Why Microsoft's vision of the future will really happen

Two videos from Microsoft show the future of technology. Here's why I think they're dead-on

Computerworld - Microsoft released a video in 2008 and another one this week that together predict the sleek, wireless, connected gadgets we'll all enjoy by the year 2019.

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In one scene, two businesspeople each place a smart object on a smart table -- a keychain fob and a flat phone or smartcard of some kind. From these devices, out spills their data, which can be manipulated on the table. The same thing happens at home, where a girl's homework spills out onto the kitchen table, and cookbook instructions spill out onto the kitchen counter.

Data and documents can apparently be transferred from anything to anything else. One business-related example involves a drag-and-drop gesture from a desktop to a mobile device. In another scene, that same mobile device becomes a virtual keyboard for a desktop computer the user happens to be sitting at.

Another example shows a man "capturing" with a kind of take-a-picture gesture using a clear-glass remote control then moving data from a wall-mounted device and dumping it out onto his e-newspaper.

Videoconferencing has been perfected. What looks like a glass window into another classroom is actually a live, big-screen video chat connecting schools in India and Australia. In one scene, two children interact with each other, each speaking a different language instantly translated with cartoon-like speech bubbles.

Intelligent agents pay attention to what's going on. The kids fingerpaint a dog onscreen, and the computer recognizes the image and animates it accordingly.

One very cool and versatile device shown in the video is a smartphone, a card-like gadget so thin that a woman uses it as a book marker. The card functions as a boarding pass, an airport map, a calendar, an augmented reality window, a 3D holographic display and more.

The phone splits into two halves about the size of playing cards, with one "card" displaying live video and the other held up to the ear for videoconferencing on the go. It even projects some kind of laser beam arrow on the ground, telling Mr. Future Businessman where to go.

Everything is connected to everything. Intelligent agents make decisions about when to inform the user about relevant data.
Why these are great predictions

Everything in this video is being worked on, refined and developed. If you follow current trends for compute power, display technology, networking speeds, device miniaturization, flexible displays, touchscreens, gesture technologies and others, you get this Microsoft future.

And Microsoft itself is working on much of this. The intelligent displays are really just advanced versions of what's possible now with a Microsoft Surface table. The in-air gestures are advanced versions of what Kinect for Xbox 360 users are already doing.

Industrywide, displays are getting bigger while devices are getting thinner and lighter. Companies have already developed versions of clear displays, augmented reality systems and all the rest.

The past four years have ushered in thin multitouch tablets supporting gestures and intelligent agent voice technology.

Although breathtaking to look at and consider, everything in Microsoft's videos are fairly conservative predictions based on existing products or technology actively being developed.
Why Microsoft won't build it

There tends to be little connection between companies that envision the future clearly and those who build it.

What does Windows XP's tenth birthday mean to you?

For all its wide usage and market share, I never liked Windows XP, and never ran it on any system I've owned. I stuck with Windows 2000 until the release of Windows Server 2003, bought a license for that—I was a software developer at the time, and I needed access to IIS 6—and used it as my desktop system until the release of Windows Vista, switching as soon as I could buy it. I couldn't stand Luna—it was so bulbous and blobby, so faux-organic, so garish—but I loved the Watercolor theme that Microsoft used during Windows XP's beta, and so duly patched Windows Server 2003 to let me use a Watercolor theme.

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I was happy with my Windows XP-free existence. Then I got an office job, and I had to use it as part of the corporate install. I still didn't care for it. Sure, it more or less worked, but I never really liked it. My workplace stuck with Windows XP after Windows Vista was released, and with this my dislike turned to disgust. Windows Vista's searchable Start menu was a fantastic feature, and I resented every moment that I had to spend deprived of its convenience.

But for many, Windows XP became the pinnacle of operating systems. Time can be cruel to old software—it can make its shortcomings, its missing features and clunkiness, all the more apparent—but it can also be kind. With time, even the most sluggish and oversized of programs can become lightning quick. Windows XP was never bloated, and as hardware improved, it became downright lightweight. Its system resource usage was basically negligible. It did its job well enough, and it did so with a minimum of burden.

It's the enterprise, more than anything else, that has fallen in love with Windows XP. It took a while to warm to the new operating system, but once companies were on board with it, the lure of an operating system that they wouldn't have to change for years on end became intoxicating. In the eyes of many, Windows XP "just works"; no fuss, no messing around. Yes, stability is important, and yes, changing the operating system costs money—but with Windows Vista and Windows 7 you get something for that money. You get much better security track record, much better support for modern hardware and standards such as IPv6. You get more powerful deployment, imaging, and management capabilities. There are many good reasons to move on.

To me, the fact that Windows XP is still widely used a decade later is a cause for dismay. It means that people are missing out on better software and better experiences. Windows XP works, just, but it's time to move on. We have technologies today that just weren't a factor for Windows XP; ubiquitous powerful 3D accelerators, abundant multicore processors, USB3, Thunderbolt, and SSDs with TRIM support. Laptops now outsell desktops, making power efficiency, cloud connectivity, and data security more important than ever. The Internet is a much more hostile place, making robust operating system security essential. The world of 2011 isn't the same as the world of 2001, and software needs to reflect that.

So as we observe the tenth anniversary of XP's release, what feelings does it evoke in you? Will you (or your workplace) stick with it to the bitter end, continuing to use it into 2014 and beyond? Will the advance of technology slow down such that Windows 7 will enjoy a similar lifespan? Or is goodbye and good riddance to Windows XP? Weigh in with your comments below.

MacBook Air and Android device with Verizon 4G LTE: A winning combination

Need an Internet connection on your MacBook Air that actually works? Try tethering your Android device to share its 4G LTE (or equivalent) connection! Works like a charm.

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Directly on the heels of my plea to Apple to please fix their WiFi issues, I thought I would share a solution that works great for me when using my MacBook Air in locations where there is no WiFi or the WiFi connection is wonky due to the problems many MacBooks seem to have currently.

First, you need a Verizon 4G LTE device. For me, that’s a Thunderbolt, which runs Android. Next, head on over to the Android App Market and download an application called EasyTether Pro. It costs $9.99, and though there’s a free version (EasyTether Lite), it doesn’t allow https access (take a moment and let that one marinate so you can understand how many sites you won’t be able to access with the free version). While $9.99 may seem steep, it has been totally worth it for me, personally. I’ve had this setup for almost a year and a half now between multiple laptops running OS X and Windows, and the experience is always incredibly facile, no matter what I use.

Next, you need your MacBook and you need to go download the appropriate drivers from EasyTether’s Web site. After you install them and restart, all that’s left is to connect your phone to your MacBook via USB with your charging cable, then run the app and follow the quick configuration wizard. If all went well, you should be tethered to your phone and using its blazing-fast 4G connection with absolutely no interruptions on behalf of Apple’s end!

Personally, I like to write and be connected to the Internet in places that typically have no sort of WiFi or Internet access whatsoever, so this solution has been well worth the $9.99 price tag to me. For those of you who would like to do unmonitored browsing at work, this is your ticket, for sure. Likewise, for those of you traveling, you’ve undoubtedly been in your fair share of hotels with a shoddy Internet connection. No more of that!

The only thing you may need to watch out for is your data usage, depending on your plan. Lucky for me, I was grandfathered in with my unlimited data package that I’ve had practically since Verizon first offered it way back when. But that doesn’t mean they won’t change things up on me, and, thus, you as well, if you’re in the same boat as me, so exercise caution with the whole data plan thing and you’ll be good to go.

If you’re currently paying for your phone to be a mobile hotspot that you only use one device with (like a MacBook), then this little trick could essentially replace that for you and save you that monthly fee (for now, until Verizon decides to make restrictions based on deep packet inspection or something similar).

Last of note, I used a MacBook Air and Verizon’s 4G LTE network as my examples in this post since they’re what I have. So long as you have Internet access on your phone and a way to tether it to your computer — be it a MacBook or a PC — you can create a similar setup. I just wanted to throw this quick tip out there for anyone who may find it useful!