Surface on tour

Today our Elvis has left the building! I just got an email with a proof of delivery that the messenger service has picked up our Surface table and is expected to deliver it to the Sheraton hotel in Stockholm later tonight. Tomorrow is the first day of Cornerstones conference Developer Summit and Connecta will be in the exhibition together with Microsoft and our Surface table. To this event three of our developers have worked really hard to finish a first version of an application used to present Connecta. I have been promised the final bits on email later today!

On the table we also have the latest applications from Microsoft, including the three games released last week and the Mobile Connect Sample Application. The later not yet installed but based on the previous installation experiences, it should be no problem. The four games are Chess, Checkers, Tiles and Ribbons.

The Microsoft Surface Mobile Connect sample application connects a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to a Microsoft Surface unit to enable users to interact with data and contacts on their phone. To be able to use the application you have to have an application installed on your phone and you have to have a Bluetooth stack from Microsoft.

So if you are at Developer Summit 2009, come by the Microsoft booth, say hi and touch the Surface!

iBar from Mindstrom

Today I tried the iBar from Mindstrom. They say that it is the first commercially available multi-touch, interactive, customisable bar in the world and, as far as I know has similar setup as Microsoft Surface. The form factor is different and that’s what makes the product really interesting but Surface seems way ahead when it comes to the technology side. Microsoft Surface feels more robust and has better 360-degree capabilities. In the demos I saw and tried there was no notion of orientation on the things placed on the bar.

The iBar is about four feet (120 cm) high and maybe seven feet (210 cm) wide but you can connect several iBars together.

We have talked about building some sort of podium for our Surface to be able to work at it standing. Today’s demo of the iBar convinced me even more. It is really hard to sit at a Surface-table for a longer period of time since you don’t really have a comfortable way of sitting around it. There is no where to place your legs.

I’m really looking forward to see what other form factors Microsoft are planning for coming versions of Surface!