Picture
a surface that can recognize physical objects from a paintbrush to a cell phone
and allows hands-on, direct control of content such as photos, music and maps.
Today at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, Microsoft
Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil Microsoft Surface™, the first in a new category
of surface computing products from Microsoft that breaks down traditional barriers
between people and technology. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant,
dynamic surface that provides effortless interaction with all forms of digital
content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. Beginning at the
end of this year, consumers will be able to interact with Surface in hotels, retail
establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues.
The
intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing
people to interact with content and information on their own or collaboratively
with their friends and families, just like in the real world. Surface is a 30-inch
display in a table-like form factor that small groups can use at the same time.
From digital finger painting to a virtual concierge, Surface brings natural interaction
to the digital world in a new and exciting way.
Microsoft
Surface puts people in control of their experiences with technology, making everyday
tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient. Imagine ordering a beverage during
a meal with just the tap of a finger. Imagine quickly browsing through music and
dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the
screen. Imagine creating and sending a personal postcard of vacation pictures
instantly to friends and family, while still wearing flip-flops. Surface also
features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags
similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass
on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about
the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested
food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become completely
immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even
look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table
The
Human Touch
Surface
computing at Microsoft is an outgrowth of a collaborative effort between the Microsoft
Hardware and Microsoft Research teams, which were struck by the opportunity to
create technology that would bridge the physical and virtual worlds. What started
as a high-level concept grew into a prototype and evolved to today’s market-ready
product that will transform the way people shop, dine, entertain and live. It’s
a major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user interface to a more
natural way of interacting with information. Surface computing, which Microsoft
has been working on for a number of years, features four key attributes:
Direct
interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands,
interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
Multi-touch.
Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from
one finger like a typical touch-screen, but up to dozens of items at once.
Multi-user.
The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface
computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
Object
recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different
types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.
View,
sort, stack and organize photos with your hands on Microsoft Surface.
See
all the posibilities and several flash video demos at Microsoft's
Surface website
