First things first, if you are using Windows 7 RC you’ll have probably noticed the OS keeps shutting down every two hours, this is a not a feature but a way to move you off the OS. You really should invest in the retail version of Windows 7, although I can’t imagine many people who read this site still using the RC version.

TechFest

Microsoft is currently hosting its annual TechFest event showing off some interesting demos of products from Microsoft Research to a select group.

Mobile Surface

Mary-Jo Foley this project and it would seem to be pretty much as it sounds by making any surface into a surface computer. The picture below, taken from the project’s site, shows several separate hardware devices projecting on to a surface to allow user interaction.

I would be very interested to see how works, from the below quote from the site it appears that it will have some form of Surface UI.

Our goal is to bring Microsoft Surface experience to mobile scenarios, and more importantly, to enable 3D interaction with mobile devices. We do research on how to transform any surface (e.g., a coffee table or a piece of paper) to Mobile Surface with a mobile device and a camera-projector system. Besides this, our work also includes how to get 3D object model in real-time, augmented reality and multiple-layer 3D information presentation.

The 3D and augmented reality implementation of this would also be extremely interesting but not entirely sure how its possible. It makes me wonder about viewing Bing Maps augmented reality technology on more than just a screen.

Cloud Mouse

Again Mary-Jo found this product with this one seemingly being aimed at finding a new way to browse “the cloud” and from what I can tell it seems like a new kind of joy-stick that will users to explore new kind of experiences in “six degrees of freedom and with tactile feedback, the cloud mouse will enable users to orchestrate, interact with, and engage with their data as if they were inside the cloud”.

I’m not sure I can see what this will do, currently there are no cloud experience that I can think of where this would be needed, I would like to know what they have come up with for this.

Translating Telephone

The project was shown off at TechFest and reported by Todd Bishop and shows people being able to have bilingual telephone conversations in near real-time with the system translating from one language to the other. Below you can see the impressive demo, with errors and all.

Interestingly LiveSide and PicturePan2 have discovered a new Microsoft Translator service for mobiles at http://www.microsofttranslator.com/m/, however this is nothing like the above video but will allow people to translate thing easily on their mobiles.

LiveSide also point out that Microsoft Translator will be at MIX 2010, I wonder if there will be tight integration of translation service on 7 Series.

HD2 to not support 7 Series

Yesterday Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft’s Asia Pacific Mobile Communications Business said about the HD2 that it “doesn’t qualify because it doesn’t have the three buttons” required by Windows Phone 7 Series. This is a great shame but seems to contradict what Alex Reeve said last week about OEMs being able to upgrade Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, unless future 6.5 devices will have the three hardware buttons.

I still live in hope that XDA Developers will be able to work their magic and create a version of 7 Series that will run on my HD2.

All you need to do is follow @WindowsPhoneUK and tell them why you want a HD2 and include the hash tag #iwantawindowsphone in the tweet, full rules.

I wonder if (hope) this account has been set up because there is about to be a lot of media attention about Windows Phone with Mobile World Congress being less than a week away.

You can see the reasons other people have suggested for wanting a HD2 below.

From a recent interview with BetaNews it would seem Microsoft see the HD2 as a prime example of a device capable of running Windows Mobile 7 which demonstrates the new strategy Microsoft have for their mobile OS and partners.

It seems increasingly more likely we will see an official update for the HD2 seeing as HTC tweeted about such a thing just over a week ago.

Zune to get Xdiv video support

Further to a previous about new features for the Zune HD, including a Facebook app and SmartDJ functionality on the device,  it would appear that the device will get XviD support in its next software update.

Its good to see Microsoft are still adding features to the Zune HD, it is certainly making it a more attractive device for customers in markets it can be bought.

Bing adds enhanced health information and display

Continuing Bing’s constant updating they announced yesterday that they had refined and improved their health search section. Bing now provides information about related conditions, medications and medical centers for health queries.

As ever its good to see more and more features in Bing, it really is quite impressive how much work they have been putting in to improve how search results can be displayed.