Surface computing

Have you seen Minority Report? Remember how crazy Tom Cruise looked doing all of that hand movements with his computer? Well, future has arrived.

Two key entities - Jeff Han and Microsoft had conducted press conferences and demos of their surface computing products. Based on some readings I had, Jeff Han made it known to the public last 2006. Also came across some stuff that he was one of the designers of I-Phone? Anyways, what was mind-blowing with the apps he presented was that of NASA's global navigation/map (dunno). It was really cool! I just came to think what if it's getting a satellite feed real-time? Like that in the movies.. Tsk, imagine - on someone's hands he can just take a look, zoom-in/out, navigate and see anything everywhere seamlessly. Now that is some real high-tech mind-blowing stuff, and the good thing about it is it's possible.

Project Milan is Microsoft's surface computing. They'd be releasing their product to some of their commercial partners T-Mobile, casinos, etc. by end 2007.

A lot of discussions has been going on in the web about how Microsoft stole the idea from Dr. Jeff Han, but as per Microsoft their top-secret project had been going for 5 years.

Anyways, I don't really want to put in too much details about this subject, just some of the facts I remember while going through the different videos. Just search in YouTube and you'll get informed in no time.

Here are some of the best videos about this subject.

Link: Microsoft Surface Computing - PopularMechanics (nice intro)

Jeff Han on last year's press-con


Micrsoft's Surface Computer - explained in full