Tag Archives: microsoft technology

It’s his move: World chess champion Magnus Carlsen uses Microsoft technology to collaborate with his team and keep strategies secure

Magnus Carlsen, reigning world chess champion, has his own mobile app. He hangs out with actress Liv Tyler. He’s done professional modeling and ads. A new documentary film, “Magnus,” shares the story of the 25-year-old often described as “the Mozart of chess.” (more…)

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Now Online: A Century of Women’s Entrepreneurialism

Microsoft partners with the U.S. National Women’s History Museum to launch an exhibit examining the journey of American women who have started businesses over the last century.

REDMOND, Wash. – March 28, 2013 – At Microsoft, advocating for women in business is rooted in the corporate conscience, along with the belief in women’s power to blaze trails and shape their own destinies through entrepreneurship. In recognition of March commemorating both International Women’s Day and National Women’s History Month in the United States, Microsoft is shining a light on the stories of women entrepreneurs around the world and showcasing how technology has played a transformative role in enabling entrepreneurship. (more…)

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Battling Tuberculosis through Microsoft Technology

Microsoft Research develops biometric monitoring system to help patients complete tuberculosis treatment programs.

BANGALORE, India — Dec. 3, 2012 — Giri Prasad, a 33-year-old tailor who lives in Delhi, first noticed the pain below his ribs. He went to see a doctor, but when it didn’t subside, he traveled to the hospital where he eventually learned he had tuberculosis.

“There were many problems because first and foremost, I am the bread earner for the family,” he says. “If the bread earner falls ill, it is a real problem for those who are dependent on him. Here in the city the biggest problem is that if one falls sick, there is no other person who will come help.” (more…)

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A Career of Thriving on ‘Impossible Projects’ – Including Kinect for Xbox 360

Alex Kipman, leader behind Kinect, on making technology ‘disappear.’

REDMOND, Wash. – June 12, 2012 – In June 2010, Alex Kipman sat in Los Angeles’ Galen Center as Cirque de Soleil performers helped introduce the world to Kinect. Acrobats, musicians and 10-foot tall puppets filled the sports arena, where 3,000 people watched a boy onstage discover Microsoft’s new controller-free gaming system.

“Hi, Alex,” a narrator said to the boy. “Welcome home.”

Kipman claims the name was coincidence, but he could be forgiven for making the connection, having led the development team that spent several years building Kinect. Sitting in the darkened arena, he reflected on the journey that began with a question: Can we make technology disappear? (more…)

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Kinect for Xbox 360 Brings Gaming to Kids with Disabilities

*Kinect’s controller-free gaming is helping children with disabilities play video games for the first time.*

REDMOND, Wash. — July 20, 2011 — Kinect, launched last fall, has been dubbed a gaming game-changer. And for some youngsters who’ve never been able to play games before, it’s been a life-changer.

By eliminating the controller, Kinect has removed a barrier for some people with mobility and coordination difficulties. Among them is Avri Davis. Although the 14-year-old is the oldest of six children, she’s never been able to keep up with her siblings. Avri was born with hydrocephalus, a situation where excess fluid puts pressure on her brain. (more…)

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Summer Sailing in the Cloud With Office 365

*Three friends are sailing the U.S. Eastern Seaboard in search of the American spirit. They’ve chronicled their journey and stayed connected with help from Office 365, an official sponsor of the trip.*

BOSTON – July 5, 2011 – In 1987, John Mirassou and two friends set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on a 17-foot Boston Whaler. They didn’t expect to find anything more than good times on their journey, which ultimately logged some 6,100 miles. They were wrong.

“What started out as way to see the country by boat really turned into a story about the American people,” Mirassou said. “Everywhere we went we were taken in by people we had never met. This American spirit came out in amazing instances of generosity.” (more…)

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Wild Pockets: Girl Geek Leads 3-D Gamer Revolution

*Shanna Tellerman is on her game as CEO of BizSpark One startup Wild Pockets.*

REDMOND, Wash. — Wild Pockets, a BizSpark One startup, is building the future of open source gaming.

Shanna Tellerman had no intention of becoming the CEO of a high-tech company. In college, she was intent on pursuing a career in art. It wasn’t until she took a course that combined art and technology at Carnegie Mellon University that she had the idea that she could marry the two fields. While at Carnegie Mellon, Tellerman worked on a project that used video game technology as a training method for first responders in emergency situations. The result was a drag-and-drop user interface that let people set up almost any kind of firefighting scenario. Her solution was so easy to use that it quickly became popular with fire departments across the U.S. (more…)

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