The ball holds the reading while the catcher returns the ball, even if it hits the ground. If the ball is hit, the 90-day warranty on the microprocessor is invalidated. Advantages are more numerous than simply saving time and not worrying about packing enough socks. First, because PlaceWare can be used by any group linked over the Internet, it lets companies choose any combination of places for meetings. Presenters can doodle on electronic whiteboards and conduct Web tours with streaming audio and video, says Andrea Luskin, director of product marketing for PlaceWare.
Speakers can also conduct real-time audience polls.
Meanwhile, bored attendees can use chat boards to exchange banter and observations among themselves, all without risk of being shushed or glared at by other attendees. Likewise, questions from the audience can be posed electronically to a moderator while the presentation is going on, Ms. Luskin says. Of course, the proceedings can be recorded, as well. The product was developed by PlaceWare, formerly a unit of Xerox's famed Palo Alto Research Center, which not only developed Ethernet and GUIs, but also such other important innovations as the computer mouse and icons. A new e-commerce vehicle, Impulse Buy Network, is trying to transfer this gripping shopping experience to the Internet.