Microsoft Home: blurring physical and digital

I’ve been spending some time in the Microsoft Home of late – I got an insider tour and most recently took 16 journalists from Latin America around the “home” that is on our campus here in Redmond. I put home in inverted commas as nobody lives there (I checked the fridge, no beer) – it’s a concept home that includes some examples of how technology could be integrated in to our homes in the future.

I’ll be honest that I was sceptical ahead of my first visit, thinking it may be full of cliché's – far from it – there is stuff in here that really captured my imagination. Things like a kitchen that uses pico projectors, object recognition and voice recognition to deliver a baking guide that I found pretty believable.

There is a pinboard that brings together the analog and digital worlds, using a paper party invite that has a tag and when it’s pinned to the board it’s represented as a digital meeting request that is inserted in to the family calendar.

One aspect I initially didn’t grok the potential of was the bedroom with interchangeable walls using projector technology. The potential here is that you could literally put anything on a surface and change it at a moments notice to suit your mood. If I wanted a wall full of Banksy’s finest pieces I could have them…and replace with some Renoir or even digital wallpaper in an instant.

The takeaway from the home is no home would ever be exactly like this one - the floors are way too clean and no kids toys around – but there is plenty in here that gives you a glimpse of how things could be. Some of the tech in here is available now but the real magic is stitching it all together seamlessly.

Hats off to Jonathan and his team for a fine venue to spark the imagination. If you’re ever in Redmond, let me know and maybe I can squeeze you in for a quick tour