Palm boss completes 'first' e-wallet transaction

Palm's chief executive Carl Yankowski claims to have made history by making the first e-wallet purchase at a Las Vegas computer show.

He demonstrated his vision of the future by making a purchase using a Visa card embedded in one of his firm's handheld computers.

Mr Yankowski told visitors to the 2001 International Consumer Electronics Show that computing is about to move away from its PC-centred vision.

He said: "This Palm solution transforms the handheld into a true wallet with point-and-pay capabilities. Handheld computers, like mobile phones and notebooks, have broken the chains that tethered us to our desks.

"Handhelds will make pervasive computing an intuitive part of our lives."

Companies such as Sony, Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola are among those showing their latest handheld information devices at the show.

Other gadgets to be showcased include the Truster - a portable lie detector that uses the latest voice recognition technology to sense when a person is telling a lie.

Another is Brivo's SmartBox, a mailbox which automatically e-mails or pages the owner about the arrival of a package.

Microsoft was also present, giving its forthcoming gaming console its first public outing. The Xbox, which promises to be faster and more powerful than existing consoles, was unveiled by Bill Gates at the event's grand opening.