Microsoft Research Community

January 2008 - Technology Trends

  • Compensating for low fidelity

    Music producers mixing for MP3“You have to be aware of how people will hear music, and pretty much everyone is listening to MP3,” says producer Butch Vig, a member of Garbage and the producer of Nirvana’s Never- mind. “Some of...
    Filed under:
  • Answering the door over the internet

    Virtual doormen becoming more ubiquitous“Increasingly, more and more apartment dwellers are coming home to voices in the wall rather than a physical life form, but virtual doormen can still let tenants into their room, allow deliveries to be made...
    Filed under:
  • Your followers

    Clive Thompson on the Age of Microcelebrity: Why Everyone’s a Little Brad Pitt“Microcelebrity is the phenomenon of being extremely well known not to millions but to a small group — a thousand people, or maybe only a few dozen. As DIY media...
    Filed under:
  • Passing data

    A Valet Key for Your Identity“The system allows a user to obtain a token through one site and pass it to another. The token then dictates what the second site can access, and in what way. To achieve this, the protocol has to define standard ways...
    Filed under:
  • USB credit

    Korea: USB Credit Card Brings Korea to the 22nd Century“Not only can you wave this thing in front of a register like Harry Potter trying to Wingardium Leviosa Hermione’s dress, you can plug this into your computer to make online purchases...
    Filed under:
  • Folding laptops

    E-Lead’s New “Noahpad” UMPC: As if the Market Wasn’t Crowded Enough“E-Lead is the latest company to jump on the Eee PC-esque UMPC bandwagon with the new “Noahpad” (a.k.a. “classmate, roommate, and travelmate...
    Filed under:
  • Waterproofing

    Waterproofed Gadgets: Ion-Mask, a Waterproof Coating for Gadgets“Ion-Mask is a protective layer that bonds to the device using a plasma, or electronically charged gas, and its chemical properties allow oil and water to be repelled easily. Originally...
    Filed under:
  • Large screen developments

    LG.Philips announces 52 and 84-inch multi-touch displays, double-sided LCD, and more “52-inch multi-touch LCD - full 1080p, two touch detection . 84-inch multi-touch LCD - 2 x 4 array of 42-inch panels, totaling full 1080p resolution, 500cd/m2 brightness...
    Filed under:
  • Pocket projectors

    Projectors: Microvision Handheld Pico Projector Can Drive a 100-inch Image“Not only is it about the size of a first or second-gen iPod, it can shoot out a 848×480 image (DVD quality) that’s anywhere from 12-inches to 100-inches in size...
    Filed under:
  • Adaptable keyboard (concept)

    Optimus Tactus“The Optimus Tactus is a touch surface keyboard- Think ipod Touch, but as a keyboard. This little beauty is programmable to be a keyboard, a video player or can be programmed for what you would like for it to be for you.” Yanko...
    Filed under:
  • Flexible display progress

    LG.Philips announces 14.3-inch flexible e-paper display for CES“14.3-inches, 1280 x 800 pixels, 16.7m colors, 300 micrometers thick, full 180° viewing angle.” Engadget Read More...
    Filed under:
  • Phone remote

    Zeetoo’s Zeemote: the Wiimote for your cellphone“Reportedly, the Boston-area firm has secured some €4.7 million ($6.9 million) in funding from Nauta, Commonwealth Ventures and Egan Capital, which it will likely use to further develop and commercialize...
    Filed under:
  • Sharing tunes

    Gadgets: Belkin RockStar Shares Your Music With Five Friends (Now We Need Five Friends)“It’s just $20 and offers six ports—one input and five outputs—so you can split one signal to many sources. It’s also cool because the five outputs...
    Filed under:
  • Thinking about displays as disposable

    High Tech Napkins“Each pen transmits your doodles to the base station which is a PC in disguise. That information gets processed and displayed on the napkin like e-ink paper. Cool idea but someone better make sure nobody decides to wipe their dirty...
    Filed under:
  • Writing aids

    Easy Writing For The Disabled“A pen or graphite tip is inserted into a small hourglass shaped holder which provides all the support. The rubberized knob makes it easy to grip with your palm to move the pen. Effort is powered by the arm instead of...
    Filed under:
1 2 3 4 5 Next > ... Last »
©2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Trademarks | Privacy Statement | Feedback