MS Acquiring ​Revolutiona​ry Hi Tech Imaging Start Up

Microsoft is acquiring Seadragon Software, a Seattle-based company developing technologies that could be used across several of the software giant's businesses, including Web search, cellphone services, mapping and digital-photo programs.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002767280_seadragon28.html

http://www.seadragon.net/

I got a demo of this and it rocks. Rocks. Rocks. Rocks.

Can't wait to see how we work together.

Hopefully it won't be glued on with a klunkly interface.  The first few previews of MS Antispyware was basically just GIANT with MSFT bits glommed on.  Sure, MS AS is pretty good, but its heritage showed.

I can see this being utilized in MSN Maps or w/e its called.

f-n Awesome!
- Steve

I can see this in Vienna.


Meaning, in other words, I should see this in Vienna.

So, now that they bought a company that likely owns the necessary licenses to use JPEG2000 (for the specific troublemaker patents), what's to stop Microsoft from implementing it into freaking Windows and IE?!

At first I looked at the demos and thought, "yeah yeah yeah, SCALING, ok..."  "yeah yeah yeah JPEG2000, ok..."

...and then the guy says they scale using POWER LAWS to scale at different rates, and the light bulb went on over my head.  F--king brilliant idea.  That's the patent Microsoft wanted.

For those interested in how power laws will change the way we look at things, I recommend the book Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science and Everyday Life

This could end the distinction between an icon, a thumbnail, and a document.  Everything could be a document -- sometimes it would just be icon-sized, sometimes thumbnail-sized, and sometimes document-sized, and you could smoothly scale between those views. 

In this case power laws may literally change the way we look at things....

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go patent some stuff.  LOL