Microsoft have done something cool

Check this out Microsoft Surface.

A few weeks back I wrote about a research team who were doing some stunning things with touch screens, producing some really intuitive user interfaces. Microsoft seem to be pursuing something similar with their Surface ideas.

I wonder how practical these sorts of interfaces actually are? For example, if you put the displays in public applications as Microsoft suggest here, how will they be kept clean? Protected from scratches? Saved from the drinks that are spilled on them?

I think their ideas around the linkage of a display area to a digital device are really innovative. Set down the camera, telephone, pda or similar on the display. The two magically discover each other and then you can drag and drop to or from the hot spot around the device to access it, now thats neat!

It really is very cool, but the opportunist in me can see a whole new set of customers for hand cleanser.

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