Want to have dinner with Bill Gates?
Well, now maybe someday soon you can as Microsoft shows off new Touch Wall--but it's not available...yet.
This week at the Microsoft CEO Summit in Redmond, Wash., Microsoft unveiled a multitouch prototype called Touch Wall, which has the capability to turn almost any flat surface into an interactive computer.
The technology works via a series of small lasers and a projector, so no expensive hardware is needed, which means it could be integrated into a wide variety of products. Immediately, that empty space above my stovetop comes to mind. What if I could interact with relevant information while I am making dinner?
Recipe books are great, but they would be much more useful if could display them right above the stove. No more fumbling through pages with sticky fingers. No more losing the page. No more unsightly spills gooping up the pages of my favorite recipes. The recipe would be displayed right where it is most needed. Add a video element, and it's easy to see just how useful the technology could be.
Microsoft is staying mum on the possibilities of the Touch Wall, so don't expect to be seeing this technology anytime soon. However, with a few key partnerships, it's not hard to imagine Bill Gates eventually helping out with the dinner duties. Let's just hope he helps with the dishes.