# Microsoft is doing something cool with technology?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001 "2007-06-06T16:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/1 "2007-06-06T16:18:56Z")
Check this out: [http://www.break.com/index/ridiculously-cool-technology-from-microsoft.html](http://www.break.com/index/ridiculously-cool-technology-from-microsoft.html) There is some really cool stuff in there! Think it will ever make it to the consumer? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/2 "2007-06-06T18:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Check this out: [Break: Online Casino & Slots | Up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus](http://www.break.com/index/ridiculously-cool-technology-from-microsoft.html) There is some really cool stuff in there! Think it will ever make it to the consumer? [/QUOTE] In some shape. It might not be exactly like that, but it’ll trickle down after it gets locked in vaults so it can be parceled out to the public as need dictates. Isn’t technology grand? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/3 "2007-06-06T19:50:26Z")
That is really something special. I don’t know which demo I loved more… The Notre Dame stuff was amazing! ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/4 "2007-06-06T21:25:09Z")
iView developed that and MS bought them a year ago. I know there was a live partial demo of this a while ago similar to Notre Dame but with an Italian site instead. Darned if I can find it or remember exactly what the Italian site was, though. But this demo was much cooler. Perhaps the bird’s-eye view of Local Live search is a rudimentary, limited implementation of this. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/5 "2007-06-06T21:46:20Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] iView developed that and MS bought them a year ago. I know there was a live partial demo of this a while ago similar to Notre Dame but with an Italian site instead. Darned if I can find it or remember exactly what the Italian site was, though. But this demo was much cooler. Perhaps the bird’s-eye view of Local Live search is a rudimentary, limited implementation of this. [/QUOTE] [Is this what you meant?](http://labs.live.com/photosynth/) ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/6 "2007-06-06T22:55:06Z")
[Previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423301) on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/7 "2007-06-07T03:22:51Z")
Wow. Just wow!! ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/8 "2007-06-07T06:38:14Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] [Is this what you meant?](http://labs.live.com/photosynth/) [/QUOTE] Just to clear up any misconceptions, Photosynth (which is what your link goes to) was a collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Washington. **rowrrbazzle** was referring to Seadragon, the technology that Microsoft acquired when it bought Seadragon Software. The demonstration linked to in the OP is of both technologies combined into a unified effort. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-is-doing-something-cool-with-technology/407001/9 "2007-06-07T20:09:56Z")
**Szlater** , that’s it. Thanks! **Cerowyn** , thanks for the correction. Wiki says the web demo was released in November. [Photosynth - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Live_Labs_Photosynth)