Microsoft's Photosynth stars in 'CSI' episode

Microsoft Corp. says it didn't pay for the use of its Photosynth image-browsing software on Wednesday night's episode of the CBS series "CSI: New York." But it would be difficult to imagine a more valuable plug for the technology.

The software, which presents a collection of two-dimensional images in a three-dimensional environment, is used by the fictional CSI investigators to piece together and navigate camera-phone photos taken at a high school prom where a guidance counselor is slain.

It's essentially a nationally televised product demo. In the episode, the "CSI: New York" characters refer to Photosynth by name multiple times. At one point, as they're using the program, CSI Detective Stella Bonasera marvels at the incredible clarity of the images. Microsoft says the actual program was used by the actors -- no special effects.

But the kicker is when another character, apparently confronting a suspect with evidence, delivers this line: "It's Microsoft's world, kid. I'm just livin' in it."

Photosynth's appearance is a result of Microsoft's relationship with series creator Anthony Zuiker and his desire to use the latest technology in his shows, said Andy Ma, a Microsoft program manager who works with television producers and others in Hollywood on technology-related issues.

"It's a lot of fun to see" Photosynth in the show, Ma said.

Zuiker and others from the "CSI: New York" crew saw Photosynth and other Microsoft technologies during a visit to the Redmond campus in July.

Separately, Ma said, the "CSI: Miami" crew took inspiration from Microsoft's technology prototypes and its Surface tabletop computer when they rebuilt the set for their audio-visual lab. In that case, some special effects have been required, in part because they wanted a larger Surface than currently exists.

Photosynth is a combination of technologies from Microsoft Research, the University of Washington and Seadragon Software, a startup that Microsoft acquired. By arranging photos in a 3-D environment, it lets people zoom around and view a scene from different perspectives.

Currently considered a "technology preview," Photosynth is available at labs.live.com/photosynth. It works only in Windows XP or Vista. Past uses of Photosynth include a collection of photos showing space shuttle Endeavour on its launch pad.