[NTLK] Knowledge Navigator and iPad

[Forrest Buffenmyer]

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>> 2. AI is the near-future of computing.
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>I don't really understand what people mean by AI being the future of computing. Is it that the computer does all the work for you? I'd much rather have most control myself and only let the AI worry about low-level stuff and things like the Newton's Intelligent Assistant (but a bit more advanced).

I like the Knowledge Navigator concept, in that it reminds you of appointments and/or events and tries to anticipate what you might want based on those appointments ("you have lunch scheduled in 30 minutes"), preferences ("would you like the names of all the seafood restaurants?"), and your requests (both past and present). The research example (about the shrinking rain forest) where he asks for the data, it could ask if he wants to see other reports, then if he wants to save the data, and if he wants a hard copy (printout) of it.

Here in the Western US we have an ad campaign that kind of plays on the Knowledge Navigator concept, for the telephone utility company Qwest (which used to be primarily made up of Mountain Bell)...in the ads the Yellow Pages is represented by Dex (also the name of the directory), a bookish looking guy who appears and answers questions--like "Dex, my car won't start!", and he responds with something like "Joe's Auto Service, at the corner of Main and Maple, he's open 8am to 7pm six days a week, and he offers free towing! Would you like that number?"..."Dex, where's a good place nearby that serves deep dish pizza?"...he responds appropriately...and so on.

That's what I'd like to see in an Apple-made device...I agree with Matej, though--it should let us handle the big stuff and help us with the little stuff we might overlook...unless we ask it for help with the bigger stuff.

Thanks,
--Forrest