WorldWide Telescope

Developed by Microsoft Research, WorldWide Telescope is a “Web browser for the sky”, bringing together images from the best ground- and space-based telescopes so people can explore the cosmos from their PC screen. Since its launch in May 2008, more than one million people have downloaded the web application. Several new features are now available for WorldWide Telescope, including a 3-D Solar System, more than 1,000 new images, and a tool that allows people to upload and share their own images of space. Existing users will be prompted to download the new features the next time they open the program. Others can download WorldWide Telescope at www.worldwidetelescope.org

The Microsoft CCR and DSS Toolkit 2008

The Microsoft CCR and DSS Toolkit 2008 delivers a set of .NET- and Compact Framework-class libraries and tools that enable developers to better deal with the inherent complexities of creating looselycoupled concurrent and distributed applications. The Toolkit is designed to help developers take advantage of the Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR) and Decentralized Software Services (DSS) originally released as part of Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio. Microsoft CCR and DSS Toolkit 2008 provide early adopters with access to select technologies today; transitioning to Microsoft’s .NET Framework in the future. To learn more about Microsoft CCR and DSS Toolkit 2008, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/ccrdss

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Tiny devices, big impact

Scarce energy resources and worries about climate change create challenges and opportunities for computing. The advent of large datacenters that underpin cloud-based computing services make energy-efficient computing is increasingly important. Using technology developed by Microsoft Research, Microsoft is deploying tiny sensors throughout its datacenters to capture data that will allow it to better regulate energy consumption and reduce their carbon footprint. Sensors can also be deployed in the wild to help scientists monitor and track environmental changes. Rashid demonstrated the sensor technology in the auditorium at PDC.

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Boku: turning programming into play

Boku is a fun, intellectuallystimulating game, developed by Microsoft Research, that introduces youngsters to programming while they play. Through programming Boku, a virtual robot, children learn the basic principles of programming logic, analysis, and design. The 3-D interactive game is designed to demystify programming and spark interest in a career in science. Youngsters as young asnine years old have already used Boku in trials to create their own games.

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DryadLINQ

Developed by a team from Microsoft Research, DryadLINQ is a powerful programming environment that enables ordinary programmers to write large-scale data parallel applications to run on large PC clusters. The platform comprises Dryad, a distributed execution engine that allows reliable, distributed computing across thousands of servers for large-scale data parallel applications, and the .NET Language Integrated Query, or LINQ, which allows developers to write and debug applications in a SQL-like query language, using the entire .NET library and Microsoft Visual Studio.

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SecondLight: a magic lens that goes beyond the surface

The brainchild of Microsoft Researchers, SecondLight is a rear-projection technology that extends and enriches the Microsoft Surface device through the ability to project images both through and beyond the surface display, such as onto a translucent piece of plastic. With SecondLight, the translucent piece of plastic can also function as a “magic lens.” For instance, if it is” passed over an image displayed on the primary surface – suchas a car – it provides a view of the “inner workings” behind the image. In another application of this so-called “layering effect”, the transparency could register images of constellations when passed over a surface displaying the night sky. The technology also permits gesture-based interactions with the surface from farther away than rear- projected systems allow.

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RoboChamps

RoboChamps is a simulated robotics programming competition in which contestants can program a simulated Mars Rover to recreate Opportunity’s exploration of the Endurance Crater on the Martian surface among other challenges. The competition brings robotics to a broader audience by overcoming the high cost, lack of access, and specialist knowledge associated with physical robots. Based on Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 2008, RoboChamps enables students, developers and hobbyists to program virtual robots using the .NET languages. RoboChamps will form part of the 2009 Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s largest student technology competition.

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