I’d been reading more about ubiquitous computing lately, and came across Mark Weiser’s principles for ubiquitous computing:

  • The purpose of a computer is to help you do something else.
  • The best computer is a quiet, invisible servant.
  • The more you can do by intuition the smarter you are; the computer should extend your unconscious.
  • Technology should create calm.

    • I reckon that the tagging + feed stuff that I’ve been using more lately hits that spot, to some extent. LastFM is the latest thing I’ve come across. Looks like del.icio.us for music, and there appears to be a plugin for SlimServer. Sounds all good to me.

    There’s an essay that I picked up from reading about the Yahoo purchase of Konfabulator that discusses the technologies behind these apparently intuitive applications. The approach is being called Ajax, and it’s worth a read if your wondering why web applications are becoming an exponentially richer experience. Kottke has some thoughts about where this is heading. that are well worth a read