Gates sketches out vision for the future. "redefine the way that citizens think about how they work with government and how efficient communication takes place,"

Microsoft (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates sketched out a vision for the future Wednesday in which a cellphone will become a "digital wallet," able to receive e-mail and even scan business cards, while computers and TVs will merge.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, also wants to "redefine the way that citizens think about how they work with government and how efficient communication takes place," Gates told about 300 political, business and academic leaders from Canada, Latin America and the United States at the company’s Government Leaders Forum.

The two-day event is intended to explore ways to improve government use of computers, as well as the transition to what Gates called the "knowledge economy."

By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Writer

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