"Moore's law" is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit will double approximately every two years. For the past 50 years, we have relied on Moore’s Law to provide increasing functionality at faster speeds and lower cost. Cheap, fast, and small…
The 2015 Microsoft Research Faculty Summit is over, but I am still recovering my voice from all the great hallway conversations! The summit reminded my fellow Microsoft researchers, our myriad collaborators in academia, and me of what we have already accomplished and the exciting opportunities…
By Allison Linn, Senior Writer, Microsoft Research Microsoft researchers have come up with a way to make wearable gadgets such as fitness trackers and smart watches go much longer between charges. The research project, called WearDrive, is the latest development in the researchers' broad effort…
A special report in the April 19, 2014, issue of The Economist predicted that 70 percent of China’s population—some 1 billion people—will live in cities by 2030. While China’s urban growth offers a higher standard of living to many citizens, it also creates serious problems.…
What if a mobile game maker could determine the “who, when, and where” that lead to the most satisfying gaming experience? What if they knew precise combination of demographics, location, and recent activities—say young men, in their dorm room, after a meal—that yields the highest…
Posted by Allison Linn Mobile phones and devices have already crossed the line from convenience to necessity, and we will likely grow even more reliant on them in the future. Microsoft researchers are working on a number of ways to make these gadgets both more…
Tomorrow, May 12, is the first full day of the Microsoft Research Devices and Networking Summit, which brings together more than 200 experts to discuss cutting-edge developments, potential breakthroughs, and ongoing concerns in today’s evermore connected world. An event of this significance deserves broad participation, which…
A new technology called Haven could provide unprecedented protection for data stored in the cloud When you store data in the cloud, you entrust the cloud provider with your data. You essentially cross your fingers and hope the provider won't leak the data, tamper with…
This week, Microsoft researcher Hrvoje Benko (@hrvojebenko) is in Hawaii, but not on one of the islands’ beautiful beaches. As conference chair for UIST 2014—the 27th Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology—Benko will be busy ensuring that the event,…
“The way we design computers today,” Microsoft researcher Hong Tan says, “it would seem that people only use their eyes.” Sure, we tap on our device screens, slide our fingertips across the glass, and type on on-screen keyboards. Sometimes, we give voice commands and listen…
Posted by Rob Knies A couple of years ago, a few Microsoft researchers published a couple of interesting papers on storage efficiencies. Now, with breathtaking speed, the concepts in those papers have been embraced across the cloud-computing world. Technological change can occur at lightning speed.…
Gaurav Sharma appeared relaxed but focused in his purple hoodie on January 16, 2014. Less than 20 seconds later, Sharma, a 15-year-old from Lakeside High School in Seattle, found himself the owner of a Guinness World Record® for fastest text message using a touch-screen mobile…
