Posted 08/08/08 at 04:27:02 PM by Paul Lilly

The surface of the earth was once thought to be flat, and just as it was eventually proven to be round, will technophiles make the same discovery when it comes to surface computing? It's far too early to tell what the future of surface computing has in store, but don't be surprised if years from now your PC looks more like a globe than a flat screen.

Giving a glimpse of such a future, Microsoft showed off its spherical Surface computer during the company's annual Research Faculty Summit in Redmond. Attendees got a chance to play with the prototype that relies on an infrared system to detect hands, fingers, and objects.

"It's really an exploration of ideas," explained Hrvoje Benko, the Microsoft researcher spearheading the project.

Getting touch technology to work on a curved surface was no easy task, but Microsoft researches came up with advanced algorithms to translate images originally intended for a flat PC screen and display them correctly on the rounded globe. So far applications for the Sphere include a picture and video browser, interactive globe visualization, finger painting, and an omni-directional video conferencing application with 360 degrees of panoramic video.

Catch the YouTube video here, which also includes a version of a Pong like you've never seen before.

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microsoft, Surface, future, hardware, sphere

Posted 06/20/08 at 08:03:26 AM by Chris Moody

Just how much cooler can they make Microsoft's Surface? Oh, I suppose they could do a nifty holographic 3D interface but that is for the future. In the here and now, the Surface gives new meaning to "Desktop".

Crunchgear reports that at a recent conference they got to look at the SDK, which allows developers the ability to slide an object around and have it stop based on friction or what objects it hits. Think about sliding a photo across a desktop with your fingertips into a folder. The good thing is if you miss, it doesn't end up on the floor. It takes the intuitive interface of the desktop as we know it and brings it together with our most intuitive interface device, our hands. The promise for this technology for the future is outstanding.

Object Recognition is planned for the future. Users will be able to place physical objects on the display to trigger different types of response, like downloading images from your Bluetooth enabled phone or uploading music to an MP3 player.

Now don't you just want one of these for a coffee table in your living room?

Image Credit: Microsoft

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microsoft, display, Surface, consumer electronics, SDK, developer

Posted 08/27/07 at 02:15:00 PM by Will Smith

iPhone and Surface foreshadow the inevitable rise of our multitouch overlords

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iphone, Surface, multitouch

Posted 06/14/07 at 01:15:54 PM by Mark Soper

Reach out and touch some data with Microsoft Surface -- the newest in multi-touch computing!

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microsoft, Surface, technology introduction