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It takes a lot of sophisticated, cutting-edge technology to solve a major homicide within an hour - including commercials, of course.

How many times have you watched the computers used by the fictional forensics detectives on “CSI” and thought to yourself, “if only...” That is, if only databases were that fast, if only touch technology were that advanced, if only location tracking were that integrated...and all of it fast and flawless, naturally. Memo to Grissom: give more shout-outs to your IT guys, OK?

Real-life is starting to catch up to “CSI.” This week Microsoft is hosting law-enforcement authorities from 35 countries for a conference on crime and technology, and the software giant announced it has developed a new USB thumb drive that allows police to quickly extract information from computers suspected of being used by the bad guys. It’s called COFEE (Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor) and Microsoft says some officials have been using it for nearly a year.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has steered its technology toward solving crimes. In 2003 a Toronto detective, discouraged by the rise of online predators targeting children, e-mailed Bill Gates for help. That plea prompted the creation of CETS (Child Exploitation Tracking System), a suite of software tools that allows agencies to better share information on child pornographers. Of course, the marketing gurus in Redmond know when to blur that line between reality and fiction. Yes, those were Microsoft touch-screen surface computers you saw during Season Six episodes of “CSI: Miami.”

Read [Seattle Times] Read [Microsoft]