Entries tagged with microsoft - Channel 10

Playtest Labs : Get your gaming voice heard

Laura — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:41:00 GMT

Have you ever been playing a game and thought to yourself, "I just wish I could speak with the developers and let them know that this part of the game could be so much better!"? Well, now you can. Microsoft has launched PlayTest- where you can play games, give opinions and get free software. I stepped behind the scenes and behind the fake mirrored walls to show you the ins and out of life in the Playtest Labs.

Discuss & Discover

lorigros — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:41:00 GMT

Microsoft wird sich mit einer eigenen Konferenz am Systems-Nachfolger "discuss & discover" beteiligen. Auf der am 20. bis 22. Oktober in München stattfindenden Veranstaltung wird Microsoft dabei erstmals Produkte wie Windows 7 und Microsoft Office 2010 der breiten Öffentlichkeit in Deutschland präsentieren. Im Ausstellungsbereich wird Microsoft zudem gemeinsam mit 20 Partnern neue Server-Produkte sowie Lösungen zu Security, Green-IT, Cloud Computing und der neuen Welt des Arbeitens vorstellen.

http://discuss-discover.com/2009/05/29/microsoft-nutzt-discuss-discover-fur-eigene-konferenz/

Search Summit: Chris Sherman- opinions from a Search Engine Expert

Laura — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:38:00 GMT

Chris Sherman is Executive Editor of SearchEngineLand.com and President of Searchwise LLC, a Boulder Colorado based Web consulting firm. With over 25 years experience in interactive technologies, he is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Business Week, USA Today and other publications, and has appeared on CNN, NPR, CBS and other television and radio networks.
Check out this clip to hear what he think of the Microsoft Search Summit and, of course, Bing!

What is the Search Summit?
Search and Advertisers

Search Summit: Protecting the Advertisers rights

Laura — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:30:00 GMT

While online advertising offers important improvements for targeting and measurement, it also challenges norms about relationships between advertisers and ad platforms. Ad platforms differ in the information they share with advertisers – not always disclosing where ads are shown, how much each placement costs, or how fees are computed. Platforms also vary in their approaches to dispute resolution – sometimes imposing onerous terms that limit the options available to dissatisfied advertisers. Ben Edelman presented to Microsofts Search Summit and offered thoughts on proper division of rights and responsibilities in advertisers' dealings with ad platforms.

More about the Search Summit
Words from a Search Engine Expert

The Microsoft Search Summit

Laura — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Mel Carson was one of the visionaries who put together the Microsoft Search Summit. It is an invitation only event, but we were allowed to bring our cameras inside and get the scoop. Take a peek.

More:

Search and Advertisers
Words from a Search Engine expert

Microsoft Trivia - Sales - Medium

Tina — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:43:00 GMT

Okay, I love trivia. I'm a bit of a sucker for it. I don't like researching the trivia and creating the trivia nearly as much as I like trying to guess the answers to the trivia. Anyway, I've gone through and found some questions and now I will be presenting them to you. Most of them have to do with Microsoft. Shocker! I will also rate their degree of difficulty in the title as well. Easy, Medium and Hard are a really boring way to do this and I would love to steal from Halo but I figure the channel 10 gang and community is creative enough to come up with its own rating system. I just can't seem to think of anything at the moment. Let me know if you have any suggestions. I will be posting a couple of these each week. And yes, they do get more interesting. :)

Fix it!

Laura — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:29:00 GMT

Microsoft's support Knowledge Base contains thousands and thousands of articles describing problems that users may encounter. The articles include detailed instructions for fixing each problem, and I do mean detailed--some of them go on for pages and pages. An ordinary user who reaches one of these solutions may find the instructions impossibly confusing.

That's where Microsoft's new "Fix it" button comes in. On selected Knowledge Base pages (over a hundred so far) users can simply click a button to resolve the problem.

Microsoft Underground Research Lab

Laura — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:23:00 GMT

With all the amazing technology and products coming out of Microsoft recently- you might think that's all we've got to offer. Well, that's just not the case. We have a team of researchers working 24/7 on new products to thrill you and exponentially increase your productivity. Until now, we've kept these products under lock and key- but today, we're taking you inside the Microsoft Underground Research Lab.

Microsoft gets in on the celebrity action with Wonderwall

Laura — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:14:00 GMT

Microsoft was been covering the entertainment world for years now but they've finally dedicated an entire site to the fascination the world has with Hollywood these days. Now, you might be thinking..."Another celebrity gossip site?" But trust me- Wonderwall offers you a completely new take on the tabloid culture and gives you smart and witty commentary from the perspective of the fan- which we all are (even if you don't like to admit it). In this clip I spoke with Adam Berliant about some of the largest concerns facing Wonderwall and how they are overcoming the nay-sayers.

NASA and Microsoft Bring You the Stars

Larry — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:01:00 GMT

There is no doubting that Microsoft has some of the most innovative visualization tools available for looking at large and multiple images (Photosynth, DeepZoom, World Wide Telescope, HD View to name several.) NASA, on the other hand, has no shortage of great imagery and datasets. And thus a beautiful partnership was born. Building on the relationship that brought us several previous Photosynth projects, this joint agreement will first begin with high-resolution data from Mars (sample picture on left) and our Moon, which you will be able to explore through WorldWide Telescope. The imagery from Mars will be coming from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which was launched in 2005 and has since collected more data from Mars than all other Mars missions combined.

This joint agreement covers more than 100 terabyte of data, which is roughly the equivalent of 20,000 DVD's. Viewing this imagery will be possible later this year (keep tuned, we'll let you know) and will also include images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) that will be launched in May.

Inside Microsoft's 2019 Vision Video

Larry — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:50:00 GMT

By now you've probably seen Microsoft's Productivity Future Vision video, also known as the 2019 video. But why does Microsoft make envisioning videos? What's the process? Is it all vapor or are we really going to see some of these things in upcoming products? I met with Director of Envisioning, Ian Sands, and he walks us through the process, the hopes, and the challenges. Ian tells us what we need to keep an eye on in the short term (input devices for one) and what things are on the farthest edge of the ten year vision. Find out what Skinny Puppy, Dreamliner, and Cradle to Cradle have to do with the video.

TechFest: Commute UX: The next level of in-car infotainment

Laura — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:35:00 GMT

After deploying Blue&Me for Fiat and Sync for Ford, in-car dialog systems are morphing from cool gadgets that amaze people and sell more cars to integral parts of in-car infotainment. Commute UX raises the bar for the functionality, usability and reliability of these systems. Microsoft Researchs presents you with novel technologies that enable natural-language input, expose a multimodel user interface inculding speech, a GUI, touch and buttons; and use the state-of-the-art sound-capture and processing technologies for improved speech recognition and sound quality.

TechFest: Write in The Air

Laura — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:20:00 GMT

TechFest is upon us so let the brilliant minds at MS Research (Global) share their latest inventions. "Write in the Air" is a proof-of-concept demo for recognizing characters written in the air. In order to input characters into devices such as the Xbox 360 and televisions equipped with a low-cost webcam but no keyboard or mouse, one can just face the camera and write the intended character in the air. The gestures captured by the camera will be fed into a robust handwriting recognizer. Take a look into the future!

New weekly show: "Ping" launches on Channel 9

Laura — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:07:00 GMT

Since we at Microsoft live in an email culture, we thought that was a great vehicle to bring to the forefront the hottest news, debates and headlines related to the world of Microsoft. Each week we will dive into our inboxes and cherry pick the most intriguing email threads for discussion on the show. Think of it as “Life at Microsoft through the eyes of our inboxes”

Check it out!

The Microsoft Guide to Valentine's Day

Laura — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Are you a bit of mess when it comes to Valentine's Day? Are you nervous and lost when put under the pressure of being extra romantic on February 14th? Well, not any longer! Some people may not know this but Microsoft is a super romantic love machine of a company! Microsoft has services and products that will make SURE your sweetie feels nothing but love from you this Valentine's Day. (pssst- it's SATURDAY so get going!) Get ready to take some notes from the "Microsoft Guide to Valentine's Day."

Microsoft Releases New Retro "Software"

Larry — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:41:00 GMT

The world's biggest software company is expanding into a new line of soft-ware. Microsoft's ambassador of kwan, Crispin Porter & Bogusky, drove this new collection of retro Microsoft shirts in conjunction with rapper Common.

Shirts include DOS (just waiting for the first newb to think it means DoS), the retro look logo shirt at left, and the infamous Bill Gates mugshot. No doubt Bill is wishing he'd gotten arrested a little more often as it's the marketing gift that keeps on giving. All in all there are four classic designs and four Common designs, all available starting December 15.

Check out the collection here, if only to see what a DOS media player would look like.

Meet the Windows Gurus!

Laura — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:44:00 GMT

The Windows Guru program was designed to improve the customer experience at retail stores by giving consumers a trusted advisor to help them evaluate their options when shopping for a computer. They are highly trained experts who are there to answer your questions and teach you a little about some of the capabilites of Windows that you might not have known. Who couldn't use a little expert knowledge when making such an investment? I'll tell you...I wish car dealerships had Gurus!

WomenBuild... inspiring career paths in technology

Laura — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:41:00 GMT

Last week at PDC I made it a point to swing by the WomenBuild networking event. The idea was to give groups of individuals (not necessarily solely women) LEGO® Bricks to build with as part of the LEGO® Serious Play Program (LSP). The goal was to incorporate the hands on process with the creative mind and....PLAY. It's always inspiring and astounding to see what happens when great minds gather and open conversation takes place amongst the worlds greatest developers and aspiring developers. It almost made me want to be a developer...Check out their FaceBook page and join me!
Please REGISTER for the MSDN Developer Conference coming to a city near you for more experiences with WomenBuild!
If you are interested in participating in the Women in Technology events at the MSDN Developer Conference – (men are welcome!!) – please use the RSVP code: MDCWIT

Microsoft's Holiday Preview - Windows Mobile

Laura — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:01:00 GMT

Call Santa because the Holidays are on their way - and call him from your Windows Mobile Phone. In this episode of our Holiday Preview Guide we check out the sexy new phones coming your way like the HTC Diamond, the HTC Touch Dual and the Samsung BlackJack II. There's plenty of reason to celebrate and if you need more- take at episode 1 of our Holiday Guide on the Xbox 360.

Microsoft Unveils World’s Most Advanced Tracking Technology

Laura — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:04:00 GMT

Microsoft Hardware has been impressing Channel 10 for years now, and today they continued that tradition. This morning Microsoft unveiled the world's most advanced tracking technology, Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which allows us to take our mice anywhere and work with more success than ever before. Mouse on the carpet? Fine! How about that granite counter-top? No problem! Hardwood floors?? Bring it on. Take a peek at this interview and see just how BlueTrack Technology works.

Microsoft Research: A look at tomorrow's health solutions today - part II

Laura — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:15:00 GMT

In this special two-part video edition of House Calls for Healthcare Professionals, Bill Crounse, MD, visits with researchers at Microsoft Research. Each program reviews three promising areas of research that may one day lead to solutions with a direct or indirect application to health and healthcare. Viewers will gain insight to advanced ideas and technologies now in the labs at Microsoft Research long before they find their way into future products, solutions, or applications.

HIV Research, Visualization

One of the enduring challenges in HIV vaccine design is the remarkable rate of viral mutation and adaptation, which limits the immune system’s ability to mount a lasting, effective response. The HIV group at Microsoft Research is developing models of evolution that allow researchers to identify and visualize the complex, yet encouragingly consistent, patterns of adaptation that suggest novel vaccine strategies.

http://research.microsoft.com/research/eScience/

•David Heckerman, M.D. Ph.D.

Senior Directior, eScience Research Group

•Jonathan Carlson

Researcher

DynaVis Data Visualization

DynaVis is an information visualization toolkit that provides several extensions to business (or perhaps even clinical) charting, including animated transitions between data and between different views of data. The animated transitions help users stay in context when complex changes occur, making it easier for them to perform their tasks.

http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/trans/tg/&toc=comp/trans/tg/2007/06/v6toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/TVCG.2007.70539

http://research.microsoft.com/vibe/projects/dynavis.aspx

•George Robertson, Ph.D.

Principal Researcher

Muscle-Computer Interface

Microsoft researcher Desney Tan and his team are working to create interfaces called muscle-computer interfaces, or MuCIs. that sense gestural input directly from muscle activity. This research may one day lead to new modalities for computer screen navigation and data input.

http://research.microsoft.com/cue/MuCI/.

http://research.microsoft.com/~desney
http://research.microsoft.com/cue

•Scott Saponas

Intern

PhotoSynth- Learn how to do it

Laura — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:48:00 GMT

We all love taking digital photos but with Photosynth you can take them to the next level.

I'm sure you've all heard of this amazing new application that allows you to digitally stitch your pics together to create new 3D panoramic environments. In this piece you'll learn exactly how to make the most of Microsoft's new toy for photogs and then check out this video to see the behind the scenes action of how it was made.

And then go here for a bit of it's history.

Microsoft Research: A look at tomorrow’s health solutions today: Part I

Laura — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:23:00 GMT

A special thanks to Dr. Eric Horvitz, MSR Area Manager, for his assistance in the production of this program.

Part 1

Situated Interaction

The Situated Interaction project at Microsoft Research aims to enable a new generation of interactive systems that can reason about their surroundings and embed interaction deeply into the natural flow of everyday tasks, activities, and collaborations. As an initial sample challenge in this space, researchers are currently developing a situated conversational agent that can act as a Microsoft front-desk receptionist (for example, make shuttle reservations, register visitors, and provide campus information). The system integrates a large number of artificial intelligence technologies—such as speech recognition and language understanding, face detection and tracking, intention recognition, engagement, and behavioral modeling—in a conversational framework that allows it to engage in mixed-initiative, natural language interaction with one participant or multiple participants.

http://msrweb/adapt/SituatedInteraction

•Dan Bohus, Ph.D.

Researcher

Gaze Tracking

Eye-tracking technology can be used to understand how people interact with information—for instance, search results and Web pages and perform other information processing tasks. This information can then be used to design new ways of interacting with computers in which the machine recognizes what people look at and better understands what they pay attention to in order to respond accordingly.

http://research.microsoft.com/~cutrell/

Cutrell, E., and Z. Guan. 2007. “What are you looking for? An eye-tracking study of information usage in Web search.” In Proceedings of CHI'07, Human Factors in Computing Systems (San Jose, CA), ACM Press, 407-416.

Guan, Z., and E. Cutrell. 2007. “An eye-tracking study of the effect of target rank on Web search.” In Proceedings of CHI'07, Human Factors in Computing Systems (San Jose, CA), ACM Press, 417-420.

•Ed Cutrell, Ph.D.

Researcher

Big Top

“FourBySix” is a large, 4-foot by 6-foot (standing height) surface computer that Microsoft researchers recently prototyped to explore productivity scenarios and applications involving small groups of users meeting face to face. For example, one use would be to support groups of designers who are combining and reviewing images, allowing them to sketch new designs in a collaborative setting.

•Andy Wilson, Ph.D.

Researcher

Sphere multi-touch computing

Laura — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just when you thought the Surface was the coolest thing since sliced bread... enter the Sphere! This product is still in proto-type mode but even at this stage, you can't help but be impressed. At the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit I grabbed some one on one time with Hrvoje Benko, the lead on this project and found out all the details. It's just so cool, enjoy.

Bill Gates on Channel 9

Larry — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:08:00 GMT

Bill Gates and Charles Torre got together at TechEd to talk about his transition into the future and the changes in his goals as he goes from driving Microsoft to driving the Gates Foundation.

This is a good opportunity to see some of the gears turning behind decisions like putting Ray Ozzie in the CSA seat, how we address competitors, increasing agility while growing, and what developers should be paying attention to this decade and next.

You can see the Channel 9 thread here.