Ok so Scoble has cried over a demo he was given by two microsoft guys but doesn’t (isn’t allowed to) tell us what the demo is.
So the story hits TechCrunch and various other websites and the rumours start flying.
Never fear, by the power invested in me via google, I have solved the mystery of what the demo is, a whole 13 days before it is to be announced.

I commented on the TechCrunch article just a few minutes ago suggesting I suspected it was Photosynth, that I blogged about last june.

This comment was based on on the “the way I look at the world was about to change” quote from scoble and the fact that Photosynth is easily the coolest thing I’ve seen since the internet or, maybe, google earth. However, having read the full article, I was a little less certain, so I decided to do a little research:

The two guys who gave Scoble the demo are called Curtis Wong and Jonathan Fay.

A quick google brings up the Microsoft Research ‘Next Media’ group website and search on Next Media brings up an article and video demo from 2004 where Curtis Wong demonstrates Next Media’s ‘Media Browser’ (also featuring comments from Scoble himself).

Microsoft purchased Seadragon in Jan 2006 and it seems that the combination of the Media Browser and Seadragon developed into Photosynth.

You’ll also notice that Scoble mentions Google Map’s in his post and talks about the world:

“In Wong and Fey’s work you’ll see techniques that lots of startups are using and, even, that the Google Map team is using.”

“they’ve been traveling all over the world working with researchers from other institutions and getting data for their new thing”

So I would say it’s fairly obvious (though admittadly not certain) that the Feb 27th launch will be an updated, or final, version of Photosynth.

I’d also say, though with a little less evidence to back it up, that there will be an integration of ‘Smart Photos’, which is already mentioned on the photosynth website and of course was demonstrated by Bill Gates at CES earlier this year.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft have combined Photosynth it with their google earth competitor – Virtual Earth – to allow people to create 3D models more easily by importing photos.

And now we wait, until Feb 27th.

Update:

I’ve seen a couple of rumours that the launch may be of the ‘World-Wide Telescope’ that Microsoft have been working on.

It sounds to me like a souped up version of Google Sky that uses Photosynth (or at least Seadragon) for the implementation, presented to the user via Silverlight.
This would explain why WWT, Photosynth and Silverlight are the main three rumours going around.

Update 2:

Scoble just posted the following comment on the TechCrunch article:

“It’s not Mix or Silverlight related. It’s Microsoft Research related and TED related. See ya on March 4th.”

That wouldn’t be the TED where Photosynth was demoed last year would it…?

The same TED that begins on Feb 27th this year?

Update 3:

Scoble says it’s not the Photosynth stuff, which leaves us with the WWT and this Open Source launch.

He’s also made a new post explaining the hype.