MSNBC appear to be making good use of the Microsoft Surface technology as part of their US election coverage.
The Surface team blog has a full story posted about the way that MSNBC are using this technology, along with several other good examples.
If you were on the East coast this morning or just up real early on the West coast you might have seen Microsoft Surface in action on TV. But this isn’t just another news story about Surface, this morning a unit was deployed on the MSNBC set for regular use by Chuck Todd, NBC News political director, to assist him in analyzing the upcoming 2008 election and political news beyond.
Today we saw two applications in action, the Electoral Map and Battleground States, but over the coming days/weeks Todd will likely use other unique applications and features to further highlight the candidates, the issues, polls and relevant political news.
This next video is more marketing than the MSNBC example, but gives you a good idea of how Sheraton Hotels are using Surface.
Video: Microsoft Surface at Sheraton Hotel & Resorts
Again this is linked from the Surface team blog.
Microsoft Surface at the Sheraton features:
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.
Take a look at some of their other examples, Surface is a technology with an enormous amount of potential and it is fascinating to see the ways that our customers are choosing to use it.