Microsoft Launches New Product Category: Surface Computing Comes to Life in Restaurants, Hotels, Retail Locations and Casino Resorts.
Microsoft Surface Computing brings to life a whole new way to interact with information that engages the senses, improves collaboration and empowers consumers. By utilizing the best combination of connected
software, services and hardware, Microsoft is at the forefront of developing surface computing products that push computing boundaries, deliver new experiences that break down barriers between users and technology, and provide new opportunities for companies to engage with people.
First commercially available surface computer from Microsoft breaks down barriers and provides effortless interaction with information using touch, natural gestures and physical objects.
Microsoft's definition of surface computing: direct interaction (for example, you might "dip" your finger on an on-screen paint palette, and then use your finger to draw on the screen); multi-touch contact, so the screen can react to multiple fingers and inputs simultaneously; multi-user experience, so multiple people can gather around and interact with the screen simultaneously; and object recognition, so the surface can recognize tagged objects and interact with them.
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. You can buy songs from a virtual music store and drag them directly into a Zune music player that you’ve placed on the glass. You can set a cellphone down on the table — and copy photos into it just by dragging them into the cellphone’s zone.
Tabletop PC introduced at 'D: All Things Digital' conference will respond to touch commands from multiple users at once. Microsoft Surface is a "multi-touch" tabletop computer that interacts with users through touch on multiple points on the screen. The concept is simple: Users interact with the computer completely by touch, on a surface other than a standard screen.
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.
MICROSOFT SURFACE COMPUTER
Microsoft Surface Computer is the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft that will ?break down traditional barriers between people and technology?. It is the next generation of computer interfaces those offer multi-touch technology. Unlike most touchscreens, Surface computer can respond to more than one touch at a time. During a demonstration with a reporter, Mark Bolger, the Surface Computing group's marketing director, "dipped" his finger in an on-screen paint palette, then dragged it across the screen to draw a smiley face. Then he used all 10 fingers at once to give the face a full head of hair. So, forget the keyboard and mouse: The next generation of computer interfaces will be hands-on.
MULTI- TOUCH TECHNOLY
Microsoft's new "surface" computer is demonstrated. Microsoft Surface, which has a 30-inch display under a hard-plastic tabletop, allows a group of people to touch and move objects on screen at once.
SURFACE COMPUTING TABLE
Microsoft notes four main components being important in Surface's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition.
Direct interaction refers to the user's ability to simply reach out and touch the interface of an application in order to interact with it, without the need for a mouse or keyboard. Multi-touch contact refers to the ability to have multiple contact points with an interface, unlike with a mouse, where there is only one cursor. Multi-user is a benefit of multi-touch—several people can orient themselves on different sides of the surface to interact with an application simultaneously. Object recognition refers to the device's ability to recognize the presence and orientation of tagged objects placed on top of it.
SURFACE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
There are four types in this technology:
1. Screen
2. Infrared
3. Cpu
4. Projector
SCREEN
A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal "multitouch" screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface can also recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags.
INFRARED
Surface's "machine vision" operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.
CPU
Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers. A Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using WiFi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft Vista.
PROJECTOR
Microsoft's Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many rear-projection HDTVs. The footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is actually smaller than the invisible overlapping infrared projection to allow for better recognition at the edges of the screen.
SURFACE COMPUTER KEYBOARD
Surface computer Keyboard is the direct interaction with the computer and person. It is direct touch that you will direct type in the computer and see the word.
DETAILS ABOUT MICROSOFT SURFACE COMPUTER
Microsoft’s Bill Gates is pitching table-top computer system dubbed ‘The Surface’ for between $5,000 and $10,000. The Surface is touch-sensitive and interacts with mobile phones, digital cameras an other objects that are placed on it.
The system requires extensive customization and is aimed at highly trafficked businesses like restaurants and hotels.
SURFACE HUMOR
I don’t know how many know of Microsoft’s new product Surface. If not, it is basically a coffee table computer. I love computers and gadgets, but this seems a little bit extreme in a residence (I can see some cool commercial uses). I saw this parody of Microsoft Surface and I thought it was kind of funny.
For years engineers and computer experts were trying to find a better way for people to communicate with their PCs. Keyboards give a natural feeling to many of us that it has advanced very little beyond the typewriters which have been used for over a hundred years and though the mouse is a one step above that it still takes little practice for someone who has never got a chance to have hands on one to become used to the idea of moving the mouse with it and after years of using a computer many older people still have trouble with the concepts of double clicking, right clicking, dragging, dropping and other techniques that can seem simple to more advanced computer users.
The most recent solution, and one that seems likely to solve all the above stated problems is that of surface computing. Surface computing is an attempt to make the use of a computer much easierand make it like the way we interact with other things in our surroundings.
The most common and much popular type of surface computing is of touch screen monitors similiar to the ones that can be found on many modern smartphones. These are also common in many businesses where those workers are expected to use a computer which are not trianed. Until recently though these touch screen monitors were really little more than a replacement of the mouse. You could still only point at one thing at a time, and it wasn't even as good as a mouse because you can't right click or highlight things without using a keyboard.
More recently,both Microsoft and Apple have come up with exciting new ways to use surface computing.
Microsoft introduced a device called Microsoft Surface which is as large as a table and it would be used in places such as hotels and casinos or board rooms. The key difference between this and other similar devices is the multi touch system. This allows users to use both hands to manipulate things such as photos, as well as the use of hand gestures and even physical gestures. Other features on the Microsoft surface allows for wireless communicates between devices so things like phones, cameras and laptops can sync with the table and move data between them effortlessly.This means that now you can transfre files between your phone and computer just by placing it on the screen(It doesn't use bluetoooth or wi-fi)
Apple is more focused on the personal side of surface computing. It has integrated not only a touch screen into their Iphone but also added a tilt control allowing for a many functions. Many of these have not yet moved past the stage of games and while being able to swing your Iphone around as a light saber may be fun it isn't likely to become a must have application for all future phones, but the touch screen keyboard which allows people a keyboard experience without the need for a keyboard is certainly something that has the potential to catch every one's attention.
It doesn't matter how you use computers the search for better ways to communicate with the device and improve your experience goes on.And with surface computing it is possible that we have finally found a better way to communicate with our computers.