Microsoft Research TechFest 2009: a glance at the road ahead

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/03/microsoft-research-techfest-2009-a-glance-at-the-road-ahead.ars

Microsoft Research's TechFest, not to be confused with the yearly TechFest event that occurs in India, is an annual showcase of the various technologies that the company's researchers have been working on. The 2009 event that took place last week (February 24-26) featured a few prototypes that we've already seen before, like WorldWide Telescope and Microsoft Songsmith, but there were also many that have only started to emerge out of Microsoft's research labs around the world, including those in China, India, the UK, and the US.

The gathering of hundreds of researchers, as well as the broader group of Microsoft employees and product managers, happens at the company's headquarters in Redmond and creates a sort of forum for these colleagues to exchange ideas, show off their latest innovations, and form partnerships that lead to the creation of shipping products. It's essentially a glimpse into a Microsoft future, and in today's world, that calls for starting off with a quick video:

The exact number of projects that were demonstrated at TechFest 2009 is not clear, but here's a quick rundown of about 35 research projects that haven't received much coverage, accompanied by links that will let you further explore if your interest is piqued. Some information will overlap due to researchers working on multiple projects, and some areas will have significantly less information than others, as some technologies are further along than others. The list isn't in any particular order, so use the table of contents below and have a look around based on what catches your eye. Remember that these are concepts and prototypes, not finished products, and they may never end up becoming anything significant.
 
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