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Is this the rejuvenation of MyLifeBits from Microsoft Research? During the final minutes of Bill Gates’ CES 2008 keynote – just before it turned into a rock concert – he showed off a conceptual media visualization tool which in this case was organizing pictures and videos from his previous keynotes. It’s quite the eye candy.

At first glance, it looks like just another pre-rendered mockup that Microsoft can be so good at producing. Then the demo starts. Either Bill was flawless with his presentation timing, or he was actually controlling the demo. That means everything was rendered real-time. By the end of the demo, a clip from the same keynote an hour ago appears on the screen to indicate his most recent keynote gives almost certain evidence this was not just a far-fetched idea, but a real application. Imagine the possibilities.

Of course, just because it’s real code still doesn’t mean minions like ourselves can play with it anytime in the near future. However it clearly shows Microsoft’s trying to break free, in a big way, from the traditional visualization methods such as folders we’re all pretty much sick of. Credit where credit is due.

A video spoof shown during the CES 2008 keynote by Bill Gates about his last full day at Microsoft in July starring himself, Brian Williams, Steve Ballmer, Matthew McConaugheyr, Robbie Bach, Jay-Z, Bono, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Jon Stewart, Kevin Turner, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie,

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Amazing who they can call for a guest appearance in the name of Bill Gates.

AMD might be $2 billion in the red, but that doesn’t stop them from still poking fun at the competition – that is Intel. They prepared this short video teaser for CES illustrating what the average computer buyer is and is not interested about when buying a computer. Hafnium, appears to be not one of them. Although I’m convinced that old lady is a Level 60 Paladin.

Photo credit: Flickr user Domain Barnyard

Mark your Google calendars. Bill Gates’ departing Consumer Electronics Show 2008 pre-show keynote is happening this Sunday. If you’re not in Las Vegas to see it live, Microsoft has generously set up a series of tubes so you can watch blobs of Bill and co. from the comfort of your very own home.

The show is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm Pacific US Standard Time but it never does, however be sure to get in early before the tubes are clogged like they always do. Start from the highest quality feed and work your way down. The webcast URLs are:

• 750k “high quality” webcast stream
• 300k “good quality” webcast stream
• 100k “blob quality” webcast stream

Alternatively, download the details for this event (iCal) to import into your calendars.

Expect to see new stuff from Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, Windows Auto, XBOX 360, Zune, Windows Media Center, Windows Home Server and Mediaroom (IPTV). Should be a great “going away” show.

Update: You an also stream the webcast via the Silverlight-powered Microsoft @ CES website. It uses the same streams so the quality will be identical, however you’ll miss out on the ability to full-screen the video. Interestingly, looking through the XAML sourcecode reveals a full-screen button and function already in code, but it’s been commented out for some reason. Guess they don’t want you looking at Bill Gates really big.

If you have the slightest curiosity of what the next version of Windows will look like, then keep an eye on Manuel Clement. The trick is to use your peripheral vision and not stare, otherwise they’ll sue for harassment.

He leads a relatively new design group at Microsoft Design called XDR, which stands for Experience Design and Research and is responsible for all the interaction design of future versions of Windows, Internet Explorer and Windows Live. Even though they’ve just moved in, already they’ve started redecorating Windows Live with the new glossy theme you see in Wave 2 products. One can only imagine what they’ll do to Windows.

Manuel’s design work can already been seen in Expression Blend, Windows Vista Upgrade Adviser, Microsoft Nice and even vector glass in Longhorn. If there’s one person who knows their way around XAML, it’s Manuel.

Recently, Manuel gave an interview to the Expression newsletter (December edition for those of you playing at home) in which he reveals a bit about himself, his past and his work. Here’s an excerpt.

Hi Manuel, you are a lead of XDR. Can you tell us what it stands for? What is your background and what are you doing?

XDR means “(User) Experience Design & Research”. We are in charge of designing the user experience including interaction models of the Windows operating system as well as the Windows Live connected services (Messenger, Spaces, SkyDrive, etc) and Internet Explorer. UX Lead means User Experience (Design) Lead. Essentially I manage a team of people and I also contribute to the design of various products as a Designer. My specific team designs Common Controls, UI Patterns, Alternative Input (handwriting, touch, voice), Live Mobile-Client integration, UI Platforms. My background is a blend of programming, visual, sound and interaction design. I have also published a number of books over the years, on Photoshop and Flash.

How do you see UI in 5 years? Do you see Multi Touch screens, such as Microsoft Surface, as a direction for the future?

At a high-level, some interesting concepts come to mind for the future of user interactions over the next few years: using multiple screens in various locations or rooms, ubiquitous wireless internet connection, carrying your personal data on you – either stored on a physical device or accessible from any connected device/computer. Alternative input models will also start to become refined and a part of people’s lives: handwriting, voice, multi-touch. Things like Photosynth and Surface, as well as Vista AERO and Zune’s media player software and device UI, give us an idea of what faster graphic processors and richer UI Platforms will enable in the future. To me, it is all about making it more comfortable for people. Enable them to do what they want to do more conveniently.

I encourage all Windows enthusiasts to check out the full interview at the Expression newsletter website. Expect more Manuel stalking coverage on this blog in the future.

Like most of the other advertisements for the Zune I don’t quite follow what the message is, but unlike the others, this is hilarious. This video was produced by JDK Design as part of their branding strategy work on the Zune in 2006. Unfortunately this ad was never aired, but after watching it you will probably understand why.

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