Microsoft Shows Off SurroundWeb Concept For Displaying Content Across a Whole Room

By Prarthito

| Published: Monday, March 10, 2014, 15:22 [IST]

Microsoft is looking to add new definitions to the word "innovation" almost everyday with new technologies aimed at making both life and work more suitable for users. With that in mind, the Redmond-based technology giant has now published a new concept paper where it describes a concept it calls SurroundWeb.

The SurroundWeb concept, basically, is a means for displaying web content on multiple flat surfaces and satellite screens in a single physical room. Apparently, the concept relies on the Xbox-based Kinect technology that's required to scan a room to "recognize" flat surfaces and other objects.

Microsoft's SurroundWeb Concept Displays Content Across a Room

Once a flat surface is recognized, it then uses software to send out different parts of web content to different surfaces in the room, adding more screens to view the content on in the process. The idea also works out for satellite devices such as phones or tablets, with the basic idea to send out different parts of web content that would fit perfectly on different surfaces and walls.

As of now, Microsoft is offering a new way to create great applications for the home that will not violate the privacy of their users. This is because since SurroundWeb is Internet-based, and if it were to scan a room and allow information to make its way to the web, all sorts of privacy violations could occur.

Nonetheless, in the concept paper for the same, Microsoft has shown how SurroundWeb could be implemented without violating any such privacy. As revealed, the design of the system will work out similar to the way operating system designs work out.

What this means is that different parts of the concept will be allowed access to different information, and each level will have access to only what is required and nothing more than that.