Microsoft’s OneNote

Time (Nov 3, 2003) describes OneNote – a new member of Microsoft Office. It is more flexible than Microsoft Word – rather than being bound to the left hand column to start typing, OneNote allows you to click anywhere and to type or insert a picture, weblink or audio note. It also automatically saves everything.

It is interesting to see how a company that took almost exclusive control of the word processing market is thinking creatively to stay relevant. Personally, I have taught myself to act within the constraints of current software – but any improvement is more than welcome. Also, OneNote and tablet PC word processing software appear to have a lot in common.

Tangible Computing Interfaces

Businessweek (Nov 3, 2003) has an article on tangible computing interfaces that could engage users in more physical way. Some examples:

• IP Network Design Workbench: Team members sit around a ‘sensetable’ and rejigger components of a network – such as routers, servers, storage systems, fiber optic pipes – and examine the results of their experiments on performance, costs etc. in real time. This is being developed by MIT’s Hiroshi Ishii and is going to be used by an NTT unit to design and sell web-based networks.


• Smart Orbs: Based on work done in Ishii’s labs, Ambient Devices has developed ‘orb’ - glass globe which plug into wall and receive wireless data feeds of info like stock activity, traffic, weather. The orb changes color as the data changes.

Graphical User Interfaces have made life much easier for many computer users - ‘tangible’ interfaces can be a significant leap forward. While reading about it, the movie ‘Minority Report’ came to my mind where rather than typing furiously on a keyboard, Tom Cruise could simply act as an orchestra conductor to pull computer files, slice and dice them and then display.

The orb described above is an interesting example of new ways of data output. Ishii’s ‘sensetable’ takes a different approach to input data. Audio commands to computers (think ‘voice-dial’ capability of cell phones) is another variation to the current keyboard/ mouse mechanism to input data.

Community Supported Agriculture or Subscription Farms

Time (Nov 3, 2003) has an article on CSAs, or subscription farms, where farms sell shares of their harvest in advance directly to consumers. They involve shareholder families through newsletters, potluck parties and even farm work. It attracts consumers looking for not only fresher, cheaper vegetables but also ‘sense of belonging’. Farmers also gain by going directly through consumers instead of selling their produce to intermediaries such as supermarkets. Most CSA don’t advertise – people find out about them by word of mouth or through websites such as csacenter.org.

Vacation properties and jetliners - make way – here come farms in the category of ‘fractional ownerships’.

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Pro Leagues for Video Games

Time (Oct 13, 2003) has a story on professional video game circuits and players. The purses are still modest ($20K for the World Cyber Games winner), but it is an indication that this leisure activity is gradually becoming a spectator 'sport'. This mainstream acceptance of video games reminds me of the science fiction Ender's Game where 'soldiers' are trained for a war with aliens using computer games.

I think professionalization of a game is a very important stage in its lifecycle (think successes such as American football and cricket). I doubt whether computer games in their current form will become a huge spectator sport (sports fans want to see real people fighting it out) but innovations in and application of virtual reality can take them to a different level.

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