Incremental Blogger

From Channel9:

This session introduces the newly available Microsoft Surface SDK. Hear about the unique attributes of Microsoft Surface computing, dive into vision-based object recognition and core controls like ScatterView, and learn how the Surface SDK aligns with the multi-touch developer roadmap for Windows 7 and WPF. Additionally, learn how you can become a part of the expanding partner ecosystem for Microsoft Surface and leverage your existing investments in WPF and Visual Studio to build engaging end user applications. Attendees of this session will receive access to the Microsoft Surface SDK.

Robert Levy
Brad Carpenter
Brad leads SW Platform Development efforts for Microsoft Surface, including the development of the sub-system, Shell, and SDK. Previously Brad was General Manager in the Unlimited Potential group, developing Windows solutions & business opportunities to provide computing & information access for people in emerging economies. Previous to that, Brad was Director of HW & Driver Quality for Windows, responsible for device & driver coverage; development of driver development tools; overseeing WHQL & WinHEC; and partnering with the industry to fix blue screens. Brad started on LAN Manager in 1991, moved to work on Windows 95 and subsequent versions of Windows.PC17.wmv

Surface Programming Presentation

CNet is reporting that Microsoft is indicating that they will be giving attendees of PDC’s Surface session access to the Surface SDK.

The other day Bill Gates gave a speech to Stanford engineering students in which he talked about Tablet PCs, touch, and other devices “natural interfaces.”

From his speech, which you can read online at the link above: 

“You’re starting to see the beginnings of a change to a broad range of interaction techniques I call natural user interface. You see it in the 3D controller that the Wii has. You see it in the touch that the iPhone has. You see it in products like Microsoft Surface where we have cameras that can look at any gesture, any object that’s appearing, and seeing what you’re doing. You see it in RoundTable that sees who’s in the room and decides who’s speaking by taking these multiple camera feeds….We now have the power to perform natural user interface.

A form factor that I’m a big believer in, that I’m excited to make sure we keep investing in, to drive it so it’s attractive to the mainstream, is the tablet device. This is where you can read off the screen, that it’s light, cheap, long battery life; eventually a replacement for paper-based textbooks.

My daughter goes to a school where they use that Tablet PC, and they use the pen, and they’re very adept at it, and it’s amazing to see how they kind of learn in a different way, because they have that tool.

There’s still a lot of work to be done to get that down to the say several hundred dollars and the lightness and battery life that we need, but that is absolutely coming. It’s a fundamental tool that will change the consumption of learning material, and even in the office place will be the device that you have as you go off to meetings.”

Yes, Bill Gates is keeping up the vision of lower cost Tablets–especially for education. I hope there are some exciting things to come in the new future. With Intel’s next-gen, low-power processors we might begin to see all-day Tablets designed for education come to the forefront.

I was also glad to hear Bill Gates talk about touch surfaces as more than just the Surface computer:

“We now talk not just about computers on the desk but computers in the desk, because we can recognize what you’re putting there, and let you touch and expand things. Your desk will just be a horizontal surface display, your whiteboard will just be a vertical surface display. So, the ability there to take business information or project schedules and touch and manipulate and see those things, and then have a portion of it that’s a videoconference with another person where you’re working together and interacting, that will just be commonplace. When that’s cheap, people will go to that, and we need a whole new generation of software that can interact and use those things.”

He’s exactly right. Although I’d quibble with him a bit on some of this technology. There are already touch capable surfaces on the market that more and more schools and businesses are using, yet “touch” as a technology concept hasn’t been brought together into one cohesive model in Windows. I see this as a glaring missing opportunity. Touch as implemented in Surface is great, but there are many touch concepts that are almost identical in touch displays too. They need to all be brought together at the software level. You can tell it’s not there yet because all of the hardware companies are doing their own thing. This doesn’t help the software community. For these technologies to really catch on it’s not going to just be about cost, the software has to become more accessible and plentiful too.

Gottabemobile has a video or a cool Surface-like device primed for composing music. It’s called the “reacTable.”

We’ve seen this device before, but still it’s still slick to see the unit in action.

Is this the year of the surface?

Friends have been calling and IM’img me asking if I’ve seen the various news networks using table-top touch displays during their election coverage. Unfortunately I haven’t, but it sounds like table touch’s time has come.

Mini Microsoft dropped a little line that I just have to comment about. The quote:

“Figure a way to make a Surface the size of a laptop screen and you know I’ll buy one.”

Well, Mini, there is a way to do this and I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that Microsoft, the OEMs, and the ISVs will work together to make sure this happens. I’m not holding my breath though. That’s a bit too risky
Here’s the deal: Mutli-touch or dual touch or whatever touch is the state of the art right now. We’re at the point where compelling touch devices are practical and will be making their way into the marketplace. I’m not talking simply about resistive touch like you’ve seen in previous generations of Pocket PCs and the like. There’s now capacitive touch, which some Tablet PCs have (such as the Motion LE1700WT) and most notably is in the iPhone. It gives the sensitivity and durability that touch needs

Now currently there are no multi-touch Tablets or UMPCs, although at this past year’s Microsoft hardware event, Microsoft showed off a prototype two-touch point driver. My concern is that this feature will be too late if it ever arrives. The market is ready for it now and I see no indication it’s in the pipeline. You’d think if it were someone would be spreading the word to developers like myself. I’ve heard nothing.

Anyway, I have greater hope that someone will leapfrog ahead and release a multi-touch device. I’m talking about something akin to this display from Sharp that essentially embeds a camera in the display that can “see” your fingers. This is similar to Microsoft’s Surface approach but more compact. It can potentially all be built into a handheld computer. That a huge break through in my book and would give Mini what he wants and I think what many people want.

So is it time to hold my breath for this? Nope. Minimally it’s going to take a few years to see this technology make it’s way out of the research labs. But that doesn’t mean that Microsoft and others shouldn’t be gearing up for it. The Microsoft Surface computer as it sits now is the prototype hardware. Microsoft can open it up to developers on its campus and at events–creating an API that makes sense for the multi-touch world that’s going to happen. When the portable hardware is ready, the marketplace will be too.

Until then my suggestion for developers is get an iPhone and learn all you can from it.

According to CNet, the Microsoft Surface team is putting together a partner advisory group to help it build out a developer SDK. The article further states that Microsoft is projecting an SDK release sometime in April of 2008.

I’m looking forward to this.

I hope that as the Surface team appreciates the fact that multi-touch is not just a Surface computing feature and that there’s more potential here than just for this device.

Yeah, I’m sure the group is interested in seeing commercial success for their $10,000 boxes, but the concepts are broader. The Tablet PC/UMPC community should have a stake in this too. Why? Because, as these devices reach out to add multi-touch and/or multi-user capabilities, it would be a shame if the Surface team doesn’t share its experiences and knowledge–and who knows, source code with others.

The kiosk community probably would provide the greatest quality matches for what the Surface team is looking for, however, Surface computing shouldn’t be kept this niche.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for building focused 1.0 devices. The iPhone is a great example of this. Makes lots of sense. I just think that especially in the case of the Tablet market, projector-based systems and the like, we’re approaching the point where there’s “touch convergence,” if you will. The Surface team should be part of this.

Another area where Tablet PCs, UMPCs, and Surface Computing have a lot in common, is the need to “hide” the Windows shell. On UMPCs, Microsoft provides the Origami Experience as a touch-enhanced user experience. Surface, I assume, has or needs something too. My guess is that while building out optimized shell experiences and apps there will be many components and experiences that can be shared between these projects.

For instance, take the music industry. The Tablet PC is a great match for stage personnel, engineers, musicians, and the like. Well, what about a virtual patch board built using Surface technology? Or a multi-user, multi-touch board used to plan out lighting or staging? It makes sense for the design of these devices to benefit from each other rather than to be constructed in isolation.

I hope the Surface SDK team keeps that in mind as they seek out partners to work with.

Channel10, CNet, MSNBC, and a growing collection of others are talking about the just announced Surface Computing effort at Microsoft–previously called the PlayTable.

The idea is simple: Project onto a surface and enable the user to interact with the projected display by sensing fingers and other objects using a series of cameras (both located behind the user surface). The sensing technology enables some interesting scenarios, such as multi-touch detection and tracking, “scanning” of photos or any document, and even 3D objects.

Microsoft is unique in that it is trying to merge these technologies into a cohesive offering.

I hope, however, that there’s also some active thinking about the core technologies involved here–and I don’t mean simply in terms of the hardware. I’m talking software.

There’s lots of overlap here with Tablet technologies, for instance. Multi-touch is just one. Then there’s the overlap with projector-based whiteboard systems–the commercial ones I’m aware of use forward projectors–but many of the ideas are the same.

Take “awareness” as another feature that should be shared among more computing devices. In Microsoft’s Surface computing initiative, embedded cameras are used to detect and initiate conversations with other electronic devices put on its surface. Most mobile PCs and devices have similar needs. When two kids are sitting in the back of a car, the devices they hold should be capable of being aware of each other so that more interesting software can be developed. Same goes for a gathering of 5th grade students whether they are sitting at their desks taking a test or bunched in groups spotting birds in the schoolyard. I see lots of functional overlap here.

In fact, it seems that there’s an SDK here begging to be released, but so far I haven’t heard anything. Maybe tomorrow we’ll hear more.

Regardless of the hardware that implements the multi-touch, for instance, isn’t there a common set of gestures, recognizers, interaction models, document manipulation, and so on that would give Vista one more “Wow?” Seems like it to me.