For a Safe Super Bowl, Thank Microsoft

No disrespect to Tampa’s finest, but running security at the Super Bowl can’t be left to the locals alone. Authorities all the way up to the federal level were involved in over a year of planning, but more pertinent to our discussions here, Microsoft lent some heavy-duty technology to the operations. The company’s multi-touch, multi-user Surface device displayed the entire region on a Virtual Earth map, which could be zoomed in to display 3D images of the city. In collaboration with the E•SPONDER technology partnership, Surface allowed for real-time tracking of events, incidents and resources, and could connect with remote devices and PCs as well. To see the excitement in Tampa Incident Commander Major Bennet’s eyes, check out the video. [via Ars Technica]