Microsoft Surface

Imagine being able to actually touch your digital photos and drag them around by hand, or use your finger as a Photoshop paint brush. You can do that and much more with Microsoft's first surface computing product, imaginatively named Microsoft Surface ($10,000; Q4 2007). The Minority Report-style computing environment allows you to directly interact with a touch-sensitive 30-inch tabletop setup using nothing but your fingers. Its multi-touch interface gives you hands-on control of content such as photos, music and maps. Microsoft Surface can also sense objects that you place on the tabletop. Sit down a Wi-Fi enabled digital camera, for example, and all of your recently captured photos magically flow out of the device onto the computer screen, ready for quick emailing or saving. The technology won't be available for home use right away, however. Hotels, retail stores, and restaurants will get them first.