Not yet but not far off either. Yesterday at The Wall Street Journal’s D: All Thing’s Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif., Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the company’s first surface computing product, called Microsoft Surface ^– an innovation that will change the way people shop, dine, entertain and live. Viewers tuning into “The Today Show” on NBC-TV this morning also got a taste of this powerful new technology.

Surface Computing is part of Microsoft’s recently formed Productivity and Extended Consumer Experiences Group, run by Corporate Vice President Tom Gibbons, and is within the Entertainment & Devices division. Gibbons is helping lead the charge for this new product category. PressPass spoke with Gibbons to learn more about today’s announcement.What is surface computing? Is anyone else doing this?

Tom Gibbons: Surface computing is a completely intuitive and liberating way to interact with digital content. It blurs the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. By using your hands or placing other unique everyday objects on the surface – such as an item you’re going to purchase at a retail store or a paint brush – you can interact with, share and collaborate like you’ve never done before. Imagine you’re out at a restaurant with friends and you each place your beverage on the table – and all kinds of information appears by your glass, such as wine pairings with a restaurant’s menu. Then, with the flick of your finger, you order dessert and split the bill. We really see this as broadening content opportunities and delivery systems.

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