Not A Pretty Librarian has kicked things off well with a first post titled “It Is Not A Tool,” covering an argument about which has more value to a teenager: a car or a computer.

On one side is the notion that “She can’t drive herself to work with a computer.” While, on the other side is the growing likelihood that she won’t drive to work at all, but instead simply work at whatever computer she has available. But then, this is a teenager, and maybe practical matters like work don’t top the list. And that’s where Not A Pretty Librarian (who are you?) asks:

Can you imagine being nineteen right now without computer access?

Indeed, when college students are spending so much time on AIM and logging into Facebook daily, is a car really as important as a computer in a teenager’s social life? When 89 percent of students start their research in a search engine, isn’t the computer more important than a car to get to the library?

car, computer, computer use, importance, internet, lib20, libraries, library 2.0, not a pretty librarian, teen, teenagers, value, web

What’s sadder than people in Burundi earning an average of only $90 a year? It might be Bill Gates‘ criticism of MIT’s efforts to bring affordable, networked computers to the poorest countries of the world in hopes of improving education (and communication and healthcare and more).

The challenge is enormous: the technology needs to be durable, require low-power (and be easily rechargeable), as easy to use as an egg timer, have networking in a land without infrastructure, and be cheap, cheap, cheap. Yet somehow, the MIT folks have figured it out, and the project — known to most of us as the $100 laptop project — seems to be on its way to success.

It’s the sort of thing that you’d figure a philanthropic guy like Bill Gates would be on top of. But alas, he seems not to understand. Gizmodo, ArsTechnica, TeleRead, and others are all reporting the world’s richest man went critical over the MIT project.

What are Big G’s complaints?

• The screen is too small
  Hmmm…it’s the same size as on the $1000 Ultra Mobile PCs that Microsoft’s pushing.

• Doesn’t have broadband
  Um, well, Bill doesn’t work in telecomm, but you’d think he’d know that there ain’t much broadband in Africa or in poor countries anywhere.

• Doesn’t have a hard drive (it uses flash-based storage)
  Apparently he worries that it’ll get filled with MP3s.

• The charger requires cranking
  It’s just a generalization, but people usually turn the lights on at night if they can, but there aren’t many in Africa or in poor countries anywhere. Maybe Bill has a line on power fairies?

• Ongoing support, maintenance, and network access costs are far more expensive than the hardware
  Right. So, Bill has first hand experience with the hidden costs of Windows, no?

I’m not sure what Bill thinks should be done instead, and I’m kinda thinking that his remarks will be recorded in history as being about as stunningly stupid as the old “who needs more than 640K” line. Ars Technica’s Nate Anderson was as dumbfounded as the rest of us:

It’s hard to see how a philanthropist could not love a device designed to put basic computing power in the hands of every child on earth, but Gates reached deep down inside and found a way

Perhaps what Bill really wanted to complain about was that the $100 laptops don’t run Windows and that Microsoft hadn’t figured out how to profit off of them yet.

0 computer, 0 laptop, bill gates, billg, harsh, harsh words, microsoft, mit laptop, mobile computing, origami, umpc

Via an IM from Ryan Eby: a pointer to Andrew Escobar’s directions on how to install Apple’s Front Row.

apple, front row, hack, install, media, media pc, media player, jukebox, mac, computer

Via Engadget I found mention of the LeapFrog FLY, a pen with embedded computer that reads your handwriting. Need a calculator? Just write out “2 + 2 = ” and hear a response from the pen computer’s synthesized voice. Need to schedule something? Write out the date.

It’s targeted at kids, and the company has released it with a variety of tutoring applications and games (you guessed it: FLYware) appropriate for kids in 3rd to 8th grade. Gizmag has details.

It turns out that it requires special paper (FLY paper, of course), but it’s an interesting concept. I wonder how much more it would have cost to use accelerometers (eliminating the need for that special paper) instead of an optical sensor?

Big picture moment: The computing world of today is built around computers with keyboards and big screens, but what might it look like if this pen-computer takes off? What applications might we build for a networked FLY? The world is in search of a $100 laptop, but this pen is available now for that price.

computer, edutainment, embedded computer, fly, fly paper, handwriting, leapfrog, optical sensor, pen computer, pen-based, pentop, pentop computer, special paper, tutoring, ubicomp, ultraportable

Via Gizmodo, we make money not art, and The Engineer: spray-on computers.

The idea is to develop computers about the size of a grain of sand (though they say a cubic millimeter here), give them sensors and networking capabilities, and completely change our notion of “computer.”

From The Engineer:

Each Speck will be autonomous, with its own captive, renewable energy source. Thousands of Specks, scattered or sprayed on a person or surfaces, will collaborate in programmable computational networks called Specknets. Scientists are even considering the idea of a putting the devices in a spray-can, allowing the Specks to be sprayed onto a whatever surface they wish.

In the short term, engineers imagine a number of useful, but not revolutionary uses for these Specknets:

They could be used as lighting and temperature sensors in buildings, placed in aircraft wings to detect failures or used to sensitise medicine bottles to ensure that people take their prescribed medication at the correct times.

But don’t let that confuse you into thinking that they aren’t aware of the broader implications. Here it is straight from the Speckled Computing project website:

Speckled Computing is the culmination of a greater trend. As the once-separate worlds of computing and wireless communications collide, a new class of information appliances will emerge. Where once they stood proud — the PDA bulging in the pocket, or the mobile phone nestling in one’s palm, the post-modern equivalent might not be explicit after all. Rather, data sensing and information processing capabilities will fragment and disappear into everyday objects and the living environment. At present there are sharp dislocations in information processing capability — the computer on a desk, the PDA/laptop, mobile phone, smart cards and smart appliances. In our vision of Speckled Computing, the sensing and processing of information will be highly diffused — the person, the artefacts and the surrounding space, become, at the same time, computational resources and interfaces to those resources. Surfaces, walls, floors, ceilings, articles, and clothes, when sprayed with specks (or “speckled”), will be invested with a “computational aura” and sensitised post hoc as props for rich interactions with the computational resources.

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My week with the Pepper Pad is over, and the UPS van just drove off with it, but I’ve still got a lot to report.

My testing ran into problems when it turned out that the WiFi network in the library was on the fritz. I did some netstumbling today and found that only two APs were broadcasting at anything close to full-power and all the others were whispering like they were gonna get shushed by an old-time librarian. In short, at some point in the past few weeks, though I’ve been too busy and ignorant to notice, the WiFi in the building followed the freshmen to the nearest kegger and didn’t come back.

But, using the two working APs as guideposts, I found WiFi range to be good enough that I’m pretty sure if the other APs were working, we’d have complete coverage. That doesn’t mean, however, that I got to do all the testing that I wanted, and what I’m least happy about is not having a chance to put it in the hands of some students and see how they used it.

I get the feeling that it wouldn’t take long for the students to discover the streaming net radio and instant messaging, but all of that is gravy on top of the way I imagine it could ease and improve access to the 300,000 print volumes we have in our collection.

But all of that is speculation, and I’ve got real findings to report…later.

tags: computer, fond farewell, good bye, internet access, pepper, pepper computer, pepper pad, portable computer, portable computing, post pc, post pc device, ubicomp, ubiquitous computing, ultra portable, web access, web device, web pad

The Pepper Pad (available at Amazon) has a very clean out of box experience. There’s nothing to assemble and no questions about what order to do things in. Just open, unwrap, plug in, startup.

I attempted running through the configuration in my office, but the WiFi propagation is very weak there and Pepper Pad couldn’t catch a signal. The requirements listed on the box say only two things: “broadband” and “WiFi,” so it’s no surprise that the configuration application requires WiFi — or perhaps a BlueTooth phone it can connect through? Without a signal I was forced let it charge and make plans to explore it at home from the comfort of my couch.

Configuration was simple once it was charged and nearer an access point. One click to connect to my AP, a few prompts for my email configuration and registration, and I was ready to go. I started up the web browser, Mozilla, and was quickly surfing a few familiar sites to see how they displayed on the 800 x 600 screen. Text is clearly legible and comfortable to read. The screen is quite sharp, but the anti-aliasing on the text gives it a pleasing softness. Overall, the screen experience outclasses my Sony Clie TH55 (which does no anti-aliasing), and compares well with desktop displays.

As it turns out, the limited horizontal resolution is less of a problem than I imagined. Some horizontal scrolling is necessary on some websites, but they’re rarer than I thought (I’m among the worst offenders) and when scrolling is necessary, the d-pad on the left of the screen does the job easily and smartly. A scrollwheel on the right does the job for vertical scrolling, and it’s the only control you’ll need for browsing most sites.

The screen is bordered by a rubbery frame, the bottom of which has a molded clip to hold the stylus. The stylus and touch screen replace a mouse, though they’re not used for handwriting recognition (there is no HWR on the device). Using the touch screen is easy and it responds to both the stylus and finger taps, but it sometimes doesn’t respond as fast as I expect or give recognizable feedback to acknowledge the click. Scrolling the screen by dragging the stylus along the scrollbar can be frustrating on large web pages, but the problem mostly disappears on smaller pages.

Web browsing goes better with a soundtrack, and with a few quick taps I was listening to streaming MP3 radio using the bundled player. The stereo speakers are better than one might expect from their small size, though bass response is understandably limited.

One of the most distinguishing features is how comfortably it fits in your hands. Certainly, typing is a two-handed activity, but one can spend a lot of time using the Pad with only one hand — a necessary feature if you’re walking around the library with it or using it as a recipe book in the kitchen. The kick stand keeps it upright with the screen at about a 45 degree angle and the rubber edges and feet keep it from skittering across the desk or counter. Grabbing it from a table is an entirely different experience from trying to pickup a laptop, and it’s a positive example of how much farther we can go in terms of truly portable computing.

I found myself walking around the house, browsing the web and streaming music all the way. With a few more clicks I was streaming New Hampshire Public Radio and looking up interesting bits on the web. The Pepper Pad may be a little expensive to use only as a portable radio like that, but it’s at least a very satisfying one. Of course, it can do a lot more than play MP3s and streaming radio, it plays these silly K-Fee ads too.

I was at home, after all, and work could wait.

tags: computer, internet access, pepper, pepper computer, pepper pad, portable computer, portable computing, post pc, post pc device, ubicomp, ubiquitous computing, ultraportable, web access, web device, web pad

The Pepper Pad’s technical details — a lightweight Linux powered device with an 8.4-inch SVGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi auto-configuration, Bluetooth device support, multi-gigabyte disk, full QWERTY thumb-keypad, stereo speakers, and more — are already well reported. But I’ve been arguing that attention to such details runs counter to the purpose and intended use of the device. Many computer users can name (and point to) the CPU in their computer, but who of those can tell me what CPU or chipset drives their cellphone? How many of them can identify the operating system on their phone?

The Pepper Pad, I believe, is the type of device we need to drive information services into the mainstream. …To drive internet access well beyond the 100 million US subscribers who have at-home internet access today and start approaching the nearly 200 million US subscribers who carry cell phones. That’s why I’m interested in their applications in libraries, and that’s why I’m looking at the demo unit above.

More details after it finishes charging.

computer, internet access, pepper, pepper computer, pepper pad, portable computer, portable computing, post pc, post pc device, ubicomp, ubiquitous computing, ultraportable, web access, web device, web pad

That headline might seem a little late among the folks reading this. But we’re all geeks, and if not geeks, then at least regular computer users. Regular computer users, however, are a minority. Worldwide, only around 500 million people have internet access, and fewer than 100 million people in the US have internet access at home. With populations of over 6 billion and 300 million respectively, there’s clearly a lot of growth potential.

Truth is, computers are the poor cousins to phones and television in terms of market penetration. In the US, Nielsen estimates there are over 275 million people with TVs in their homes today, and the CTIA says there are over 180 million mobile phone users.

The market opportunity is clear, but I think our notions of what a “computer” is have to change. Yes, computers have been through a lot of changes in 20 some odd years, but they’re still very much the same. Some might say that cars are basically the same as they were 100 years ago because they all mostly run around of four wheels and be happy with it. But transportation has seen tremendous change. Computers as we know them don’t own the internet any more than cars own the road or railroad or bike trails or skies.

Email was the killer app that made people interconnect their networks, the web was the killer app that got 90+ million users online already. And those users are the critical mass that pushes the development of real web applications — applications that are starting to beat desktop apps at their own game and doing things that desktop apps can’t.

With this flowering age of web applications, the age of internet connected information devices is coming. But we need something different from the computers we’ve become accustomed to. We need a device that is designed to serve the 90 million Americans who have cell phones, but don’t appear to have their own computers or home internet access. We need a device that replaces TVs as the leading entertainment and news medium. Because the information age will have arrived when there’s a dozen kiosks in every mall hawking internet tablets and we see them lined up at Best Buy with differentiated models for the kitchen, living room, the kids rooms, and for camping.

Background: this post is grew out of some discussion at TeleRead, NoSheep, and here at MaisonBisson.

tags: access, change, change computers, computer, computing, critical mass, desktop apps, email, geek, geeks, information age, information system, internet, internet access, internet connected, killer app, market opportunity, network, paradigm shift, penetration, portable computing, web, web applications

Apple this morning released the Mighty Mouse ($49 at the Apple Store). With a scrollball, left and right click, and side buttons, it’s a big departure from Apple’s old opposition to multi-button mice. Apple didn’t invent the mouse, but they were probably the first to put mice through usability testing. One, two, and three button mice of a great many different shapes and sizes were tested before they settled on a one-button mouse for the original Macintosh in 1984.

Interestingly, the “buttons” appear to be solid-state electrostatic sensors which give no tactile feedback.

“A tiny speaker inside Mighty Mouse produces button-clicking and Scroll Ball-rolling sound effects.”

tags: apple, computer, hci, human factors, mac, macintosh, mice, mouse, multi-button mice, multi-button mouse, one button, one button mouse, one button mice, two button mice, two button mouse, two buttons

At 2560 x 1600 pixels, Apple’s Cinema HD display is big enough for three people’s egos.

tags: apple, cinema hd, computer, display, ego, maisonbisson, monitor, nosheep, spiralbound

I’m off visiting the good folks at Pepper today. I’ll update this post with photos as soon as they’re available, then look for a pair of posts about how the hardware/software works and what I’d like to do with it later.

Until then, here are some related posts: Ultra Portable Computing, Pepper Pad 2, and Portable Computing.

UPDATE: the picture above is blurry because of my poor photography skills. Better pictures can be found at the Pepper site. Look for more about the Pepper Pad in the next few days.

tags: computer, computing platform, hardware, internet, pepper, software, ultra portable, web, web computing

…Well, not entirely, but I couldn’t help but read the posts on the PepperPad and history of the Newton. I’m a fan of computing devices that don’t fit the mold, so I eat up stuff like this. I noted the Pepper Pad previously, and written a few posts about the Newton and ultra-portable computing.

Update: Engadget is getting in on the excitement too. They’re pointing to this OSOpinion article that’s at the center of it all.

Technorati Tags: computer, ebook, ebooks, hand held, newton, pepper pad, portable, teleread, ultra portable

Steffan O’Sullivan writes:

“This is from a 1954 edition of Modern Mechanics Magazine, predicting what the home computer will look like in 2004. I think I worked on that printer once…

How can I get a steering wheel like that on my office computer here?”

The caption reads:

“Scientists from the RAND Corporation have created this model to illustrate how a ‘home computer’ could look like in the year 2004. However the needed technology will not be economically feasible for the average home. Also the scientists readily admit that the computer will require not yet invented technology to actually work, but 50 years from now scientific progress is expected to solve these problems. With teletype interface and the Fortran language, the computer will be easy to use.”

More photos from MaisonBisson

[update]: Jess’s comment below gives the provenance of the photo as being from a Fark.com forum thread titled: “photoshop this mock-up of a submarine’s maneuvering Room.” Indeed, Snopes.com has it:

Although the photograph displayed could represent what some people in the early 1950s contemplated a “home computer” might look like (based on the technology of the day), it isn’t, as the accompanying text claims, a RAND Corporation illustration from 1954 of a prototype “home computer.” The picture is actually an entry submitted to an image modification competition, taken from an original photo of a submarine maneuvering room console found on U.S. Navy web site, converted to grayscale, and modified to replace a modern display panel and TV screen with pictures of a decades-old teletype/printer and television (as well as to add the gray-suited man to the left-hand side of the photo)

I’d like to say I knew this all along, but I got burned too. What really eats me is that I noticed (but didn’t comment on) the bad grammar and awkward construction in the caption that seemed unfitting for any publication. Oh well, thank you ‘Jess.’

RAND, 1954, scientists from the rand corporation, computer, home computer, 1954 2004 computer, computer steering wheel, fark computer photoshop, modern mechanics, 1950s computer prediction, fake