GeekSugar

Microsoft's Surface Gets Touched, and Touched Some More

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:00:29 -0700

Yesterday we ventured out to the AT&T Experience stores in San Bruno, CA to check out Microsoft's Surface table, which is now appearing in four cities across the United States. Set to become available in all AT&T stores nationwide within the next few months, the Surface table is already bringing eyes and lots of hands to the four AT&T stores where it is located. Thankfully, we had our pick from six different tables and wasted no time experimenting with its interactive features.

The giant 30-inch plastic-covered display screen on the Surface (they swear it's spill and dance proof), is totally touch-friendly, as your fingertips can move objects around and expand windows. By placing two cell phones (we suggested they should up this total) on the table, customers can read the features from each phone and decide which one better suits their needs . . . without having to deal with a salesperson. My thoughts? Actually my exact words. . . ."It's cool, but it has the potential to be cooler."

To find out more about my up close and personal account with Microsoft's surface, read more.

What can the table, which costs between $5,000 to $10,000, do right now? Basically just compare specs on phones and zoom in on maps to see AT&T network coverage, but AT&T swears that more fun features are set to come, including: being able to add new ringtones to your phone and exchange photos by dragging and dropping them on the table. I'm more excited about what they'll be able to do once they make their way to the Harrah's hotel chain - which is said to be next on the list. When asked why the iPhone didn't make the cut to being one of the featured phones at the table? An AT&T rep said that stores already have designated "iPhone locations" and that they wanted to focus on some of their other popular phones that would benefit from being displayed on the Surface.

Would You Buy a Microsoft Surface?

GeekSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:00:15 -0700

I'm definitely excited to play with the Microsoft Surface, and I think it's a great idea that AT&T is using it to feature phones. I remember when they announced the Surface and everyone kind of balked about the price (10,000 bones), especially considering the ads and videos on the website that depict regular people using it for pictures and art.

Otherwise, the price and functionality make sense as a commercial product for AT&T and the Starwood Hotel chain, but are any regular people going to buy this thing for personal use when a consumer version is released in 2010? Even rich people? Tell me, if money weren't an object, would you buy a Microsoft Surface?

Microsoft Surface Coming to AT&T April 17th

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:36:07 -0700

Looks like Microsoft's high-tech interactive touch table won't be making its debut in Starwood hotels this Spring, but it will be available for the public to play with on April 17 in AT&T stores. According to Engadget, these $10,000 tables will initially be installed in NYC, San Francisco, Atlanta, and San Antonio AT&T stores.

AT&T is hoping that the tables will educate customers about all the handsets for sale (info about the phone is displayed when set on the table), and they'll also be able to purchase ringtones, graphics and videos directly from the table and drag them on their phones. Now that is something I can't wait to test out!

The Microsoft Surface Gets Celeb Attention and First Game

GeekSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:45:05 -0800

One of the most popular exhibits at CES this year was definitely the Microsoft Surface- a multi-touch interactive surface computer that is full of amazing features. Crave reports that the Surface was making its rounds at Caesars Pure Nightclub, with celebs like Jason Alexander and Shannon Elizabeth checking out its high tech functionality.

Set to be released by commercial partners like Starwood hotels this Spring, the Surface is already gaining lots of momentum. Not only is it receiving celebrity attention, but Firefly, the first game for Microsoft Surface has just been announced. By utilizing multi-touch, up to four players can collect colorful insects and put them into glass jars. The object is to be the first player to collect three fireflies of each color, while preventing opponents from doing the same.

To see players having some Firefly fun on the Microsoft Surface, as well as see a funny Surface video, read more

The Sarcastic Gamer shows us just how neat Firefly really is:

Thanks for sharing TeamSugar user CoralAmber!

And a funny Microsoft Surface parody I just had to include:

Source

Microsoft's 'Surface' Table Explored

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:00:39 -0700

While hanging out in Hollywood for the TCA press tour my gal BuzzSugar got a chance to get up close and personal with Microsoft's newly-announced 'Surface' table, which is a multi-touch table that aims to change the way we interact with digital content. Buzz reports that the device is going to be on display in Starwood Hotels, T-Mobile stores and some other places soon, but it's still several years from home use. Oh course, it has a hefty price tag of $10,000, so you better start saving up.

The table looks like a regular coffee table at first glance, but it has cameras and touch sensitivity (iPhone style, but bigger) and you can do everything from organize photos to watch videos to drag and drop music into your Zune (of course it’s the Zune ...Thanks, Microsoft).

For additional photos and some of the coolest applications Buzz witnessed, read more

In one application, called Video Puzzle, the guy played a video on the table, but all we saw was a blank, black screen. He then dropped several square pieces of clear lucite on the table, and the picture popped up playing through those pieces. You could arrange them however you wanted, with the idea that you would put them together like puzzle pieces to see the full picture.
In another, the guy demonstrated how you could use it to order drinks at a restaurant (when you put your drink down on the table, it drew a ring around it like a virtual coaster). He then pulled up a bill of food and drinks that had been ordered by two people. He then dragged the listing for each item toward one drink on the table or to the other, splitting the bill and showing each person their own total. One that they are using for Starwood Hotels is a music application that would let you find out what music was playing in the lobby. If you wanted to download that song, you could put your Zune down on the table, and it instantly recognizes it and its files, so you can drag and drop songs into it. If you put two Zunes on the table, you can share music between them by dragging and dropping. This is something they think can eventually be expanded to anything with an RFID tag.
Maybe the most immediately useful application is the one for T-Mobile. The scenario he set up was that you’re shopping for cell phones and want to be able to compare and contrast their features. You put phones on the Surface and it immediately recognizes them, creating side-by-side comparison cards of the phones. If you’ve chosen one and you want to buy a plan, you can scroll through a list of plans and pull up descriptive cards on each, which you can rotate so multiple people can see them (that’s a bad description, but he said, “So then you say, what do you think about this one, honey?” and mimicked turning the card at an angle to show someone who was looking over his shoulder.) If you choose your plan, you just draw and drop it into the phone, and the salesperson knows to come ring you up.

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Is Microsoft's New 'Surface' Table Old Tech?

GeekSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Wednesday's release of Microsoft's interactive multi-touch table "Surface," which uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch, made a significant splash with drolling techies but some are scoffing at the device technology for being less than "new." Case in point: When YumSugar went home to her fiancé Wednesday and asked him if he had seen the Surface table he said, (presumably in a sarcastic Napoleon Dynamite voice) "Yeah, I liked it a lot when I saw it two years ago." Ever the knowing geek, he forwarded me Jeff Han's presentation of the futuristic multi-touch interface in 2006. Han is a research scientist for NYU's Media Research Lab, and the inventor of an "interface-free" touch-driven computer screen.

Touch screens are no longer a thing of the future and devices like the iPhone and Prada phone have put them in the hands of your average consumer, but it does seem like the Surface table's technology is more of a thing of the past than the future.

Microsoft's New Surface: Interactive Multi-Touch Table

GeekSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:10:41 -0700

Last night at midnight Microsoft announced a new product, the Microsoft Surface, which is a multi-touch table that aims to change the way we interact with digital content. The table uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch. The user input is then processed and the result is displayed on the surface using rear projection. This gives the user complete control over the content - such as photos, music, and maps.

By the looks of it, the device combines all the elements of digital life into a snazzy, futuristic table that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.

To see more images and to watch a video of how it works, read more

Surface will be available in restaurants, hotels, retail establishments and public entertainment venues. The Surface will be available to the market in winter of 2007 and will reportedly cost $10,000.

View 11 Photos ›

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Daily Tech: Sheraton Hotel Lobbies Get the Microsoft Surface

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:47 -0700

Sheraton Lobbies in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Seattle, and Boston have been outfitted with Microsoft Surfaces so guests can utilize its many applications. - Switched
Bluetooth headsets are now getting the bling treatment by being covered with Swarovski crystals. Be prepared to pay $260 for this sparkly gadget. - Crave
Polaroid wants readers of Amateur Photographer magazine to come up with the specifications for their upcoming printing camera. If they like your idea, you could win a trip to NYC! - CrunchGear
Big news! Best Buy is rumored to be next in line to sell the iPhone 3G. And they could get it as early as next month. - Apple Insider
Have some fun personalizing M&Ms online with words, photos, and different colors! - Chip Chick

Daily Tech: The Rio in Vegas Unveils Microsoft Surface

GeekSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:03:01 -0700

The Rio Hotel and Casino's iBar is set to get six Microsoft Surface tables for guests to play games, flirt, send messages to each other, and order drinks. . . . Considering this is a product of the 21st century, why does the video look so eighties?! - Switched
Palm has just announced the cobalt blue Centro on the Verizon Wireless network that will go on sale tomorrow. - Engadget
Sega Toys has revealed their new humanoid robot in Japan, which stands 38cm tall and can sing and walk "like a lady." It's said to cost $175 and will go on sale September 26. - CrunchGear
The new and improved Firefox 3 will be released June 17. And supposedly Mozilla is going to try to break a world downloading record that day. - Lifehacker
Stay tuned . . . There's going to be a big Yahoo/Google announcement today at 1:30 p.m. - TechCrunch

Daily Tech: EA Sports Active Opens Two Temporary Stores

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:21:22 -0800

Right up until Christmas, you can test out EA Sports Active in stores in San Francisco and Boston - EA Sports Active
Walmart's Black Friday ad has surfaced - CrunchGear
Firefox 3.6 Beta3 for Windows, Mac, and Linux users is now available to download - Lifehacker
Hulu has just teamed up with EMI to offer music videos on its free video streaming site - The New York Times
The Nokia N900 is now on sale in the US - CNET
Find out how you can download videos to your iPhone - Switched