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Ubiquitous Computing
Honey, could you pick up a 6-pack of computers on the way home?

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The Computer for
the 21st Century
Mark Weiser - Presentation by Kevin Regan

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Some Principles
The purpose of a computer is to help you do something else
The best computer is a quiet invisible servant
Technology should remain calm

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Calm Technology
Can computing technology be as easy to use as literacy
technology?
Difficulty does not stem from UI problems
The idea of the personal computer is the problem

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The Super Laptop
Ubiquitous computing does not mean:
Computers you can bring to the beach
Analogy to writing
One very important book or
Being able to write anywhere to anyone

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Virtual Reality &
Embodied
Virtuality
Virtual Reality
Immerses us in simulated world
Ubiquitous Computing
Invisibly enhances real world

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Motor Analogy
As Motors grew smaller and more powerful, they disappeared
Nanoscale Engine
Watt Rotary Engine

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Parc-Tab
Tabs - Size of pack of cards
Personalized and carried with you
Pads - Size of piece of paper
Scrap computers, antidote to “windows”
Boards - Yard Sized
Large displays for groups of people

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Groundwork - Displays
Portable displays will have
1000x800 resolution
centimeter thick
weight 100 grams
Rollable Display
240 x 360 resolution
Larger displays will have 100 microns thick
Viewing density of computer screen VisWall - 96 inch
12000 x 6100 resolution
~ 75 million pixels
Tens of millions of pixels

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Groundwork - Computation
CPU speed may level off at 1 Mhz
We now have > Ghz processors
Separate processors for display
GPU’s with hundreds of Mb of memory
Matchbook hard disk with 60 Mb capacity
iPod with 60 Gb
Toshiba 0.85 hard disk with 4 Gb

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Groundwork - Software
Software needs to take advantage of the network
Micro Kernel Operating Systems
Highly modular collection of OS neutral abstractions
Different OSes can be hosted on the micro kernel
Current operating systems do not allow apps to move
MobiDesk, VMWare, VNC & Citrix come closer

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Groundwork - Networks
Cellular rates of 250 kbps
Transparent Linking of wired and unwired networks
Single protocol to bridge short-range wifi, long-range wifi and high
speed wired networks (MSocks, E2E Mobility)
Must cope with users who move
Need for better wireless medium

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Scenario at home
Sal looks out her windows at their neighbourhood. Sunlight and a
fence are visible through one, but through the others she sees
electronic trails that have been kept for her of neighbours coming and
going during the early morning.
Transparent, cheap large display
Location sensing of people
Network to communicate location information
Privacy Policies

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Scenario at home
On the way to work Sal glances in the foreview mirror to check the
traffic. She spots a slow down ahead and also notices on a side street
the telltale green in the foreview of a food shop and a new one at that.
She decides to take the next exit and get a cup of coffee while avoiding
the traffic jam.
Experience should be as unintrusive as looking in rearview mirror
Providing location dependent information

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Scenario at work
... Virtual office sharing can take many forms-in this case the two have
given each other access to their location detectors and to each other’s
screen contents and location. Sal chooses to keep miniature verions of
all Joe’s tabs and pads in view ...
Sharing of work area assists with collaboration
Location sensing is opt-in

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Discussion
Ubiquitous Computing will
Bring people closer together
Make obtaining information trivial
Be like a pleasant walk in the woods