I was surprise when a friend send these video links to me. It looks like Microsoft is producing a new generation of computer. If you watch the video clip in the below, you may see some new technologies, interacting computer with banking, purchasing something with credit card, transfering an image to your phone by just dragging the picture to the mobile. This is something very interesting, yes?


Caption: new technologies developed by Microsoft

In fact, I attended some conferences at Cambridge university in 2007. The Microsoft representer demonstrated something similar to this. However, they have no concrete idea of how are they going to utilise the technology developed, as yet. So, they started with some minor research, producing an augmented reality notice board. Augmented reality is referred to some new technologies, emerging computer generated graphics onto the real world. In other words, it represents the augmentation of artificially synthesized graphics into the real-world environment.


Caption: an example of augmented reality


Caption: another example of augmented reality

These are new technologies which has attracted many researcher to set a focus on it. In the past few years, researcher manage to interact the augmented reality (AR) technology into the design of haptic interface, with which we could now touch the computer generated graphics with a data glove.


Caption: data glove

Sometimes, I was imagining if the AR technology could be useful in minimising some security related issues. If shops selling gold jewelery implemented AR technology in their shop, will that help to reduce security issues? Well, this is just an opinion :)

In the conference, the Microsoft presenter suggest that this electronic notice board will be useful in school (but he only explained very briefly, guess the lack of idea at that time). Anyway, this new technology is a depiction of future computers, where we do not need to have a keyboard or mouse as controller in the user interface.


Caption: a demo of Sony's pocket-sized unknown technology

On the other hand, Sony came out with some relatively similar technology. I personally believe that this technology would be very beneficial for people especially when dealing with e-commerce.


Caption: latest Japan technology

Recently, BBC reported some kind of mechanical technology developed by the Japanese. Equipting some machines such as talking device and GPS system, this machine is definitely not a normal one.

Very cool isn't it?