Microsoft Surface

[Blaze]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html?page=1

Oooo Neat. 

[Hitmen]

This is probably the first really innovative, cool thing that I have seen in a while. The wireless sharing is way cool, much better than using the shitty cellphone controls to send a photo to the person sitting next to you. This can easily be extended to music as well, to the dismay of the RIAA. Drag the cover of the latest greatest album to your friends ipod, and bam, transferred. The key here really is the UI, if they can pull off something really good, and make the whole experience as natural as the few things they showcased in the video looked, then it could be a wonderful product. People could pick it up right away, way more user friendly than a mouse / keyboard.

There are some other cool things I can think of.... ever see one of those fully customizable multi-hundred dollar remote controls? Pack it into this and the user can control all their tv, audio equiment from a central console. Hell, what about x10 stuff? Control lights, thermostat, CCTV style cameras, security system... the possibilities are endless! But with something like that, security is probably a nightmare, and this is a microsoft product so... yeah.

[Newby]

Looks really freakin' awesome.

[iago]

There are some other cool things I can think of.... ever see one of those fully customizable multi-hundred dollar remote controls? Pack it into this and the user can control all their tv, audio equiment from a central console. Hell, what about x10 stuff? Control lights, thermostat, CCTV style cameras, security system... the possibilities are endless! But with something like that, security is probably a nightmare, and this is a microsoft product so... yeah.

You would seriously want your security system controlled by a Microsoft product?

[Warrior]

Holy hell, this thing wreaks of innovation. Sure Multitouch is nothing new, but just look at how they present the damn thing.
Wireless syncing with devices by just laying them on the surface? What's next? Flying cars?

[iago]

Although this is cool, it doesn't seem all that useful compared to a traditional computer. Although maybe that's just my old-fashionedness speaking

[Warrior]

It's going to be a Kiosk, even though I can see Multitouch coming to other things too in the future.

[AntiVirus]

That looks pretty freaking awesome.  Too bad it's only for business use right now though.  I'm excited to see it move on to home use and become as frequently seen in homes as a desktop and or a laptop.

[Blaze]

Although this is cool, it doesn't seem all that useful compared to a traditional computer. Although maybe that's just my old-fashionedness speaking

I agree that it's not going to replace the modern day computer, but it'd be awesome for sure to play some SC2 on it. 

[iago]

Although this is cool, it doesn't seem all that useful compared to a traditional computer. Although maybe that's just my old-fashionedness speaking

I agree that it's not going to replace the modern day computer, but it'd be awesome for sure to play some SC2 on it. 

Only till you got a sore neck from leaning over it, and somebody spilled coffee on the screen. Not to mention fingerprints -- I don't think I'm the only one who eats greasy food while playing games

[CrAz3D]

I would assume it'd be fine to look at the table while sitting at a chair, or even possibly having it at a slight incline like artists have rests(?) for their drawing paper.

It'd be kick ass to have an all-in-one system that combines all of that stuff (the camera/music sharing) along with home related systems.  TV, dvd players, HVAC, security, water timers, alarm clocks, etc

[iago]

I would assume it'd be fine to look at the table while sitting at a chair, or even possibly having it at a slight incline like artists have rests(?) for their drawing paper.

easle.

It'd be kick ass to have an all-in-one system that combines all of that stuff (the camera/music sharing) along with home related systems.  TV, dvd players, HVAC, security, water timers, alarm clocks, etc

The more you put together, the more chance of failure there is, and the more damage done by failure. At least when my dvd player breaks, I can watch tv, and when the air condition breaks I can still play DVDs

[CrAz3D]

I would assume it'd be fine to look at the table while sitting at a chair, or even possibly having it at a slight incline like artists have rests(?) for their drawing paper.

easle.

Not quite that high.  that'd be something that stands alone, I mean some inclined thing on the table.

More like this I guess

It'd be kick ass to have an all-in-one system that combines all of that stuff (the camera/music sharing) along with home related systems.  TV, dvd players, HVAC, security, water timers, alarm clocks, etc

The more you put together, the more chance of failure there is, and the more damage done by failure. At least when my dvd player breaks, I can watch tv, and when the air condition breaks I can still play DVDs

You can have everything able to work independently, just because the TV remote breaks doesnt mean you can change the channel.

[nslay]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html?page=1

Oooo Neat. 

Very cool, that seems to be one step in the right direction.  Time to get rid of these darned mice and keyboards.

[d&q]

I would assume it'd be fine to look at the table while sitting at a chair, or even possibly having it at a slight incline like artists have rests(?) for their drawing paper.

easle.

Not quite that high.  that'd be something that stands alone, I mean some inclined thing on the table.

More like this I guess


Drawing board.

[trust]

Here are some other videos, the second one being a commercial for the product.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/sticker-shock/video-of-bill-gates-showing-off-his-expensive-table-264453.php
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cog8b8ojji0

As you can see in the second one they obviously plan to extend this to home users. I dream of the day when I'll be able to control everything in my home by a central console such as this (a smart home essentially, like in that Disney movie where it cooked and cleaned and turned the wall into realistic video games and stuff...that'd be ill) But anyway I'm excited about this and if we're having something like this in 2007 I can't wait to see what type of technologies we'll be using when it's time for me to purchase a house and stuff. Certainly by then this, and probably a plethora of improvements, will be focused around the home user and it will be awesome.

[nslay]

Here are some other videos, the second one being a commercial for the product.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/sticker-shock/video-of-bill-gates-showing-off-his-expensive-table-264453.php
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cog8b8ojji0

As you can see in the second one they obviously plan to extend this to home users. I dream of the day when I'll be able to control everything in my home by a central console such as this (a smart home essentially, like in that Disney movie where it cooked and cleaned and turned the wall into realistic video games and stuff...that'd be ill) But anyway I'm excited about this and if we're having something like this in 2007 I can't wait to see what type of technologies we'll be using when it's time for me to purchase a house and stuff. Certainly by then this, and probably a plethora of improvements, will be focused around the home user and it will be awesome.

Back in the 90s, IBM wrote Home Director.  It controls everyting in the home from security to kitchen appliances.  It's still sold and in use, but haven't heard much about it lately.

EDIT: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2460.wss