Microsoft

To take full advantage of stereo sound, many consumers will install their AV equipment to suit the room’s furniture – sound and vision pointing to the best seat in the house so you can take full advantage of that stereo “sweetspot”. That’s fine when you’re sitting watching a movie, but what happens you start playing the latest active games on Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PlayStation3 and Microsoft’s Project Natal? Researchers at the Technology University of Dresden, Germany, have the answer. Read More

With many online video resources now encouraging HD uploads, what vloggers and podcasters need in order to finally ditch the grainy low quality affairs that have plagued our online experience for far too long is a high definition webcam. Microsoft has responded to the call with three new 720p HD webcams which TrueColor Technology which, the company claims, automatically adjusts picture quality to give optimum brightness and color whatever light is available. Read More

This year's TechFest has brought together researchers from around the globe to present, experience and discuss some of the emerging technologies from Microsoft's Research wing. Highlights include a mobile version of the company's Surface platform, a voice recognition transcription system with auto-translate and a couple of projects which use the body as a computer interface. Read More

According to a patent recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Sony is working on a universal game controller that could be used with competitor consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo. The proposed controller would see an LCD touch screen positioned on the front of the controller to replace the controller's face buttons, directional pad and thumb-sticks. Read More

A 13.3-inch Capacitive In-Cell Multi-Touch LCD panel from LG is the first in-cell touch screen panel to obtain "Windows 7 Touch Logo" certification from Microsoft. The LCD panel is designed for laptops with multi-touch functions that enable simultaneous recognition of two touch points. Unlike conventional touch screens that use films to enable touch capability, the product has sensors built into the display. Read More

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has unveiled the Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress 2010, saying it has been designed for "life in motion". The new phone will bring together Xbox LIVE games and access Zune music and video for the first time, with manufacturing partners already building handsets which should be available in stores by mid-2010. Read More

The British Library has announced that users of Amazon's Kindle e-reader will be able to download more than 65,000 19th century classics for free this coming spring in a special format that will have the look of a genuine first edition. Works from famous authors like Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen will be reproduced using the original typeface and illustrations to add an antique feel to the e-reader technology. Read More

Microsoft has announced that its controller-less accessory for the Xbox 360, dubbed Project Natal, will ship by the end of 2010. Unveiled in June 2009, Project Natal is the Redmond company’s attempt to out-Wii the Wii. Instead of a hand-held controller, wireless or otherwise, Project Natal uses a 3D sensing unit on top of your TV to read your gestures, recognize your face or other objects, and even respond to your voice. Project Natal is among the latest examples of devices that are controlled by so-called “natural user interfaces”. Read More

While it might not be ideal for fighting apparitions of the dearly departed, Microsoft claims its latest keyboard boasts the most advanced anti-ghosting technology ever to grace a keyboard. The ghosting being referred to is when multiple keys are pressed on a keyboard simultaneously result in the incorrect key signal being sent to the PC, or some of the key presses being ignored altogether. To combat this Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 Keyboard can detect up to 26 key presses at once, which is sure to appeal to hard-core gamers and 26 fingered typists alike. Read More