In a packed hall of developers and industry partners at Microsoft's annual Mobile & Embedded DevCon, the company announced the availability of <A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/may06/05-08CE6PreviewPR.mspx">a beta release of Windows CE 6,</A> the next generation of its industry-leading, real-time software used to build customized operating systems for devices such as Internet Protocol set-top-boxes, GPS-based devices, and industrial automation and medical devices. With the redesigned operating system kernel architecture, expanded capacity for simultaneous processes and a newly integrated tool set, Windows CE 6 will help device makers more quickly create devices that support a range of applications for high-demand categories.