Microsoft Surface at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts: Location List

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Microsoft Corp. today introduced an entirely new hotel guest experience with its debut of Microsoft Surface, Microsoft’s first commercially available surface computer. Featuring easy-to-use technology and a natural way of accessing information, Surface units will be placed in the lobbies of select Sheraton hotels in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Microsoft Surface breaks down the traditional barriers between people and technology, providing simple and instant access to information and entertainment. Sheraton will be the first hotel to offer Microsoft Surface, creating a new Sheraton brand experience that will bring interaction, connectivity and a social setting to the lobby, providing guests with an entirely new way to explore local tourist highlights and enhance their hotel stay.

Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch display in a tablelike form factor that several guests can use simultaneously. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information in a more natural and familiar way, by using their hands and gestures. Sheraton will unveil Surface today at five hotels: Sheraton Boston Hotel, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Gateway San Francisco Airport Hotel and Sheraton Seattle Hotel.

With each unit, Sheraton is offering a customized version of the Microsoft Surface developed suite of applications to provide entertainment and information about local attractions. Surface, and these unique applications, are designed to serve the needs of the brand’s core guests who are social individuals seeking to share the travel experience with one another. The placement of the Surface units in Sheraton lobbies enables guests to leverage and experience the offerings in a social way. Three highlighted applications are the following:

CityTips®. At the guests’ fingertips are the Surface 360-degree satellite maps and tools to search for local restaurants and bars, entertainment, recreation, shopping, transportation and services, such as banks and pharmacies. Guests can discover all a city has to offer by simply moving their hands across Surface.

Sounds of Sheraton. Microsoft Surface also serves as a lobby-based digital jukebox, enabling guests to create personal music playlists by choosing selections from Sheraton’s exclusive offering of Sony BMG artists, including John Legend, Kenny Chesney and Lauryn Hill.

Sheraton Snapshots. Guests can explore Sheraton hotels and resorts throughout the world by simply browsing the Surface photo library of Sheraton resorts and hotel properties to help them plan for future business or leisure travel.

“Sheraton is redefining the hospitality experience by offering our guests technology that will allow them to interact with each other and our hotel in a revolutionary way,” said Hoyt H. Harper II, senior vice president for Sheraton. “We are proud to partner with Microsoft to offer the groundbreaking Microsoft Surface product, which will enable our guests to stay informed, connected and entertained while traveling.”

“We’re excited to be working with Sheraton in its efforts to feature innovation and redefine the guest experience in its hotel properties,” said Pete Thompson, general manager, Microsoft Surface. “Surface takes a common activity, such as looking up information about a local city, and transforms it into an intuitive and social way for hotel guests to plan their visit. We believe this is just the beginning of how Surface will completely change the hotel guest experience.”

Sheraton Locations Featuring Microsoft Surface

• Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers – 811 7th Ave. 53rd St., New York
• Sheraton Boston Hotel – 39 Dalton St., Boston
• Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers – 301 East North Water St., Chicago
• Sheraton Seattle Hotel – 1400 6th Ave., Seattle
• Sheraton Gateway San Francisco Airport Hotel – 600 Airport Blvd., Burlingame

Source - Press release

Other Microsoft Surface News

Sphere on Display: Cousin of Microsoft Surface computer

Here we have a video that shows the Sphere in action, it is being demonstrated by Hrvoje Benko of Microsoft Research. For those of you who are not familiar with Sphere, it is the cousin of the Microsoft Surface tabletop computer. Surface is already being used in retail and hospitality settings.

When it comes to displays it seems that the only choices we now have are flat panel displays, but Microsoft wish to change this. Microsoft thinks that the Sphere is the answer.

The prototype of the Sphere in the video uses an internal projection and vision system; this is what brings the spherical computer display to life. You as the user are able to touch the Sphere with multiple fingers and hands

You are also able to manipulate photos as well as play games, spin a virtual globe or even watch a 360-degree video.

The Sphere is expected to go on show today at Microsoft’s Faculty Summit in Redmond.

Check out the video

April 17th Microsoft Surface and AT&T: not a 30-inch multi-touch Surface cellphone

On April 17th Microsoft Surface will be launching with AT&T and while it would be funny to see a 30-inch multi-touch surface cellphone, that’s not it. In April the Microsoft Surface table will be in some AT&T stores to help give better information on mobile products to shoppers. We are hearing AT&T stores in San Francisco, San Antonio, Atlanta and New York will be getting Microsoft Surface.

The cellphone will be placed on the Microsoft Surface table (Photo shows Samsung BlackJack II) and it will give you information about the device, you also can get detailed coverage maps Read more

Microsoft has built a Surface PC with a Spherical Display

The Microsoft Surface tabletop computer is very impressive with its cool technology, but how about a Surface PC with a Spherical Display. This is what’s rumored to be in development from Microsoft according to ZDNet.

We are hearing that Microsoft’s Surface multi-touch technology will be adapted to be included in walls, kitchen counters, desks, cellphones, of next-generation PCs and other gadgets over the next five to ten years.

Microsoft Surface at 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship Drawing Party

Back in 2007 we were meant to see a rollout of the Microsoft Surface at a number of Harrah’s casino properties; however it seemed as if Surface was hit by some delays. Well Microsoft Surface will be making an appearance at the upcoming 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship Drawing Party, which is being held at Caesar’s Palace.

Microsoft is allowing a number of B and C list celebrities to have a play with Surface while at this gambling event. However these celebrities could not get too exited as they were only allowed to write their names on photographs of themselves.

Source – Engadget via Harrahs Surface

First Game for Microsoft Surface $10k multi-touch table: its Firefly

We have a video review of the first game for the Microsoft Surface $10k multi-touch table, its called Firefly and you can check out the video below.

Firefly is a fun simple game that tests Microsoft service, your able to collect the fireflies using the multi touch table to get the flies into your jar Read more