If you’ve been following my sTORI recently then you know I was super lucky to be invited to visit Microsoft’s corporate headquarters and campus in Redmond, WA (a suburb of Seattle).
I could have never imagined how awesome the campus would be! Not to mention, it was so huge you could literally get lost! The headquarters are spread across 500-acres with over 125 buildings nestled among the towering trees of Washington. With over 41,000 employees working at the headquarters it truly is one of the “smartest” corporate headquarters in the world! The buildings are integrated with sensors that track everything from air conditioning to lighting to save energy and monitor how buildings are performing. The campus is now a small city with offices, soccer fields, walking paths, cafes, shuttle buses, labs and much more. Let’s take a peek…
Me posing with the Microsoft sign outside one of the main buildings that houses the campus company store.
Some of the rockin’ Windows Champion ambassadors – bloggers from around the country!
I was super pumped to receive my new Windows Phone – we immediately fell in love. I’m planning a full blog post review coming up soon but in the mean time click here to learn more about this awesome smartphone.
As you can tell I was majorly geeked out! This was my set-up during this day’s sessions. On the left is my Microsoft Surface tablet, my Windows Phone and my Acer Aspire S7 all featuring my obsession, Windows 8.1.
I’ve also got a full review of my Surface coming soon! This is the ultimate tablet – particulary awesome if you are on-the-go a lot and perfect for students!
Another nice little treat was this beyond cool, Livescribe, smart pen! It writes like a ball point pen but then when you connect it to your device it downloads your notes!
This is a handy little Skype mobile emergency charging device. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve needed this!
Ever seen a 3-D printer in person? This was one in one of the Microsoft offices! Seriously…all the coolest tech is under these rooves!
A view from upstairs in Microsoft’s Research facility. Microsoft Research features over 1,100 brilliant scientists and engineers pushing the boundaries of computing. In partnership with academics, Microsoft is constantly asking, “What does state of the art look like?” Not only does the company employ computer scientists but they also utilize anthropologists, economists and sociologists to take the company to the next level.
Looking for directions in the Microsoft Research facility? Just ask this little guy…
We had the pleasure of meeting Michael Cohen, Director of GigaPixelArtZoom. I found this project to be incredibly interesting and can really see tons of amazing implications of ways this technology could be utilized. GigaPixelArtZoom is an interactive, multi-billion-pixel panoramic image celebrating the arts of Seattle. I highly recommend heading to the site and checking it out for yourself (click here).
This is just a peek at the awesomeness that we saw on campus!! You know I’ve got more coming!
Here’s a little treat for you!!!! If you are looking for a laptop this is an AMAZING deal!
This is my sTORI being written as you read. – Love, Mommy Tori
Disclaimer: I am part of the Windows Champions Program and receive incentives from Microsoft to blog about its products. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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