Session Date: August 16, 2005
Annual Meeting Session Summary: Tour of Microsoft’s Center for Information Work and Microsoft Home
By Michael Itti
Communications Officer, Washington House Democratic Caucus This summary is provided for information purposes only. NCSL does not endorse any views it contains.
REDMOND, Wa. – Imagine a world where technology and computers are seamlessly integrated in our home, office and daily life. A group of legislators attending the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2005 Annual Meeting in Seattle experienced a glimpse of this future on a tour of the Center for Information Work and Home at Microsoft. Both concepts are under the creative direction of Microsoft Research, a division tasked with wondering how technology can make a difference in everyday life and then to build it.
Fred Humphries, director of state government affairs for Microsoft, welcomed legislators to the company’s headquarters in Redmond. He encouraged legislators to think about public policy and privacy questions that might arise as they walk through the model home and office. Lawmakers could be presented with these challenges if the prototypes become reality within five to 10 years.
Stuart McKee, national technology officer for Microsoft and former director of the Washington state department of information services, urged legislators to consider how technology will enable state government to conduct the business of citizens better.
“Technology is a fundamentally empowering tool,” McKee said. “It has changed the way we live, work and play. Computers are no longer a novelty; they are an integrated part of life.”
Beginning with the Microsoft Home, designers presented concepts that challenge our basic notion of everyday living. Lost keys could be a thing of the past. Doors lacking keyholes instead open up with a palm scan, a technology based on biometrics.
Step inside to a home reminiscent of the Jetsons or Star Trek. Tap an ordinary looking wall and a seamless display appears that shows messages, the status of family members and temperature controls. Ask Grace the computer, to set the “welcome home” scene and the lights turn on, blinds open and music begins playing.
Whereas today the television and computer are separate devices, each display in the home of the future represents an aggregation of content from both. A display in the living room provides television programming, music, gaming and the Internet.
Behind many of the innovative features in the home lie radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Things like family portraits become dynamic and interactive thanks to displays with RFID readers that replace traditional picture frames. Place a souvenir with an embedded RFID tag next to the frame and it loads a digital photo of the family vacation.
For children and parents, technology can even enhance the experience bedtime story. The children’s book Goodnight Moon comes alive through sound and visual effects as the story unfolds thanks to networked displays, speakers and lights.
In the kitchen, a technology used at the checkout counter could simplify and eliminate the guesswork out of making dinner. A “smart” microwave reads the barcode off a can of black bean soup and programs the appropriate cooking time.
The second tour of the Center for Information Work presented several scenarios where technology can help in decision-making and managing the ever increasing amounts of information.
Legislators took part in a role play as employees at a fictitious company that produces widgets. Using tablet PCs, employees of the company could access real-time data and decision-making tools on the factory floor, on an airplane and in the corporate headquarters. Being away from the office may no longer hinder productivity as a corporate executive in the air can still sign documents and approve work orders digitally using the tablet PC.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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