Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Microsoft Surface
Following in the footsteps of the JazzMutant Lemur (a multi-touch multimedia control surface, pictured left) and the multi-touch screen interaction research by Jeff Han (amazing, amazing stuff) of NYU and PerceptivePixel, Microsoft launched their own "new product category" on May 29th in their announcement of Microsoft Surface, a multi-touch horizontal display reminiscent of old-school tabletop Pac Man and those cool touch-screens from Minority Report (below, a co-workers artist's rendering of Microsoft Surface).
Surface lets you manipulate objects on the screen with both hands, and can detect what kind of objects are resting on it, which allows for a number of hot applications, including the ability to manipulate a map, shrink it and access personalized info for nearby restaurants, attractions, and clubs, as well as the ability to sit at a Surface while dining, see real-time wine pairings, choose menu items, and split the bill (no word yet on how it responds to spill damage).
Microsoft has its first partners with the leisure, entertainment, and retail industries, before they plan on expanding to other industries. With a ton of high-end restaurants, hotels and other venues in the US, the market for Microsoft Surface is strong. Harrah’s Entertainment, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, and T-Mobile USA are all announced partners.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Rhapsody pulls member profiles... temporarily?
A message on all Rhapsody (Rhapsody Music Service not Rhapsody of Fire) member pages says:
"Coming Soon...
Where's your profile page? Due to user feedback regarding the new community features we need a little more time to get them working just right. Check back soon for the latest updates."
In other words, "O NOES, DO NOT WANT"
In other words, "O NOES, DO NOT WANT"
Parasites.
I had a discussion with a person who has demonstrated knowledge on the subject of "parasites", as he picked off three ticks from his person this morning after a night of romping around a Scheneckaneck bonfire. He claims that Lyme Disease does not, contrary to my personal belief, require that you take antibiotics the rest of your life. He also claims that if you pick a tick off of your body within 24-48HRS you have less of a chance at contracting Lyme Disease. I told him he was stupid, and that he was also a liar.
Parasites, as I understand them, fall into two categories: evolved and prehistoric. Evolved parasites are the kind that we, as superior Hu-mans, have inside our bodies. They consist of, at most, 22% candy and may also contain smiles. The other kind, the prehistoric, include everything else that tries to kill or bite the Hu-man. Again, the key characteristic of the "prehistoric parasite" is the killing and biting that it attempts to do, and anything that attempts to kill or bite a hu-man can be labeled and categorized a "prehistoric parasite".
Parasites, as I understand them, fall into two categories: evolved and prehistoric. Evolved parasites are the kind that we, as superior Hu-mans, have inside our bodies. They consist of, at most, 22% candy and may also contain smiles. The other kind, the prehistoric, include everything else that tries to kill or bite the Hu-man. Again, the key characteristic of the "prehistoric parasite" is the killing and biting that it attempts to do, and anything that attempts to kill or bite a hu-man can be labeled and categorized a "prehistoric parasite".
