Microsoft's Multitouch Coffee Table Display

longacre writes "Popular Mechanics takes the Microsoft Surface system for a hands-on video test drive. To be announced at today's D5 conference, the coffee-table-esqe device allows manipulation from multiple touch points, while infrared, WiFi and Bluetooth team up to allow wireless transfers between devices placed on top of it, such as cameras and cell phones. Expected to launch before the end of the year in the $5,000-$10,000 range, the devices might not make their way under many Christmas trees, but will find the insides of Starwood hotels, Harrah's casinos and T-Mobile shops."

Comments

Where do ideas come from?

[Geoffrey.landis]

Wow, that's annoying. I wrote a computer display coffee-table into a science-fiction story that I just finished writing, and now everybody's going to think I just steal ideas from reading Slashdot.

Initially...

[Anonymous Coward]

... it was a chair with a screen in it, but every morning when the designers came in for work the chair had been thrown around...

FTFA

[Scrameustache]

forget the keyboard and mouse: The next generation of computer interfaces will be hands-on. That is THE stupidest thing I've read all day, and I've been to fark!

Now, excuse me while I try to nudge my mouse with my mouth...

Ob

[Mateo_LeFou]

Wireless. Same size as a sofa table. Lame.

Re:Credit where due department (Yeah To MIT)

[samkass]

And it's built from the same Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen that everything else is built from, too! Jeez, can't Microsoft come up with some original atoms to use???

Re: Microsoft's Multitouch Coffee Table Display

[norminator]

And if the coffee cup driver isn't digitally signed by Microsoft, you'll get a warning message every time you set it on the table.

Actually, I'd be pissed if someone set their coffee cup on my $10,000 electronic multi-touch coffee table anyway. I think the warnings should say "Even if this driver is signed by Microsoft...USE A COASTER!!.

Not much of a coffee table if you can't set your coffee cup on it.

Re:Credit where due department

[Jtheletter]

Oh Cripes, throw me a technology idea that no one else has thought of first. I challenge you.

Oh I cannot resist. How about..... an electromagnetic colorectal implant. It can be used to stick your keys, cellphone, etc to your waist w/o need for pouches or a belt, it helps you... uh, stick to metal seats better? Oh, and you can make interesting light shows by shakin' your booty next to CRTs. Just don't walk too close to the knife bock in your kitchen with it turned on!

I *really* hope no one else has thought of that.

Dumb

[Anonymous Coward]

Once again Microsoft proves to the world that it can do anything right. There isn't a single cup holder anywhere on the stupid thing. And where are the ashtrays?

Steve Jobs could squeeze out something juicier than this in a two minute trip to the bathroom.

Re:Finally!

[Judg3]

Wow, you're quite the clever one, aren't you?
I shall be just as clever:
1999 called, it wants it's joke back.

Re:Imagine the possibilities for tabletop gaming .

[Fred_A]

Hmm...I wonder what happens when you put your drink on the MS table?

You can upload your coffee to your Java enabled phone apparently.

Re:Other Articles

[stonecypher]

I wonder what the Blue Screens look like?

I'd imagine they're fairly blue.

That's no table!

[SuperKendall]

Bad news - that's no table, that's the new Zune Phone rumored for so long to compete against the iPhone!

Llama or sherpa not included.

Re:Porn has to be the killer application for this

[ubuwalker31]

Well, according to the article, they eventually want to get this technology embedded into walls and ceilings. Just imagine the possibilities...beyond porn directly above your bed of course...

For example, imagine if your 'computer wall' could display an electronic companion that followed you around the house (naked) and did various tasks that you asked of it. (sort of like a nude clipy) The possibilities are endless.