• January 17th, 2012

    A Close Look At Samsung And Microsoft’s Surface 2.0 (AKA SUR40)

    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

    The Surface has been around since 2007, but the new and improved SUR40 is a much more usable device. Microsoft and Samsung were showing off the new touch-capable table in NYC today, and I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with it.

    The specs in and of themselves are impressive: 40-inch 50-point multitouch screen with a 1080×1920 resolution, AMD processors, 1GB of memory dedicated entirely to graphics, a 4-inch profile, and a host of USB/HDMI ports. It’s the computer you always wanted, save for the fact that it looks like a kitchen table and costs about $9,000.
    → Read More

    January 16th, 2012

    The Surface 2.0 From Microsoft And Samsung Ships At Last

    sur40

    If you’re wondering why we didn’t stop by to test out the Samsung SUR40 touch-table, AKA the Surface 2.0, during CES, there’s a good reason: we did that last year. The device, while impressive, isn’t exactly new. But as it has little in the way of competition — the Surface is the nonpareil of touch tables — they probably didn’t feel they needed to get it out in any kind of hurry.

    The device, which costs $8400 and ships this month, must be quite a bit more attractive than the original to companies eager to spruce up their public spaces. The old Surface was kind of a chunk, and the limited resolution was no help, either. Oh, and the price. The new Surface beats it handily in every respect. It’s flatter, lighter, wall-mountable, and 1080p. → Read More

    November 17th, 2011

    Microsoft And Samsung’s Surface 2 Now Up For Pre-Order

    Microsoft_surface_SUR40

    Fond as we are of Microsoft’s touchscreen Surface table and all of the kooky things people have made it do, its replacement has come one step closer to seeing the light of day. Samsung and Microsoft have just announced that the next-generation Surface table, the SUR40, is now available for preorder in over 23 countries.
    → Read More

    September 5th, 2011

    Microsoft’s Surface Garage: A Cross-Department Development Team, With Pizza And Beer

    dots1

    Despite being the only TechCrunch writer in Seattle, I don’t get out to Microsoft nearly as much as one might expect. The fact is it’s on the other side of a big lake and getting there usually involves a lot of traffic. But when I get an invite like I did recently, to join a sort of unofficial Surface developers’ club for a meeting, it’s hard to say no. The promise of free pizza had nothing to do with my enthusiasm. I like the Surface.

    So it was that I got to join a group of developers from all around Microsoft as they spitballed ideas, compared new projects, and developed a new feature as I watched. They didn’t initiate me into the mysteries of the device or swear me to secrecy regarding plans of world domination, but I got to see some cool new Surface apps and contribute to the development of a new feature. Also, they had Alaskan Amber. → Read More

    June 30th, 2011

    Microsoft Takes A Few Minutes To Laud The New Surface

    It’s a bit of a random time for a video like this, seeing as the announcement was back at CES and we had a nice, thorough hands-on with the new SUR40 Surface then, but hey. Maybe you missed it. If you don’t mind a little redundancy (and of course, the ever-present soft techno), this is a nice way to catch up on Microsoft’s Surface project. → Read More

    May 12th, 2011

    Discussion Table: Pioneer's (Awesome) Take On Microsoft's Surface (Video)

    Yesterday, Pioneer unveiled the WWS-DT101 Discussion Table [JP], which is essentially the company’s answer to Microsoft’s Surface – just bigger and better. The main component here is the 52-inch multi-touch “interactive” LCD display with full HD resolution that supports up to 10 points of contact simultaneously. → Read More

    May 9th, 2011

    Microsoft Research Looking Into Better, Whole-Hand Touchscreen Gestures

    One of the main limitations on touchscreen interfaces these days is that all you can do is poke at them. We do all kinds of things with our hands, but when it comes to screens, we just poke at them all day. UIs are doing all right, since our phone OSes still mimic mouse-based desktop OSes to some extent, but Microsoft is looking to ways to integrate more natural hand gestures incorporating more than just a “click” derived from a fingertip.

    Hrvoje Benko, a researcher at Microsoft, is working on methods of recognizing shapes formed by hands and equating those with spatially-consistent gestures. Check out the video inside. → Read More

    January 27th, 2011

    The Microsoft Surface Becomes An AR.Drone Remote

    Man, I love me some AR.Drone. It’s literally the coolest thing I’ve used in a long time. And the best part? It just gets cooler. This video shows us what I’m assuming is a non-doctored video of a WinWise employee using a Microsoft Surface to control a Parrot AR.Drone. → Read More

    April 9th, 2010

    Pen and finger interface on a Surface looks extremely Courier-like

    Hmm. What does this remind me of? Oh, that’s right, the Courier. The ability to use both finger and pen on the Courier concept seems like it would benefit from these UI elements — and probably is. I doubt the two projects could be working on ideas so complementary and not be aware of each other. Or could they? Whatever the case, it looks pretty cool. When I talk about touch-based interfaces, I think of stuff like that little pull-out toolbar and natural gestures like holding something down with one hand and tapping it with another — not the multi-touch-for-baby of the iPad/iPhone interface. → Read More

    March 26th, 2010

    Texas Hold 'em on the Microsoft Surface

    Games like this are exactly why Microsoft Surface is going to be a compelling platform. Some students ported Texas Hold ‘em to Surface, but added the ability to look at your cards from a mobile device. Placing a bet is as easy as dragging a chip on to the playing field, and you can even split a chip’s denomination by tapping it. I’d be interested to see what the final version of this product. It’s also good to see Surface gaming used for more then just role playing games. [via Gizmodo] → Read More

    March 10th, 2010

    The iTable continues to develop and show gaming potential

    We’ve told you about the iTable before, and PQ Labs. They showed off their latest stage in the development process at CeBIT this year, by installing the screen into a coffee table. The newest version can register up to 32 touch points and actually determine the shape of the object being placed on the screen. → Read More

    March 1st, 2010

    Microsoft Surface could go mobile with this miniature projected version


    One of the universal complaints about the Surface is its size — and competitors like the iTable, Displax, and FlatFrog are attempting to strike at that weak point before Microsoft comes out with the inevitable flat version. But if this nascent project being pursued by Microsoft Research bears fruit, the next version of the Surface might not have a screen at all. → Read More

    February 10th, 2010

    Hands-on: D&D on the Microsoft Surface

    http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9361738&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1 I just returned from the Microsoft campus (well, I stopped for a panini), where students from Carnegie Mellon University are showing off their awesome project, a version of D&D that runs on the Surface. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, just recognize that this isn’t just a holy grail for tabletop gaming nerds. I mean, it’s that too, but really it’s a proof of concept that shows how fun and intuitive something like this can be, and how accessible a team can make it. I honestly think that if they had these things scattered around like Golden Tee cabinets, they’d get a huge following. → Read More

    September 3rd, 2009

    Coming to PAX? Be sure to check out the Surface

    If you’re coming up to the Emerald City to hit up PAX, there are a lot of things you’re probably going to want to check out. But I’m going to make a point of dropping by the console free play room, where it is whispered there will be a Surface loaded with every Penny Arcade comic as well as PAX-related media and games. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play with one of these things (you can’t be blamed, they’re mostly in Hiltons and Las Vegas), there’s no time like the present. → Read More

    May 27th, 2009

    Windows 7 and Microsoft Surface play well together

    A couple weeks ago we got an early demo of the Surface SP1 update, and saw that one of the goals of which was to improve Windows-Surface cross-compatibility and encourage developers to make their apps touch-compatible. Looks like that work goes both ways, as it appears that Surface content and functionality is going to be kicking it with Windows 7.

    Check out the video inside. Everyone loves videos. → Read More

    May 11th, 2009

    Microsoft Surface SP1 adds features, better support

    This last Friday, a few of the developers behind Microsoft Surface took some time out of their schedules to meet with us and talk about what’s coming in their Surface Service Pack 1, due to be rolled out today. Now, it’s called a service pack for a reason — as opposed to a fun pack — this update is a response to the requests and concerns of the community using and developing for the Surface, so it’s not about flashy new gizmos and eye candy, but usability.

    There are still a few new visible features, and it’s always fun to play with a Surface, so there’s a nice video for you to watch if you’re interested in how the Surface is changing and how Microsoft is responding to developer feedback. It’s easier to show them than explain them at length, so check them out in the exclusive video inside. → Read More

    April 27th, 2009

    Videos: The future as seen by Microsoft

    Ladies and germs, behold the wonders of what’s to come. Someday we will live in a world that is filled with Microsoft Surface-like devices and everything will blend seamlessly together. Our notebooks will become manufacturing facilities and scanners. Shopkeeper’ countertops will be large touchscreens and our desks will be virtual desks. The future, according to Microsoft, will be grand and wonderful.

    Watch the two videos after the jump about Microsoft’s vision of XUI – experience user interfaces – to experience the future too. → Read More

    January 12th, 2009

    Microsoft making a big investment in Surface

    Microsoft is spending quite a bit of money to make sure you are going to be able to use their Surface technology with Windows 7. They are the major partner in a venture funding investment to a company that makes touch screen hardware. → Read More

    January 10th, 2009

    Look out, Microsoft Surface – the iTable might just trump you in every way

    Who would have thought that one of the coolest things we’ve seen at CES would be hidden in a 10×10 booth at the very back of the South Hall? Like a diamond in the rough, there sat the PQ Labs iTablet.

    They’ve essentially taken the idea behind the Microsoft Surface and have done it better in every way. It’s cheaper, it’s gorgeous, and perhaps most notably, it’s not a hulking monster. → Read More

    November 12th, 2008

    Watch out, Surface; GestureTek is straight frontin'

    I guess you don’t know you’re leading the pack unless you hear the other dogs barking at your heels. GestureTek is a company that puts out touch- and gesture-based interactive screens in more various forms than the Microsoft Surface project. From what I can tell, it doesn’t track as exactly or as reliably as the seriously stress-tested Surface, but it also has a more attractive form factor in this thing (autoplaying video warning). I can’t tell what it’s using to track movement, but it looks to be sufficient for the basic applications that would be running in, say, a mall kiosk: a map, sales, basic product browsing and so on. → Read More

    Upcoming Events

    Disrupt SF 2012

    San Francisco, CA

    Real-Time
    Crunchbase

    Copperfasten — Received €500k in Unattributed funding from Enterprise Ireland and Oyster Technology Investments
    5.27.2012
    Himax Technologies — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.28.2012
    5.27.2012
    Compliance11 — Acquired by Compliance11, Inc..
    11.15.2012
    Facebook — Went public with stock symbol NASDAQ:FB.
    5.18.2012
    Compliance11 — Acquired by Compliance11, Inc..
    11.15.2012
    Bolt | Peters — Acquired by Facebook for $50M.
    6.21.2012
    GlobalEnglish — Acquired by Pearson for $90M.
    5.25.2012
    Chick Approved — Acquired by Lockerz.
    5.25.2012
    PowerReviews — Acquired by Bazaarvoice for $151M.
    5.24.2012
    Copperfasten — Received €500k in Unattributed funding from Enterprise Ireland and Oyster Technology Investments
    5.27.2012
    Undo Software — Received Unattributed funding from Cambridge Angels group
    5.27.2012
    Soteira — Received $375k in Debt funding
    5.25.2012
    Spectra Analysis — Received $125k in Debt funding
    5.25.2012
    Exec — Received $3.3M in Seed funding
    5.25.2012
    5.27.2012
    Enterprise Ireland — Invested in Copperfasten.
    5.27.2012
    5.27.2012
    NextView Ventures — Invested in TurningArt.
    5.23.2012
    5.25.2012
    Facebook — Went public with stock symbol NASDAQ:FB.
    5.18.2012
    Himax Technologies — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.28.2012
    Medivation — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.28.2012
    Copperfasten — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.28.2012
    Undo Software — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.28.2012
    Z Glass Design — Company added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    Google Chromium — Product added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    cloudbank — Product added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    mywheebox — Product added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    Antifraud publications — Product added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    The Permissioner — Product added to CrunchBase
    5.26.2012
    CrunchBase