11:33 AM
In my last blog, I talked a little about Surface Technology and how it is making an impact within the Museums. I like to share this video called "Magical Object Interaction" built for the Smithsonian Institution by InfoStrat. This is an amazing demostration of how Surface allows us to connect the physical world with the digital world and create a little magic!
For many years technology has enabled us to innovate and transform to do new and many things. It will continue to do so for years to come. Evidence is everywhere and all around us. I am often in search of finding new places where innovation through technology is changing the landscape of the way we live, do things and interact with the world. I start this blog in search of new heights, the “Art of the Possible”
Speaking of the Arts I like to share how technology is bridging the digital world and the physical world in our museums. Smithsonian Institution is enabling new ways to manipulate untouchable objects to go back to periods in time and space where they were found through a technology called Microsoft Surface. Experiential history in the moment… "Surface technology can take you as far as the curiosity takes you."
What is Microsoft Surface? Microsoft Surface is “a multi-touch computer that responds to natural hand gestures and real-world objects, helping people interact with digital content in a simple and intuitive way. With a large, horizontal user interface, Surface offers a unique gathering place where multiple users can collaboratively and simultaneously interact with data and each other”. The surface technology is actually several years old. However we see new use cases and adoption today than ever before! 
So how does it work in a museum and what is the benefit? Microsoft Surface increases the quality of visitors' engagement within museums by creating virtual engagements beyond the museum commons. The "horizontal collaboration" approach of Surface stimulates learning, creation, and innovation through open access to a museum’s research, collections and communities. In turn, this new approach to engagement allows the museum to continually evolve its engagement capabilities thru software rather than being limited by the constraints of physical exhibition of artifacts... 
Surface is inviting, exciting, engaging and entertaining… There are several Surface apps being developed for the Smithsonian to connect people to artifacts and to history in a unique way. I plan to share with you these new applications in the next few months…. for now check out this magnification app from InfoStrat.
