Comments on: tv coke cans: microsoft’s next big idea [part 2]

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:39:31 +0000

Slightly unrelated, but I don’t think no. 5 should be on your list of how you interact *directly* with technology. It’s the differenct between interacting *with* tech and interacting *through* it.
The first four are your technological choice, and whether you like using the *prodcuts* defines whether you continue to do so for that service. You can change your mp3 player and still get the same end-service (i.e. listenting to music)just in a different way.
The fifth is a different equation though, as it’s tech as a utility. It enables you to do your job, but as a non-techie, I don’t care which type of server my email is running on as long as it’s running, and I can email my buddies, and I doubt you do either.
Surface as far as I can tell, is about trying to emulate what Apple has done in making interacting *with* the technonlogy as much of a pleasurable/fulfilling experience as interacting *through* it.

By: Milan Davidovic

Milan Davidovic — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:16:10 +0000

“But give it ten years… we could be surfing the net not just on TV screens, laptops and hand-held devices, but on cocktail tables in bars…”
I wonder how long before the Net starts surfing us — or maybe it is already.

By: bg

bg — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:05:18 +0000

It’s not in their DNA to innovate, especially from a content POV. Faster and cheaper may be in their equation, but ‘better’ rarely has, if ever.
My guess is the first prototype will have a huge orange cord attached.

By: Marcy

Marcy — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:51:21 +0000

A friend of mine just got a Palm Centro PDA/phone. It’s like a laptop but it’s a phone. It can do almost anything–it can’t make tea or bake cookies, but I’m sure that’s in the works. As long as people are willing to carry their technology with them and society allows people to access technology no matter where they are, Surface will eventually become ubiquitous, as will the other applications that follow/come with it. No one will be surprised to see it on the Coke can, the ketchup bottle or, eventually, the toilet roll.

By: phil jones

phil jones — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:37:46 +0000

You've seen these, right? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awjPUkBXOU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5EvhHy7eQ No reason at all that we can't have this technology in our living rooms for a couple of hundred dollars within 6 months. But not sure MS have the agility and courage to bring it to us. BTW : Unrelated question : any thoughts of a Stormhoek / WineM mashup? ( http://todbot.com/blog/2007/01/15/winem-a-thingm-technology-sketch/ )

By: Michelle Tackabery

Michelle Tackabery — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:17:14 +0000

Makes sense to me . . . with ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous marketing is obviously only going to be a millisecond behind.

By: hrishi

hrishi — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:37:00 +0000

I think when sensory input technology for computers matures a little more, the size of some computers will increase. Imagine dancers and martial artists in a room full of intelligent ’surface’ creating some amazing things. It would be so cool to have computers giving us full fledged workouts instead of RSI.
Note to self: Must start investing in some intelligent ad blocking open source software for my living room.

By: Mike Peter Reed

Mike Peter Reed — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:15:48 +0000

Nobody has a crystal ball.
But, if Microsoft can throw 5 billion R&D dollars into Vista, why the hell can’t it have Surface on a coke can today??? Apple has managed to squeeze multi-touch into the GUI on a phone. Yet Microsoft with 40 billion dollars in the bank, can only manage a matrix of projectors and mirrors in a coffee table? The only thing missing is the smoke.
As for servers in the office – I think certainly small offices will increasingly become reliant on cloud computing and forget running servers in the office. Today, google does domain hosting for email for free for up to 100 email accounts. You can add calendaring and on-line office productivity apps, all for free. Microsoft …. um, what does Microsoft do in that space today? If they have similar offerings then they should let people know. But would that eat into their office and server cash cow? I think so — so they let google take their customers away instead like the marketing retards they are. As many marketers have pointed out before, it’s better to compete with yourself and keep your customers …. right? Ray Ozzie has a tough job ahead of him else Microsoft will become the next Lotus Notes.
Microsoft needs to jump the curve, not the shark.

By: monkeyleader

monkeyleader — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:57:51 +0000

Microsoft may not always come to the table first, and even when they do come to the table they may not deliver the best 1st generation device.
Over the past 5 years a lot of their focus has been on the XBox brand. They openly admit the original Xbox was as much an experiment as a venture into gaming. They let that run, listened to the punters and bamb, what do we have – Xbo360 + Xbox live (goodnight Sony)
I think their next big space could be on the Zune – again 1st generation device wasn’t first to the table, nor did it even compare to the iPod. And many would argue tht it still does not compare, at least in looks, but many features are coming along which are getting people quite excited. Look out Apple, especially those with an MS operating system, combined with an Xbox (with HD-DVD and video download center (soon to come IPTV)) with the Zune thrown in for good measure = Microsoft control your TV space.
They may not come to the table first, but Microsoft rarely loose !
Nige

By: Clarence Wigfall

Clarence Wigfall — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:48:59 +0000

Hello Hugh,
Real changes will be more like:
Silicon becomes obsolete – organic wireless Internet protocol emerges – computer screens, keyboards, sound systems replaced by organic interface.
Demand for traditional computer techs drops to zero – computing becomes biological function – maintained by medical, biochemical and psychological teams.
No later than 2012.

By: Chris Lehmann

Chris Lehmann — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:03:31 +0000

A-yep.
The moment I saw Jeff Han’s TED Talk, I thought, “O.k. – *now* everything is different.”

By: jed baxter

jed baxter — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:02:52 +0000

I feel this is the way things are panning out. It’s pointing a bit scary / blade-runner / kind of world, where marketeers chase you into every corner. But on the whole, ubiquitous net access is where I’d like to be. But it has to be 2-way. Not just ‘what would you like to buy today’ – but also, ‘here is the latest message from your friend – do you want to respond?’ And if that is on the side of Coke can.. maybe.. just maybe… I might buy into it.