Yesterday at midnight Microsoft unveiled a new product. A product that's very special. A product that's totally new to entertainment devices. A product that will change the way people interact with technology. It's also from the same division that created the Xbox and Zune, so what is it? Microsoft also says that "you really have to see it to believe it". I will edit this article when I have found the product.

EDIT: Product Revealed!

Microsoft Touch Sensitive Table!

•Music - You put your music player on the table, and your credit card. Both are recognized, then you drag songs to the player. Zune is obvious first device, but potential other partner in the works. One demo used a nano. Could partner really be Apple? Let's not get carried away... yet.

•Virtual Concierge - A fairly self explanatory guide program, complete with mapping programs

•Food & Drink - Not just interactive menus, but glass (and presumably plate and maybe even silverware) recognition. Like Music program, it reads credit cards just by placing them on table.

•Photo - A simple photo editor reminiscent of iPhoto

•Puzzle - A game where you assemble actual pieces of glass on top of the table, each with a sliver of live video playing

•Water - A water screensaver that you can touch to make ripples

•Paint - Simple painting program that reads pressure sensitivity by judging the size of your fingerprint

I'm told that tonight, at 12:01am EST (okay, so tomorrow), the division of Microsoft that launched the Xbox and the Zune will unveil something very special . What it is, we do not know for sure, but it's "something totally new coming out of the Entertainment and Devices division, and it's going to change the way people interact with technology." The email (which was not a tip but rather was mistakenly sent to me through official channels) also stated that "you really have to see it to believe it." How tantalizing.

The timing is good, since tomorrow is when Bill Gates and Steve Jobs get to point fingers at each other under the grandfatherly gaze of Grand Vizier Walt Mossberg, and in these heady iPhone days, Gates needs all the ammo he can get. But what the heck is it? We're convinced Zune 2.0 is still a ways off, but then again, what else would this division be up to? Stay tuned, and we'll get back to you with the details right around midnight.

ITANI via gizmodo.com »