Microsoft's 'multipoint' tech for emerging markets
Culture
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>> Multipoint came from Microsoft research India.
>> And they'd sent people out to look and see what were kids doing with PC's in schools. And what they found was that kids tended to be gathered around a PC. And watched one kid do their thing, and then they take turns. You know, every five minutes or so, they'd take turns. And it's really not very engaging. So they developed this technology called Microsoft Multipoint, which is, enables an application to be built that lets multiple mice be used with a different curser for each kid. So one kid can be solving a math problem on one part of the screen, while another one is solving a math problem on another part of the screen. They basically can be time sharing the screen, and working collaboratively. And what we found is not only do they get to be more engaged with what they do on the PC because they're all using a mice, and they'll interacting at the same time, but they help each other. And that's turn out to be something that's very beneficial from the educational perspective.
>> What are you guys doing in the mobile space as far as non-PC devices?
>> Well, we certainly agree that the first computing device will be used by many people around the world will be a phone, and you see this happening in emerging segments throughout the, you know, all around the planet today. Mobile phone is really just taking off, as the prices come down, and the access has gone up. We think that there are some interesting things to do, to help make that mobile phone become a better device. So it let people, not only speak on the phone, but also for example to have a web browser on the phone. And the phone can then be docked to a low cost monitor via the TV, or you know, a digital monitor in their home. So you can imagine taking the phone out in the fields, you're a farmer. You use the phone to call and find out about crop prices, and other things relative to your business. But you come home at night; you dock the phone, next to your television. You hook a keyboard up to it, and you can then go, and basically have it as an, you know, Internet browsing device.
