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Roundup of Microsoft Research At TechFest 2009

An anonymous reader writes "Ars Technica has a very thorough post of some of the technologies that Microsoft researchers showed off at TechFest last week. 'The exact number of projects that were demonstrated at TechFest 2009 is not clear, but here's a quick rundown of about 35 research projects that haven't received much coverage, accompanied by links that will let you further explore if your interest is piqued. Remember that these are concepts and prototypes, not finished products, and they may never end up becoming anything significant.'" While Microsoft has been criticized for squandering a fortune on R&D, there can be no doubt that they are showing off some cool tech here.

5 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Here's hoping ... by ozmanjusri · · Score: 0, Troll
    How do you know its poorly written, if it is proprietary?

    Reading things like this should give you a hint.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  2. Re:Good for them by ozmanjusri · · Score: 0, Troll
    Yeah its microsoft, but of late it seems they are trying to release sound technology

    Actually, the last item on the list - just below "Profiling the Performance of Distributed Systems" is very relevant to their main source of revenue.

    "Closing Thoughts"; how very appropriate.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  3. Re:Good for them by Jurily · · Score: 0, Troll

    It's like going to the restroom and unexpectedly finding your longtime neighbor who asks if he can watch you shower and take a dump. Even if he leaves after you tell him no, he shouldn't have been there in the first place. And you're never going to trust him again.

    That's the best analogy of Microsoft I've ever heard.

    BTW Google did something like that integrating gtalk into gmail. Like I'd want anyone to know when I'm checking my email. However, once you turn it off, it stays there and you basically never hear about it again unless you want to. Stupid idea, but at least they made the saving throw.

  4. Re:Here's hoping ... by 1s44c · · Score: 0, Troll

    I've never experienced an automatic reboot as far as I can remember

    In which case you are not applying critical patches and your machine is dangerously insecure.

  5. No you idiot, you utterly miss my point by SuperKendall · · Score: 0, Troll

    No one should have funded all that crap on quantum mechanics back in the early part of the 20th century. No one could see far enough ahead to point to any useful trinkets for you to be blinded by.

    Read again imbecile. Your whole rant is pointless because YOU AGREE WITH ME.

    That is to say, I did not in any way attack R&D. I attacked Microsoft for doing deep R&D that THE HUMAN RACE WILL NEVER REALLY SEE OR USE. It's like the R&D tree falling in a forest, there is no sound nor other effect as far as humanity is concerned. All those cool things you read about might as well be in an SF story because, being within Microsoft R&D I can say wth certainty I'll never see them applied to anything I or anyone else outside Microsoft would use.

    What if all the Quantum research had been done at Micrsoft? You wouldn't know of it to tout. If Descarte had been a Microsoft Fellow you could kiss your beloved coordinate syste goody.

    I only savage you with ad-hominem attacks because you are so dangerously wrong, and seemingly seek to imperil that which you admire most. If Microsoft were the model for "real R&D" the human race would be screwed out of true advancement. Microsoft is engaging in the purest form of masturbatory R&D, instead of birthing new ideas and products which is much harder because it involves adding a dash of practicality into the bubbling cauldron of whimsical R&D.

    Compare and contrast these cool things from Microsoft against something like Chrome from google which is actually shipping.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley