REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Research teamed up with Disney-Pixar to create a virtual tour of the universe hosted by none other than WALL-E, the animated robot from Disney-Pixar's latest film, "WALL-E," which is available in stores today on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can take the tour and view the universe from WALL-E's perspective by visiting http://www.worldwidetelescope.org. A teaser for the tour can also be seen on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Along for the adventure with WALL-E, Academy-Award-winning director Andrew Stanton narrates the tour. "Using Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope, WALL-E takes you on a real ride through space," Stanton said. "After watching the movie on DVD, the whole family will be inspired to learn more about the world in which we live and the universe beyond."

WorldWide Telescope is a rich Web application that brings together imagery from the best ground- and space-based observatories across the world to allow people to easily explore the night sky through their computers. WorldWide Telescope has been embraced by the astronomical and education communities as a compelling, astronomical resource for students and lifelong learners.

"WorldWide Telescope is about making science fun for everyone," said Curtis Wong, manager of Microsoft's Next Media Research Group. "By working with Disney-Pixar, we're enabling kids and families to discover the magic of the universe for themselves in an even more engaging way. What could be more fun than exploring space with a famous robot?"

About Microsoft Research

Founded in 1991, Microsoft Research is dedicated to conducting both basic and applied research in computer science and software engineering. Its goals are to enhance the user experience on computing devices, reduce the cost of writing and maintaining software, and invent novel computing technologies. Researchers focus on more than 55 areas of computing and collaborate with leading academic, government and industry researchers to advance the state of the art in such areas as graphics, speech recognition, user-interface research, natural language processing, programming tools and methodologies, operating systems and networking, and the mathematical sciences. Microsoft Research currently employs more than 800 people in six labs located in Redmond, Wash.; Cambridge, Mass.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; Cambridge, England; Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India. Microsoft Research collaborates openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance the field of computer science. More information can be found at http://www.research.microsoft.com.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award(R)-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and most recently, WALL-E. The Northern California studio has won 21 Academy Awards(R) and its nine films have grossed more than $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney-Pixar is Up (May 29, 2009).

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.