Internetis mõnda aega juba jututeemaks olnud Microsofti BlueTrack hiir töötab mistahes pinnal ning  teeb seda laserist täpsemalt. Selle saavutamiseks kasutatakse uut tehnoloogiat mis on seotud Sinise valgusega ning mille arendajaks pole ei keegi muu kui Microsoft kes on varem välja töötanud nii optilise- kui ka laserhiire tehnoloogiad. Hiir on mõeldud ennekõike mobiilsetele kasutajatele, kellel tuleb hiirega töötada ettenägematute pindade peal. Sammuti avalikustas Microsoft ka uued veebikaamerad, millega saab pildile reaalajas efekte lisada. Hinnad peaksid uutel toodetel jääma 1000 krooni piirimaile. Loe edasi kui soovid lugeda ka ametlikku pressiteadet.

REDMOND, Wash. ─ Sept. 9, 2008 ─ Microsoft Corp. today unveiled the world’s most advanced tracking technology, Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which allows consumers to take their mice anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than before. Microsoft’s new proprietary tracking technology combines the width and power of optical technology with the precision of laser tracking to allow consumers to mouse on virtually any surface1 — from a granite kitchen countertop to the living room carpet.

BlueTrack Technology will debut in two new top-of-the-line mice, Microsoft Explorer Mouse and Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse, available this fall at BestBuy.com and in Best Buy stores.

Microsoft Hardware: History of Leadership

Microsoft Hardware has consistently raised the bar in mouse tracking technology throughout its 26-year history, including the launch of the world’s first optical mouse in 1999. The LED light and sensor allowed consumers to mouse on more surfaces with ease, eliminating the old “ball” mouse for good. In 2005, Microsoft introduced High Definition Laser Technology, which allowed mice to work on many surfaces that optical technology did not. But now Microsoft’s in-house engineers have taken mouse tracking to the next level, creating an exclusive, groundbreaking technology to advance the way consumers use their computer mice.

“Research shows that people aren’t sitting at a desk all day, but they’ve gone mobile. In fact, 72 percent of PCs sold are notebook PCs,2 and consumers need a mouse that can go with them anywhere,” said Mark DePue, platforms engineering manager at Microsoft and co-inventor of BlueTrack Technology. “BlueTrack Technology excels in areas where optical and laser technologies were falling short. Laser mice, for example, have a difficult time working on some common home surfaces, including granite and marble.”

According to David Bohn, senior engineering architect at Microsoft and BlueTrack Technology co-inventor, “Laser technology is also sensitive to dust and dirt accumulation during travel, which can lead to poor tracking performance. With BlueTrack Technology you can rest easier about where your mouse will or won’t track — it works just about everywhere, just like you.”

Under the Hood

Microsoft’s BlueTrack Technology works on more surfaces than both optical and laser mice. The large, blue beam and specular optics architecture, in conjunction with a Microsoft-designed image sensor and proprietary pixel geometry, generates a high-contrast picture of the mousing surface that allows exceptional tracking accuracy. The BlueTrack Technology light beam emanating from the bottom of the mouse is more than four times as large as the average laser beam used in today’s mice, enabling the capture of a larger image and offering better reflection of the surface over red light and laser.

This advanced technology creates a superior, more precise picture of the surface, allowing consumers to use their mouse virtually anywhere. To see a video on the making of BlueTrack Technology and meet the inventors, consumers can visit http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/bluetrack.

Explorer Mouse and Explorer Mini Mouse

BlueTrack Technology will debut in two new high-end Microsoft mouse products this fall — the full-size Explorer Mouse and the smaller Explorer Mini Mouse. These mice pair revolutionary tracking technology with a sophisticated design that brings the mice to life. A chrome trim and blue lighting around the bottom rim of the mouse create a soft glow and set the device apart from anything else on the market. A right-handed, ergonomist-approved design offers hours of comfortable use, and 2.4GHz wireless technology delivers a reliable connection up to 30 feet away. The snap-in minitransceiver offers easy storage and mobility, allowing consumers to take their full-size mouse with them wherever they need it.

The full-size Explorer Mouse features easy recharging with a battery status indicator and a small charging base, while the Explorer Mini Mouse uses two AA batteries.

Availability

The Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack Technology and the Explorer Mini Mouse with BlueTrack Technology will be available at BestBuy.com and Best Buy stores in November for the estimated retail price of $99.95 and $79.95 (U.S.), respectively.

“At Best Buy we offer our customers the latest and greatest in consumer technology,” said Steve Guild, senior merchant, computing peripherals at Best Buy. “We are excited to enter into our relationship with Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, as the products truly map to where our customers are using their computers — everywhere.”

Both mice will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft.

Microsoft’s Latest LifeCams Bring Life to Video Calls With Versatile New Designs

REDMOND, Wash. ⎯ Sept. 9, 2008 ⎯ Today, Microsoft Corp. unveils two new webcams — LifeCam Show and LifeCam VX-5500 — featuring stunning new designs that not only look great but also provide versatility for use on a laptop or desktop monitor, or sitting next to your PC. No matter where these LifeCams are used, they will make a statement. LifeCam Show is ultra sleek — one of the thinnest webcams on the market— while the LifeCam VX-5500 takes a more sassy approach with switchable faceplates in three colors and an innovative, collapsible design. These LifeCams deliver high-end audio and video performance, groundbreaking new video effects, and Video Messages — a new service for sending and receiving video messages from friends and family.

LifeCam Show: Good Things Come in Small Packages
LifeCam Show features a sleek, mirrored finish and ultrathin design. It looks great with any PC, attaching with ease to a desktop or laptop computer, or even sitting on top of your desk. The LifeCam Show ships with a complete attachment system to make setting up and using the webcam a snap in a variety of different scenarios. Versatile attachment options include the following:

Laptop clip. LifeCam Show magnetically attaches to a clip snapped right onto a laptop.

Desktop stand. LifeCam Show magnetically attaches to an 11-inch-tall desktop stand, which users can position anywhere around the desk for the perfect viewing angle.

Two attachment discs. Attachment discs allow users to attach the adhesive disc to the back of their laptop, giving them the ability to close their laptop easily with the webcam still attached for greater portability.

Offering top audio and video performance, LifeCam Show is not just about good looks and versatility: A 2.0MP sensor and 8.0MP stills offer true-to-life communication for sharing important life moments. Top-of-the-line audio technology, including a built-in, noise-cancelling microphone with echo-cancellation software, provides improved sound clarity.

“Our design team has been working hard to ensure that we could fit best-in-class webcam technology into such a tiny footprint. Even at only one-half inch deep, LifeCam Show packs a mean punch with industry-leading audio and video technology,” said Ralf Groene, Industrial Design manager at Microsoft. “We also designed these LifeCams to attach with ease to any type of PC because we know that consumers move between notebooks and desktops and back again, and they want a webcam that can move with them.”

LifeCam VX-5500: Switch Out the Color to Suit Your Mood
The LifeCam VX-5500 is all about fun with an innovative new design. The VX-5500 ships with three interchangeable faceplates in blue, red and white, so users can either choose their favorite color and leave it that color or switch the color every day to match their mood. Similar to LifeCam Show, the VX-5500 can be used on a laptop or desktop computer with an innovative universal attachment clip. When users are ready to pack up, the entire webcam folds down flat for easy transport. With a VGA sensor for 640×480 video, 1.3MP stills, and a unidirectional, noise-cancelling microphone, the LifeCam VX-5500 keeps all video communications crystal clear.

Add Fun to Video Calls With the Latest LifeCam Software

Both webcams come with the latest version of LifeCam software, making it easier than ever for users to have a fun video call experience. One major addition to the new software is a group of more than 30 new video effects, including 3D Accessories, Facial Exaggerations and Filters. 3D Accessories offer realistic effects that truly move with users’ faces — users can put a cowboy hat on their head or sunglasses over their eyes, and the effect will stay with them even when they turn their heads. In addition, Microsoft’s new Facial Exaggerations and Filters allow users to stretch their faces, make bug eyes or create a pointy new nose for an entertaining fun-house mirror effect using a LifeCam.

The new release also includes access to Video Messages, a totally new way to keep in touch. When friends and family are not around for a live video chat or perhaps are in a distant time zone, Video Messages is the perfect solution. LifeCam users can record and send videos through an exclusive Windows Vista gadget, and any Windows Live user can get in on the fun via an online portal.

Additional features that make these webcams a great option for Windows Live Messenger users include the following:

Photo Swap. This feature allows two callers to share digital photos in midvideo conversation. Just click the Photo Swap icon, and a new window opens up next to the video call window so users can flip through the photos on their desktop and decide which pictures they want to show.

Windows Live Call Button. Located on top of the LifeCam, the Windows Live Call Button allows users to open their Contact Picker (a tool showing which contacts are currently online) with one touch, so they can quickly initiate video calls to friends and family.1

Pricing and Availability
The LifeCam Show and LifeCam VX-5500 will be widely available in October 2008 for the respective estimated retail prices of $99.95 and $59.95.2 The webcams are available now for presale on Amazon.com and will ship in October when they are widely released. Microsoft will back the LifeCams with a worldwide, three-year limited hardware warranty. More information about the LifeCams is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.