 Microsoft announced yesterday its new project, named Surface Computing. In a few words its a high-tech table, with multi-touchscreen capabilities trying to connect the real with the virtual world making the keyboard and mouse obsolete. Find out how Zune will be part of this new world of computing...
EDIT: This article has been rewritten on June 3rd. The original was lost because of technical problems.
Microsoft Surface purpose is to bring a new kind of interactivity between the real and the virtual world. Its what the mouse did some years ago and the touchscreen later. This one allows multi-touchscreen from many users at the same time. Beyond that it can identify objects on the table who have a circle-code at their bottom (like we say barcode) and interact with them using bluetooth and wifi. Sorry no USB cables allowed here! Here is a Surface diagram: 
Diagram by Intoaroute | (1) Screen: A diffuser turns the Surface's acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal "multitouch" screen, capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface can also recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded "domino" tags. | (2) Infrared: Surface's "machine vision" operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960. | | (3) CPU: Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers — a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using WiFi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft Vista. | (4) Projector: Microsoft's Surface uses the same DLP light engine found in many rear-projection HDTVs. The footprint of the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768 pixels, is actually smaller than the invisible overlapping infrared projection to allow for better recognition at the edges of the screen. |
What this thing can do ? How about painting using your fingers and hands or common brushes after placing them in the virtual ink color you want? Or solving a video puzzle moving glass bricks arround the screen until you find the proper places? How about ordering in a restaurant browsing the catalog on your table or changing the music you listen to in a hotel room?
Microsoft has also created an interface for T-Mobile stores. The client can place one or two mobile phones on the Surface and their features appear around them. He can then compare them to select the one which fits his needs and customize the plan or load some ringtones. Everything is done via drag 'n' drop using only his fingers. Surface also has an interface made for easy customizing photos taken from the internet, a camera, a mobile phone etc. These can be viewed, zoomed in - zoomed out, and also shared drag 'n dropping them to another device. This how Zune will also come in. Zune Marketplace will be integrated in Surface and users will choose their content and drag 'n' drop it in their Zunes. Placing two Zunes on Surface, photo and track sharing will be also easy to do. Microsoft has created an application for a Hotel and Resorts firm and showed how all these can work with Zune in the future. Check also this strange photo showing the Zune executives with Surface photos . Maybe Zune has more to do with Surface than one can see at first look.
Check some photos with Zune on Surface below:
For more information and Videos showing how Surface works, you can go to the PopularMechanics article. You should really watch the video on Channel 10 showing how Zune will work with Surface in the future. More info on Microsoft: Microsoft Surface site . Related articles:
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