Embodied Information

On information becoming embodied into simple physical objects such as name badges--will this be an ice breaker, a filter, a game? Probably all of the above.

You May See a Soul Mate Across a Crowded Room

May 22, 2003
By BOB TEDESCHI

Sizing up fellow travelers at an industry or professional
conference is always tricky business. Do you care to chat
with the guy in the brown velour jacket? And what could you
possibly have in common with that woman
with all the facial piercings?

(Link to the full article.)

Creatives yearning to leave?

In a piece from this week's FT Creative Business, the question of creatives in London is raised.

Having spent two months riding the trains and experiencing the stone's throw access to nature in Switzerland, while actually getting real work done and staying connected (business-wise) with people across the globe, I wonder if more creative core (Florida) aren't going to start asking the questions from this article.

Special Reports /Creative Business
Location, location...
by Caroline Bull
Published: May 27 2003 10:14 | Last Updated: May 27 2003 10:14

Full article requires subscription

In the age of high-speed internet access, do you really need to be in London to be a successful creative business?...

A number of other clusters are also emerging in the region. The Digital Peninsula Network is a group of 170 creatives, including a Hollywood filmmaker, a data translator and a BBC animator. The group has set up a wireless network that means they can do business anywhere. ...

[More meat, so pick up a copy (Tuesday FT hardcopy or online)]

Black Star

This is slightly off-topic, but still worth noting: The Columbia University Center for Science Policy and Outcomes has just released Black Star: Ghana, Information Technology and Development in Africa, a CSPO White Paper by Affilliate Scholar Gregg Zachary. It is available as a PDF. A blurb:

This essay is meant to contribute to understanding how people in developing countries use technology, what they want from it, how they can and do form communities based on absorbing and mastering new technologies imported from rich countries, and how they might design their own technologies in ways that are potentially more suitable to the conditions in poor countries and thus more likely to raise living standards in these countries.

I've been following Gregg's work in Ghana for about a year now, and I think it is extremely interesting: he's found a community of technology users in a part of the world in which hackers just aren't supposed to exist.

World as a blog

This is quite something: The world as a blog. It's a tool that takes feed from weblogs.com (which collects information on recently-updated blogs), and maps it onto a map of the world. Another tiny step in the integration of bits and places.

I've been running across various attempts to mix geocoding with blog entries: NYC bloggers and blogmapper are two others. The interesting thing is that these all seem to be the efforts of individual programmers who decide to do something interesting with GPS data, mapping software, and XML, rather than big projects that require dozens of people at Microsoft or AOL. This is a sure sign that the barriers to entry in this area are low, and sooner or later, someone's going to do something that's incredibly compelling.

Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if AOL were to include something like this in its rumored blogs software. It would be a great way to visualize the extent and activity of the AOL blogspace.

HP Websign project

This is an older article, but I just ran across it: Amy Cowen, "Through the handheld looking glass: Under the 'websign' model, buildings, objects, and locations are transparently linked to virtual resources," mpulse (2001). It describes an HP project involving planting digital information physical places, using "websigns" (a nice play on "web sites"):

Imagine walking down "main" street in your hometown and seeing a set of clickable "signs" pop up over the various buildings. Each "sign" allows you to link, on the spot, to more information about the building, to a related service, or even to a private message left for you by someone else who has recently visited that same location. This vision of an information-rich computing model in which physical reality is interwoven with virtual resources to provide location-based services for nomadic users is one Salil Pradhan, a researcher in HP Labs, is helping to make a reality.

Update: Jokko writes,

I had the opportunity to work with HP Cooltown labs in a project two years ago. It involved designing appliances and embedded systems that supported social interaction in a co-operative space in downtown Helsinki. For more information please see the project web-site.

Bundling Distribution and Products

Tim Oren brought this to my attention as an example of combining distribution with services/products:

Tropos Networks unveils technology for Wi-Fi ‘hot zones’

May 21 12:47:00, 2003
By EMILY MOTSAY

-----
Tropos Networks Inc., formerly operating in stealth mode as FHP Wireless Inc., has unveiled its new Tropos technology, products and services to enable metro-scale deployments of Wi-Fi technology, offering end users wireless broadband access to data from wide public areas.

Tropos’ goal is .....

Click here to view complete article.

Silicon Valley Observations

Oakland-San Francisco
April 15th -May 16th

Last Friday, I sat in The Jahva House to process some observation notes from April and May. I can’t remember how many times I’ve been to The Jahva house over the years. It’s a good spot for coffee, entertainment, and good conversation. The Jahva house has always been the alternative or the other coffee house on the street (i.e., alternative to Starbuck’s and Peet’s Coffee). I think I first walked over to The Jahva House a few years ago when the line at Peet’s was too long and out the door. I was running late to work so I walked over to get a Latte. When I walked in, it was a delight to the senses---think African and East Asian motifs, reggae music playing in the background, flyers and leaflets for this or that community event, music act or poetry reading everywhere, graffiti and art on each wall, conversations happening in different salon areas each with its own peculiar set of vintage chairs and sofas. I go there quite often now but for more than just coffee. Starbucks (the quintessential generic cafe) and Peet’s Coffee (hang out for the coffee snobs) are more places to consume coffee itself---a source for coffee beans and all the other things that could possibly be linked to the coffee experience (i.e., commuter mugs, coffee makers, filters, reserve coffee from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica or wherever, Italian espresso machines, Madeline’s, and of course chocolate!). I think The Jahva House is more than that. The place has character, an identity, content and social ties to different slices of local life and community. I think people are drawn to The Jahva house because they feel tied to it in some fundamental way---whether they are artists, musicians, or creatives. For me, the noise, the music, the conversations, the location, the couches all contribute to creating an “optimal” environment for work.

Insight 1: Workspace Selection: Different Spaces for Different Modes of Work

The Jahva House, Starbuck’s, and Peet’s are just potential places to do work. In fact, in trying to notice my own behavior, I found I tend to use all three in very different ways. I go to The Jahva House to actually do work. I can sit on a comfortable couch and just soak in the vibe and easily switch into work mode. (I wrote two TYF forecast articles, designed the interview process/guide for this project, have read interviews for other projects, joined in on conference calls there etc.) When I need to access the Internet and check email, I simply walk across the street to Starbuck’s (The Jahva House has metered and wired access only). I go inside and look for openings near an electric outlet and launch the t-mobile hotspot service. (I don’t order anything) When I am done, I usually walk back across the street to The Jahva House and continue working. When I need a break from work, I might walk over to Peet’s have a cup of coffee or tea and sit on their window bar and read whatever leftover newspaper might be there on the table or on the floor. Then I return to The Jahva House and complete my workday. Why do I do this? I think we all do this to some extent. Each space is playing a different role in my portfolio of workspaces in the East Bay. I have a different set of workspaces to choose from in Menlo Park. It’s simply a work practice I am carrying over to a different geographic context.

Insight 2: Claiming Spaces: Public Places as Network Resources

All I have to do now is simply spot a Starbuck’s and easy as 1-2-3 I am online checking email. Clearly, linking connectivity to brands like Starbuck’s or even McDonald’s is very valuable to the nomadic consumer who uses brand images to filter the physical environment and find a hotspot. But the relationship between the consumer and the place can be rather narrow. Starbuck’s does not necessarily need to be a place of community or appealing at some fundamental level to the consumer. It doesn’t have to be. It plays a very functional role. It’s just a place to get online (and maybe some coffee.) But for other people, their relationship with a place like Starbuck’s is multidimensional. For example, young, first-generation Ethiopians in the East Bay have essentially claimed the Starbuck’s on Lakeshore. By claiming it, it’s essentially become a resource in the community. Starbuck’s is important to them beyond its brand appeal. They don’t go there just for the coffee (not even just for Wi-Fi). For the young Ethiopian community, Starbuck’s is the location for a lot of opportunistic social interactions---and because it’s located just outside the boundaries and at the edge of the Ethiopian community itself---it’s an ideal place for identity experimentation/creation. By consuming Starbuck’s these young people get to experience and practice putting on their emerging American identities.

Silicon Valley Observations

Rod’s Observation Sites: Oakland-San Francisco

My observation work has been going on for several weeks now. In this report, I’d like to introduce you to my research sites. I am conducting observation research in several cafe locations: World Grounds Cafe in the Laurel District in Oakland with its Surf and Sip service; Starbucks with its t-mobile service; and at The Jahva House with wired access from two desktop workstations. Both Starbuck’s and The Jahva House are in the Lakeshore/Grand Lake area in Oakland. I am also conducting observation research across the bay in the Upper Haight (Ashbury) area in San Francisco at Cole Café with its zrnet service. Zrnetservice is the official hotspot provider but access is free from a nearby open and overlapping network in the neighborhood. I will post more and identify observation insights in a separate post.

Wi-Fi in Half Moon Bay

There's an interesting little piece in Wired News about Wi-Fi in Half Moon Bay. A local ISP has created a network covering the entire downtown, and argues that such wide area coverage will be a viable alternative to the cafe hotspot model:

Some Starbucks coffee shops, several McDonalds' restaurants in New York and other businesses across the country have rolled out Wi-Fi service. But customers must sit near Wi-Fi access points situated throughout the businesses in order to use the services.... "Starbucks will only cover inside of Starbucks," said Eric Gotfrid, director of operations for Coastside. "We figure we can go head-to-head with them."

Update 21 May 2003: The New York Times reports that the head of Tropos Networks, which set up the hotspots in Half Moon Bay, is run by the son of one of the creators of the futuristic cartoon The Jetsons.

Beyond Wi-Fi

Sent by Marina. Follow this link to Wired Magazine's look at what's Beyond Wi-Fi: ultrawideband, mesh networks, software defined radio, wireless personal area networks, and adaptive radio.

Silicon Valley Interview Criteria

We're now recruiting "advanced users" of wireless connectivity (i.e., over cellular or Wi-Fi networks) to interview in the Silicon Valley. We're hoping you might help us find them. You, your spouse, a friend or a neighbor might be the kind of person we're looking to interview. We're interviewing about 25-30 people. The interview is conducted face to face and is about 2 hours long. We can offer a $50 incentive and a copy of the final research report (when appropriate) to participants.

By "advanced user" we mean the person who

1. uses wireless connectivity (over cellular or Wi-Fi networks) beyond voice applications TO access the Internet for work, social or other activities/communication

2. uses wireless connectivity on a daily basis AND outside the home or workplace (e.g., in public spaces, cafes, public transportation etc.)

The advanced user may use wireless connectivity to access the Internet using a variety of devices (or combination of devices) such as a PDA, mobile phone, or laptop. Persons who have wireless LANs at home and/or at work in addition to wireless connectivity on some mobile device are particularly important to interview.

We're looking for a mix of work experiences and age. We're also seeking to interview a few people under 20 who are not employed yet but otherwise meet our criteria as an advanced user. If you know someone that meets our criteria and would be interested in being interviewed please let me know.

Thanks

Wi-Fi Technology Overview

Sent by Tim Oren, an affiliate at IFTF. Take this link to John Patrick's blog to see a good overview of Wi-Fi technology, standards, etc.

http://patrickweb.com/weblog/categories/wifi/wifi_update_8.html

Silicon Valley Observations

Observation Insights: Silicon Valley
Menlo Park, CA, May 1, 2003

Today is my observation day, so after I woke up, I immediately started to strategize on where to go throughout the day in order to accomplish the things I need to do and to find physical places that fit my needs. I clearly wanted to spend a significant chunk of time at Starbucks because it has a wi-fi connection and it’s a place where I can spend a lot of time without being conspicuous or worrying that I am taking up someone else’s place who wants to get drinks or food. It is one of those “generic” places that Mimi referred to in her observations of Japanese kids. However, my dilemma was that while I wanted to hang out at Starbucks, I don’t like their coffee or food, so I needed to be close to another place where I could get those things. My solution: start with Peet’s for coffee, then go to Starbucks to hang out, do observation and work, then move to JZ Cool for lunch (a few blocks away from Starbucks), then back to Starbucks for more hanging out. While at Starbucks, I did feel compelled to buy a cup of tea—a minimum I felt was required to have a legitimate right to use their space. I normally don’t drink tea during the day but have been doing so at Starbucks.

Insight 1: Creating Mental Maps
What I was doing was creating a mental map of the physical environment and choosing from a portfolio of physical spaces to create my personal ecology of spaces that fit my needs and activities that day. That map and the resulting ecology would probably be different if my activities and preferences at that time were different.

Insight 2: : Wi-Fi Will Be a Short Lived Differentiator of Place
At least in my case, it seems to be true that wi-fi by itself will drive traffic into a location. I ordinarily don’t go to Starbucks but have been doing this because of its wi-fi connection. I also did buy several cups of tea while there, giving them my money. This seems to support the notion in the recent New York Times article that it is profitable for establishments to supply wi-fi connectivity. However, what happens when wi-fi is ubiquitous and is not a distinguishing feature of a place?

The Starbucks on this morning was filled with the usual mixture of working nomads—students, professionals, and others equipped with laptops as well as moms with their kids hanging out, older people and other small social groupings. A woman with a baby sat next to me (she was obviously starting a round of things a stay-at-home mom does with her child). As the baby, who was very cute, started to smile and reach to play with the lap top and various other devices and things on my table, I felt the two worlds collide—my “work” world in which I was actively involved via e-mail at that particular moment, and my “mom” world, strongly identifying with the other mom and her child. I switched into the “mom” world and talked to the woman and played with the baby, something I felt obliged to do in order to be “sociable.”

Insight 3: Connectivity Enables People to Re-shape the Meaning of Physical

While we were occupying the same physical space, the meaning of that space was completely different for me and the woman with a baby. My connection to the workplace allowed me to convert the space into my “work space.” Moreover, the ability to switch attention or disconnect from the work connections by simply not looking at the screen or turning off the connection button allowed me to switch identities easily.

Insight 4. Need for Strategies to Communicate Presence
There is something here about communicating presence and availability for certain types of interactions. When the woman with a baby saw me with my laptop typing, she said to the baby “Don’t bother her, she is working.” What I was doing, the devices I had around me, and my whole being communicated to her that I was in the “work” mode, i.e. unavailable for other kinds of engagement. I had to turn away from the screen and engage in the conversation to communicate that it is o.k. to engage in social interactions. It seems that devices that give us ability to connect with far-flung people and places also call on us to develop strategies for communicating presence—what are we open to, what types of interactions, are we available for certain types of engagements.

Staying connected outside hotspots

Yesterday I conducted my first Place and Space interview. Initially I tried to arrange the interview at one of the hotspots I assumed the interviewee frequented. He replied to my request that since acquiring a bluetooth enabled GPRS phone (Ericsson T68) he doesn't rely anymore on hotspots to access the Internet.

I was impressed with how he had managed to set-up his lap-top (Apple PowerBook) to adapt to network availability. When he opens his lap-top, it checks which type of network is available. First it polls for ethernet, if that fails it checks for wi-fi and if that fails the lap-top opens a GPRS connection to the Internet using the phone as a modem. The lap-top and phone are paired Bluetooth devices. The lap-top recognizes the phone as a modem and is able to send commands to it and receive data from it. Accessing the Internet is seamelss for the user; regardless of which network is available all the user has to do is open his lap-top.

For some shuttling between a 11MB connection and a 40kb one might not be worth the while, however, if all you use the Internet for is to IM, e-mail or fix programming bugs (as in the case of the informant) then its the perfect solution.

Locations in Finland

Our research locations in Finland will be the following:

Locations for Maria K
* Smart Rotuaari in Oulu ( a joint venture of University of Oulu, City of Oulu, Mobile Forum,
* Telia Homerun at Café Carusel in Helsinki
* Sonera Wgate at Levi hotel
and an overview on
* Arabia mall in Helsinki (the Elisa Mobile mall)
* Mediapoli in Espoo
* Kase WLAN in Kaustinen
* and find out what became of the eTampere (City of Tampere, VTT) WLAN project

Location for Jokko
* Lasipalatsi in Helsinki (plus interviews with WiFi heavy users, operator)

Location for Maria S
* Telia Homerun at Wayne’s Coffee in Helsinki (plus interviews with WiFi heavy users, operator, possibly WC employee)

WiFi in Finland (by Maria K)

Wi-Fi in Finland is quite marginal compared to the use of mobile phone related technologies, and is not widely used – neither is it discussed or advertised much in general or trades press. R&D projects WLAN to the range of wireless technologies developed – but the point of view is often combinatory (like Nokias new product: ”The Nokia D211 multi-mode radio card for your PC gives you network access through GPRS, HSCSD, or Wireless LAN networks. You can even send text messages and faxes.” )

Hotspots consist of
*several R&D projects/project sites making use and combining localized WLAN networks with localized services and other mobile connection types (http://mobilemall.elisa.fi/, http://www.rotuaari.net/, http://www.mediapoli.com/wireless/)
* initiated services for broadband technology for cheap(er) network access in more remote housing areas, villages or smaller towns (Kaustisten seutukunta as an EU-project for local information society wlan.kase.fi, Radionet www. radionet.com with local energy companies in Rauma www.superstrada.com, Hamina http://www.haminanenergia.fi/hamiene.php/fi/laajakaista and Mäntsälä http://www.msoy.fi/msoynet/)
* commercial nationwide service by Telia Home Run http://www.homerun.teliamobile.fi/ and Sonera Gate: mostly conference hotels and centers, transportation network –related sites, a scattered variety of other sites (company headquarters, cafes etc.) – the two companies have merged but the finnish Telia services have to be sold in an open sale. Some other service providers also have hotspots (Jippii had a product callet Freedom http://www.jippiigroup.fi/wlan.shtml, not advertised after merging with Saunalahti, KPNQwest’s hotspot still usable even though the company’s Finnish activities bought by EUNET) but the services are more or less dormant
* campus and company Wi-Fis; not really interesting for our purposes
* a handful of free public Wi-Fis related to information society initiatives (www.lasipalatsi.fi, www.kontu.la) or just somehow handy for the owner like presumably the one at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
* unprotected private hotspots

Security:
* is an important issue
* warchalking, wardriving etc. not evident – the trade press discusses the phenomena though