At CES 2002 in Las Vegas, Bill Gates has unveiled two new technologies for Microsoft codenamed Mira and Freestyle. Mira is a technology platform for wireless home computing while Freestyle is a hardware and software package for Windows XP-based PCs that promises to turn computers into something more like digital entertainment centers. Bill Gates states that both technologies will help create Microsoft's version of a connected home.

Just to give you a better idea of each technology, let me give you examples.

Freestyle is basically the idea of using your computer with actually sitting down at your computer, for example, using a remote control. So if your computer is in your living room as your "media center" you can control everything that it does without actually sitting down at the keyboard. Another aspect of Freestyle is the user interface, because it must be simple enough to use with a remote control while not making things complicated at the same time. Bill Gates showed an example application of playing digital music using the remote control and the interface was very simple and very easy to use.

Mira is the idea of letting Windows connect up to an intelligent display. Then the actual display itself can be removed and carried around and used in a multitude of ways. The technology is great as it will now allow for a new generation of "smart" monitors that have CE .net built in. So for example when I pick up the monitor and move around, it can actually have wireless networking and internet capabilities. Just remember that the monitor is actually running the data from the computer it is connected to in the first place.

I think that both of these technologies are good for helping to converge the computer and your media center. This is something I have envisioned for a while, and this will definitely help move it one step closer. Freestyle is REALLY only for use with a media center, otherwise, why would you use a remote for a computer right in front of you. Mira I think can be used for much more, and can be a very powerful technology and extension to XP, but not very useful until the masses start to adapt to these next generation displays. I don't think that will happen for a while though. LCD prices have come down a lot and they continue to do so, but it is still not close to the level where everybody will start to buy LCD's over CRT's mainly because of the price differential. Then imagine a "smart" LCD, that's going to cost a bit more I would guess, so it will be even more time after that.

I think both of these technologies are great for future capabilities and I'm glad that Microsoft is thinking so far ahead and helping to adapt the technology today.

Image curtosy of CNN & Associated Press

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ActiveTuning - Partner & Director Of Sales & Marketing

Psst, it's courtesy

They both sound really nice, I like "simple" innovations like that, bodes well for the future of computing.

Mira is the name of the Dogs for the Blinds thing around here, which makes it somewhat funny that it's about a portable monitor, to me anyways

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"Mira" is Spanish, a command or conjugated form of "mirar" (to look). Loosely translated, it means "look" or "see" as used in the sentences "look at this" or "see this thing." Even more loosely translated, it can be used like "check this out" or as a word used to get your attention.