March 2, 2009
PC Pro: Microsoft's Surface, a 30-inch touchscreen table that allows people to move pictured objects with their fingers, has arrived in the United Kingdom with a number of interesting applications in tow. Surface appeared two years ago in the United States and Canada, and is now employed by Caesars casino chain and the Sheraton Hotel Group, which uses the table as a self-check-in device that allows guests to tap their credit card on the table to register. Other Surface software partnerships allow doctors and patients to interact with medical records such as x-rays and scans, allowing patients to zoom in on specific sections and annotate the records. Surface costs around £10,000 (U.S. $19,000).