Future TV to predict what you want to watch

Bangalore: Smart television of future will be able to recognize facial expressions, body movements and will gauge user's mood and choose appropriate programs, taking into account past viewing preferences. "Within five to 10 years, it is inevitably that television will be controlled much more naturally. It will be more intuitive, like the Xbox, following body movement and facial recognition like project natal," said Ashley Highfield, the UK Managing Director of Microsoft to the Daily Telegraph.

Project Natal caused a stir when it was unveiled at the E3 games show in Los Angeles in June. Project Natal is Microsoft's controller-free, motion-sensing gaming system for the Xbox 360 which uses a camera, depth-sensor and microphones to track the natural movement of a player and replicate it on-screen.

The project will also include an avatar, little boy called Milo, who lives inside your computer. You talk to him as you would to a normal person, and he interacts with you in return, picking up everything from your movement to the emotion in your tone of voice. He will remember your face and greet you by name as you walk in to the room. "TV will increasingly go that way," said Highfield. "This is certainly the last generation that will have a remote control." Highfield also said that all mobile phones and PCS will soon become touch screen within two years.

Microsoft's Chief Executive, Steve Ballmer has said that the new Xbox 360 with "a natural interface" would be launched in 2010.
Source : Silicon India, 28/10/09