Ambient Ambient TechnologyTechnology

Where’s the Where’s the

Web Browser?Web Browser?

The Most Successful Ambient The Most Successful Ambient Technology?Technology?

so far…so far…

Mobile TelephonyMobile Telephony

• Phones are everywherePhones are everywhere• UbiquitousUbiquitous

• Coverage is more or less countrywideCoverage is more or less countrywide• Always availableAlways available

• Platform independentPlatform independent• You can call and txt any phone or networkYou can call and txt any phone or network

• But… txt itself is an unexpected technologyBut… txt itself is an unexpected technology

What is an ambient technology?What is an ambient technology?Always availableAlways available

Always onAlways on

UnobtrusiveUnobtrusive

EmbeddedEmbedded

““Obvious” interfaceObvious” interface

Encourages human interactionEncourages human interaction

(errr the mobile phone… again)(errr the mobile phone… again)

So what’s next?So what’s next?

Is this another ambient technology?Is this another ambient technology?

The Ambient OrbThe Ambient Orb

Immediate but subtle informationImmediate but subtle information

Updates on a project’s status in near real timeUpdates on a project’s status in near real time

Imagine a manager’s living room lit by the efforts of their Imagine a manager’s living room lit by the efforts of their project team. Vivid red for a project on the skids and project team. Vivid red for a project on the skids and

blue/violet for a project going in the right directionblue/violet for a project going in the right direction

Ambient UmbrellaAmbient UmbrellaDownloads weather informationDownloads weather information

Displays forecasts as a colour coded displayDisplays forecasts as a colour coded display

Ambient Ambient FindabilityFindability

the strange connections between the strange connections between social software, human psychology, social software, human psychology,

convergent architecture, smart convergent architecture, smart mobs, reputation economies, mobs, reputation economies,

learning organizations, learning organizations, nanotechnology and literacynanotechnology and literacy

spime

Noisy objects that Noisy objects that transmit data transmit data constantly. About constantly. About everything. Trivial or everything. Trivial or not. Because what not. Because what you think is trivial you think is trivial may not be to may not be to everyone else.everyone else.

Bruce Sterling’s Bruce Sterling’s worldview???worldview???

The next step..The next step..

The internet of thingsThe internet of things

What other componentsWhat other components for the Internet of Things? for the Internet of Things?

Should this happen? Or has it?Should this happen? Or has it?

Computer Science Lab Computer Science Lab University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington

Findable people and thingsFindable people and thingsrfid.cs.washington.edurfid.cs.washington.edu

NavSpy.com …NavSpy.com …