REDMOND, Wash. -- Ever feel like you're not making good enough use of your feet when you're catching up on your e-mail or sorting through all those digital pictures you took on that last vacation?
Computer scientists in Microsoft Corp.'s research division have developed a color-coded "dance pad" with buttons you can tap with your feet — or jump on — to scroll through electronic files.
It may never make it to store shelves, but then again, Microsoft spends billions every year researching far-out technologies without worrying about whether every gizmo will sell.
This week the software giant held its annual internal trade show where hundreds of researchers were showing off their work. The "Step User Interface" technology was one of the concepts available for a sneak peek.
"This is just one off-the-shelf piece of hardware we can use," A.J. Brush, the lead researcher on the project, said after demonstrating the technology. "Now we're looking at broadening, thinking about accelerometers or other things you could strap onto your feet so you really could be just sitting at your desk and kicking your e-mail away under the desk."
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