Last week Microsoft launched the first of the new Microsoft Retail Stores in Phoenix with Microsoft Surface. This week we’ve launched a new store in Mission Viejo, and Microsoft Surface is there too. If you’re in SoCal, head on down to the Shops at Mission Viejo and check out Microsoft Surface.
From last week..
Microsoft Surface is not being offered for sale to consumers at the store. Surface is in four distinct merchandise areas at the corners of the store – supporting Games, Mobility, Personalization and PCs.
Microsoft worked closely with our partners Vectorform, Infusion and Wirestone to create custom applications for the retail experience and we’ve also included some other engaging applications that showcase Microsoft Surface for visitors to the store. You will find a mobility selection tool for Windows Phones as well as a Surface version of the hit service Skin-It for mobile phones, laptops and other devices. There are other applications that offer the visitor utility, exploration and fun.
If you’re in the Mission Viejo area, stop by and check out Microsoft Surface. Here’s the press release about the Microsoft Store.
Today is a big day at Microsoft. Windows 7 is now available worldwide and our new Microsoft online store has launched. There’s coverage of what is happening over at The Windows Blog. It’s a party over here at Microsoft Surface too, because our contributions to the Touch Pack for Windows 7 have officially launched. What’s the Touch Pack? Check out my previous post on the topic or learn more on the Microsoft Surface site or on the Windows site. The Microsoft Surface team’s contribution includes Microsoft Surface Globe, Collage and Lagoon. From the Windows Blog: “[Touch Pack] is available to PC makers (OEMs) who will have the option to pre-install some, none, or all of the applications available in the Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 on PCs designed for Windows Touch…” Keep an eye out for these features when buying a new PC.
Update: See the Lagoon and Collage on the Today show. (1:40 into the clip)
I’ve received inquiries in the past from those in the Phoenix area who’ve wanted to see Microsoft Surface in a public space. While there have been units behind closed doors, now you’ll be able to come in and check out Surface at the Microsoft retail store in the Scottsdale Fashion Mall. Microsoft Surface is not being offered for sale to consumers at the store. Surface is in four distinct merchandise areas at the corners of the store – supporting Games, Mobility, Personalization and PCs.
Microsoft worked closely with our partners Vectorform, Identity Mine, Infusion and Wirestone to create custom applications for the retail experience and we’ve also included some other engaging applications that showcase Microsoft Surface for visitors to the store. You will find a mobility selection tool for Windows Phones as well as a Surface version of the hit service Skin-It for mobile phones, laptops and other devices. There are other applications that offer the visitor utility, exploration and fun.
If you’re in the area, stop by and check Microsoft Surface out. Here’s the press release about the Microsoft Store.
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Eric (@mssurface)
I don’t want to put any pressure on Michael and the team over at Carnegie Mellon University, but you guys should be getting an A for your class project this semester. Their Dungeons & Dragons experience called “Surfacescapes” on Microsoft Surface is amazing. This is the future of how computers will aid in board games. Remember, D&D playing aids like this are for serious role playing gamers who might normally use balsa cutouts and not just wimpy printed maps. The computer is has a technical role in the gameplay but the DM and the players are the storytellers. That’s why it doesn’t look exactly like a video game. Not that it isn’t seven shades of wonderful. This is crazy cool stuff for role players – unless your dream is a mashup of Project Natal and LARP. ;)
Surfacescapes Demo Walkthrough from Visual Story TAs on Vimeo.
P.S. When I last talked to the team at PAX, they were planning on bringing this to PAX East this spring. I’ve got my fingers crossed!
Along with Ann Morrison and Giulio Jacucci of HIIT (Helsinki Institute of Information Technology), Dennis Wixon and yours truly will be organizing a second workshop devoted to multitouch, surface computing, and natural user interface at the annual CHI conference. Every year in April, the conference draws a few thousand students, researchers, and practitioners of human-computer interaction. Check out the website and call for position paper here.
Yesterday, Darren David from Stimulant came by the office to show us the Microsoft Local Impact Map on Surface. It’s an application Stimulant created for the Microsoft Citizenship team.
As an industry leader and the world's largest software company, Microsoft has a responsibility to act as a good corporate citizen all around the world. Whether it is complying with local laws and regulations, demonstrating ethical business standards, mitigating risks to the environment, or protecting human rights, Microsoft is committed to being a global leader in corporate social responsibility.
The Microsoft Local Impact Map is an application where individuals can discover program stories and programs from around the world. The Microsoft Surface version of this tool lets groups interact and share learnings with each other. Check it out.
- Eric
Joe Engalan from Vectorform came in to give me a tour of an application they developed in collaboration with FD Kinesis for Coldwell Banker on Microsoft Surface.
This Coldwell Banker proof-of-concept is a great example how Surface can change the way you may buy or sell your home. It extends functionality available on Coldwell Banker’s website in a new way for the realtor/customer consultation. You can screen homes based on the usual parameters and look at property photos. The window into neighborhoods with the satellite imagery with Bing maps using gestures is very useful. The experience is more than access to data and multi-touch. It’s about how a consultation becomes an activity where the realtor has a more personal touch with the buyer or seller as they collaborate together.
I’m posting to remind everyone that we have a contest going on right now, put on by Microsoft Surface. The challenge is directed at creating applications that use the unique properties of the platform to address needs within the automotive, retail, healthcare, financial services, hospitality or public sector industries. See our contest page for more details. “Create the most innovative application experience and you could win your own Microsoft Surface unit.” See current submissions out on Facebook and size up the competition or cheer on your favorites.
Developers and Designers. While the subtitle says developer challenge, we are speaking to both coders and designers. Just like the early days of GUI and the web - coders, graphic and user experience designers will need to collaborate to build a winning NUI application. Don’t try go it alone. Form a mini-team at your company that draws on different design and development practices. Be prepared to have your initial concept changed as you take it through user scenario testing.
Multiple users can break the experience of typical step-by-step wizards commonly found in single-user applications. Expect the unexpected. Your users may be sitting at any angle around the screen and they are communicating to each other both verbally and non-verbally to negotiate rules for sharing. Don’t forget to add elements of delight, even if you’re working with a serious scenario. Delight doesn’t have to mean childish. Remember that you’re working with really cool tech here and there are subtle ways to make that experience more exciting.
I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of applications on Surface. The best lead with the scenario, focus on Surface’s strengths (direct interaction, multi-user, multi-touch and object recognition), provide user delight and then they test, test and test.
The contest ends October 12, 2009. Hurry up! See the official rules.
Last week there was a press event at the new Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas. Microsoft’s Industry Director Sandra Andrews was there to represent Microsoft Surface. I’ve included links to photos and embedded video of the coverage by local media outlets. You’ll see in the video and photos the Rock Wall, the Booth Interactive and Microsoft Surface.
For video of the Hard Rock memorabilia application in action on Microsoft Surface, check out my previous post.
Eric
Because it is a multi-user computer, it’s important for Microsoft Surface to convey rich information to the software designers and developers to create brilliant experiences. Surface uses an vision system to see the interactions of hands and other physical objects. You can build your own vision based computer using parts off the shelf, but what makes Surface a unique commercial product is the engineering that has gone into both the hardware and software to provide a very powerful tool for businesses.
If you want to understand what Surface is, but don’t have a lot of time, here’s your solution. Joe Olsen from Phenomblue does an awesome job summarizing Microsoft Surface in 30 seconds. That’s faster than it took me to cut and paste the video into this post.
Dr. Neil of nsquared has collaborated with me in the past on videos about Microsoft Surface. He’s been travelling in Europe training Surface developers. He’s taken this experience and put it into a series of videos geared towards training and other Surface related topics. I’ve embedded the playlist below.
Education and Microsoft Surface gets people talking. Recently, I had a chance to meet with Jim Allen from RM when he was here in Redmond. We took a deeper (and very color saturated) look at the Finguistics application that you may have seen in video before.
If you want to see more on education, take a look at the summary post I made a short while back with links to additional videos. If you work in education, don’t forget to check out the Microsoft Surface SDK Workstation Edition on the MSDN Academic Alliance.
I’m sharing this list of events featuring Microsoft Surface that I received from the Microsoft Technology Center team in London per an inquiry on Twitter.
If you’re in London or any other region and have an event coming up featuring Surface, reply to this post and let everyone know the where and when. Tweet it out with the hash tag #surface. Microsoft Surface is often brought to events by customers, partners and not just Microsoft. We’re not always aware of where Surface will appear next. We rely on community members like you to spread the word.
Cheers.
Eric
Here we go with more Microsoft Surface in Vegas! Hard Rock just announced the grand opening of a new Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas – a 950 seat restaurant and live concert venue. Everything about this new cafe is cool – and the tech is no exception. Visitors can touch and view Hard Rock’s memorabilia with a huge 18’ wide multi-touch interactive Rock Wall(tm) and in-booth touch screens running Microsoft Windows employing Deep Zoom technology. Here on the Surface blog, I’m most excited to share that Microsoft Surface will be right there with an amazing multi-user way to browse Hard Rock properties and memorabilia around the world. The Hard Rock reports that we can expect many other custom applications on Microsoft Surface too.
The software running on Surface represents a collaboration between the Hard Rock International, Duncan/Channon and Microsoft Surface partner Vertigo. You can see a video created by Duncan/Channon below and more video here and photos here.
