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Microsoft’s binary T-shirt from BUILD 2015 decoded

microsofts binary t shirt from build 2015 decoded
Kévin Gosse
A developer conference can sometimes be a little stuffy, so to make sure BUILD 2015 shone a vibrant, exciting light over Windows 10, Microsoft made sure to pack as much fun into proceedings as was possible. While there was plenty of time dedicated to the nuts and bolts of development, there was plenty to see on the more frivolous end of the spectrum.

We saw some projects from the world of video games, including a thoroughly impressive graphics demo from Square-Enix. The HoloLens presentation was one of the most entertaining parts of the week, with its introduction of a diminutive robot being particularly memorable. Even the swag guests received for turning up was given an injection of fun — that word being relative, considering the event was a developer conference.

You may have seen some of the blue T-shirts adorned with the Windows logo that some Microsoft representatives were given to wear. What you might not know is that the logo was actually made up of ones and zeros — and rather than just being a clever design choice, there was a cryptic message hidden away.

Twitter user Kévin Gosse managed to take a snap of one of these shirts, and then go on to crack the code. The four panes of the Windows logo translate to:

  • There are 10 types of people in the world
  • Windows 10, because 7 8 9
  • Congrats on being one of the first
  • Windows Insiders help us develop the future. Talk to us @ Windows

While this T-shirt is a small part of a bigger picture, Microsoft deserves a lot of credit for its attempts to make BUILD an accessible and enjoyable event. It’s clear that exposing a wider audience to coding is a part of the company’s strategy for the future of Windows, and it could well be the way that Microsoft returns its OS to the cutting edge of the industry.

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Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
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