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At its annual Microsoft Research (MSR) showcase event, Microsoft plans to show off a host of new technologies in the works, including a new Mobile Surface technology and new advancements in cloud computing, according to published reports.
The Microsoft Research event, known as TechFest 2010, will feature what Microsoft refers to as its “Mobile Surface,” a mobile version of the company’s Surface technology, which is currently available on a large table system.
According to a description from the Microsoft Research site:
““Our goal is to bring Microsoft Surface experience to mobile scenarios, and more importantly, to enable 3D interaction with mobile devices. We do research on how to transform any surface (e.g., a coffee table or a piece of paper) to Mobile Surface with a mobile device and a camera-projector system. Besides this, our work also includes how to get 3D object model in real-time, augmented reality and multiple-layer 3D information presentation.”“
Among other new technologies Microsoft is slated to display at TechFest are two new developments known as “Cloud Mouse” and “Cloud Faster.” The Cloud Mouse technology is described as “a secure key to every user’s cloud data. And, with six degrees of freedom and with tactile feedback, the cloud mouse will enable users to orchestrate, interact with, and engage with their data as if they were inside the cloud.”
Cloud Faster is the overall name for two projects, including the “Application Proxies at the Edge,” (wide-area TCP) and “DCTCP Transport Optimization for Datacenters.”
A description of the project on the MSR site said:
““To make cloud computing work, we must make applications run substantially faster, both over the Internet and within data centers. Our measurements of real applications show that today’s protocols fall short, leading to slow page-load times across the Internet and congestion collapses inside the data center. We have developed a new suite of architectures and protocols that boost performance and the robustness of communications to overcome these problems.”“
TechFest 2010 will be open to Microsoft employees and some customers and partners only. However, the software giant invited a select group of press and bloggers to see previews of some of the upcoming technology the company is working on in its research labs. The MSR showcase officially opens March 2.
Todd Bishop of TechFlash-who witnessed a preview demonstration-reports that MSR also will show off a “Translating Telephone,” which will translate from one language to another so that users on a phone call who do not speak the same language can successfully communicate.