BE DOPE NEWS (BDN) Just hours after Microsoft's introduction of the Microsoft Cordless Phone System, Be, Inc. announced a host of telephony services shipping with R4, the next version of the BeOS.

"We originally did not plan to announce anything in advance, but everyone was making such a big deal about the Microsoft Phone I thought we should give a sneak peek," said Be, Inc. CEO Jean-Louis Gassée.

At a hastily-convened demo Gassée started the presentation by placing an ordinary phone next to a computer running a beta version of BeOS R4. Analysts gasped with disbelief when Gassée then used People files to place several calls.

"We don't want someone to spend $200 on a new phone when the BeOS is perfectly capable of working with existing phones," explained Gassée. "And we decided cables are much too 'legacy', so we connect instead through the sub-ether."

In addition to integrating with People files, the BeOS also provides caller ID services, the ability to screen calls and play customized digital recordings based on incoming phone numbers and a function to transparently re-route calls from telemarketers to the Psychic Friends Network. Integration with BeMail allows the sending and receiving of email over the phone. A scheduling plug-in makes outgoing calls and play pre-recorded digital messages.

"Perfect for when you need to call in sick but also want to get a jump on the beach traffic," commented one awe-struck observer.

One journalist pondered the productivity gains that auto-ordering of pizza and other food would have on programmers - "No longer would a programmer have to take five minutes out of work and break his flow of concentration to order vital food," he noted. "Pizza would just suddenly show up at his cubicle."

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