More on Microsoft's Sphere revealed in new video and diagram

If you've been looking for more nitty-gritty on Microsoft's Sphere, you've come to the right place. An in-depth video reveals Sphere's photo browser and video browser complete with multi-touch "pinch" resizing, object rotation, a circular menu that pops up when you place both hands on top of the sphere, omni-directional camera, and a "send-to-the-darkside" gesture that tosses an object to the sphere's opposite side. In addition, a diagram (pictured above) reveals sphere's innards, including a projector and all sorts of IR magic. All this, and more, in the video after the break.

[John @ Aug 14th 2008 4:19PM]

hey... that menu had pong on it. Why were we watching a guy move around photos when we could have PONG??

[hiko36 @ Aug 14th 2008 4:22PM]

He did play pong at the end... It just wasnt traditional pong. WTFV?

P.S. I didn't think it was possible but Engadget has made the comment system even MORE frustrating...

[kccboy2004 @ Aug 14th 2008 5:59PM]

that is really really cool.

i can't beleive that Apple did not invent this. Does Apple not invent everything ? Some body told me that Apple does not invent, they just buy up companies that do, then run those companies down. The strategy works though, gotta hand it to Apple.

But this is really innovative. Well Done Microsoft !!

[hiko36 @ Aug 14th 2008 4:19PM]

So is that what MS is up to now? Gimmicks?

[fred @ Aug 14th 2008 4:35PM]

Yeah, because the "research" people really ought to stick to not developing new ways of utilizing technology.

They really ought to spend their time making killer icons and neat eye-candy. Now that's research!

[hiko36 @ Aug 15th 2008 5:11AM]

I think my comment was misunderstood... I was just commenting on the fact that first the Surface was announced and now the Sphere... I don't mind new ways to do thing, I would just much rather have a more reliable OS...


(I use Vista)

[Platinum_Skeet @ Aug 15th 2008 3:12PM]

They have Windows 7 coming out in 2010 for that...

[Yevon @ Aug 14th 2008 4:21PM]

Finally, a presumably overpriced multi-touch sphere computer dedicated to just photo spinning.
My life is complete.

[required @ Aug 14th 2008 4:25PM]

This display is so Homer.

[Yevon @ Aug 14th 2008 5:17PM]

What does a Greek author have anything to do with a crystal ball made by Microsoft?

[Max @ Aug 14th 2008 10:55PM]

I don't know... but I do recall a spherical bag of wind in the Odyssey.

[kjb434 @ Aug 14th 2008 4:32PM]

Who says Microsoft doesn't innovate?

P.S. I don't know who is complaining about the new comment system. I love it!

[fred @ Aug 14th 2008 4:37PM]

"Who says Microsoft doesn't innovate?"

Only people that think innovation is how pretty you can make a GUI.

[CraigJ @ Aug 14th 2008 4:46PM]

@fred:

To whom might you be referring? Come on, you know you want to name names.

[nerdtalker @ Aug 14th 2008 4:47PM]

@Fred,

I'm going to go ahead and assume you were alluding to apple, and chuckle to myself for a little bit.

[fred @ Aug 14th 2008 4:55PM]

Hey you said it, not me.

[Tejas @ Aug 15th 2008 2:22AM]

well said, fred!

(always wanted to say that...)

[CraigJ @ Aug 14th 2008 4:44PM]

I find this to be pretty cool. I'm not sure what the practical uses would be, I mean a globe is pretty cool, but I'm having a hard time visualizing what this might be good for.. Research for research's sake is, IMO, a good thing.

Also, kudos on the new comment system. The old one blew goats.

[Zeth Ethereal @ Aug 14th 2008 6:44PM]

cool

[CraigJ @ Aug 14th 2008 7:30PM]

OK, I thought of something.

The Eye of Sauron. I'd mount it on my roof.

[Matt @ Aug 14th 2008 4:46PM]

Google earth would be pretty fun on this display.

[Chris @ Aug 14th 2008 4:50PM]

Microsoft's software department may need work...

but MSR (microsoft research) is f*cking amazing and always has been they just they take too long to turn it around into full products, but thats not MSR's fault

[vic @ Aug 14th 2008 4:52PM]

hmmm microsoft surface in sphere form...
i guess if you're into looking at skewed photos and videos this is the product for you.

[Hamid @ Aug 14th 2008 4:52PM]

Nice job Microsoft.
Although the average user might not need this for their daily tasks, I can see this being applied to some fields.

[thatrotierkid @ Aug 14th 2008 4:53PM]

i would totally play the scene from the wizard of oz, where it zooms in on the wicked witch's crystal ball showing auntie anne, on a constant loop will i cackled maniacally

[Phoenix @ Aug 14th 2008 5:01PM]

...WHAT have they done to the comments...


on topic, I WANT one

[CraigJ @ Aug 14th 2008 5:19PM]

Fixed them, sorta.

Remember me needs to remember that I'm returning and my e-mail address...

still, seems to work better than it used to.

[The "i" is finally here! @ Aug 14th 2008 5:06PM]

It's finally here!

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1811646

[alex @ Aug 14th 2008 5:29PM]

now i can resize my photos at a coffee table OR a globe :)

[L @ Aug 14th 2008 5:41PM]

Totally useless and strangely fascinating...

[StrangeBum @ Aug 14th 2008 5:44PM]

I'm loving this thing even more than the MS surface which I thought was pretty amazing too.

While it's still obviously early in development, I can imagine some really great apps being made for a display such as this. And I really liked the Sphere Paint program..pretty sweet stuff right there.

[chickenator @ Aug 14th 2008 6:06PM]

*yawn*

[jfrdricks63 @ Aug 14th 2008 6:08PM]

I am assuming that this is for instore point of sale displays and the like... not for actual consumer use.

[ill trooper @ Aug 14th 2008 6:14PM]

I have seen what the future will NOT be.

The one good use would be to draw a big Residents-style eyeball, and turn it so it appears to be looking around... Then I would think "This is the sort of thing you might be able to by from Sharper Image at the mall." But of course, they're out of business - see what I mean? I have seen what the future will NOT be.

[techieguru16 @ Aug 14th 2008 6:18PM]

and the point is?

[cmcman @ Aug 15th 2008 9:34AM]

Sphere's don't have points by definition....geez you got to explain everything to these "gurus"...or apple fan boi's or whatever they call themselves.

Happy, the ball itself has it's own energy or life force if you will...his bags are packed... send him home. Send him home. WANT!

[Ethan @ Aug 14th 2008 6:35PM]

The whole concept seems to be a cul-de-sack to me.

[Joe Henson @ Aug 14th 2008 6:53PM]

What is it with multi touch and shrinking and enlarging photos?
Can't they think of any other use for this technology?

I hate it, look we can use this big (ass) ball to do what your phone dose.

The tech is great, bur there must be some more uses other than spinning a globe and chucking around photos...

Unless this is just something for Epcot Centre

[Decoy @ Aug 14th 2008 8:50PM]

Maybe painting, collaboration on documents, playing games, oh shit, THOSE WERE IN THE VIDEO.

[John @ Aug 14th 2008 7:42PM]

Great for fortune tellers but I'm not sure how useful a display like this would be to me. It's good to see Microsoft thinking outside the box - I'd to see that kind of thinking applied to Windows.

[konshuss @ Aug 14th 2008 7:48PM]

i wonder when CNN will be using one of these for the presidential coverage... except 50 times as big with its very own wolf blitzer inside like a snow globe

[rechnen @ Aug 14th 2008 8:21PM]

Fake steve jobs (in the video) failed basic geometry. Those air holes cannot be equidistant.

[linuxamp @ Aug 15th 2008 12:31AM]

What's up with MS and the lol cat? I hate that stuff.

IR Camera, IR LEDs.

It's "I am a camera" "We are LEDs" Sheesh.

[Jreg @ Aug 15th 2008 5:06AM]

IR Baboon!

[ryanrule @ Aug 15th 2008 12:34AM]

you must remember to look at this from a pr and marketing perspective. i mean imagine having a magic globe of awesome in the lobby of your amazing technology company. it fits, doesnt it?

[skulldriveshaft @ Aug 15th 2008 4:14AM]

another glorified informational kiosk display.

first a cube, now a sphere, a pyramid will be next.

has electronic arts given up their old logo?

[joe blow @ Aug 15th 2008 4:23AM]

Totally fucking useless. I could lay photos on a table and do that. And nobody wants to play games or watch video on a goddamn globe. Hey microsoft, why don't you do something about creating a decent OS, you bastards.

[neofolklore @ Aug 15th 2008 7:53AM]

I PUT ON MY ROBE AND WIZARD HAT

[Ian @ Aug 15th 2008 8:36AM]

They couldn't show a single useful application in the promotional video, and promo videos usually exaggerate how useful a product is. The real product is going to be even less useful for real-world applications. This will either be a rich man/company's toy, or an impulse purchase.

[Ed T @ Aug 15th 2008 9:39AM]

I remember seeing diagrams like these in proposals for advanced signal processing systems -- from the 1950s. If this is the best Microsoft "R&D" can do, Ballmer should fire the lot and sublease the empty office space.