It’s not often that I see software that really changes my world. It’s even rarer that I see software that I know will change the world my sons live in. I can count those times pretty easily. The first time I saw an Apple II in 1977. When Richard Cameron showed me Apple’s Hypercard. Microsoft’s Excel. Aldus’ Pagemaker. And something called Photoshop, all in his West Valley Community College classroom. Later when I saw Marc Andreessen’s Netscape running the WWW. ICQ and Netmeeting which laid the ground for Skype.
Like I said, these things don’t happen often.
Yesterday was one of those days. Curtis Wong and Jonathan Fay, researchers at Microsoft, fired up their machines and showed me something that I can’t tell you about until February 27th. I’m sure you’ll read about his work in the New York Times or TechCrunch, among other places. It’s too inspiring to stay a secret for long.
While watching the demo I realized the way I look at the world was about to change. While listening to Wong I noticed a tear running down my face. It’s been a long while since Microsoft did something that had an emotional impact on me like that.
Why torment you with a post like this? Because it’s my way of making sure that stuff that really is extraordinary gets paid attention to. And because I wanted to get down the emotional impact of what I saw before that feeling totally wears off. I also wanted to get down some lessons that others at Microsoft might learn from so that they can have this kind of impact in their own work. Imagine if Microsoft did 10 things a year like what Curtis and Jonathan showed me yesterday? If the innovation engine at Microsoft were working that well there wouldn’t be any pressure to buy Yahoo. Heck, and if there were a constant stream of stuff like what I saw yesterday Yahoo wouldn’t be resisting going to Microsoft. They’d +want+ to go to Microsoft. Yesterday is the first time since leaving that I wish I were back working at Microsoft.
Now, I can hear Christopher Coulter in my head. The thing these two guys did won’t have a business impact the way, say, Microsoft Office did. There isn’t a business model here. But does every damn thing need a business model? Does a scientific paper that changes the world need a business model? Does it need more audience than just the other 50 scientists in the world who care about that topic? No.
But back to that tear.
Note that it wasn’t a team of 100 people who did it. Two guys with a supporting cast of maybe a dozen. I’ve noticed a trend at Microsoft: that the coolest stuff is done by small teams without a ton of resources. Down the hall from Wong and Fay was researcher Andy Wilson. When I walked into his lab he was working on another cool surface computing technology for Microsoft’s upcoming Tech Fest (which happens March 4). He, and another researcher, were playing with a cool round screen. You might know of Andy’s work: it was his research and demos that convinced Microsoft to build the Surface device which you touch with your hands.
No need for big teams. I never sense a lot of bureaucracy or politics in either of these two guys’ offices.
Back to Wong and Fay’s work.
Could they have done this at a Silicon Valley startup? I doubt it. Venture Capitalists won’t see enough business value in what they are doing. Plus they would need to build a team around them, work out a business plan. Invest their own capital and time building a prototype so that people “get it.” If I told you today what they were doing, without showing you the video we’ll have up on March 3, you’d tell me “that’s lame Scoble.” But when you see it face-to-face everyone I know who’s seen it say they’ve had an emotional reaction to it. Buzz Bruggeman, CEO of ActiveWords, was the first to tell me about it and said it was the best thing he’s seen in years from Microsoft.
Maybe it could be done, but they’ve been traveling all over the world working with researchers from other institutions and getting data for their new thing. It’s a lot easier to get access when you say “I’m a researcher at Microsoft” than when you say “I’m building a startup.”
Other lessons? Keep up to date on the latest things happening in your industry. In Wong and Fey’s work you’ll see techniques that lots of startups are using and, even, that the Google Map team is using. This isn’t stuff that was possible in 1995 so it requires 2008-style Web services and data centers.
Anyway, I’m getting all geeky on you (today Rocky and I are heading to Amazon to talk with Jeff Barr of the team that built its S3 and EC2 services, among others, so that’s probably why I’m ramping up my geek level) but that shouldn’t take away that these two guys got me to cry yesterday.
And that was a good thing. Two guys working inside a big company still can change the world. Can’t wait to talk more about what they’ve done. They’ll have a bunch of press on February 27 and our video will be up on FastCompany.tv on March 3.
UPDATE: I’ve updated this post with a few additions here.
[...] tech geeks will cry Posted on February 26, 2008 by Carlo Maglinao If Microsoft let ubergeek Robert Scoble cry, I wonder what would happen to us meergeeks. It’s just one more day before we will all know [...]
The 27th. Can you spill the beans or is the embargo still in play?
The 27th. Can you spill the beans or is the embargo still in play?
27th
Move along (*Cry* not allowed)
27th
Move along (*Cry* not allowed)
I was really PUMPED to SEE something/anything NEW + EXCITING!!???
I hope it’s not just some LameAss announcement that MicroPOOP is embracing Open Source?
Hero Hack Pack of Free Trial Copies???
Just what i need more Useless Bloated FREE Crap Software from MicroPOOP clogging my Puter*
This is sounding more + more like the Vaunted World Changing SEGWAY Scooter + Cold Fusion combined*
Please Tell Us what U saw!!!
I was really PUMPED to SEE something/anything NEW + EXCITING!!???
I hope it’s not just some LameAss announcement that MicroPOOP is embracing Open Source?
Hero Hack Pack of Free Trial Copies???
Just what i need more Useless Bloated FREE Crap Software from MicroPOOP clogging my Puter*
This is sounding more + more like the Vaunted World Changing SEGWAY Scooter + Cold Fusion combined*
Please Tell Us what U saw!!!
Billy: I posted what I saw here: http://scobleizer.com/2008/02/27/what-made-me-cry-microsofts-world-wide-telescope/
Billy: I posted what I saw here: http://scobleizer.com/2008/02/27/what-made-me-cry-microsofts-world-wide-telescope/
[...] two weeks ago, Scoble blogged that he saw something from Microsoft that made him cry. Now some might think he was being a [...]
it give shame me, by echo of a so cheap and false publicity as this. This program is not going to change nothing to nobody safe to which they like astronomy, I thought that he was something more important. Frankly you have disappointed to me. I erase of my list of contacts and the news to you. Your credibility has fallen by the grounds and I am not the unique one that think thus.
it give shame me, by echo of a so cheap and false publicity as this. This program is not going to change nothing to nobody safe to which they like astronomy, I thought that he was something more important. Frankly you have disappointed to me. I erase of my list of contacts and the news to you. Your credibility has fallen by the grounds and I am not the unique one that think thus.
[...] World Wide Telescope Posted on February 27, 2008 by Carlo Maglinao On February 14, Robert Scoble cried on a new technology by Microsoft, but wouldn’t tell the product as he was on embargo. Today he announced that it is the World [...]
Alfonso: you have absolutely no clue about anything and I’m glad you no longer are a reader of mine. Go back to Digg. Thanks!
Alfonso: you have absolutely no clue about anything and I’m glad you no longer are a reader of mine. Go back to Digg. Thanks!
[...] posted an entry talking about a new innovative piece of software from Microsoft that actually moved him to tears. At the time, he was not able to discuss what it was – today he revealed the details. It turns out [...]
This is not a great deal…… more usefull is Google Earth….. so much noise and poor reallity… you cry for this?…… well I understand…. you cray for everything from Microsoft…. it’s suck
This is not a great deal…… more usefull is Google Earth….. so much noise and poor reallity… you cry for this?…… well I understand…. you cray for everything from Microsoft…. it’s suck
[...] settimana fa Robert Scoble scrisse che ciò che aveva visto nei laboratori di Microsoft Research lo aveva fatto piangere, per l’emozione. Il brillante ex-evangelista del colosso di Redmond non disse naturalmente di [...]
[...] few weeks ago celebrity blogger Robert Scoble wrote that "Microsoft researchers make me cry" but couldn’t tell us why. It turns out its the World Wide telescope. The [...]
[...] last week, Microsoft announced the World Wide Telescope, a preview of which was discussed by Robert Scoble on February 14, to set the stage for the afternoon program at TED. It’s amazing in [...]
[...] Scoble hat vor 2 Wochen in einem Blogposting gestanden, dass ihn die Microsoft Researcher zum Flennen gebracht hatte, er aber wegen Geheimhaltungspflicht [...]
[...] Filed under: Uncategorized — alright @ 6:41 am And the geek Scoble who cried on his last visit to Microsoft office (actually the physical, touchable office) and who just told [...]
[...] Myndir og upplýsingar um WorldWide Telescope, nýjustu afurð Microsoft sem kallað hefur fram tár á hvörmum hörðustu bloggara. [...]
[...] Telescope at TED 28 02 2008 Yes, what made Scoble cry. Yesterday this project from Microsoft research was presented (as expected) at TED and a lot faster [...]
[...] 但是他还是禁不住在博客上写道，”what make me cry?“，文中提及多年来IT业界曾经让他激动流泪的几个产品，如苹果电脑二代，Photoshop等。这次到底是什么又能够让他如此激动呢？他说让他从一个更新的角度上来看待这个世界，看待我们生活的地方，于是有人根据一些信息就猜测说很有可能就是Worldwide Telescope，很多人就开始议论纷纷。Scoble提到微软会在27日的TED大会上进行预演。所以昨天他有了新的Blog，终于说出了就是大家猜测的Worldwide Telescope。而且官方网站也于昨天已经开放：http://www.wwtelescope.com/。 [...]
[...] blogpost van Robert Scoble zorgde al voor geruchten en speculaties. TechCrunch had al een idee dat het om dit project zou [...]
[...] of the presenters at the TED talks this week, and he proves it with pictures of the universe that brought Robert Scoble to tears and are produced by a new Worldwide Telescope from [...]
[...] una entrada anterior, creyendo a uno de los blogers más influyentes, Robert Scoble, me hice eco de una entrada en la que aseguraba que el mundo quedaría impactado por un nuevo proyecto de Microsoft. Pues bien, [...]
[...] unos días Robert Scoble comentaba en su blog que había visto un programa en Microsoft que le había hecho llorar. Este programa saldría el 27 [...]
[...] se demandait ce que ça pouvait bien être, cette innovation énorme annoncée par Robert Scoble : While watching the demo I realized the way I look at the world was about to change. (Wooot [...]
[...] week back Robert Scoble said he saw a project that made him cry. Today the project website is open and scheduled to be released to the general public later this [...]
[...] more famous for tripping on Scoble’s tear jerker switch and much anticipated leading up to [...]
[...] недель назад бывший евангелист Microsoft Роберт Скобл заинтриговал общественность, сообщив, что редмондский гигант готовит продукт, [...]
[...] read Scobles post when it appeared on TechMeme yesterday about Microsoft Research and their Worldwide Telescope [...]
[...] misteriosa tecnología de Microsoft que había hecho llorar a algunos (Robert Scoble) y que hace algunos días se descubrió que era el WorldWide Telescope acaba de ser mostrado en la [...]
[...] week of twee terug blogte Robert Scbole over een nieuw stukje software van Microsoft Research waarvan hij moest huilen. Scoble had het [...]
[...] Acaba de ser presentado en la TED Talks: Science educator Roy Gould and Microsoft’s Curtis Wong give an astonishing sneak preview of Microsoft’s new WorldWide Telescope — a technology that combines feeds from satellites and telescopes all over the world and the heavens, and weaves them together holistically to build a comprehensive view of our universe. (Yes, it’s the technology that made Robert Scoble cry) [...]
[...] Apparently its so good it made Robert Scoble cry. [...]
[...] makes Scoble cry (me, too) We now know what will make Robert Scoble cry – the immensity of the universe and our tiny little place in it, as visualized by Microsoft [...]
[...] недель назад бывший евангелист Microsoft Роберт Скобл заинтриговал общественность, сообщив, что редмондский гигант готовит продукт, [...]
[...] 話說2月14號情人節那天，Robert Scoble在他的Scobleizer上高調大談一件會讓他痛哭流涕的事情，那就是他在被邀請看過M$即將發表的新產品之後，讓他激動的不能自己呀，於是既感性又賣關子地寫了一篇Microsoft researchers make me cry。之後數天此舉掀起了一股臆測熱潮，大家都在猜到底M$能有什麼能耐讓Robert Scoble痛哭流涕。 [...]
[...] of Stellarium te bieden hebben. Tech-blogger Robert Scobler schijnt bij het zien van WWT zelfs tranen in z’n ogen te hebben gekregen. Van bewondering of teleurstelling, dat weet ik even niet Data voor WWT wordt [...]
[...] blogcu Scobleizer’in “Microsoft’ta öyle bir ?ey gördümki beni a?latt?” yaz?s? ile ba?lad?. Scobleizer gördü?ü ?eyin ne oldu?unu söylememekle beraber bunun devrim yaratacak [...]
[...] Scobleizer’in “Microsoft’ta öyle bir şey gördümki beni ağlattı” yazısı ile başladı. Scobleizer gördüğü şeyin ne olduğunu söylememekle beraber bunun devrim [...]
[...] … WTF? A telescope? Are you people nuts [...]
[...] software project, the WorldWide Telescope (WWT). This is the rumored world-changing project that made Robert Scoble cry, and it’s something I’ve been waiting eagerly for since Scoble’s teasing posts. [...]
[...] tira de Joy of Tech, en referencia al post Microsoft researches make me cry de Robert Scoble, donde comentaba el próximo lanzamiento del Worldwide Telescope. Esta entrada [...]
[...] demonstration of WorldWide Telescope made Scoble cry and in his follow up post he did explain as to what made him cry. I didn’t cry (not to [...]
[...] the innovation that made Robert Scoble cry, it’s something everyone is talking about and it promises to be [...]