100 MOST OFTEN MISSPELLED WORDS IN ENGLISH

100 MOST OFTEN MISSPELLED WORDS IN ENGLISH

Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for all your spelling ills. Here are the 100 words most often misspelled ('misspell' is one of them). Each word has a mnemonic pill with it and, if you swallow it, it will help you to remember how to spell the word. Master the orthography of the words on this page and reduce the time you spend searching dictionaries by 50%. (Use the time you save celebrating in our gameroom.)
A
acceptable
Several words made the list because of the suffix pronounced -êbl but sometimes spelled -ible, sometimes -able. Just remember to accept any table offered to you and you will spell this word OK.
accidentally
It is no accident that the test for adverbs on -ly is whether they come from an adjective on -al ("accidental" in this case). If so, the -al has to be in the spelling. No publical, then publicly.
accommodate
Remember, this word is large enough to accommodate both a double "c" AND a double "m".
acquire
Try to acquire the knowledge that this word and the next began with the prefix ad- but the [d] converts to [c] before [q].
acquit
See the previous discussion.
a lot
Two words! Hopefully, you won't have to allot a lot of time to this problem.
amateur
Amateurs need not be mature: this word ends on the French suffix -eur (the equivalent of English -er).
apparent
A parent need not be apparent but "apparent" must pay the rent, so remember this word always has the rent.
argument
Let's not argue about the loss of this verb's silent [e] before the suffix -ment.
atheist
Lord help you remember that this word comprises the prefix a- "not" + the "god" (also in the-ology) + -ist "one who believes."
B
believe
You must believe that [i] usually comes before [e] except after [c] or when it is pronounced like "a" as "neighbor" and "weigh" or "e" as in "their" and "heir." Also take a look at "foreign" below. (The "i-before-e" rule has more exceptions than words it applies to.)
bellwether
Often misspelled "bellweather." A wether is a gelded ram, chosen to lead the herd (thus his bell) due to the greater likelihood that he will remain at all times ahead of the ewes.
C
calendar
This word has an [e] between two [a]s. The last vowel is [a].
category
This word is not in a category with "catastrophe" even if it sounds like it: the middle letter is [e].
cemetery
Don't let this one bury you: it ends on -ery—nary an -ary in it. You already know it starts on [c], of course.
changeable
The verb "change" keeps its [e] here to indicate that the [g] is soft, not hard. (That is also why "judgement" is the correct spelling of this word, no matter what anyone says.)
collectible
Another -ible word. You just have to remember.
column
Silent final [e] is commonplace in English but a silent final [n] is not uncommon, especially after [m].
committed
If you are committed to correct spelling, you will remember that this word doubles its final [t] from "commit" to "committed."
conscience
Don't let misspelling this word weigh on your conscience: [ch] spelled "sc" is unusual but legitimate.
conscientious
Work on your spelling conscientiously and remember this word with [ch] spelled two different ways: "sc" and "ti". English spelling!
conscious
Try to be conscious of the "sc" [ch] sound and all the vowels in this word's ending and i-o-u a note of congratulations.
consensus
The census does not require a consensus, since they are not related.
D
daiquiri
Don't make yourself another daiquiri until you learn how to spell this funny word-the name of a Cuban village.
definite(ly)
This word definitely sounds as though it ends only on -it, but it carries a silent "e" everywhere it goes.
discipline
A little discipline, spelled with the [s] and the [c] will get you to the correct spelling of this one.
drunkenness
You would be surprised how many sober people omit one of the [n]s in this one.
dumbbell
Even smart people forget one of the [b]s in this one. (So be careful who you call one when you write.)
E
embarrass(ment)
This one won't embarrass you if you remember it is large enough for a double [r] AND a double [s].
equipment
This word is misspelled "equiptment" 22,932 times on the web right now.
exhilarate
Remembering that [h] when you spell this word will lift your spirits and if you remember both [a]s, it will be exhilarating!
exceed
Remember that this one is -ceed, not -cede. (To exceed all expectations, master the spellings of this word, "precede" and "supersede" below.)
existence
No word like this one spelled with an [a] is in existence. This word is a menage a quatre of one [i] with three [e]s.
experience
Don't experience the same problem many have with "existence" above in this word: -ence!
F
fiery
The silent "e" on "fire" is also cowardly: it retreats inside the word rather than face the suffix -y.
foreign
Here is one of several words that violate the i-before-e rule. (See "believe" above.)
G
gauge
You must learn to gauge the positioning of the [a] and [u] in this word. Remember, they are in alphabetical order (though not the [e]).
grateful
You should be grateful to know that keeping "great" out of "grateful" is great.
guarantee
I guarantee you that this word is not spelled like "warranty" even though they are synonyms.
H
harass
This word is too small for two double letters but don't let it harass you, just keep the [r]s down to one.
height
English reaches the height (not heighth!) of absurdity when it spells "height" and "width" so differently.
hierarchy
The i-before-e rule works here, so what is the problem?
humorous
Humor us and spell this word "humorous": the [r] is so weak, it needs an [o] on both sides to hold it up.
I
ignorance
Don't show your ignorance by spelling this word -ence!
immediate
The immediate thing to remember is that this word has a prefix, in- "not" which becomes [m] before [m] (or [b] or [p]). "Not mediate" means direct which is why "immediately" means "directly."
independent
Please be independent but not in your spelling of this word. It ends on -ent.
indispensable
Knowing that this word ends on -able is indispensable to good writing.
inoculate
This one sounds like a shot in the eye. One [n] the eye is enough.
intelligence
Using two [l]s in this word and ending it on -ence rather than -ance are marks of . . . you guessed it.
its/it's
The apostrophe marks a contraction of "it is." Something that belongs to it is "its."
J
jewelry
Sure, sure, it is made by a jeweler but the last [e] in this case flees the scene like a jewel thief. However, if you prefer British spelling, remember to double the [l]: "jeweller," "jewellery." (See also pronunciation.)
judgment
Traditionally, the word has been spelled judgment in all forms of the English language. However, the spelling judgement (with e added) largely replaced judgment in the United Kingdom in a non-legal context. In the context of the law, however, judgment is preferred. This spelling change contrasts with other similar spelling changes made in American English, which were rejected in the UK. In the US at least, judgment is still preferred and judgement is considered incorrect by many American style guides.
K
kernel (colonel)
There is more than a kernel of truth in the claim that all the vowels in this word are [e]s. So why is the military rank (colonel) pronounced identically? English spelling can be chaotic.
L
leisure
Yet another violator of the i-before-e rule. You can be sure of the spelling of the last syllable but not of the pronunciation.
liaison
Another French word throwing us an orthographical curve: a spare [i], just in case. That's an [s], too, that sounds like a [z].
library
It may be as enjoyable as a berry patch but that isn't the way it is spelled. That first [r] should be pronounced, too.
license
Where does English get the license to use both its letters for the sound [s] in one word?
lightning
Learning how to omit the [e] in this word should lighten the load of English orthography a little bit.
M
maintenance
The main tenants of this word are "main" and "tenance" even though it comes from the verb "maintain." English orthography at its most spiteful.
maneuver
Man, the price you pay for borrowing from French is high. This one goes back to French main + oeuvre "hand-work," a spelling better retained in the British spelling, "manoeuvre."
medieval
The medieval orthography of English even lays traps for you: everything about the MIDdle Ages is MEDieval or, as the British would write, mediaeval.
memento
Why would something to remind of you of a moment be spelled "memento?" Well, it is.
millennium
Here is another big word, large enough to hold two double consonants, double [l] and double [n].
miniature
Since that [a] is seldom pronounced, it is seldom included in the spelling. This one is a "mini ature;" remember that.
minuscule
Since something minuscule is smaller than a miniature, shouldn't they be spelled similarly? Less than cool, or "minus cule."
mischievous
This mischievous word holds two traps: [i] before [e] and [o] before [u]. Four of the five vowels in English reside here.
misspell
What is more embarrassing than to misspell the name of the problem? Just remember that it is mis + spell and that will spell you the worry about spelling "spell."
N
neighbor
The word "neighbor" breaks the i-before-e rule and invokes the silent "gh". This is fraught with error potential. If you use British spelling, it will cost you another [u]: "neighbour."
noticeable
The [e] is noticeably retained in this word to indicate the [c] is "soft," pronounced like [s]. Without the [e], it would be pronounced "hard," like [k], as in "applicable."
O
occasionally
Writers occasionally tire of doubling so many consonants and omit one, usually one of the [l]s. Don't you ever do it.
occurrence
Remember not only the occurrence of double double consonants in this word, but that the suffix is -ence, not -ance. No reason, just the English language keeping us on our toes.
P
pastime
Since a pastime is something you do to pass the time, you would expect a double [s] here. Well, there is only one. The second [s] was slipped through the cracks in English orthography long ago.
perseverance
All it takes is perseverance and you, too, can be a (near-)perfect speller. The suffix is -ance for no reason at all.
personnel
Funny Story (passed along by Bill Rudersdorf): The assistant Vice-President of Personnel notices that his superior, the VP himself, upon arriving at his desk in the morning opens a small, locked box, smiles, and locks it back again. Some years later when he advanced to that position (inheriting the key), he came to work early one morning to be assured of privacy. Expectantly, he opened the box. In it was a single piece of paper which said: "Two Ns, one L."
playwright
Those who play right are right-players, not playwrights. Well, since they write plays, they should be "play-writes," wright right? Rong Wrong. Remember that a play writer in Old English was called a "play worker" and "wright" is from an old form of "work" (wrought iron, etc.)
possession
Possession possesses more [s]s than a snake.
precede
What follows, succeeds, so what goes before should, what? No, no, no, you are using logic. Nothing confuses English spelling more than common sense. "Succeed" but "precede." (Wait until you see "supersede.")
principal/principle
The spelling principle to remember here is that the school principal is a prince and a pal (despite appearances)--and the same applies to anything of foremost importance, such as a principal principle. A "principle" is a rule. (Thank you, Meghan Cope, for help on this one.)
privilege
According to the pronunciation (not "pronounciation"!) of this word, that middle vowel could be anything. Remember: two [i]s + two [e]s in that order.
pronunciation
Nouns often differ from the verbs they are derived from. This is one of those. In this case, the pronunciation is different, too, an important clue.
publicly
Let me publicly declare the rule (again): if the adverb comes from an adjective ending on -al, you include that ending in the adverb; if not, as here, you don't.
Q
questionnaire
The French doing it to us again. Double up on the [n]s in this word and don't forget the silent [e]. Maybe someday we will spell it the English way.
R
receive/receipt
I hope you have received the message by now: [i] before [e] except after . . . .
recommend
I would recommend you think of this word as the equivalent of commending all over again: re+commend. That would be recommendable.
referred
Final consonants are often doubled before suffixes (remit: remitted, remitting). However, this rule applies only to accented syllables ending on [l] and [r], e.g. "rebelled," "referred" but "traveled," "buffered" and not containing a diphthong, e.g. "prevailed," "coiled."
reference
Refer to the last mentioned word and also remember to add -ence to the end for the noun.
relevant
The relevant factor here is that the word is not "revelant," "revelent," or even "relevent." [l] before [v] and the suffix -ant.
restaurant
'Ey, you! Remember, these two words when you spell "restaurant." They are in the middle of it.
rhyme
Actually, "rime" was the correct spelling until 1650. After that, egg-heads began spelling it like "rhythm." Why? No rhyme nor reason other than to make it look like "rhythm."
rhythm
This one was borrowed from Greek (and conveniently never returned) so it is spelled the way we spell words borrowed from Greek and conveniently never returned.
S
schedule
If perfecting your spelling is on your schedule, remember the [sk] is spelled as in "school." (If you use British or Canadian pronunciation, why do you pronounce this word [shedyul] but "school," [skul]? That has always puzzled me.)
separate
How do you separate the [e]s from the [a]s in this word? Simple: the [e]s surround the [a]s.
sergeant
The [a] needed in both syllables of this word has been pushed to the back of the line. Remember that, and the fact that [e] is used in both syllables, and you can write your sergeant without fear of misspelling his rank.
supersede
This word supersedes all others in perversity. As if we don't have enough to worry about, keeping words on -ceed and -cede ("succeed," "precede," etc.) straight in our minds, this one has to be different from all the rest. The good news is: this is the only English word based on this stem spelled -sede.
T
their/they're/there
They're all pronounced the same but spelled differently. Possessive is "their" and the contraction of "they are" is "they're." Everywhere else, it is "there."
threshold
This one can push you over the threshold. It looks like a compound "thresh + hold" but it isn't. Two [h]s are enough.
twelfth
Even if you omit the [f] in your pronunciation of this word (which you shouldn't do), it is retained in the spelling.
tyranny
If you are still resisting the tyranny of English orthography at this point, you must face the problem of [y] inside this word, where it shouldn't be. The guy is a "tyrant" and his problem is "tyranny." (Don't forget to double up on the [n]s, too.)
U
until
I will never stop harping on this until this word is spelled with an extra [l] for the last time!
V
vacuum
If your head is not a vacuum, remember that the silent [e] on this one married the [u] and joined him inside the word where they are living happily ever since. Well, the evidence is suggestive but not conclusive. Anyway, spell this word with two [u]s and not like "volume."
WXYZ
weather
Whether you like the weather or not, you have to write the [a] after the [e] when you spell it.
weird
It is weird having to repeat this rule so many times: [i] before [e] except after...? (It isn't [w]!)
Ready for the rest of them? Here are 150 more

Britain develops a camera than can see through clothes

Britain develops a camera than can see through clothes
Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:58PM EDT

The American public remains concerned about its safety following a recent string of high-profile shootings that have occurred at universities, and shopping malls within the last year, but a recent breakthrough in the security industry may give the public some peace of mind in the future. According to Reuters, a British company has developed a camera that can detect hidden weapons, drugs, and explosives from 80 feet away.
ThruVision has created the T5000 camera which uses passive imaging technology to identify objects through electromagnetic rays they emit. These security cameras use military-grade technology to detect any threatening or illegal items even when people are moving at a fast pace. Those concerned about this type of technology shouldn't be according to the company, since the screening process is harmless and will not reveal physical body details. The company believes the T5000 will increase security in crowded public spaces such as airports, schools, and shopping centers. The promising T5000 camera will be exhibited at a scientific development exhibition hosted by Britain's Home Office this week.

Source : http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/24286;_ylt=AriW46.iRHWMmV_F_xmJDJsVPpA5

Your Body Can Burn Fat on Its Own

Wouldn’t you just love it if your body decided to burn fat and calories on its own?

It can:1. Exercise in short, intense bursts (interval training) for effective fat burning after exercise.2. Increase the amount of resistance/strength/weight training you do, to build more lean muscle. Muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.And of course, for best results:3. Chill on the amount of food you are eating.

Technically:1. Our bodies are built to survive, so when you exercise for long periods of time (often and consistently) your body thinks it needs to hold on to fat for energy. Doing short (12-15 minute), intense exercise sessions builds strength and burns calories, but not fat, so it “feels safe” using fat stores for energy after exercise. 2. Resistance training (using extra weight) helps build lean muscle mass (and strong bones), and muscle burns more calories than fat.3. If you are obsessing over things like fat grams and not eating a nutritious diet, your body will reserve energy (store fat) to survive.

Realistically:1. Varying your exercise is the most effective and efficient way to stay lean and healthy. You must do some longer exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, burn lots of calories, and yes, even burn fat during exercise - your body will not click in to “save” mode unless you exercise for long periods of time, regularly and often. 2. You must do resistance training in order to build muscle and strong bones. 3. Nobody wants to exercise more - and we don’t want to train our bodies to need more exercise to stay fit. So exercise efficiently – two short, very intense (relative to your level of fitness) training sessions weekly, like a 15-minute fast run/walk or fast cycling sprint intervals, and two moderately long, moderately intense sessions (30-45 minutes) of strong walking, cycling, or yoga, with one long day (60-90 minutes) of a moderately paced walk/hike. That’s a great five-day/week training schedule. 4. Instead of adding more days to your workout schedule, add a weighted vest to your training. I have said this before, but this is the most efficient way that I know of to build muscle while burning calories. For more information, go to http://www.walkvest.com/.5. Eat moderately - stop counting fat grams and calories and look at how much food is on your plate! And eat more nutritiously by eating foods that are natural and unprocessed.Keep it real
-Debbie Rocker

Source : http://health.yahoo.com/experts/rockertraining/1899/your-body-can-burn-fat-on-its-own/;_ylt=An_vqN.lCLMYszWHxtSCW8Ya788F

Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep

One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.
Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.
However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain.
Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.
Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.
Here are a few great ideas:
Bedtime Snacks for Adults
--6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
--Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
--3 cups low-fat popcorn
– sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Bedtime Snacks for Teens
--One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
--Low-fat granola bar
--Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream
Bedtime Snacks for Children
--1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding--1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
--One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

Source : http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/25128/bedtime-snacks-that-help-you-sleep/

Bluetooth Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

Defying some incredible odds, upstart wireless technology Bluetooth has made it to the ripe old age of 10 years old.
Bluetooth began its life with the creation of the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group), which started in 1998 with just five companies looking to create a short-range wireless system for allowing personal items like cell phones, laptops, headsets, and keyboards to talk to one another. By the end of the year, 400 companies were SIG members.

2000 brought the first phone and headset to use Bluetooth to hit the market (those are them, pictured above). Laptops got Bluetooth in 2001, cameras in 2002, MP3 players in 2003. Today, the Bluetooth SIG has 9,000 member companies and has placed 2 billion Bluetooth-enabled products onto the market.

Pretty impressive for a technology that no one originally thought much of (early Bluetooth was buggy, slow, and fairly useless). But my, how things have changed. Bluetooth support is now a major selling point for cell phones; many buyers are now in love with their wireless headsets. Not having Bluetooth is almost unthinkable on all but the very cheapest of cell phones.

Today, Bluetooth's wide support threatens to keep alternatives like Wireless USB from achieving mass acceptance. In fact, Bluetooth 3.0 is slated to include technologies like Ultra Wideband (UWB) as part of its new specification. As well, an ultra-low power version is in the works for medical devices, watches, and other super-small products. When will it end?

Happy birthday, Blue!

Source : http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/65985;_ylt=AjiTisy1_eO9chEnAEmfoVQFLZA5

World's cheapest car unveiled by TATA

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Tata Motors Ltd unveiled the world's cheapest new car on Thursday, bringing car ownership closer for millions of poorer consumers in emerging markets but raising enviromental concerns.
The 4-seater Nano, with an engine around 625cc, will have a dealer price of 100,000 rupees ($2,500), about half the cost of the cheapest car on today's market, a 25-year old model from Maruti Suzuki Ltd, Tata's great rival.
The Nano will go on sale later this year, the company said.

"Let me assure you and our critics the car we have designed will meet all safety norms and all foreign environmental criteria," Chairman Ratan Tata said as he proudly unveiled what had been dubbed the "People's Car" at the Auto Expo in New Delhi.

"In a way it is a high point for me. There is a sense of achievement and vindication," he told reporters later.
The compact but curvy Nano stands in sharp contrast to the luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands that Tata is negotiating to acquire from Ford Motor Co.

Hundreds of people crowded into the pavilion to see the long-awaited launch, standing on chairs to get the best view as Tata introduced and then drove the car onto the stage in a media circus more worthy of a pop concert or an Oscar ceremony.

Tata planned the car years ago as a safer and more affordable alternative for the millions who often ferry families of four, plus baggage, on motorbikes and scooters.

"It's a dream come true," Ashok Singh, a constable with the Delhi Police, said at the show. "I look forward to buying that car. My wife will be really happy."

New cars are preferable to buyers in India, where the absence of an organised market for second-hand cars makes buying them a tedious and sometimes risky process.

Environmentalists are not so enthusiastic. They worry millions of the cheap cars will flood on to India's roads, many of which are already heavily congested, sending emissions levels sky high in Asia's third-biggest economy.

WAFER-THIN MARGINS
The car arrives at a time when oil has topped $100 a barrel, the move to fuel-efficient "green" cars is gaining momentum, and a wave of nostalgia has spurred sales of brands such as BMW's Mini and the Fiat 500 Cinquecento.
The car has a rear-mounted gasoline engine and travels 20km per litre, with a basic model and two deluxe variants and plans for diesel versions.

"The proof of the pudding will be in driving it, but visually it looks pretty good," said London-based auto analyst Ashvin Chotai, who was at Thursday's unveiling. "The pricing was a bit of a surprise. I thought it would be a bit higher."

Tata said costs were kept low by cutting the "size of the package", which brought about a reduction in material. Innovative processes and systems, for which the firm has filed 33 patents, also helped.

Chotai believed deluxe variants, which will include features such as air-conditioning, would account for bulk of the sales. Tata expects the car to sell well in semi-urban and rural areas as well as India's cities.
"Margins are still going to be very, very thin," he said.

Shares in Tata Motors, which has a market worth of $7.5 billion, fell 2.8 percent to 749 rupees, after having risen more than 4 percent, in a Mumbai market that ended 1.4 percent lower.

Tata Motors' stock trades at nearly 17 times forecast earnings, compared to 20.2 times for top utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra, whose shares fell 0.6 percent to 803.15 rupees on Thursday.
For additional stories, pictures and video from the Auto Expo go to http://in.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/special

Tata has said it will initially produce about 250,000 Nanos and expects eventual annual demand of 1 million units.
Global car makers -- initially sceptical that Tata could produce such a low-cost car -- are now scurrying to make their own versions to meet the needs of cost-conscious consumers in emerging economies such as China, India and Russia.

Ford this week said it would build a small car in India within two years, and the alliance of Nissan Motor and Renault, which has made a big success of its no-frills Logan sedan, plans a $3,000 car with Bajaj Auto.
Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda Motor and Fiat have also said they are looking at small cars for emerging markets where strong economic growth has made car ownership a reality for millions.

Tata said it would focus on the home market for 2-3 years before considering exporting the Nano to countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

With just 8 people in 1,000 owning a car in India, there is huge potential to upgrade bike and scooter owners, who bought about 7 million two-wheelers in 2006/07.
"Our challenge is just beginning," Tata said. "We have to deliver now on what we've promised today."

Source : http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-31331020080110

Bill Gates says goodbye to your mouse

Bill Gates says goodbye to your mouse

Bill Gates, who built his fortune equipping the personal computer, predicts that the keyboard and mouse will soon become relics.

The founder of Microsoft Corp used his swansong to the technology industry on Sunday to spell out a vision of a “digital decade” of telephones, televisions and cars that respond to voice and touch.

“This is the area that people underestimate the most,” he said. Mr Gates, who plans to retire from day-to-day operations at Microsoft in July to oversee his $37 billion (£18 billion) charitable foundation, gave a keynote address to a packed 3,500-seat Las Vegas ballroom at the world’s largest consumer electronics show.

He predicted that high-definition video “will be everywhere” from TV to wall projections to screens built into desks. Users will be able to roam in 3-D through virtual worlds when they shop or interact online with friends. Devices will connect seamlessly so that data is transferred automatically from computer to mobile phone, for instance. “When you take a photo, it will show up where you want it to show up,” he said.

The software billionaire has used the annual Consumer Electronics Show to unveil products such as the Windows operating system and the Xbox 360 game console. But his visionary predictions have not always led to commercial success, as in the case of the touch-screen tablet computer.
In contrast, Apple Inc’s touch-screen iPhone and Nintendo’s Wii motion-sensing video game, which allows players to connect wirelessly to the screen, have won popular acclaim.
Providing a glimpse into the future, Mr Gates demonstrated a device called a Microsoft Surface that embeds a computer in a table top, showing how he could customise a snow-board in a shop. Just by running his fingers over the counter, he designed a snowboard with different colours and patterns. When he was happy with the result, he placed his mobile phone on the surface. The counter-top computer recognised the phone and wirelessly downloaded the design to the web.
Mr Gates’s presentation was met by some scepticism because of Microsoft’s failure to unveil any big new innovations at the show.

“Part of this has to do with Microsoft being tired of announcing new stuff that doesn’t ever materialise or shows up in a form very different than what was shown,” Michael Gartenberg, a Jupiter Research analyst, wrote in a web posting.

Source : http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3149490.ece