, is one of the first companies to distribute the devices to its customers (for free). The company envisions home shoppers waving items (cereal boxes, cans of lima beans) in front of the bar-code scanner, which will automatically add them to an electronic grocery list. Shoppers can then use the device's screen and keyboard to order other provisions from the Albertson's product catalog. Albertson's will even deliver orders for free (if they're greater than $60).