Hey, want to know what the future looks like? Okay, how about what Microsoft thinks the future will look like? If you're still reading, Stephen Elop, Microsoft's Business Division President, recently presented that vision as part of this year's
TechFest. In an embedded video below you can get a glimpse, which includes plenty of augmented reality, a personal identification device that could (finally) replace your wallet, and naturally lots and lots of
Surface action -- extending from tables to walls and beyond. Some of these conceptual clips are old, but overall it looks like something of a computing utopia to us, and according to Elop these are all representative of currently active projects. But, with the company
shedding employees and surely focusing on tangible revenue
right now, we're wondering how long they'll stay that way.
<![CDATA[&amp;lt;a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-GB&amp;amp;playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a517b260-bb6b-48b9-87ac-8e2743a28ec5&amp;amp;showPlaylist=true&amp;amp;from=shared" target="_new" title="Future Vision Montage"&amp;gt;Video: Future Vision Montage&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;]]>
posted March 2nd 2009 9:44AM
That sure looks like an irritating place to live or work.
ADD isn't a disorder! It's a feature and your future!!
Oh, but notice how at 0:41 the venerable Windows XP is STILL around.
I think this part is the funniest of all: Microsoft makes revolutionairy video's and concepts, they are truly awesome, but everytime they update their products, the software doesn't look a itsy bit like what they do in the concepts!
They keep adding more and more features (read: buttons) and the concepts look simplistic (read: Appl-istic).
But okay, Microsoft DID make this video *applaudes... a bit*.
Stylus..... Still=??????
And what's wrong with styli? I know a lot of people thing fingers are the best input for a touch device, but there are also a lot of people that like to jot down notes using some instrument, rather than fingers, and it doesn't leave fingerprints or fingernail scratches. Also, if there's small items on a screen, styli can be useful.
The concepts in the video looked finger-friendly enough anyway.
Does no one view all this as a major invasion of privacy?
no
How? The big screens are meant for sharing and interacting if that's what you're wondering...
!
Watch the video and then watch the related videos. Those are the vids this one is a montage of. They show complete scenarios and give a much more complete view of how this all in their view will work. Integrated systems, context-aware devices, wall screens, it looks great to me. It's Microsofts version of the Starfire movie from 1992 made by Sun Microsystems.
I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE AND IT
is pretty darn boring. Plus it has finger smudges over every surface.
pretty cool if you ask me
So much of that exists already. I want it all to work like that now! gimmie gimmie gimmie
Yes, Microsoft can sit back and say "this is what we hope it looks like" but in reality, you are going to have annoying pop-ups saying "Are you sure you want to use your virtual wallet for this? Yes or no?" and 99% of the functions that occurred (figuring out what plant that was) will never be Microsoft apps, but 3rd party and you can bet that it will have their stupid logo plastered all over the screen.
I look forward to the day where every shiny surface in my house gets the BSOD at the same time!
The future is BLUE
I'm crying a little on the inside for the tech support of the future. Can you even imagine trying to troubleshoot any of that? It looks amazing while it's working, but as soon as it breaks... shoot, I might rather just buy a new one.
Future Tech support (in a thick incomprehensible accent): Throw it away and buy another.
I so wish I'm alive in the *future* because this is some neat stuff....makes me wonder how high the rate of identity theft will be with better and improved tool to go undetected....
the future is coming
AHEM. For anyone who liked this video, the FULL VERSION is over here...
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20090228/microsoft-office-labs-vision-2019-video/
Download Squad caught this a while ago. Way to keep up :P
Uh oh, there's a multi-touch pinch gesture in the video. I feel a lawsuit coming!!
Cool concepts. What you have seen in that video is likely years out and will not look as nice. This is similar to the future car experience when you go to a car show. Lots of prototypes that never materialize. Nice in concept, never become reality. I hope we can have tech like this in our lifetime. Somehow I just doubt it.
actually, im pretty sure if you went to an auto show 10 years ago,
and then looked at the cars today...
you wouldnt feel the same way.
Did you notice that not everybody is white in the future?
In the future, the sun goes out and humans don't need melanin anymore.
That is ridiculous. Why would we have 1000 different devices to do the same things? Small computers, large computers, wall computers, holographic computers.. that is stupid.
I can tell you right now what the future is:
===> Wireless personal glasses with micro projectors and ultrasonic sound transmitters.
Looks like the future is going to be cool-looking and transparent. Can we see some of those appearing phones in the video as a hint of upcoming Zune phone?
Why does the lady in the store pull out an old flip phone. lol
Man, I loved the visuals! This is exactly the kind of VFX I love working on. Energizing, innovative, and simply cool to look at!
I'd like to know which studio did this amazing spot?
That's just awesome. However, I expect us to destroy ourselves first before any of those cool stuff happening. Oh, and note that there are no flying cars.
I like it, but why do they always ignore the COMPUTER READING OUR MINDS. All these neat multi touch like, Minority Report-type interfaces are cool. But scrolling through things with your mind and picking/pulling up a file near instantly with your mind is a far better interface than waving your hands around in the air.
And what happens to these poor fools when the power blacks out?
According to MS, the future is full of useless gadgets which only suck power and deplete rescources. Seriously, do you reckon that kid will actually learn to speak any foreign language when it's already nicely spelled out to them whilst a pretty rain cloud avatar floats across the room .....aaaahh how nice....
Alls I can see is people getting lazier and less involved with reality.
No I'm not Amish :)
Why does everyone seem to believe that the future of desktop computers is vertical multi-touch displays??? I like touch and multi-touch in certain situations --- like a portable device --- but imagine how uncomfortable it would be to interact with a touch monitor for hours with your arms held out at length... Just won't happen, a mouse is still more efficient.
Looks great. I love all the concepts!
Apple fanboys should go shoot themselves with a virtual touch screen....which is located in their scrotum.
WANT.
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!
how does porno look on that stuff in the future? can my wallet have a moose knuckle? will my table have breasts?
pretty cool if you ask me
pretty cool if you ask me